Brockton, MA was the first community in the Boston Archdiocese to undergo revitalization.
Brockton is a city of about 95,000 mostly working-class people, with 15 percent of families living below the poverty line and almost 20 percent of children under age 18 living in poverty.
All three of Brookton's active Archdiocesan schools needed strengthening. Despite these obstacles, Brockton's pastors and principals were very committed and enthusiastic about making a change to better serve their children and families, so Brockton became the first focus of the 2010 Initiative.
A team of pastors, principals, teachers, parents, members of the Archdiocesan school staff, faculty and students from Stonehill College, and consultants from the 2010 Initiative team was developed to revitalize Brockton's schools and set new standards of excellence for Catholic education. Through studying key issues, the team identified creative solutions for each area of need.
The new Trinity Catholic Academy, opened in September 2007 with 475 students (pre-K through eighth grade), a revitalized curriculum, and two renovated campuses.
Enrollment has continued to grow, with 525 students enrolled for the 2008–09 school year.
Highlights of what has been implemented:
Enlarge Renovated Facilities: A physical environment has been created in which students can thrive and are thriving. The updated facility features new science, computer and language labs; new art and music rooms; pre-K classrooms; new kitchens and cafeterias; and upgraded technology.
Academics: Educational best practices are being implemented at Trinity Catholic. There is a major emphasis on teaching math and language arts/English, with 90 minutes of each class day focused on each of these subjects.
Faith Formation: Faculty members from Stonehill College are working with Trinity Catholic's administration to support, enhance, and coordinate the delivery of its Catholic faith formation education.
Gifted and Talented: A pilot program for gifted and talented sixth and seventh graders was launched last year, with educational programs geared specifically to the talents and needs of these students. This year the accelerated program will be expanded to students in grades 4 through 8. A limited number of public schools, and virtually no other Catholic elementary schools, currently offer such programs for gifted and talented students.
Music: At Trinity Catholic's Upper Campus (Grades 4-8), 40 percent of the students are engaged in learning to play a musical instrument. Over 30 percent are involved in the choral program.
Athletics: Trinity Catholic has four basketball teams (boys junior, boys senior, girls junior and girls senior) competing in the South Shore Catholic Basketball League. This year, they have started basketball clinics and instructional leagues for boys and girls in grades kindergarten to grade 6 on Saturdays in the fall. Trinity Catholic Academy also began boys baseball and girls softball programs in the Spring of 2008, and their baseball team made it to the playoffs in its first year!
Teacher Support: Arguably, teachers are the most important resource to our children's education. Teacher compensation in Catholic schools has been significantly lower than that of public school peers. In order to attract and retain the best and brightest, a plan is in place to adjust teacher compensation phased over a five-year period to bring it more in line with that of their public school peers. In addition, specialized professional development programs are being organized.
Trinity Catholic Academy Today
The inaugural year of the new Trinity Catholic Academy was extremely successful. The newly established governance model is working — the school's newly hired principals and teachers have been receiving invaluable counsel and development resources from the Chairman and Regional Director throughout the entire school year.
The new educational model is making a positive difference for the Brockton Catholic schools, as evidenced by increased enrollment and new programs that have been implemented to strengthen the educational value of the schools.
More than a school, Trinity Catholic serves as a stabilizing presence in the community, providing educational, recreational and support services for students and their families. Trinity Catholic provides students with a safe place to learn, healthy meals during the school day and special needs classes. With special sensitivity to working and single parents, Trinity Catholic offers extended day programs and weekend activities, and plans to open teen centers and summer programs over time.
