Religious Education Standards & Competencies

Purpose:

Diocesan religious education standards identify seven categories of expectations for the formation of youth in their Catholic faith. The PreK-8 religious education standards of the Diocese of Madison also include specific grade level competencies that every youth should know and be able to demonstrate.

Diocesan Religious Education Standards will strengthen the partnership between the primary educators of children – their parents – and the supporting educators of children – pastors, catechists, and Catholic school teachers. Diocesan Religious Education Standards will assist parents, catechists, and teachers to work together toward the stated learning competencies. The Standards will also allow parents, clergy, catechists, and teachers the freedom to achieve the desired learning competencies by creatively developing various and different curriculum. Developing sound curricula (choosing appropriate resources, and designing the appropriate learning process and creating the clearest lesson plan) will assure the desired leaning under each standard.

 

Forming our children in the Catholic faith is an honor and a privilege. However, we must acknowledge that the task of teaching just the basics of the Catholic faith to new generations of young Catholics cannot be accomplished solely through the dedicated efforts of Parish priests, catechists, and Catholic school teachers. The success of teaching the basics of our faith to the younger generation of Catholics will depend not only upon the limited amount of time spent in a parish catechetical program but also upon the extended amount of time and effort devoted to learning and practicing the faith at home.

History:

As we examined religious education programs throughout the diocese, it was apparent that a rich variety of approaches and materials were in use.  At the same time, there was no clear and common expectation for what constitutes a basic understanding of the Catholic faith as appropriate for grades K-8.

 

Beginning in late 1996, the Diocesan Offices for Religious Education and Catholic Schools together engaged pastors and parish staff in regional discussions concerning the need for religious education standards. With their support and encouragement the offices drafted recommendations and rationale for seven religious education standards. This draft was then taken back to the various regions of the diocese for further discussion and editing. The next and rather challenging task was to identify the basics of the Catholic faith that would be appropriate for children to know at their various grade levels. Again we took the draft suggestions to various regional meetings around the diocese and sought the help and wisdom of pastors, parish directors of religious education, coordinators of religious education, youth ministers, principals, teachers and parents. This process took a number of years but allowed for significant input from members of the diocesan family. 

 

In the end, the regional hearings suggested that the specific basic competencies be identified by grade level but that parishes together with families have the freedom to move suggested grade level competencies to a different grade level if that change would more appropriately accommodate their local situation.

 

Relationship to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

 

The four parts of The Catechism of the Catholic Church provide a ready structure and basis for sound catechesis, upon which are founded the Religious Education standards for the Diocese of Madison.

 

Part One of the Catechism, "The Profession of Faith," provides a framework which supports the efforts of the bishops, pastors, catechists, and parents to understand and to teach Sacred Scripture and the doctrine of the Church. Part Two, "The Celebration of the Christian Mystery," emphasizes worship, particularly the Sacraments. Part Three, "Life in Christ," focuses on the moral life of the Christian disciple, who lives in community and is called to service. Part Four, "Christian Prayer," helps those charged with catechesis to understand the Church's life of prayer and the importance it plays in the spiritual life of all members of the Church.

 

The framework of The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Religious Education Standards will be a valuable tool for teaching a basic understanding of the Catholic faith to our children.