She calls her leadership role in Notre Dame ACE Academies "the beginning of a lifelong mission to provide a Catholic education of the highest quality to as many children as possible." Meet Cristina Espino.

From a very early age, my parents and family reinforced the value of Catholic schooling and were committed to providing this opportunity, acknowledging and accepting the financial sacrifices it would entail. They understood that sharing similar cultural and religious values with my peers would allow me to thrive both personally and academically. At the parochial elementary school I attended and where my mother taught, I learned that Catholic learning institutions pride themselves on not only teaching practical knowledge but also instructing their students to align strategic priorities and become responsible leaders.

In high school, a time when teenagers generally struggle to find their path, my sense of belonging and purpose was clear at Holy Cross Academy. The small classrooms, rigorous classical curriculum, and mandatory prayer and meditation at chapel every morning allowed me to focus my energies in a positive manner, accomplish far more than imaginable, and mobilize the student body to do the same.

Social responsibility is an undeniable part of an education in the Catholic School system. During my time as a student at Our Lady's University I was an active participant and leader in the Building Bridges Mentoring Program. After completing the appropriate training and coursework, I enrolled in the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program, helping low income families prepare their federal tax returns on weekends....[M]y sense of community was strengthened by attending university sponsored Catholic retreats and agreeing to be an Encounter retreat leader.

[After completing a master's in business administration at Loyola University, my husband and I moved to Tampa.] I was eager to reinvent my career and lead with purpose. My new position [with Notre Dame ACE Academies] is a program level role responsible for the marketing and finance oversight of the ACE Academies – three schools in Tucson and two schools in Tampa. More specifically, I will work closely with Christian Dallavis, Ryan Clark, and our diocesan partners, to develop and implement advancement strategies in each of our partner communities - leading the ACE Academies' efforts to secure tax credit scholarships and recruit new students.

To learn more about Notre Dame ACE Academies, click here.

Upticks in enrollment and a legal affirmation of Indiana’s school-vouchers law have been among the good news for Catholic schools reported recently in the media. Journalists turned to a variety of Notre Dame faculty and staff for expertise on aspects of these stories.

John Schoenig, director of ACE’s Program for K-12 Educational Access and an experienced analyst of parental choice policies around the country, offered insights on Indiana’s school vouchers law. The legislative debate about amending the vouchers policy had prompted a National Public Radio reporter to interview Schoenig in February. The decision by the Indiana Supreme Court in March declaring vouchers to be constitutional led the National Catholic Register to quote Schoenig’s assessment of the ruling.

See a new "ND Expert" story outlining his thoughts on possible school-voucher implications in other states.

The latest issue of Chicago’s archdiocesan newspaper Catholic New World reports that “efforts to persuade Latino parents to send their children to Catholic schools appear to be paying off.” A key source helping to tell that story is Juana Sanchez Graber, a field consultant leading ACE’s “Catholic School Advantage” campaign in the archdiocese.

In covering a new initiative for Catholic educator engagement in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, the latest issue of National Catholic Register quotes Rev. Ronald Nuzzi, senior director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program. Father Nuzzi affirmed the kudos going to Bishop Robert Vasa’s planned educator-renewal program, which will spotlight key teachings of the Church: “This work of faith formation, the evangelization and re-evangelization of adults, is never done.”

Separately, Father Nuzzi's reflection on Pope Emeritus Benedict's strong support for Catholic education was presented in the popular blog Catholicmom.com.

A story in an online newsletter covering education reform, RedefinED. has reported that Catholic school enrollment in Florida increased last year. The newsletter, which has interviewed Notre Dame ACE Academies director Christian Dallavis in the past, noted a partnership with ACE Academies as one of the constructive steps taken by the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

Whether through new initiatives or existing traditions, the movement of the Alliance for Catholic Education continued its mission to sustain, strengthen and transform Catholic schools in 2012.

As we move closer to our 20th year of service to Catholic education, we've sifted through all the exciting news stories of this past year to put together this list of the ten most-visited ACE stories:

1. ND Launches New Partnership Program in St. Petersburg, FL, Area

The University of Notre Dame partnered with two Catholic schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to form the second site of Notre Dame ACE Academy (NDAA) schools.

2. Michael Pressley Awards Go to Three Outstanding Educators

Three outstanding educators committed to sustain, strengthen, and transform Catholic schools received the 2012 Michael Pressley Awards from the Alliance for Catholic Education's ACE Advocates for Catholic Schools.

3. An Array of ACE Programs and People Energize Summer at ND

The summer break at the University of Notre Dame surged with energy as the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) began its peak season.

4. Dan Faas Delivered STT Student Commencement Address

ACE 17 Student Commencement Address given in the Monogram Room, Edmund P. Joyce Center
at the University of Notre Dame on July 13, 2012.

5. Your Future in ACE: Consider the Possibilities

This blessed time of year prompted us to look back upon cherished Christmas traditions and to look forward to a new year—often considering plans for the future that reflect our deepest values.

RedefinED, a respected online source of education reform insights, has published a story based on a visit to St. Joseph Catholic School in Tampa, one of the two Notre Dame ACE Academies schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

The report offers an up-close look at life in the school, reflecting its focus on academic excellence and strong Catholic identity--keys to its partnership with the University of Notre Dame through this distinctive model from Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) for transforming inner-city schools.

RedefinED is published by a nonprofit organization in Florida, Step Up For Students, that administers a tax-credit scholarship program serving 35,000 low-income children.

Notre Dame ACE Academies director Christian Dallavis recently appeared on Spirit FM 90.5, the radio staton of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL, for an in-depth interview discussing the Alliance for Catholic Education partnership with two schools in Tampa/St. Pete.

Dallaivs talked with station director John Morris on Nov. 20, 2012, about the Alliance and the distinctive Notre Dame ACE Academies model for working with select inner-city Catholic schools where research-driven guidance and an enhanced school culture can make a big difference for students and the whole school community. There are now two ACE Academies schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg and three in the Diocese of Tucson.

Good news about the present and future of Catholic schools fills the pages of the 2011-2012 Annual Report from the Alliance for Catholic Education. That report, released today, is available online—the first fully digital version of an ACE annual report.

This fresh collection of compelling stories about ACE's activities explores successes in leadership formation, professional services, research-based innovation, and partnerships around the United States.

Faculty and staff have shared expertise in school governance, strategic planning, Latino enrollments, and parental choice, among other issue areas. Nearly 80 bishops have engaged in ACE-sponsored conferences on advocating for parental choice policies.

The report also offers highlights of the 2011-2012 academic year for numerous initiatives through which the Alliance for Catholic Education responds to the needs of dioceses—and to the call to serve children by sustaining, strengthening, and transforming Catholic schools.

During the year, ACE offered services in 74 archdioceses and dioceses. ACE teachers and principals impacted the lives of 38,000 students.

Supporters of Catholic schools will find a valuable resource in this update on ACE's growing list of activities. Paper copies of the 2011-2012 Annual Report are available by contacting communications specialist Bill Schmitt.

In 2010, Lourdes Leon was the full-time teacher for both fourth and fifth grades at St. John the Evangelist. Despite the huge challenges associated with combined classes, her students that year grew by an average of one and a half grade levels, and some grew by more than two years. Mrs. Leon has consistently challenged herself to take full advantage of every resource and support provided by NDAA to improve her professional practice and her students' outcomes. Here, she describes her remarkable work with her fifth graders this year.

NDAA provided me with the tools necessary to improve my professional practice in reading and math. With the introduction of the Daily 5 literacy model, I am empowering students to become better readers and better writers. The new Everyday Mathematics program has also helped me to become an even better math teacher than when I first started. NDAA purchased the new math books and materials that I use in my classroom. Teaching students strategies using mathematical models and games is showing great results in their learning. In addition, NDAA helped me to utilize data to inform instruction and to set goals for our lowest students.

Most importantly, NDAA helped me make a shift in my attitude about student learning and my ability as a teacher to make a difference. Through the excellent professional development that I received these past two years, I was able to see how students who are struggling or come from low socioeconomic status could become excelling students. I have never felt more proud in teaching at St. John School than I am today because of NDAA.

My students have shown great results. According to one of the tests we use, our class average in math jumped from 4.1 (meaning the first month of fourth grade) to 6.4. In Reading, they grew from 4.3 to 5.2.

Lourdes Leon is the winner of the 2012 Ancora Imparo Award for dedication to a culture of continuous improvement.

At four years old, Alex is facing and meeting incredible challenges. Born with a three-chamber heart, he has already undergone three open heart surgeries. When Pre-K 4 teacher Jane Gariepy welcomed him to Ambrose Catholic School, Alex was totally new to the classroom experience, as many new preschool students are, but could only be in the class

room two mornings a week to accommodate his physical, speech, and occupational therapy sessions. At the start of the school year, Alex didn't recognize any letters and had low academic and physical stamina due to his inexperience in school settings and his medical challenges. Mrs. Gariepy was unsure what to expect with her new student.

Today, Alex has settled happily into the classroom's routines. He sings often and smiles constantly. Despite his struggles with fine motor skills, he paints and writes his name. Although he still tires easily, he has learned to ride a tricycle and does so with glee. He loves his classmates and, less than halfway through the school year, Alex is even beginning to read their names. "Alex is a great example of a kid who just wants to learn in spite of his challenges," says Mrs. Gariepy.

Mrs. Gariepy credits Alex's success to the professionalism of the preschool program and the support of the Notre Dame ACE Academies partnership. "We have a quality preschool program with quality staff. NDAA has helped our Preschool implement consistently the goal of high academics, which has helped Alex learn in spite of the fact that he only attends 2 days a week. NDAA also provided our Language series, Happily Ever After, which Alex enjoys. The partnership has provided me, his teacher, with the opportunities to visit high performing schools in Milwaukee, which helped me see how I could re-structure my classroom in order to provide the most instructional time possible in our morning."

Three inner-city Catholic schools in Tucson have welcomed back students with a particular sense of change and hope in the air, entering a third year of unusual innovations and investments that pay off for the children and the city.

The three elementary schools—St. John the Evangelist, St. Ambrose, and Santa Cruz—were designated in 2010 as Notre Dame ACE Academies, representing an in-depth partnership with the University of Notre Dame and its Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE).

That partnership has ushered in state-of-the-art reading and math programs, along with support services to help faculty members adopt the various innovations for the maximum benefit of each student. School culture has become more focused on Catholic identity, featuring a drive for personal excellence that proclaims "College and Heaven" as each child's primary goals. More families in the largely Hispanic and low-income neighborhoods have lined up to enroll their children, and scholarship availability for enrollments has jumped, thanks to Arizona's parental choice tax credit program and resultant contributions from both corporations and individuals.

Residents of Pinellas County in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla., learned more about the Notre Dame ACE Academies initiative when the Tampa Bay Newspapers wrote about NDAA's partnership at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

"The idea is to provide comprehensive support to schools that serve at-risk kids and low-income communities,” said Christian Dallavis, NDAA director, quoted in the article.

The reporter also quoted the school's Cristina Espino, talking about NDAA's success in Tucson. “They’ve had really good results in Tucson.” She continued, “They’re improving student performance and leveraging their tax credit scholarships.”

The Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at Notre Dame capped its annual "ACE Summer" of formation programs and conferences with a "missioning" Mass on July 27, sending forth more than 200 teachers and leaders to Catholic schools across the United States.

The Most Rev. Joseph P. McFadden, bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg and a prominent voice on education within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, presided at the Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to honor the "vocation" and "calling" of service in Catholic elementary and secondary schools.

"Your participation in the ACE program is a great blessing for the Church," he said in his homily. "As the chairman of the Bishops' Committee on Catholic Education, I thank you for your willingness to enter into this most important and essential work of the Church."

One never knows what brings Catholic school principals to their positions.

When Roseanne Villanueva moved to Tucson seven years ago, she says, "I didn't know about Catholic education. I didn't go to Catholic school. I didn't think I could afford it, and it wasn't something I really believed in."

So when she enrolled her two youngest (of four) sons in the preschool at St. John the Evangelist, she was initially happy just to have a place for them to go.

Within the first month, though, "I noticed a difference between the two older boys, who were in public school, and the two younger ones. The two little ones were talking about God in a way that I never had heard little kids talk, and I hadn't realized that could happen at that age. I liked the way they treated each other and the topics they brought up to talk about."

Naturally, Roseanne brought her older children to St. John the Evangelist as well. A teacher in a public school at the time, she asked the principal to keep her in mind for any future openings. That very spring, a position became available, and despite the pay cut on top of the expense of sending all four boys to Catholic school, her family decided to make the switch.

This teacher who once had never considered Catholic education was now teaching in a Catholic school--and loving it. She especially appreciated subbing in religion classes: "You learn about something when you teach religion in Catholic school," she says, "and I learned about my faith when I taught it. It's still one of my favorite things, to get to sub religion if a teacher is out."

Roseanne became principal of St John the Evangelist, a Notre Dame ACE Academy, in 2009. About it she says, "There's no school anywhere where the teachers are getting the kind of training our teachers are getting. The quality of education has gone up here. All the resources have made such a difference for the kids." Roseanne also points to the collaborative culture of the Academies, where the principals of the three schools can turn to each other and teachers who once worked in near isolation can share ideas, as a major factor in the success of St. John the Evangelist.

This is how the Holy Spirit works. Under Roseanne's leadership, the school where she first enrolled two of her children simply because it was a good place for them has gone from struggling to thriving. Under her leadership, the school about which she initially knew so little is now on a steep upward trajectory with enrollment increasing, school culture growing stronger and more defined, and student achievement scores up as much as two years in some classes. This is how the Holy Spirit works. Thanks be to God!