History
In 2005, with Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan, VHM, serving as National Director of the VSN along with her VSN cohorts, the VSN created a Salesian Assessment tool to measure the Six Goals articulated in Educating the Mind and Heart in the Visitation Tradition. The assessment process began in 2007 and since then, there have been three full cycles of Salesian assessments with each Visitation School.
Purpose
The Salesian Assessment assists in ensuring the integration of the Salesian charism in all aspects of school life. More specifically, it measures the degree to which the school’s mission is reflected in its policies and traditions. The conversations around the charism assist Visitation communities to grow personally and professionally in their understanding of Salesian spirituality.
This assessment process creates a forum in which all constituencies—administrators, teachers, staff, students, Board members, parents, Sisters, sponsors, and alumnae—discover new ways to collaborate and establish ongoing reflection on the values inherent in a Visitation education. Each member of the community needs to feel that they have a place in the legacy of the school, that their voice is important and that what they want to express will be heard.
Process
At five-year intervals each Visitation school undertakes a Salesian Assessment process to ascertain how well its community reflects the Salesian spirit and how thoroughly the goals contained in Educating the Mind and Heart in the Visitation Tradition permeate the school environment. Rooted in Visitation’s Philosophy of Education, the Visitation Salesian Network offers our Visitation schools an assessment tool to be used as a guide in measuring the strength of the Salesian charism in each of our school communities.
The assessment process allows each Visitation School an opportunity to reflect on how well the community lives the Salesian spirit and specifically how well the principles contained in Educating the Mind and Heart in the Visitation Tradition permeate the school environment. The process is designed to encourage dialogue among the school’s constituents as they become more familiar with the beauty and strength of the Visitation charism and provides them with opportunities to share successes, challenges, and plans for the future.
This method of assessment assures the integration of the Salesian charism in all aspects of school life. More specifically, it measures the degree to which the school’s mission is reflected in its policies, practices, and traditions. Conversations around the charism should encourage all members of the community to grow both personally and professionally in their understanding of Salesian Spirituality.
Upon the completion of the self study, a Visit Team from the National Salesian Network visits the school (three days in length). The Visit Team views this visit as an opportunity to have conversations about how well the school is integrating the values of a Visitation education in its everyday life. It is also a time of prayerful celebration of the gift of the Visitation charism and a time for the school community to recommit themselves to the mission of furthering the blessings of this charism in their professional lives.
After the Team’s visit, a report is generated for the school which will reflect the Committee’s observations and action plans to be implemented throughout the five-year cycle.
Assessment Cycle
Visitation’s Salesian Assessment Process follows a five-year cycle designed to support each school in fulfilling its particular Visitation Salesian mission.
Once during each cycle, the school conducts a comprehensive Self-Study involving all school employees and key stakeholders. During March of the Self-Study year, the school hosts a Visit Team. The Visit Team confirms the school’s current practices and uses the Self-Study, together with on-the-ground observations, small group conversations, and previous experience, to commend the school for its strengths and make recommendations for future plans and priorities. This method of assessment assures the integration of the Salesian charism in all aspects of school life. More specifically, it measures the degree to which the school’s mission is reflected in its policies, practices, and traditions.
Throughout the cycle, the school implements its plans for school improvement and communicates regularly about its status with the National VSN Director.
