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Educating for Eternity: Higher Education and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints E. Vance Randall
(pp. 438-456) Volume 6, Number 4; June 2003
The role and place of religion in institutions of higher education in America have largely disappeared except for institutions sponsored by religious organizations. Even here, questions are raised as to whether these religiously oriented colleges and universities can retain their religious identity in an increasingly secular society that is often hostile towards religion. The marginalization and even dismissal of religious worldviews in the public square make the survival of religious institutions of higher education even more critical in our efforts to educate the whole person. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the belief of a dualistic human nature. A holistic approach to education includes the spiritual with the secular, teaching and learning by faith and by reason. The Church sponsors four institutions of higher education: Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii, Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College. The challenge for these four institutions of higher education with religious mission is how to integrate faith and knowledge, the sacred with the secular.
Catholic Higher Education and Latino(a) Students:
Exploring the Experience of University Undergraduates
Lisa M. Raphael, Michael Pressley, & Jennifer Kane
(pp. 197-218) Volume 7, Number 2; Dec 2003
The experience of Latino(a) undergraduates at Notre Dame was the focus of this study. In general, the students had a positive experience at the university, but one that included challenges, including physical separation from family and familiar community. Family and spiritual supports were important to the Latino(a) students as they coped with difficulties they encountered at the university, than for a comparable sample of Anglo students attending
Notre Dame.
Motherhood and Tenure: Can Catholic Universities Support Both?
Bridget Burke Ravizza & Karen Peterson-Iyer
(pp. 305-325) Volume 8, Number 3; March 2005
This paper presents a plan for the implementation of more family-friendly policies at Catholic colleges and universities, both as a matter of justice for women and on behalf of the well being of families. It is motivated by the teachings of the Catholic social tradition that emphasize the equality and dignity of women; the importance of the dual vocations of Christian parents, who are called to raise children and to work more publicly on behalf of the common good; and the inherent value of children and their right to be properly nutured and educated within the Christian family. Our starting point is the condition of families in the U.S. today as they struggle to thrive in spite of tremendous demands placed on parents who also work outside the home. We examine the negative effects on women and families that result from a refusal to accommodate parents with young children in the workplace. We are concerned in particular with the challenges faced by women academics at colleges and universities who are also mothers. We argue that, by and large, these women are not adequately supported in academia, even at Catholic universities, in spite of that tradition’s professed commitment to the health and well being of families. Finally we offer several concrete suggestions by which universities may better support women academics who are mothers, thereby contributing to the well being of women and families.
The Modern Homeschooling Movement
Brian D. Ray
(pp. 405-421) Volume 4, Number 3; March 2001
Homeschooling is a popular and fast-growing trend in the United States and Canada. This article presents a comprehensive overview of current research on homeschooling and provides historical, academic, psychological, and political information to build a proper context for appreciating the contribution of homeschooling to civic welfare.
The Development of a Catholic School Leadership Program at Saint Louis University
Ronald W. Rebore, Richard D. Breslin, & William T. Rebore
(pp. 343-352) Volume 2, Number 3, March 1999
The development of a new Catholic leadership degree program at Saint Louis University was directly impacted by the Danforth Foundation, which funded a program for the preparation of public school administrators for the city of St. Louis. The lessons learned through this program over the past five years and the presence of a cooperative preparation program for Catholic school principals with the Archdiocese of St. Louis formed the basis for the development of this new program. This article provides a brief review of the program and explains the use of cohorts for the preparation of Catholic school leaders.
The Experience and Meaning of a Marianist Education Today:
A National High School Study of Mission and School Culture
Carolyn S. Ridenour, Alan Demmitt & Jill L. Lindsey-North
(pp. 410-428) Volume 2, Number 4, June 1999
Focus groups conducted with students, parents, teachers, and alumni (N=540) at 13 Catholic
Marianist high schools provided rich insights into the experience and meaning of the education provided at these institutions. While academic excellence was a common thread woven across meaning given by both parents and teachers, students and alumni articulated a meaning replete with images of belonging. That these schools valued persons holistically (rather than solely academically) permeated most groups. Using theories of organizational culture as the foundation, the relationship between missions and the meaning of life in these schools
is discussed.
Sexuality Education and the Catholic Teenager: A Report
Gail S. Risch & Michael G. Lawler
(pp. 53-74) Volume 7, Number 1; Sept 2003
This article reports on findings of a study of sexuality education in a Catholic diocese. The sample included seniors enrolled in either Catholic high schools or parish religious education programs. The range of findings include data about students’ knowledge of sexuality, their understanding of Catholic Church teaching about sexuality, their attitudes and values in regard to sexuality, who and what influences their attitudes and values, their sexual behaviors, and their experience of sexuality education. Recommendations for parents and formal sexuality education programs are offered.
Service, Ethnography, and the “Leap of Faith”:
A Spiritan Catholic Perspective on Service Learning
Kathleen Glenister Roberts
(pp. 96-116) Volume 12, Number 1; Sept 2008
This article considers the state of service and experiential learning initiatives in higher education, especially in Catholic universities. Concluding that the Catholic mission of service, education, moral values, world concerns, and ecumenism can be integrated into student experience, the essay offers a model of service ethnography. Service ethnography is a research method wherein ethnographers undertake service with the intercultural community as a central component of their learning. The model is explored via a case study, demonstrating the experiences of students at a Catholic university and uses their reflections to describe a new vision of ethnography as a “leap of faith.”
Catholic Schools and Multicultural Education: A Good Match
Charles J. Russo, Shauna Adams & Mary Ellen Seery
(pp. 178-186) Volume 2, Number 2, Dec 1998
This article reflects on the place of multicultural education in Catholic schools. The authors review the history and development of Catholic schools in order to set a context for examination of the appropriateness of multicultural education.
The Delivery of Special Education Services in Catholic Schools:
One Hand Gives, the Other Hand Takes Away
Charles J. Russo, Joseph D. Massucci & Allan G. Osborne, Jr.
(pp. 375-389) Volume 3, Number 3; March 2000
This article examines legal issues surrounding the delivery of special education to children whose parents have voluntarily enrolled them in Catholic schools. In so doing, the article reviews the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), its regulations, and case law over the extent to which special education must be provided, the way in which it is delivered, and the quality of services that students in Catholic schools receive. The final portion of the article addresses questions about the delivery of special education in Catholic schools, including guidelines for implementing the new provisions in the IDEA in a manner that avoids running afoul of the Establishment Clause.
The Supreme Court and Vouchers: An Overview for Educators in Catholic Schools
Charles J. Russo & Ralph D. Mawdsley
(pp. 318-327) Volume 6, Number 3; March 2003
This article provides a critical summary of the current state of the voucher question as it relates to Catholic schools. After an in-depth look at the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Cleveland program (Zelman v. Simmons-Harris), the authors conclude that while voucher program might be part of an overall solution for educating the urban poor, they will have limited impact on Catholic schools.
Agostini v. Felton and the Delivery of Title I Services in Catholic Schools
Charles J. Russo, Allan G. Osborne, Jr., Gerald M. Cattaro & Philip DiMattia
(pp. 263-274) Volume 1, Number 3; March 2008
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Agostini v. Felton is its most important case involving Catholic schools since the landmark 1971 ruling in Lemon v. Kurtzman. In Agostini, a closely divided Court took the unusual step of overturning its 1985 decision in Aguilar v. Felton, which prohibited the on-site delivery of Title I services to students enrolled in religiously affiliated nonpublic schools. In light of the potential ramifications of Agostini, this article reviews the Court’s rationale in detail before reflecting on how Agostini might affect the delivery of educational services under Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act to students in Catholic schools.
Keeping “Every Catholic Child in a Catholic School” During the Great Depression, 1933-1939
Ann Marie Ryan
Loyola University Chicago
(pp. 157-175) Volume 11, Number 2; Dec 2007
The quest for state and federal aid for Catholic schools is not new. Concerns regarding excessive entanglement, mission dilution, and external control have been voiced for decades. A particularly instructive historical period on this issue is the era of the Great Depression. Because of widespread economic hardship across sectors, Catholic leaders were active and engaged in the politics of federal and state aid for schools and experienced both success
and failure.
“More than Measurable Human Products”: Catholic Educators’ Responses to the Educational Measurement Movement in the First Half of the 20th Century
Ann Marie Ryan
(pp. 76-96)
During the first half of the 20th century, Catholic educators in the United States used theological arguments both to resist and embrace the progressive educational reform effort of educational measurement. The significant expansion of Catholic schooling and the increased number of students attending them, along with increased state oversight, led to a gradual, yet uneven, acceptance of educational measurement by Catholic educators. This partial and more critical acceptance can be attributed to the diversity of Catholic schooling and the incongruity between the assumptions of educational measurement and Catholic educational beliefs. This historical case offers support for continued critique of reform movements and at the same time cautions against wholesale rejection of them. Each reform requires scrutiny with the goal of determining which will assist schools in helping students reach their fullest potential.
Reshaping Catholic Secondary School Curriculum Through Culminating Portfolios
Mark P. Ryan
(pp. 446-461) Volume 7, Number 4; June 2004
This study analyzes qualitative data on student perceptions and curriculum transformation from a schoolwide culminating portfolio program of a small, urban, archdiocesan Catholic high school located on the West Coast. Over 4 years, all graduating students (n=102) developed culminating portfolios, evidencing their accomplishment of specific learning outcomes and presented those portfolios to panels of educators, parents, and community representatives. Students, teachers, and panelists were surveyed to determine their perceptions about the benefits and challenges of this process. The study found that (1) students’ perceptions of the portfolio and panel processes were very positive, including the belief that the portfolios helped students determine for themselves the extent and quality of their learning; (2) panelists and school faculty reported the belief that the portfolio process better prepared students for college and helped students reflect upon and assume personal responsibility for their learning; and (3) significant curricular transformations had taken place in what was being taught at the school, how it was being taught, and how it was being assessed. Teachers, students, and panelists identified the benefits of the process for students as well as suggestions to increase the impact of the process on classroom teaching and learning. Challenges in the process included logistics of portfolio management, the amount of time required to develop and continue the process, and the development of methodologies for continued refinement of the program.