Alliance for Catholic Education
Update: Because of technical difficulties, the event described below was postponed by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Notre Dame ACE Academies will issue information and plan to participate when the rescheduled discussion of early-learning expertise is announced.
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics will feature the Notre Dame ACE Academies in a live "Google+ Hangout" discussion on Dec. 16 as part of the Academies' honor as one of the White House's "Bright Spots in Hispanic Education."
The Alliance for Catholic Education's (ACE) widely respected ACE Academies model for strengthening and sustaining existing inner-city Catholic schools is listed in the White House's just-published "Bright Spots in Hispanic Education National Online Catalog." The catalog identifies enterprises "helping ensure the educational attainment for the country's Hispanic community, from cradle to career."
"We are deeply honored by the White House's recognition of the great work being done at our Notre Dame ACE Academies to increase access to academic excellence for Latino families," said Rodney Pierre-Antoine, the Gary and Barbara Pasquinelli Family Director of the Notre Dame ACE Academies. "I hope that this discussion can be a valuable resource for early childhood teachers and leaders across the nation who are working tirelessly to improve education for our children."
The two Notre Dame ACE Academies located in Tucson, Ariz.—St. John the Evangelist and Santa Cruz—are helping their largely Latino student populations boost their educational attainment through the innovative model developed by ACE. Since the partnership began in 2010, St. John and Santa Cruz have closed the achievement gap for students in the 6 th poorest metro-area in the country.
Representatives from the schools will be among experts from several sites sharing ideas to increase gains for students nationwide. The online discussion of innovative programs will address early-learning challenges among elementary school students, especially those from Hispanic backgrounds.
The U.S. Department of Education is hosting the one-hour conversation on Google+ Hangouts, broadcast live from Washington. Join the discussion by registering on the Initiative's RSVP page and participating online at 12 noon MT or 2 pm ET on Wednesday. Participants may also ask questions via Facebook.
For more information:
Bill Schmitt, ACE, University of Notre Dame: wschmitt@nd.edu / 574.631.3893