| 4.3.13 - Religion Curriculum | 4.3.13 - Religion Curriculum | <p><b>1 Canonical Authority of the Diocesan Bishop</b><br><br>In
accordance with canon law, the archbishop exercises full authority over
the religious instruction and formation programs in all Catholic
schools of his archdiocese, including both schools of the archdiocese
and schools in the archdiocese that are owned and operated by religious
orders, institutes, or governing boards. The authority of the bishop
extends to but is not limited to the content of the religion curriculum,
the hiring of teachers of religion, the visitation of schools, and the
use of the title "Catholic school." The archbishop may exercise this
authority in person or through designated delegates such as the
superintendent(s) from the <a href="http://www.lacatholicschools.org/" target="_blank">Department of Catholic Schools</a>.<br><b><br>2 Textbooks, Teaching Materials, Resources, and Content of Instruction</b><br><br>Textbooks,
other teaching materials, and resources are chosen on the basis of
sound doctrine, attention to both cognitive and affective domains,
continuity with the program of instruction, and adequacy in meeting the
needs and capabilities of the students in the particular school.<br><br>All
religion textbooks are to have the approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on the Catechism.
Other materials and resources used by teachers are to meet the same
standards as textbooks with regard to sound doctrine and appropriateness
for students.<br><br>The content of instruction must conform to the authentic teaching of the Church as summarized in the <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM" target="_blank">Catechism of the Catholic Church</a> and must clearly distinguish defined doctrine from personal opinion and
theological interpretation. It will stress the relevance of religious
truths and principles to the personal lives and daily concerns of the
students.<br><br>The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' <a href="http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/catechesis/upload/high-school-curriculum-framework.pdf" target="_blank">Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age</a> guides
the written course outlines that must be developed and followed for
each high school course. Course outlines are to be framework-based and
not textbook-based.<br><br>Please see the <a href="/Handbook%20Resources/foundational_documents.pdf" target="_blank">foundational catechetical documents</a>. <br><b><br>3 Western Catholic Educational Association Catholic Identity Standards</b><br><br>All
schools, whether archdiocesan, parish, or those owned and operated by
religious orders, institutes, or governing boards, are required to meet
the following Catholic identity standards from the accrediting agency for archdiocesan elementary schools, the <a href="http://www.westwcea.org/" target="_blank">Western Catholic Educational Association</a> (<a href="http://www.acswasc.org/pdf_catholic/WCEA-ISL-2012ElemetarySchools.pdf" target="_blank">Improving Student Learning</a>, 2012 ed., p. 41; <a href="http://westwcea.squarespace.com/documents/secondary-documents/e3-2014-protocol-and-documents/" target="_blank">Ensuring Educational Excellence</a>, 2014 ed., p. 10 [click on 1-WCEA E3 2014 Protocol.pdf]): <br></p><ul><li><p>The
school has a mission statement and philosophy statement that indicates
the integration of the Catholic faith in all aspects of the school's
life. </p></li><li><p>The school provides regular opportunities for the school community to experience prayer and the sacraments. </p></li><li><p>The
school has a religion curriculum and instruction that is faithful to
Catholic Church teachings and meets the requirements as set forth by the
<a href="http://www.usccb.org/" target="_blank">United States Conference of Catholic Bishops</a>. </p></li><li><p>The local ordinary
approves those who teach the Catholic faith (Canon 805) and there is
ongoing formation for catechetical and instructional competence.</p></li><li><p>The
school maintains an active partnership with parents/guardians whose fundamental
concern is the spiritual and academic education of their children (Canon
796).</p></li><li><p>The school has a service-oriented outreach to the Church
and civic community after the example of Jesus Christ, who said, "I have
given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you"
(Jn 13:15).</p></li><li><p>The school uses signs, sacramentals, traditions, and rituals of the Catholic Church.</p></li><li><p>All school personnel are actively engaged in bringing the good news of Jesus into the total educational experience.</p></li></ul><p><b>4 Elementary School Curriculum</b><br><br>Implementing
these standards and evaluating and setting goals is a yearly task of
the elementary school in a manner that is consistent with the <a href="/Handbook%20Resources/ADLA%20Religion%20Curriculum%20Standards%20(Revised%20%26%20Approved%209.2018).pdf">religion curriculum
standards</a> set by the <a href="http://www.lacatholicschools.org/" target="_blank">Department of Catholic Schools</a>. <br><br>Curriculum components include:<br></p><ul><li><p>The Profession of Faith</p></li><li><p>The Celebration of the Christian Mystery/The Seven Sacraments of the Church</p></li><li><p>Life in Christ; Man's/Woman's Vocation: Life in the Spirit</p></li><li><p>Christian Prayer; Prayer in the Christian Life</p></li></ul><p>These components are based on the four pillars of the <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM" target="_blank">Catechism of the Catholic Church</a>.<br><b><br>5 High School Curriculum</b><br><br>All high school students are expected to enroll in a religion class each semester. The
national core curriculum for teaching religion to high school students,
approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in November 2007,
guides the religious instruction within each archdiocesan, parish, and
private high school within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. All high
schools in the <a href="/_layouts/15/FIXUPREDIRECT.ASPX?WebId=7c52c6b6-eea1-4fc3-ac3a-90f0c442a28e&TermSetId=8b66c3a8-bdfa-4bea-9c29-07c09bf9129e&TermId=424dfe62-e5c0-4b76-8c15-e1643f21287d">Archdiocese of Los Angeles</a> are required to follow the
<a href="http://www.usccb.org/" target="_blank">United States Conference of Catholic Bishops</a> sequence of courses as stated below:
</p><table class="ms-rteTable-default" width="100%" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:325px;"><p>YEAR</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:324px;"><p>FALL SEMESTER COURSE</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:325px;"><p>SPRING SEMESTER COURSE</p></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Freshman</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Who is Jesus Christ? (Christology)</p></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Sophomore</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>The Mission of Jesus: The Paschal Mystery (Spiritual Life)</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Jesus Christ's Mission Continues in the Church (Ecclesiology)</p></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Junior</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Sacraments as Privileged Encounters with Jesus Christ (Sacramental Theology)</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Life in Jesus Christ (Morality and Social Justice)</p></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Senior</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>Responding to the Call of Jesus Christ (Vocations)</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default"><p>History of the Catholic Church</p><p>OR</p><p>Sacred Scripture</p><p>OR</p><p>Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society</p><p>OR</p><p>Ecumenical and Interreligious Issues (World Religions)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Class
time, assignments, and accountability for religion classes are
comparable to that of all academic areas. Specifically, religion is to
be taught each semester of the Catholic school program for an average of
250 minutes per week, in conformity with the norms governing the weekly
instructional time for courses earning one full unit of credit.</p><p>4-29-22</p> |
