ACRE Test Data

The ACRE (Assessment of Catholic Religious Education) test is an assessment of religious education, proficiency, and practices given by the Owensboro Catholic Schools to students in grades 5, 8, and 11. The four major divisions of the Catechism

• Part One: The Profession of Faith
• Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery,
• Part Three: Life in Christ,
• Part Four: Christian Prayer, recall the fourfold division of the Catechism of the Council of Trent (also called the Roman Catechism) promulgated in 1566.

This structural arrangement often referred to as the Pillars presents a succession of movements: The Church believing, celebrating, living, and praying.

OCS Religion Curriculum

Kindergarten through 6th Grade Religion - NCEA ACRE is an evaluative instrument that can be used by everyone regardless of the religion textbook series, provided that the series is in conformity with the Office for Catechism at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  The ACRE Domain statements are aligned with the Core Concepts that are listed with each Pillar of the Catechism and its Core Concepts and are the same statements for each grade level. 

• The Mystery of God, Creator of All Things; The Mystery of Christ, Incarnate Word;  The Mystery of the Holy Spirit
• The Mystery of the Church, the people of God
• God Invites Us Into Relationship through Community Worship
• God Invites Us In to Relationship through Personal Prayer
• God Teaches Us How to Live out our Salvation; and, God Calls Us to Love and Serve our Neighbor

7th Grade Religion - The entire focus of the seventh grade Religion curriculum is the life and teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Students learn about the life of Jesus from his birth in Bethlehem to hisResurrection and Ascension. As they study the life of Jesus, students learn many important teachings of the Church, such as the Commandments, the Magisterial nature of the Church, Eucharistic truths, and God's call to love and serve others. No matter what is taught, though, it is taught within the context of the life of Jesus. 

8th Grade Religion - Students prepare for the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation through study during the 8th grade 1st semester. During the 2nd semester, church history is the focus of study. Students learn how the church grew and spread during the early years, and how the Catholic Church spread to the New World. The last month of school we discuss family life and how to get along with others as Christians.

The Didache Series is taught at OCHS, which is a comprehensive series on the basic tenets of the doctrinal, scriptural, moral, and sacramental life of the Church.

Freshmen text: INTRODUCTION TO CATHOLICISM includes information on The Church, Prayer, Holiness, The Trinity, The Blessed Mother, Sacred Scripture, The 10 commandments and the Sacraments.

Sophomore text: UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE examines salvation History in a context of a Catholic approach to Scripture, highlighting the theme of covenant. This text presents a clear explanation of the various parts of the Bible and the importance of each part.

Junior text: THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH gives an account of Christian History based solidly on historical fact and viewed through the eyes of Faith. It presents the History of the Catholic Church from Pentecost through the present.

Senior text: OUR MORAL LIFE offers a unique analysis of moral theology and presents in a comprehensive manner the complex theological concepts of Catholicism.