Saint Columbkille Partnership School was founded and continues to operate in the tradition of Catholic education in the United States, and Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston in particular. Research has shown that Catholic schools, and especially urban Catholic schools, lead to higher academic achievement, as evidenced by higher standardized test scores, lower dropout rates, and higher achievement for disadvantaged students when compared with public school students. Saint Columbkille is in the process of updating its curricula in all subject areas, including new textbooks and classroom materials, while providing professional development for its teachers and sustained support for implementing current research-based curricular practice.