Some would claim that we cannot place too much emphasis on these scores because not all the rigors of educational research were followed. Yet the overwhelming higher achievement of Catholic school students in every subject, at every grade level and in every test-year cannot be ignored. A Nation at Risk, a national study by the U.S. government, indicated that the country was in economic danger because of the low achievement of students in government-controlled schools. Further study showed that students were not taking the courses that their parents had taken in secondary schools. This was not and is not the case in Catholic schools.
Catholic schools have a very clear goal for their students.
The programs in elementary and secondary schools prepare students for this goal. Therefore, most students take four years of mathematics, history, English, science, foreign language, and of course religious studies. In addition, students are held to a high standard of achievement. Class and homework assignments challenge students. Self-discipline with a Christian focus.