A2+Narrative

A2 Narrative toc

Narrative Introduction
Below you will find Draft 1.0 of the narrative that was created by the WCEA-WASC Core Team, temporarily formatted in this Wiki. All comments and edits should be included at the **bottom of the document** below the narrative. In order to allow for continuity of the document and clarity of revisions, all focus group members should write bulleted notes below the narrative.

Category A: Organization for Student Learning

A2: Governance Criterion

To what extent... Does the governing authority commit to sharing the Catholic vision, adopt policies which are consistent with the school’s philosophy and mission, and support the achievement of the expected schoolwide learning results for the school? Does the governing authority delegate implementation of these policies to the professional staff? Does the governing authority monitor results?


 * __Focus Group Findings__

Moreau Catholic High School is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Moreau Province of Holy Cross Brothers and Priests. As a membership corporation, members are charged with ensuring the school is governed according to the traditions and values of Holy Cross Schools.

As a secondary school within the Diocese of Oakland and owned by the Diocese of Oakland, Moreau Catholic High School and its governing authority enjoy a unique relationship with the Bishop. Through sponsorship agreements with the Diocese, the school is charged with the faith development of the students it serves. Through sponsorship agreements with Holy Cross and the Diocese of Oakland, Moreau Catholic upholds the heritage and mission of Holy Cross. Through the Board of Trustees, the school maintains autonomy in governance of the school.

Stewardship and Planning The Trustees are the primary stewards of the school. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the school’s financial position can support the school’s teaching philosophy and ESLRs. The Board also ensures that the tenants and traditions of the Catholic faith remain integral to the philosophy of the school and that the policies, including ESLRs, are legal, ethical, efficient and effective. In their bylaws, Trustees are charged to set, monitor, change or discontinue policies, procedures and programs in light of the school’s mission and philosophy. The school’s President, as the chief executive officer of the corporation, is accountable to the Board of Trustees and is responsible for ensuring that Board policies are being implemented. The school's President, as the chief executive officer of the corporation, is accountable to the Board of Trustees and is responsible for ensuring that Board policies are being implemented.The Board has made a strong commitment to capital facility improvements in support of the school’s ESLRS. It has also made that same strong commitment to assisting families in financial need to afford a Catholic Holy Cross education.

Beginning in 2003, the Board of Trustees embarked on a strategic planning process, focusing on one category annually to analyze and evaluate the school's progress towards meeting Strategic Plan goals. In 2010, the Board of Trustees launched a new five-year Strategic Plan. In addition, the Board oversees the creation of the School's Master Site Plan for facility improvements. In 2007 the Transforming Tomorrow Campaign, allowed for the construction of a new lobby, expansion of the school's library, the addition of state-of-the-art science lab and media studio facilities. In 2010-11, the school completed a renovation of the Teves Theater to include reconfiguration and updating of seating, improvements to the stage, and upgrading of carpets and curtains.

Policies and Mission—Relevance, Relationship, Effectiveness The Board of Trustees is fully committed to the mission of Moreau Catholic High School. Board policies, meeting agendas and minutes of the Trustees reflect a level of commitment to the mission of a Catholic Holy Cross education at Moreau that is clear and strong. The Board, through its committees, reviews policies, programs, and decisions through the lens of the schools' Mission Statement to ensure that student achievement and moral development are the priority.The background, professional experience, and diversity of our Board of Trustees are reflected in the Board committee membership that includes trustees, parents, Holy Cross brothers, Diocesan representatives, alumni, local community members, support school administrators, faculty/staff, and students. By incorporating faculty, staff, administration, parents, students, and outside community members in Board committee processes, school policies have remained dynamic and appropriate to the needs of the school. Board members are committed to the their own developments as the school's stewards as evidencte by their attendance at the annual board retreat, the Holy Cross Institute at St. Edward’s University, and the Board chair’s participation at Table meetings.

Delegation and Implementation There currently exist five standing Board committees and one sub-committee.
 * The Executive Committee
 * The Board Matters Committee
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Mission Integration Committee
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Facilities Committee
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Institutional Advancement Committee
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Finance Committee and the Investment sub-committee

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Executive Committee is responsible for setting the agenda of meetings and is empowered to act in emergency situations when immediate action is necessary. The Board Matters Committee is charged with the recruitment of new trustees. The Mission Integration Committee exercises oversight of the implementation of the school' mission and tracks the role of the ESLRs in achieving the purposes of the Mission Statement in the day-to-day operations of the school.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Issues concerning the Board can come from any part of the school and any stakeholders within the school and come to the Executive Committee who determine the appropriateness of discussion at the Board level or within one of the Board's committees. Board committees identify, address, and monitor issues of governance that affect the responsibilities of the full Board of Trustees specifically focused on stewardship issues addressing the school's mission and philosophy, strategic planning, financial and institutional advancement issues.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The execution of Board policies and actions is delegated to the professional staff through the Offices of the President and Principal. The broad institutional needs of the school are overseen by the President, who is assisted by the Principal, the Director of Finance, the Director of Admissions, and the Director of Institutional Advancement. The operational area of the school is administered by the Principal, supported by the President, and assisted by three Assistant Principals, the Director of Site Services, the Director of Technology, and Athletic Director. All members of the school's leadership team, academic council, faculty, staff, and coaches are responsible for the implementation of Board decisions and the maintenance of our Catholic Holy Cross traditions. The Board maintains a high level of trust in the administrative leadership that the professional staff implements policies that are adopted.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Monitoring of Results <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Board of Trustees monitors results through staff and students reports at the committee level, the reports of the committee chairs to the full Board of Trustees, the sharing of data, evidence, news and presentations to trustees, and the presence and involvement of Trustees at school events. The school's communications materials, including The Vector, On Course, Annual Report, and other communications provide additional opportunities for Trustees to be informed, and to evaluate, policy implementation, ESLR achievement, and overall schoolwide progress. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">__Evidence__


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Board Rosters
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Agendas/Minutes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Committee Rosters


 * Board Bylaws


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Strategic Plan (2010-2015)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Transforming Tomorrow Campaign (2007)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teves Theater Renovation
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Creation of Master Site Plan


 * Board Bylaws
 * Board Minutes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2011 ratification of ESLRs


 * Board Rosters
 * Committee Statements of Purpose
 * Board Committee Agendas/Minutes


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Organizational Chart ||

**Focus Group Comments**
Please insert any comments or edits to the narrative in this space. These comments will be integrated into future versions of the narrative.

Under Monitoring of Results, add: presence and involvement of Trustees at school events. Done Change "subcommittee" to "committee" when referring to board committees. There is only one subcommittee that doesn't need to be called out. Done

This sentence: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"The adoption of a new Strategic Plan and review of the agendas and meeting minutes confirm that the Moreau Board of Trustees adopts policies that are consistent with the school’s philosophy, mission, and ESLRs." These are two ideas that need to be separated. Strategic Plan adoption is not related to confirming board policies. Two different, but important, things. Dropped adoption of Strategic plan.

** Change to: Th **
Moreau Catholic High School is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Moreau Province of Holy Cross Brothers and Priests. Done.