Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York outperform the city’s public schools
Caroline MolloyStudents in third through eighth grades who attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York have outperformed pupils at public schools, according to state metrics.
“These strong outcomes are a testament to the exceptional work taking place in our classrooms each day,” Sister Mary Grace Walsh, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York, wrote in a letter to Catholic educators, according to The Good News Room. “Our students consistently outperform their public-school peers by wide margins, and our results stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those of New York City’s charter schools — a reflection of your professionalism, your deep care for your students, and the enduring strength of Catholic education.”
The archdiocese administers 140 schools serving nearly 50,000 students in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and the counties of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange. According to The Good News Room, students at these schools outperformed public school students in both English and math, and they outperformed students at charter schools in English.
The New York State Education Department performs annual assessments testing the English and math skills of students across the state, and the results are publicly available. Seven in 10 students at Archdiocese schools showed proficiency in English — nearly 14 percentage points more than the area’s public school students, y. These Catholic schools also outperformed area charter schools, 67.5% of whose students showed proficiency in English, according to The Good News Room.
Further, schools in the archdiocese excelled more in math compared with the area’s public schools. About two in three students at Catholic schools showed proficiency in math, 10 percentage points higher than those enrolled in public school. Students at archdiocesan schools and those enrolled at charter schools showed a similar level of competence in math, with 68.6% of charter school students showing proficiency.
New York City is not the only place in the country showing Catholic education’s academic caliber. As CatholicVote reported last month, students at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, are outperforming both state and national averages.
In her letter to Catholic educators, Sister Mary Grace Walsh made it clear that, despite high performance, those working at Catholic schools should not grow complacent.
