CHICAGO (November 25, 2002)

Eighth-graders who plan to enter one of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties should take the high school placement test on Saturday, January 11, 2003, at the high school they plan to attend.

Students should report to the high school of their choice at 8:00 a.m. and bring $20 and two
No. 2 pencils. Advance registration is not necessary.

“We encourage all students interested in attending a Catholic high school to take the placement test,” said Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich, superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools. “The test is the first step in the process of admission to Catholic secondary school. We also consider the student’s elementary records and we talk with teachers and parents. More than 90 percent of students who take the test are accepted into the school of their choice,” he said.

Students who take the placement test will be notified of their test results by February 15. Each of the high schools in the Archdiocese is accredited by the North Central Association, the largest regional accreditation organization in the United States, which evaluates and accredits schools and requires professional development for teachers.

Ninety-eight percent of Catholic high school students in the Archdiocese graduated in 2002 and 91 percent of them were admitted to college.

The daily attendance rate for secondary students is 95 percent. According to statistics for the 2001-02 academic year, 83 percent of the 30,768 high school students are Catholic, while 17 percent are not. Sixty-four percent of students are white; 18 percent are Hispanic; 12 percent are African-American; three percent are Asian and three percent are biracial.

Archdiocese of Chicago high schools are hosting open houses through early December. Eighth graders and their parents who are interested in meeting faculty members and current students to learn more about the school’s curriculum and activities should contact the school of their choice for more details.

The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by developing the minds and spirits of nearly 123,000 students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in the 290 elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. There are more than 6,000 teachers in the Catholic school system who instill values, teach discipline and achieve strong, consistent academic results in the Archdiocese of Chicago's 248 elementary and 42 secondary schools. Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago Website at http://schools.archchicago.org