On February 7, the Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education (ITCE) announced the launch of its Program of Accreditation, Lumen Accreditation at The Catholic University of America.

As declared in its Mission Statement:

Lumen Accreditation, offered through The Catholic University of America, advances and promotes the distinctive excellence of K-12 Catholic school education. Guided by Christ and illumined by the Church’s rich educational heritage, we accompany Catholic school communities as they strive for continuous growth in fulfilling their mission.

Through its Vision Statement:

Lumen Accreditation ignites renewal, illuminates pathways, and transforms hearts to foster the full flourishing and distinctive excellence of our nation’s K-12 Catholic schools.

During the launch, the Interim Director of ITCE and Director of the Program of Accreditation, Daryl Hagan, Ed.D., shared, “It is with great enthusiasm that I announce Lumen Accreditation, one of ITCE’s four strategic priorities aimed at addressing the most critical components of Catholic school renewal. We listened and documented the needs of our colleagues in order to create a distinctly Catholic accreditation program, while understanding the unique charisms that exist in our nation’s dioceses and Catholic schools.” Alongside Dr. Hagan, the Lumen Accreditation Team at ITCE includes the Associate Director of the Program of Accreditation, Andrew Kremer, Ph.D., and the Administrative Assistant for the Program of Accreditation, Keelan Scharbach.

In the 2023 Spring Semester, the Lumen Accreditation Team began piloting the accreditation program with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota and at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School, a classical education school in the liberal arts tradition, in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Kremer stated, “We are blessed to partner with St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as our pilot and initial member institutions. They are led by outstanding people of faith and desire continued formation and improvement that is grounded in Catholic philosophy and tradition.” Starting in the 2023-2024 academic year, the archdiocese and pilot school will be invited to become the first members of Lumen Accreditation as the “St. Augustine Cohort.” Upon joining Lumen Accreditation, each (arch)diocese and school will be placed into one of six cohorts, named after ITCE’s patron saints, based upon the year in which they join.

Representatives of the St. Augustine Cohort shared their equal enthusiasm to be a part of ITCE’s endeavor with Lumen Accreditation. The Director of Catholic Education of Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Jason Slattery, Ed.D., reflected, “Catholic schools and dioceses face a growing dilemma driven by the changing landscape of school accreditation and educational policy environments that aim to limit our freedom to educate according to our religious mission and tradition. Lumen Accreditation, sponsored by the Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education, is a hopeful undertaking for the good and future of Catholic schools in the United States and reflects a remarkable commitment on the part of the Catholic University of America. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is grateful for the opportunity to explore a partnership with Lumen Accreditation that could advance an integrated vision of educational quality and excellence across our Catholic schools in a way that is consistent with our mission and tradition.” 

Similarly, the President of Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School, Jeff Kummer, remarked, “On behalf of the team at St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School (JPG), we are humbled by the opportunity to partner with the Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education at The Catholic University of America, as a member of the inaugural Lumen Catholic Accreditation cohort. At JPG, we hold a bold vision for the renewal of Catholic education in our great country. Thanks to the courageous leadership of visionaries like Sister Mary Agnes Greiffendorf, O.P. and the world class team guiding Lumen Accreditation, we are excited to begin this work and to help blaze a trail for others to follow!”

ITCE is also excited to announce their partnership with Fuzati to build a software platform to enhance the accreditation program. Fuzati is a Catholic marketing and technology company who partners with Catholic and educational institutions. This software will enable easy access to accreditation documentation as well as resource sharing across our membership dioceses and schools. The vice President of Technology at Fuzati, Thaddeus Ruszkowski, commented, “We are excited to work with The Catholic University of America and be part of this exciting initiative in service to K-12 Catholic education across the country.” With these collaborations established, Lumen Accreditation is now well underway to support K-12 Catholic education in the United States.

Patron Saints of ITCE, pray for us!