Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice
Boston College's five-year term hosting this journal ended in June 2013. The journal is currently hosted by Loyola Marymount University, under the title The Journal of Catholic Education. Welcome This open access journal represents Catholic colleges and universities, Catholic education leaders, and scholars from a variety of disciplines who are collectively committed to contributing research and encouraging good practice in Catholic elementary, secondary, and higher education by advancing the field of Catholic educational research. Mission Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice is a refereed, open access, online journal that promotes and disseminates scholarship about the purposes, practices, and issues in Catholic education at all levels.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Identification, Description, and Perceived Viability of K—12 Consolidated Catholic School Systems
Catholic education has been in a state of substantial decline since 1965. In order to help sustain the ministry of Catholic schools, one approach that several dozen dioceses have embraced is the K–12 consolidated Catholic school system. This study investigated the organizational structures within consolidated school systems, factors that led to consolidation, and variables that predict perceived viability of the consolidated model. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses were employed using both school system data and individual responses as units of analyses. This study shows that the K–12 consolidated Catholic school system can be a viable model that allows for greater collaboration among elementary and high schools, financial efficiencies through shared staffing and building closures, and reductions of high parish subsidy. This study also shows that while the model may help Catholic schools remain open, the separation from the parish leads to a lack of parish ownership of the school, a sense of competition between the school system and the supporting parishes, and unknown roles and accountability of the new school system.
The Intersection of Religious Charter Schools and Urban Catholic Education: A Literature Review
This paper analyzes how an emerging form of schooling—“religious” charter schools—may influence the future of urban Catholic elementary education in America. Specifically, it synthesizes the literature related to religious charter schools and Catholic education. The paper investigates if a common understanding of religious charter schools is salient in the literature. In addition, it analyzes the benefits and challenges to this type of school within the context of Catholic education. The synthesis of the literature on the interplay between religious charter schools and urban Catholic elementary schools is the first of its kind. The conclusions of this paper indicate that while the religious charter school terminology is problematic when used in discussions about the future of urban Catholic elementary schools, the concept of such schools merit further reflection and research. These amorphous schools may provide new opportunities and benefits to the Catholic community and others invested in urban education, but they are challenging to implement in practice. The most likely beneficial scenario that emerged in the literature is the leasing of former Catholic school facilities to charter schools and subsequently developing before- or after-school religious education programs when there is no alternative to closing a parochial school. In addition, developing positive relationships with charter schools may result in additional income for struggling urban parishes as well as opening new doors for religious education programming and outreach to the urban poor. Challenges to religious charter schools within the context of Catholic education include church and state complications related to public funding, religious identity issues, legal concerns, increased competition for Catholic schools, and the fact that they are not Catholic schools. Lastly, there is no clear legal consensus on the viability of public charter schools that accommodate religion. This invites the need for scholarly research, advocacy, and public policy work by those interested in the future of urban education in America.
The 200-Day Calendar Initiative in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles: Three Schools’ Decision to Break the Mold
This research study investigated the decision-making process utilized by three elementary schools in adopting the 200-day calendar initiative in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The schools in the study represented three distinct sets of demographics focusing primarily on high, middle, and low socioeconomic characteristics, as reported by the Archdiocese. Principals, pastors, parent representatives, and school advisory council representatives were interviewed. The current study outlines the decision-making process by the school leadership, the reactions to the decision by the stakeholders, and finally, the reasons why these three schools chose to extend their school calendar. Findings suggest that the autonomous leadership and governance structure of the elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles allowed schools to utilize a context-specific decision-making process, where once school pastors and principals agreed to the decision, the initiative was adopted at the schools. Reasons for the extension vary by school.
A Collaborative Approach: Assessing the Impact of Multi-Grade Classrooms
Catholic schools in the United States are faced with the looming challenge of declining enrollments. One possible strategy for dealing with this problem is to institute multi-grade classrooms where students from two or more grades are combined in one classroom with one instructor. In this article, the authors examined one urban Catholic school’s successful transition to multi-grade classrooms when student enrollment dropped dramatically. The transition to multi-grade classrooms did not have a significant impact on student outcomes as measured by absences, tardiness, or academic performance though other social-emotional and developmental benefits were perceived. For example, the students were more likely to nurture other students and be nurtured by them; assume shared responsibility and leadership in the classroom and at home; were involved in fewer disciplinary incidents; and were more respectful of their classmates. The researchers offer lessons learned about the transition for other Catholic school leaders who may be considering such a change.
Science, Technology, and Catholic Identity in the Education of Professionals
The reception of Ex corde ecclesiae has been uneven across the disciplines, with scant interest in distinctly Catholic pedagogies outside of the humanities. This essay argues that Catholic universities can distinguish themselves by how they present science and technology in their curriculum by drawing from the interdisciplinary field of “science, technology & society,” or STS. We argue that discussions about Catholic identity, science, and human values can and should extend into the curriculum while simultaneously safeguarding academic freedom, and that this can readily be done in professional schools, such as law and engineering. We outline the contributions that STS as a field could offer Catholic higher education. We discuss how teaching science and technologies as social forces can provide the intellectual and reflective space necessary for critical reflection on their moral dimensions, in society and in the emerging professional lives of students. We argue that STS can help Catholic universities express the Catholic tradition of linking knowledge and wisdom, and thus has the potential to advance the distinctly Catholic character of universities. To substantiate our claims, we present three examples of STS in Catholic higher education curriculum: undergraduate core curriculum, law school instruction, and frugal innovation in engineering education.
Enhancing Capacity to Improve Student Learning
Professional development provides a means to build capacity among school personnel when it is delivered as part of a systematic, long-term approach to school and teacher improvement. This research examines a sustained, diocesan-wide professional development model, called the ACE Collaborative for Academic Excellence, that aims to build capacity for school improvement. It utilizes a framework modeled on the pillars of the Alliance for Catholic Education that targets three areas: teacher, group, and vision capacity. An analysis of participant survey data probes the extent to which teacher, group, and vision capacity are enhanced in this model and suggests several ways this professional development model and others can be strengthened to effect lasting change in Catholic schools.
An Evaluative Study of the Academic Achievement of Homeschooled Students Versus Traditionally Schooled Students Attending a Catholic University
This research study was designed to provide a formal evaluation of the academic achievement of homeschooled students compared to traditionally schooled students attending a Catholic university located in South Florida. In addition, this study offers empirical data for all those interested in the academic success of homeschooled students in higher education, in particular, in Catholic colleges and universities. Using archival data, 408 students were evaluated based on their four-year secondary school type: 137 public-schooled students; 142 Catholic schooled students; and 129 homeschooled students. Equally weighted criteria were overall SAT or ACT scores, overall college grade-point average (GPA), GPA by major, and core GPA. A statistically significant difference was found between homeschooled students and traditionally schooled students in ACT and SAT scores and overall GPA, showing value to the institution and supporting the literature with regards to the academic viability of homeschooled students in college.
Administrator and Teachers' Perceptions of School Success in a Publicly Funded Catholic School in Ontario, Canada
School success is a complex and abstract notion. Asking questions about what is meant by school success is important, since the ways in which educators and administrators define school success tends to guide their practice, and may have implications for current and future policy initiatives. This qualitative case study explores how one publicly funded Catholic school in Ontario, Canada, conceives of school success. First, a brief historical description of publicly funded Catholic schooling in Ontario is given, followed by a short introduction of the contemporary school success discourse. Next, the methodological approach is described, leading into a detailed account of the study’s findings. Last, a comprehensive discussion follows around a particular publicly funded Catholic school’s notions of success in their local context. This study pays particular attention to the question of whether or not narrow achievement priorities from the provincial government dominate local school discourse and practices.
When the Sisters Said Farewell: The Transition of Leadership in Catholic Elementary Schools
Aretism: An Ancient Sports Philosophy for the Modern Sports World
Catholic Social Learning: Educating the Faith That Does Justice
Neighbors & Missionaries: A History of the Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine