# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S370 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 370 PARISH SERVICES the differences this education has caused. One cannot doubt the value of Lutheran elementary and secondary education after giving serious study to this research. Overall Goal The overall goal of the Board of Parish Education's School Department is to provide leadership for the support. communi- cation. upgrading. and extension of full-time Lutheran educa- tional programs. This report will attempt to delineate those activities in which the School Department has been engaged over the past 2 years as well as some of its future plans as it attempts to achieve this overall goal. A. Leadership Materials and Services One activity designed to reach the overall goal identified above is providing leadership materials and services to equip the church's educational leaders. In-Service Materials To provide such leadership materials and services, anumber of in-service training materials have been developed for school administrators and teachers. These materials consisted of 12 Resource Guides included in the “Performing Our Patterns” series as an aid to schools as they work through administrative. subject matter, and child development areas. Also 12 descrip- tions have been prepared for inclusion in an “Innovations Notebook." Each of these describes through picture and words a specific innovation which a school has developed. The pro- duction of the “Innovations Notebook” descriptions was made possible through a grant from the Wheat Ridge Foundation. Administrative Materials Each spring a collection of administrative materials is orga- nized and distributed to elementary and secondary school principals. This Administrator's Kit annually includes an In- structional Materials Guide. This guide identifies. evaluates. and describes new elementary school materials available each year in the subject matter and professional educational areas. Clearing house services are also provided for Lutheran secon- dary school administrators. Ideas and materials produced locally by the high schools are shared with all administrators. School Materials An ongoing process is the development. revising. and up- dating of Board of Parish Education professional and curricular school materials. Some of these projects are developed jointly with Concordia Publishing House. Some items have taken the form of information bulletins regarding a variety of Lutheran school concerns. Each year new replacement chapters are de- veloped for the three volumes of A Curriculum Guide for Lutheran Elementary Schools. Within the near future we antici- pate publication of a handbook for beginning teachers as well as a historical review of Lutheran elementary and secondary education over the past 15 crucial years. Other school materials are under review, and some will be revised in the near future. Promotion Materials In an attempt to help schools generate ideas and materials for school promotion and to develop enthusiasm for recruit- ment. the Board of Parish Education’s School Department, in cooperation with the Synod’s Public Relations Department. has provided a new school promotion tract. This tract was written by the parents of three families of children who have attended Lutheran schools. Should adequate budgetary funds become available. work will begin on the following projects: the de- velopment of promotional slides that schools can use on local television stations: a Christian education film: school promotion materials designed especially to communicate to pastors and other church leaders. Feasibility Surveys Each year a number of Lutheran elementary and secondary community school feasibility surveys are aided by School Department personnel. At this time two dozen communities are conducting high school feasibility surveys. The develop- ment of parental commitment towards Lutheran high schools in the last 5 years has been nothing short of phenomenal. Twenty-five percent of the Lutheran high schools now in existence have begun since September 1970. It appears that four new Lutheran high schools will begin in September 1975. Within the next 2 years the Board of Parish Education. with financial assistance from the Aid Association for Lutherans. plans to develop a Lutheran High School Feasibility Study Packet that may be used by a variety of Lutheran church com- munities to help them conduct realistic feasibility studies. Observations and Evaluations The School Department of the Board of Parish Education also attempts to observe and evaluate existing full-time Chris- tian education programs. This has been accomplished in a number of Districts in the past through concentrated evaluation of specific schools and brief observations in several schools geographically close to one another. During the past 2 vears four Lutheran high schools conducted self-evaluation programs. At their request the School Department provided leadership in reviewing the findings and making recommendations for future goals and programs. A guide for evaluating Lutheran secondary schools was developed some years ago by Lutheran high school administrators and synodical personnel. This guide aids school faculties and visitation teams as they attempt to determine the Christian dimension of a Lutheran high school. This evaluation program will be continued in future years. Worship Materials To aid faculties in giving an increased Christian dimension to a school, the School Department yearly identifies and pre- pares materials useful for conducting staff and student worship in elementary schools. A yearly edition of 40 new Chapel Talks is written by selected teachers. pastors, and college professors. Workshop and Conference Services The Board of Parish Education provides leadership ma- terials and services through its School Department personnel. The staff assists District and local groups in planning and pre- senting workshops and conference papers. Additional assis- tance is provided through executive committee meetings. con- ferences, and in helping to plan annual workshops for the various departments of the Lutheran Education Association and the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools. The staff also cooperates with the synodical teachers colleges and semi- naries in workshop developments. retreats, and campus presen- tations. Future Thrusts A major thrust for the future will be to conduct in-service workshops and conferences in early childhood education, urban education, and bilingual-bicultural education. With funds from the Aid Association for Lutherans the Board of Parish Educa- tion has secured a director of “Project: Young Child" to promote early childhood education in the Synod. Through the Synod's 125th Anniversary Thankoffering the board has called an Asso- ciate Secretary of Schools, Dr. Marlin Schulz. Dr. Schulz will concentrate primarily on programs in urban education and small-school development. A significant portion of the urban education program is the “Hispanic Enabler’ program, also being funded by the 125th Anniversary Thankoffering, being developed under the leadership of Miss Lois Meyer. This program is one small but. we hope, significant effort to take seriously the opportunity for ministry among people of Spanish-speaking background, who represent the fastest- growing ethnic minority in our country. Under this program the Board of Parish Education is assisting local Lutheran schools to be more responsive to the need for bilingual educa- tion. The plan includes coordinating production of religious education materials for Spanish-speaking personsin the U.S. A. Consultations. workshops, and special training sessions are also being conducted. At each of the last four synodical conventions resolutions have been passed urging the board to provide leadership for Christian education in urban settings. However. severe budget restrictions have seriously limited the board’s activities. Under Dr. Schulz’s leadership new efforts are now under way. After consultation with persons most directly involved in urban ministry, eight model programs have now been designed and $50,000 worth of seed money kas been provided by the 125th Thankoffering. It is hoped that when the report for the 1977 convention is written it will be possible to report significant progress.