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Educating Urban African American Children Placed At Risk: A Comparison of Two Types of Catholic Middle Schools
L. Mickey Fenzel & Janine Domingues
(pp. 30-52)
Although the number of urban Catholic schools has declined in recent years, Nativity model middle schools, first developed by the Jesuits over 35 years ago, have appeared throughout the nation to address the need for effective alternative education for urban children placed at risk. The present study compares the effectiveness of two types of high-poverty Catholic schools for 322 African American middle school students. Result show that Nativity schools are more successful than traditional Catholic schools in effecting student gains in standardized test score performance. Results also suggest that features such as small school and class size, small student-teacher ratios, and an extended academic day contribute to these gains. The quality of the school and classroom environment, as perceived by students, that contributed to the amount of engaged learning time also may have contributed to their stronger academic performance. Implications for urban schooling for African American middle school children placed at risk are discussed.
9/11 and a Hemorrhaging Catholic Church: Teachable Moments for Catholic School Leadership Clare Fitzgerald, SSND
(pp. 286-292) Volume 6, Number 3; March 2003
Catholics and the U.S. Education Policy
Jo Renee Formicola
(pp. 462-473) Volume 3, Number 4; June 2000
Catholic educational policy in the United States has developed through court battles and attempts to influence the Congress and the White House to protect the interest of Catholic parents, students, and schools. This essay reviews Catholic participation in the American political system through the lens of the “child benefit theory” and urges greater Catholic involvement in the future.
Parenting in Ethnic Minority Families
James M. Frabutt
(pp. 245-254) Volume 3, Number 2; Dec 1999
Immigrant Youth Mental Health, Acculturation, and Adaptation
James M. Frabutt
(pp. 499-504) Volume 9, Number 4; June 2006
Immigrant youth make up an increasingly significant part of the national Catholic school population. This article discusses the challenges facing all immigrant youth, with special attention given to the Hispanic community.
Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry & Practice:
A Ten-Year Retrospective Review of Catholic Educational Research
James M. Frabutt, Ronald J. Nuzzi, Thomas C. Hunt, & Margaret A. Solic
(pp. 428-441) Volume 11, Number 4; June 2008
The journal has a brief but important history, encompassing the support of major Catholic colleges and universities across the United States. In particular, the University of Dayton and the University of Notre Dame have provided a home for the editorial offices and the contributed services of the editors. As the journal prepares for a transition to its third home at Boston College, this article offers a summative and evaluative overview of the contents of the journal since its inception. Recommendations are offered regarding ways to continue to grow the field of educational research situated in Catholic schools.
Delinquency and Violence Among Girls
James M. Frabutt & Jacquelyn W. White
(pp. 541-547) Volume 5, Number 4; June 2002
Growing Up Catholic in a Scottish City: The Relationship Between Denominational Identity, Denominational Schools, and Attitude Toward Christianity Among 11- to 15-Year-Olds
Leslie J. Francis & Harry M. Gibson
(pp. 39-54) Volume 4, Number 4; Sept 2001
From a large survey conducted in a Scottish city, this article identifies 1,285 students attending Catholic schools (16.6% of whom were not Catholics) and 1,240 Catholic students (14.8% of whom were educated in non-Catholic schools). The data demonstrate that Catholic students educated in Catholic schools hold a more positive attitude toward Christianity than comparable Catholic students educated in non-Catholic schools and that non-Catholic students educated in Catholic schools hold a less positive attitude toward Christianity than comparable Catholic students. Both findings have implications for the evaluation of the Catholic school system.
The Catholic Mind: Culture, Philosophy, and Responsibility in Higher Education
William A. Frank
(pp. 205-217) Volume 4, Number 2; Dec 2000
This article argues that any quest to establish or strengthen Catholic identity in educational institutions is ultimately a question of philosophical foundations. The author discusses the importance and fragility of culture as it applies to Catholic though and analyzes the philosophical components necessary for sustaining a dominant cultural ethos. This article concludes with a tentative formulation of four responsibilities of professors in Catholic institutions of higher learning.
Catholic School Principal Job Satisfaction: Keys to Retention and Recruitment
Jennifer Fraser & Barbara L. Brock
(pp. 425-440) Volume 9, Number 4; June 2006
This article presents a study on principal retention in New South Wales, Australia. Factors in job retention included economic security, role enjoyment, and the opportunity to contribute. Disincentives to the principalship included lack of support from the employing authority, inadequate pay, isolation, growing responsibilities, difficult parents, and interfering pastors. Findings suggested that the ideal principal role would include greater remuneration, a more supportive employing authority, clearly defined role expectations, and job recognition.
Cognitive Spirituality and Hope in Catholic High School Students
Bruce B. Frey, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Lisa M. Edwards & Diane McDermott
(pp. 479-491) Volume 7, Number 4; June 2004
This study explores the validity of a construct of cognitive spirituality as measured by a recent measure, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, in a sample of Catholic high school students. Spirituality on this scale is conceptualized as a composite of life scheme (having meaning in one’s life) and generalized self-efficacy. Construct-based validity evidence was produced through factor analysis and examination of correlations between the spirituality scale and subscale scores with scale and subscales on the Children’s Hope Scale, a well-being indicator previously used for this population. In addition, differences between male and female students were found, with females producing higher scores on the life scheme subscale, suggesting a greater sense of meaning in their lives. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being also demonstrated high internal reliability in this sample. It is argued that the goal of Catholic education is education of the whole person and that this conceptualization of spirituality is consistent with that goal. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being appears to be a valid and reliable measure of cognitive spirituality for this population and a useful indicator of student-well-being.
Collaborative Problem-Solving: The Journey of Dayton Catholic Elementary School
Margaret Frey, Karyn Hecker, Delores Hardy, Shannon Herzog, Theresa Paulette &
Jeri Robinson
(pp. 342-354) Volume 3, Number 3; March 2000
As Catholic schools continue to excel academically, some parents, teachers, and board members question the availability and advisability of effective teaching for all students. This article outlines a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of all students in Catholic schools, including students with special needs. Following a plan that calls for collaborative problem solving and an intervention assistance team, the authors provide a first-hand account of how one school successfully serves a diverse student population.
The Adventist Schools: Development and Challenges
Lyndon G. Furst
(pp. 515-526) Volume 5, Number 4; June 2002
The Seventh-day Adventist denomination operates schools and colleges around the globe. Beginning in 1853 with a small home school, the church’s systems includes over 4,500 elementary and 1,100 secondary schools, as well as 95 colleges and universities. This article briefly presents the development of this system and the philosophy that undergirds the education offered by the schools. Maintaining the unique identity of the Adventist schools is a special challenge for the future. Other challenges faced by the schools are briefly discussed.
Exploring Values in Catholic Schools
Joseph S. Fusco
(pp. 80-96) Volume 9, Number 1; Sept 2005
The past 30 years have been a busy time for Catholic school researchers. Once focused almost exclusively on historical research, Catholic school research in recent years has diversified and multiplied to include new descriptive and comparative studies. This article summarizes the findings of the most significant studies from 1966-2002 concerning values, the Catholic school effect, and apparent sector effects. Suggestions for future research are
also proffered.