Principal Carol Walsh is implementing new programs at St. Rita Catholic School. (Photo by Rasy Ran)
Principal Carol Walsh is giving St. Rita Catholic School’s curriculum a makeover — one that may benefit the lowest and highest performing students.
Walsh is new to St. Rita, although the neighborhood school feels familiar to her. She was at the helm of St. Cecilia Catholic School in Houston, with similar demographics, for a decade.
Because of Walsh, teachers are integrating technology in the classroom that helps students learn at their own pace. Computer activities, with software that measures achievement, are incorporated into daily lessons. All students soon will have their own tablets.
Walsh is a staunch advocate for differentiated instruction, a teaching framework that tailors lessons to each student’s capabilities, since she got her start in California schools.
“It’s just a completely different way of learning,” she says.
Next school year, the campus also will include a student success center. It’s geared toward students who need more support, including gifted students seeking additional challenges.
“They’ll be able to go in when they need but transition back when they receive help,” assistant principal Mike Vickson says.
(Photo by Rasy Ran)
St. Rita Catholic School
Year established: 1967
Enrollment: 670
Tuition: $7,650-$11,000
