Before the start of the 2021-22 school year, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School (CRJ) began a two-year partnership with Georgia Bozeday, Ed.D., Director of Educational Services at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center (RNBC) that aims to further increase the college and career readiness of its students by establishing a comprehensive model for strategically integrating Executive Functioning Skills development into both academic and workplace environments.
Funded in part by a grant from the Cristo Rey Network, 20 teachers, social emotional counselors, Corporate Work Study Program staff and college counseling staff spent time over their summer participating in professional development programming to synchronize learning from instructional classroom and workplace settings. Through the implementation of RNBC-designed and research-validated Executive Functions curriculum, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School will fully-integrate and measure Executive Functioning skills of our students.
Assistant Principal José Flores Benitez is leading the cohort of CRJ faculty in this unique partnership. “It is my belief that there is not as structured of a program as this anywhere else in the city. This program is building on the work we did as a staff last year to build executive functioning skills with our students. Initiative and organizational skills are things that help regardless of whether someone is in high school, college, or work setting. We are helping these students with life skills.”
The structure of the Executive Functions curriculum is based on a logical sequence of foundational topics:
- Classroom Structures and Learning Environment
- Materials Management
- Time Management
- Planning
- Following Directions
- Note Taking
- Organizing Information
- Goal Setting
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
Faculty integrating these skills into the curriculum will ultimately pay off for students. “Data shows executive functioning skills have a positive effect on GPA. Students from every level – from freshmen to seniors – with these skills moved their GPA significantly. The higher GPA then leads to access to attend more colleges and universities as well as see a higher financial aid package,” Flores Benitez said.
“This partnership with RNBC is a natural fit. Cristo Rey schools help strengthen students’ executive functions by implementing programs, like this one, to increase student achievement and school performance,” said Mary Kearney, Ed.D., Cristo Rey Network’s Chief Academic Officer. “Our shared goals are evident.”
RNBC is a unique organization, where a team of clinical, education, and research professionals believe strongly in building on the strengths of young people. RNBC’s Educational Services team is composed of experts in understanding the challenges children face when they have executive function deficits. They provide professional development for teachers, programming for schools, and Executive Functions curricula so that educators can extend the training to others.
###
About Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee, a Catholic high school for young women and men of all faiths and limited financial means, integrates rigorous academics, professional work experiences, and spiritual development to empower graduates to succeed in college and life. Through its Corporate Work Study Program, Cristo Rey partners with Milwaukee companies of all sizes and industries to provide students with both a meaningful work experience and the ability to fund a Cristo Rey education. By the time a student graduates from Cristo Rey, that student will have completed 1,250 hours of professional work experience. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee currently enrolls 429 students and is one of 38 schools in the Cristo Rey network.
Learn more at www.crjmke.org.
Alerts Sign-up