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Career Aspirations of Potential Applicants for Principals of Catholic Schools:
An Australian Perspective
Tony d’Arbon, fms
(pp. 46-60) Volume 10, Number 1; Sept 2006
Recent surveys of leadership succession planning in Catholic schools in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory of Australia have confirmed the growing shortage of persons applying for positions of principal in Catholic schools in those states and territory and examined reasons for the decline in numbers. This paper focuses on a particular aspect of that research in which the career aspirations of those being surveyed, in the pool of potential applicants for principal positions, are analyzed and reported. Implications for the future of Catholic schools in Australia as well as for the future leadership of schools in general are examined.
Innovation in Educational Markets: An Organizational Analysis of Private Schools in Toronto
Scott Davies & Linda Quirke
(pp. 274-304) Volume 8, Number 3; March 2005
This study examines whether new private schools are innovative, drawing on theories of markets and institutions. Choice advocates claim that markets spark innovation, while institutional theory suggests that isomorphic forces will limit novel school forms. Using qualitative data form third sector private schools in Toronto, three hypotheses about the impact of markets on educational organization are examined: (a) they reverse tendencies toward isomorphism as schools develop client niches; (b) they allow schools to weaken their formal structures; and (c) they force schools to more closely monitor their effectiveness. Substantial evidence exists for the first hypothesis, partial evidence for the second hypothesis, but little evidence for the third. Overall, new private schools are characterized by: small classes, unique pedagogical themes, personalized treatment of clients, and some pragmatic responses to limited resources. Their operators sometimes feel restricted by parental demand, but are able to retain a loosely coupled structure by embracing consumerist understanding of accountability. This essay concludes with a discussion if implications for market theory.
The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in a Republican-Controlled Congress: A View From the Bishops’ Conference
William F. Davis, OSFS
(pp. 97-106) Volume 3, Number 1; Sept 1999
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, the largest single federal education program, is due to be reauthorized in 1999. ESEA is aimed at offering a variety of services to students and staff in public, private, and religious schools. For the first time, reauthorization will take place in a Congress with Republican majorities in both houses. The idea of the Republicans radically altering the program has been raised in many circles. This article addresses the purpose and history of ESEA as well as the prospects for any radical reshaping of the statute in the current reauthorization process.
The DC Choice Incentive Act of 2003: A Historic Moment for Children
William F. Davis, O.S.F.S. & Christopher S. Pearsall
(pp. 58-68) Volume 8, Number 1; Sept 2004
Voucher programs have long endured intense legislative challenge and judicial scrutiny. This article details the recent history of a successful voucher implementation plan for the District of Columbia. The importance of a broad base of politically active and astute citizens, parents, religious leaders, and Federal legislators is highlighted. The success of the voucher program detailed here may serve as a model for other programs.
The State of Special Education in Catholic Schools
Leonard DeFiore
(pp. 453-465) Volume 9, Number 4; June 2006
Catholic educators in recent years have worked to increase their schools’ capacity to provide special education services to more students. The expansion of federal programs to support students with special needs has aided in dealing with this issue, but it has also exacerbated problems. The exacerbation comes from the increased focus on both the needs of children and the inability of the schools to respond positively as often as they would like. The aid comes in the form of some governmental assistance as well as increased financial support from local sources. However, the demand for services continues to exceed the resources available to respond. This paper explores the current dimensions of this situation.
Narrative Theology in the High School Classroom: Teaching Theology Through the Literature
Louis A. DelFra, CSC
(pp. 346-374) Volume 8, Number 3; March 2005
If Jesus Taught most Frequently through symbol and story, and the early Church passed on his teachings primarily through story, especially the four Gospels, why is today’s Catechesis and theological pedagogy not more informed by “narrative theology” – theology which focuses on the narratives told by Jesus and the Gospels precisely as narratives? This article provides some basic foundations for the discipline of narrative theology, argues for a more narrative approach to theological instruction, and, by way of application, proposes a full year curriculum for high-school students that enables teachers to teach theology through the narratives of both the Bible and secular literature.
Jesuit Higher Education in New Jersey, 1899-1900: Saint Peter’s College
Alan Delozier
(pp. 491-507) Volume 3, Number 4; June 2000
The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has made inestimable contributions to the development of Catholic education in the United States. This article provides a historical overview of one venerable Jesuit institution, Saint Peter’s College in New Jersey, the only Jesuit-operated institution of higher learning in the state. Special attention is given to the Ratio Studiorum and to other details of the delivery of Jesuit education circa 1900.
Thomas Merton’s Spirituality of Education
Thomas Del Prete
(pp. 157-180) Volume 5, Number 2; Dec 2001
Thomas Merton was one of the greatest spiritual writers and mentors of our time. This article mines the extensive Merton corpus with a view to education. Three stages are explored in articulating Merton’s spirituality of education: 1) understanding what we are; 2) becoming what we are; and 3) realizing our fundamental unity. Merton’s letters, books, and lectures are cited, analyzed, and compared in an effort to uncover the stages of Merton’s own spiritual journey and to provide a helpful model for today’s educational leaders.
What Would Newman Do? John Cardinal Newman and Ex Corde Ecclesiae
Stephen J. Denig
(pp. 162-174) Volume 8, Number 2; Dec 2004
John Paul II’s 1990 Apostolic exhortation Ex Corde Ecclesiae and subsequent legislation require those teaching theological disciplines in Catholic Universities to have a mandatum. This article explores the thought of John Cardinal Newman with a view to defending a position, consistent with Newman’s thought, relative to the seeking and acceptance of a mandatum.
Implementing Jesuit Charisms and Core Values in Distance Education
Charles Timothy Dickel & Sharon R. Ishii-Jordan
Creighton University
(pp.385-398) Volume 11, Number 3; March 2008
Given the ever-increasing number of students who are taking distance education courses, it seems appropriate to look beyond the explicit, academic curriculum and consider how institutional charisms and core values might be implemented in distance education courses. This article explores the incorporation of charisms and core values in distance education with particular attention to some of those of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Each of the mentioned Jesuit charisms and core values is described and operationalized in terms of distance education for secondary and higher education students. Relevant and practical examples are provided from courses currently being offered.
The Catholic School:
A Catalyst for Social Transformation Through the Teaching of Gospel Values
Joan L. Dobzanski
(pp. 319-334) Volume 4, Number 3; March 2001
The United States Catholic bishops, in their 1998 pastoral statement Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, challenge Catholic educational leaders to address the need for a more explicit and intentional integration of Catholic social teaching into their programs and institutions. This article proposes a model for strengthening a Catholic school system’s commitment to sharing the social doctrine of the Church through critical examination of its identity, mission, and culture.
Ten Dimensions of Inclusion: Non-Catholic Students in Catholic Schools
J. Kent Donlevy
(pp. 293-320) Volume 10, Number 3; March 2007
This article addresses the inclusion of non-Catholic students in Catholic schools. It provides a brief review of the literature on inclusion and the results of a study of inclusion from the perspectives of Catholic students and Catholic teachers in four Western Canadian urban Catholic high schools. The study employed grounded theory as its methodology and focus groups as well as documentary analysis as its methods. The results of the qualitative study indicate, among other things, that there are at least 10 dimensions to inclusion: pedagogical, social, psychological, racial, cultural, spiritual, political, financial, legal, and philosophical. Moreover, the dimensions form an interactive matrix which is of great importance to Catholic schools.
Moral Education and Teachers’ Self-Perceptions:
Novice Male Teachers in the Catholic High School
Aine Donovan
(pp. 441-460) Volume 3, Number 4; June 2000
This article describes a qualitative study of six Catholic high school teachers, all male and all relatively new to Catholic education. Each subject participated in six hours of ethnographic interviews, yielding a rich description of their self-perceptions, educational competence, and faith background. Teaching as a vocation and moral education emerged as important themes for these teachers and for future study.
A Qualitative Study of a Parental Involvement Program in a K-8 Catholic Elementary School Janet Ann Donovan
(pp. 158-172) Volume 3, Number 2; Dec 1999
This article demonstrates that there is virtual unanimity among America’s educational leaders in the belief that when parents become involved in their children’s education, the children do better in school. Moreover, the study also reveals that in educational circles serious disagreements exist among leaders as to the degree to which parents should be involved in their children’s education. Central to the study is a small Catholic elementary school whose parental involvement program is not only diametrically opposed to contemporary educational thinking but could be interpreted as a refutation of it.
The Evolution, Validation, and Use of a Personal Form of the Catholic School Classroom Environment Questionnaire
Jeffrey P. Dorman
(pp. 141-157) Volume 3, Number 2; Dec 1999
The research reported in this article contributes to classroom environment research and Catholic education by describing the development, validation, and use of a personal form of the Catholic School Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CSCEQ). Using the class form of the CSCEQ as a basis, a 49-item instrument that assesses a student’s perceptions of his or her own role in the class was developed and validated with a sample of 1317 students from 52 religious education classes in 17 Australian Catholic high schools. This instrument assesses seven classroom environment dimensions: Student Affiliation, Interactions, Cooperation, Task Orientation, Order and Organization, Individualization, and Teacher Control. The research revealed differences in the religious education classroom environment in Catholic boys’, girls’, and coeducational schools, differences between grade 9 and grade 12 classes, and differences between boys’ and girls’ perceptions of the environment in coeducational classrooms. This application of the CSCEQ’s personal form demonstrates its usefulness as a research tool in Catholic high school religious education classes.
Validation and Use of the Catholic School Graduate Characteristics Inventory
Jeffrey P. Dorman
(pp. 165-180) Volume 7, Number 2; Dec 2003
Scales and subscales to assess the desirable characteristics of Catholic school graduates were developed and validated using a sample of 557 alumni of Australian Catholic high schools. Exploratory factory analysis supported a 4 scale structure (viz., Religious Faith & Spiritual Development, Personal Integration, Social Responsibility, and Life-long Learning Skills). The utility of this instrument, the Catholic School Graduate Characteristics Inventory (CSGCI), is enhanced by the optional subdividing of each scale into 3 internally consistent subscales. The use of the CSGCI revealed statistically significant differences in the characteristics of Catholic school graduates according to gender and year of graduation. These results suggest that the characteristics of graduates are not static and warrant ongoing investigation by school and system administrators.
Some Determinants of Classroom Psychosocial Environment in Australian Catholic High Schools: A Multilevel Analysis
Jeffrey P. Dorman
(pp. 7-29)
This research investigated some determinants of classroom environment in Australian Catholic high schools. The Catholic School Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CSCEQ) was used to assess seven dimensions of the classroom pyschosocial environment: student affiliation, interactions, cooperation, task orientation, order and organization, individualization, and teacher control. The sample consisted of 1,719 students from 80 classes in 20 Catholic coeducational and single-sex schools. Validation data attested to the sound structural properties of the CSCEQ. Because the data were nested (i.e., students within classes within schools), multilevel analyses were used to investigate the influence of student gender, grade, subject, and school type on students' perceptions of the classroom environment. Statistically significant associations between some of these grouping variables and some of the CSCEQ scales were evident, with gender and grade the main explanatory variables. Variance in order and organization was not explained by any of the four hypothesized grouping variables.
Communicating Identity and the Challenge of Ex Corde Ecclesiae
Anthony J. Dosen
(pp. 170-204) Volume 4, Number 2; Dec 2000
Arguing that the current challenge in Catholic higher education to implement the norms of Ex Corde Ecclesiae is largely a conflict of different world views, the author describes three competing visions of Church—pistic, charismatic, and mystical—and offers three “lenses” to clarify each vision: functional, interpretive, and post-modern. A textual analysis of Ex Corde Ecclesiae and the 1993 and 1999 drafts of ordinances of the National Catholic Conference of Bishops (NCCB) reveals a world view at odds with most Catholic universities.
Vincentian Education and the Charism of St. Vincent de Paul
Anthony J. Dosen, CM
(pp. 47-57) Volume 9, Number 1; Sept 2005
St. Vincent de Paul is a popular saint in the contemporary practice of Catholicism. This article explains why, providing a historical overview of the many influences in Vincent’s life and demonstrating how central Vincentian themes can be incarnated in educational institutions. Vincent’s passion—love of the poor—remains a compelling challenge today.
Thomas Aquinas: Integrating Faith and Reason in the Catholic School
Dennis M. Doyle
(pp. 343-356) Volume 10, Number 3; March 2007
The Second Vatican Council, social upheaval, and quickly changing cultural norms were a part of the fabric of life in the 1960s. Values and beliefs held firmly for generations were called into question. Faith, once solid, appeared to some Catholics to turn fluid and doubtful. Though now well over seven centuries old, the work of Thomas Aquinas can itself be understood and appreciated as a response to the demands of philosophical challenges that threatened to make things fall apart. By his fitting together of faith and reason, Aquinas’ intellectual approach can serve as a inspiration for educators, especially those at the high school level.
Improving Public Policy Advocacy Through the Effective Use of Data
Michelle L. Doyle
(pp. 69-85) Volume 8, Number 1; Sept 2004
The focus for most consumers of federal education program services is the end product. Of concern to these customers – students, teachers, and principals – are the quality of the service, the timeliness of the service delivery, and the relevance of the services to the particular need. To ensure that federal education programs can be effective for children attending private schools, it is critical to be actively involved in the legislative process. This article explores an attempt to change and improve a federal education program for Catholic and other private school participants, highlighting the key role in the lobbying process played by high quality, timely data.
Maritain’s Philosophy of Education and Christian Religious Education
Mario O. D’Souza, CSB
(pp. 375-395) Volume 4, Number 3; March 2001
Catholic schools invest much time and energy in writing mission statements that express the common values, beliefs, and goals of the Church community. This article explores the philosophical foundation supporting our mission by analyzing the work of the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain. While often labeled dismissively as a new-Thomist, Maritain’s thought offers a cogent, philosophically balanced view of education that is highly congruent with Catholic theology. Arguing that Catholic schools are more than just institutions staffed by Catholics, the author reasons that all education, if the truth be told, is in some form a religious education, and that good teachers create schools that invite students to grow in the life of
the mind.
Jacques Maritain’s Seven Misconceptions of Education:
Implications for the Preparation of Catholic School Teachers
Mario O. D’Souza, CSB
(pp. 435-453) Volume 5, Number 4; June 2002
Do Catholic educators, especially classroom teachers, operate out of a fundamentally Catholic worldview? This article explores some essential questions about teacher preparation for service in Catholic schools. Following the work of neo-Thomistic philosopher Jacques Maritain, the author examines seven misconceptions of education and their importance to the formation of Catholic educators.
Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Culture and the Catholic University
Mario O. D’Souza, CSB
(pp.215-232) Volume 6, Number 2; Dec 2002
Catholic institutions of higher education continue to wrestle with the demands of John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution, Ex Corde Ecclesiae. This article looks beyond the juridical aspects of implementation and focuses on culture as a way to explore the contribution of Catholic colleges and universities to the broader life of the Church and to the wider academy. Popular culture, with its dependence on visual imagery and entertainment, creates a particular challenge for advancing the unique mission and identity of Catholic institutions.
Children’s Cultural Capital and Teachers’ Assessments of Effort and Ability:
The Influence of School Sector
Susan A. Dumais
(pp. 418-439) Volume 8, Number 4; June 2005
Bourdieu (1973) theorized that differences in social background correspond to differences in possession of cultural resources (cultural capital), as well as the orientation to those resources (habitus). Additionally, Bourdieu argued that struggles for power occur in different settings (fields). His essay reviews Bourdieu’s main ideas and describes how they may apply to the American educational system. In particular, two setting are considered; public elementary schools and Catholic elementary schools. Based in analyses using data form the Early Childhood, Longitudinal Study (ECLS), Catholic school kindergartners are more likely to participate in arts activities, and their parents are more likely to be involved in and comfortable with the school environment. Regression analysis show that arts lessons and attendance at arts events do not affect teachers’ perceptions of the effort or ability of students in either public or Catholic schools. Parents’ orientation toward school has more of an effect in public than in Catholic schools. In public schools, attending open houses and conferences, volunteering, and feeling unwelcome at school all affect teachers’ evaluations of students’ effort and ability, while only attendance at school events and conferences affect teachers’ perceptions in Catholic schools. These findings suggest that the traditional definition of cultural capital may not be appropriate for young American children, that parents’ orientation toward schooling should be included in future studies of educational stratification, and that more research is needed in the examination of public-Catholic school differences in cultural resources.
Including and Serving Students With Special Needs in Catholic Schools: A Report of Practices W. Patrick Durow
(pp. 473-489) Volume 10, Number 4; June 2007
Based on responses to a survey of 19 Midwestern Catholic dioceses, the author reports the mission, educational practice, and financial means utilized to serve students with special needs in Catholic schools.
The Retention and Attrition of Catholic School Principals
W. Patrick Durow & Barbara L. Brock
(pp. 194-207) Volume 8, Number 2; Dec 2004
This article reports the results of a study of the retention of principals in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in one Midwestern diocese. Findings revealed that personal needs, career advancement, support from employer, and clearly defined role expectations were key factors in principals’ retention decisions. A profile of components of successful retention is included.
The President/Principal Model in Catholic Secondary Schools
William Dygert, CSC
(pp. 16-41) Volume 4, Number 1; Sept 2000
The purpose of this research about the president/principal model was to examine this emerging model of dual leadership in Catholic secondary schools in the United States to determine its forms, functions, and perceived advantages and disadvantages. The study was qualitative and gathered data by use of a survey. Based on the information gathered, dealing with the ever-increasing complexity of administering a Catholic secondary school by dividing the multiple administrative roles and responsibilities between two individuals, and in some cases more than two individuals, is a strategy that works. This division not only provides for academic leadership and the daily operation of the school, but also provides for leadership in institutional advancement, management of financial resources, strategic planning, fidelity to mission, and vision building.