top of page

the DAILY KNIGHT

Michael Hichborn | The Daily Knight
Jan 29, 2023

84 Catholic Dioceses Using Student Evaluation Company Promoting LGBTQ Ideologies

Michael Hichborn | Lepanto Insitute


The Lepanto Institute recently spoke with several Catholic educators from around the country who expressed concern that their diocesan schools were using evaluation tools provided by an organization that promotes LGBTQ ideologies. In the first place, they were unhappy that diocesan funds were being used to support an organization that was acting so clearly in opposition to Catholic moral teaching. But more directly, they were worried about what was included in the evaluations and how curricula could change based upon the recommendations of the evaluation company.


The evaluation company is called NWEA, formerly the Northwest Evaluation Association, and it describes itself as


“a research-based, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating

assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency—and provide insights to help tailor

instruction.”


According to a fact sheet found on NWEA’s website titled, “How Catholic Schools Partner with NWEA for Student Success,” NWEA is a partner with over 1,900 Catholic Schools in 84 dioceses, reaching 400,000 Catholic students. Furthermore, the fact sheet indicates that NWEA is a corporate sponsor of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA).

The Lepanto Institute has attempted to identify which 84 dioceses are partnered with NWEA for assessments, and so far has been able to confirm the following 45 dioceses and archdioceses as partners:

  • Arlington

  • Austin

  • Baltimore

  • Belleville

  • Birmingham

  • Boston

  • Cincinnati

  • Cleveland

  • Covington

  • Des Moines

  • Duluth

  • Erie

  • Fort Wayne South Bend

  • Galveston Houston

  • Gary

  • Gaylord

  • Grand Rapids

  • Green Bay

  • Hartford

  • Joliet

  • Kalamazoo

  • Lansing

  • Lexington

  • Little Rock

  • Louisville

  • New York

  • Norwich

  • Paterson

  • Peoria

  • Portland

  • Richmond

  • Rockford

  • Saginaw

  • San Antonio

  • Savannah

  • Scranton

  • Seattle

  • St. Paul/Minneapolis

  • Petersburg

  • Superior

  • Toledo

  • Tuscon

  • Washington, DC

  • Wheeling Charleston

  • Worcester

The identities of the other 39 dioceses partnered with NWEA has proven more difficult to uncover, but this list serves as proof of concept. Clearly, NWEA is partnered with a great number of dioceses in the United States, which is deeply concerning in itself. If you would like to know if your diocese is partnering with NWEA and do not find it on this list, we encourage you to call your chancery and ask. And if you receive confirmation, please let us know and we will update our list.


On its “Policy and Advocacy” page, NWEA says, “We fight for bold, courageous policy changes that will move the needle for students and educators.” It’s unclear from the statement what sorts of “policy changes” NWEA is working toward, but an examination of their grants, articles, and partnerships indicates that NWEA is fostering the promotion of homosexual and transgender ideologies. So, if these are any indication, it is reasonable to conclude that (at least in part) the “policy changes” sought by NWEA includes sexual perversions.


On July 9, 2021, NWEA published a “product update” under the title, “Inclusion of Diverse Student Populations: A New Gender Option Available.” The opening line to the article explains it all:


“As part of NWEA’s commitment to DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility), we are now enabling

our partners to use a new gender value (X) for those students who do not identify as male (M) or female

(F).”


In an FAQ on the same page, wherein NWEA provides the question, “Why did NWEA decide to use the letter ‘X’?” NWEA explains that the decision was reached through a partnership with the pro-sodomy organization GLSEN:


“A: NWEA worked with GLSEN, an organization with over 30 years of expertise in creating affirming

learning environments for LGBTQ youth, to make this decision. Their experience showed them that the

term “non-binary” was limiting and not inclusive. GLSEN advised that “X” was at the top of the list for

future considerations at the federal level. After exploring various options with GLSEN and listening to their

research-driven guidance, we decided to move forward with their recommendation to use a singular X