The Diocese of Charleston is composed of 32 schools, of which 26 are parish elementary, two parish PK through 12, and 4 diocesan secondary schools. Unlike many dioceses in the United States, the Diocese of Charleston is unique in that it encompasses the entire state of South Carolina. This poses a challenge not only geographically, but also in many other areas where developing a system of schools is crucial to the sustainability of Catholic education. Among the challenges a diocese of this type encounters is not only distance from the Catholic Schools Office, but in many situations, the distance between schools, which is especially significant in this case since most schools have one class of each grade level. The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS) unearthed factors that each of the schools have in common, regardless of where they are located, grade levels, the culture of the school or the socio-economic makeup of the families. It revealed ways of thinking and talking about Catholic education to which all schools in the diocese could relate regardless of their size or composition. The NSBECS highlighted tangible ways in which the diocese could begin to build a common language and work towards common goals while the schools and the Catholic Schools Office supported each other in the process.