Renaissance and NCEA Partnership Set To Reshape How Catholic Schools Measure Student Growth

New assessment will offer actionable data insights for grades 2–12, empowering educators and leaders

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Renaissance, a global leader in pre-K–12 education technology, assessment, and whole-child data insights, and the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), the largest private professional education association in the world, are collaborating to improve the evaluation of Catholic student education. Together, the companies are developing a first-of-its-kind assessment that uses real-time data insights to measure students' faith journeys.

The new assessment will be the latest iteration of NCEA's popular Assessment of Catholic Religious Education, better known as ACRE, which is currently used by Catholic schools across the country to measure the effectiveness of curriculum and religion programs, as well as how students internalize and act upon their faith.

In a major upgrade, NCEA will host the new solution through a powerful platform provided by Renaissance, leveraging the company's nearly 40 years of experience crafting best-in-class solutions for student learning and growth. The new platform will empower leaders and educators—from classroom teachers to bishops—with insights to make data-based decisions in real time. NCEA will continue to partner with the previous ACRE host, FACTS, for various K–12 school solutions.

"ACRE has long been a trusted tool for Catholic schools and parishes," said Steven F. Cheeseman, EdD, President/CEO at NCEA. "We are deeply grateful to FACTS for their continued collaboration and generous support in the transition to a new platform. Building on that strong foundation, our partnership with Renaissance—whose mission is to 'see every student'—will help us meet every child where they are on their faith journey and will provide teachers with the data they need to pinpoint faith knowledge gap areas so that they can target their instruction and formation. We look forward to the new opportunities this revision will bring for student growth and to support the mission of Catholic education."

The partnership with Renaissance also enables NCEA to expand the assessment to cover grades 2–12, allowing for a vastly improved understanding of students' growth and knowledge across various age groups.

"Renaissance is committed to accelerating learning for all by empowering educators with data to support student development," said Chris Bauleke, CEO at Renaissance. "This aligns well with NCEA's mission, and we're excited about leveraging our technology and data insights in a new way to empower Catholic schools and help support students' growth and learning."

To ensure reliability and validity, the co-developed assessment aligns NCEA's test questions with Renaissance's assessment expertise and learning development insights. The new assessment will provide individual student reporting and personalized learning pathways for more targeted student growth and development. In addition, Spanish versions of the assessment will help ensure educators can meet diverse student needs.

Currently in final development, the assessment solution will pilot with multiple dioceses in spring 2026. The full launch is planned for the 2026–2027 school year; following a successful launch, it may be further expanded with additional content to provide schools with even greater flexibility.

About Renaissance
As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

About NCEA
Founded in 1904, NCEA represents over 150,000 Catholic school educators across the 176 US dioceses and is the largest private professional education association in the world. The association provides leadership development, professional learning, advocacy, and resources to support faith formation and academic excellence in Catholic schools. Learn more at ncea.org.

SOURCE Renaissance