Perceptions of Teacher Burnout in Catholic Schools
Barbara L. Brock
Creighton University
(pp. 281-294) Vol. 2 No. 3; March 1999
This study examines the perceptions of burnout of educators currently employed in Catholic elementary and secondary schools. Data were collected from teachers, counselors, and administrators regarding their perceptions of the causes, symptoms, and prevention of burnout. Results of the study suggest that burnout is largely a symptom of workplace issues that can be identified and corrected. The long-term and destructive effects of teacher burnout warrant the time and financial support needed to improve working conditions for teachers in Catholic schools.
Answering the Call to Prepare Special Education Teachers at Institutions of
Catholic Higher Education
Carole W. Brown & Marie Celeste
The Catholic University of America & Loyola College of Maryland
(pp. 473-498) Vol. 9 No. 4; June 2006
Concerns for social justice have called Catholics and others to be compassionate and supportive to children with disabilities by establishing schools and other learning opportunities to nurture this population. Special education as a field has developed over the past 40 years. This study examines the incidence, context, and nature of special education personnel preparation programs in institutions of Catholic higher education (ICHE). Through literature searches and web-based searches on the National Catholic College Admission Association website, a survey, and individual college websites, the study has identified 89 ICHE that offer special education degrees out of a total of 260 Catholic colleges and universities. Within the context of the demographics of ICHE, the results of this exploratory study show regional variation in special education degree programs; patterns of other education degree offerings that often occur with special education degrees and dual certification; along with information about faculty, financial aid, accreditation, practicum sites, and relationships to Catholic schools. Recommendations are offered to strengthen special education personnel preparation in areas of need, including rural areas, and special education teachers who work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Teaching: Profession or Vocation?
Joseph A. Buijs
St. Joseph’s College, University of Alberta, Edmonton
(pp. 326-345) Vol. 8 No. 3; March 2005
Underneath teaching there lies a conceptual framework through which we view its role and purpose. Different frameworks vary in outlook and imply contrasting attitudes and values. Which one we adopt impacts on what and how we teach. This study explores what it means to think of teaching as a professions versus a vocation. Its focus is restricted to teaching at the university level, but the analysis can be applied to other aspects of an academic career. The issue is of particular interest in relation to the Christian or Catholic identity of denominational colleges and universities. The intent is to show how the conceptual framework of a profession versus a vocation implies a number of contrasting attitudes and values towards teaching. Al though these contrasts need not be incompatible, they are in dialectical tension within academic institutions: excess of one highlights absence of the other, Finally, the study suggests that teaching as a vocation more directly promotes a distinctively Christian or Catholic identity in denominational institutions of higher education.
The Quiet Revolution in Catholic Schooling in Australia
Kelvin Canavan, FMS
Catholic Education Office, Sydney, Australia
(pp. 46-54) Vol. 2 No. 1; Sept 1998
This brief overview of changes in Catholic schooling in Australia over the past 30 years identifies four key factors—the smooth transition from religious to lay staff, the reintroduction of government financial assistance, the development of strong Catholic Education offices, and the steady increase in enrollments—to explain the robust state of Catholic schooling
in Australia.
Teacher Induction in Catholic Schools
Greg Chatlain & Brian Noonan
Saskatoon Catholic School Division & University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon
(pp. 499-512) Vol. 8 No. 4; June 2005
The purpose of this study was to examine the induction process for beginning teachers in Catholic schools. Data were collected from 100 teachers using a survey that addressed teachers’ level of confidence in the pedagogical, religious, and managerial dimensions of teaching. The results of the study indicated that the induction experiences of beginning teachers in Catholic schools were similar to those of beginning teachers elsewhere. However, there is a need for the development and implementation of a systematic process of teacher induction that consciously meets the needs in the religious dimension for beginning teachers.
Love or Money: Vocational Attitudes of the Catholic School Teacher
Sr. Carol Cimino, SSJ
Catholic School Administrators Association of New York State
(pp. 181-205) Vol. 5 No. 2; Dec 2001
Public and private schools experience teacher shortages today, but the problem is acute in Catholic schools. Reasons given for the shortage in Catholic schools include salaries and benefits. Have teachers’ views of teaching in a Catholic school changed from teaching as ministry or vocation to teaching as merely a job? This study discusses the sense of teaching as vocation among a sample of Catholic high school and elementary school teachers in the state of New York. It ascertains the sense of vocation among these teachers; correlates financial considerations with the sense of vocation; and illustrates that religious preference and practice, years of teaching and ownership, and presence of religious men and women affect how teachers see their job as ministry.
“The Next Generation” A Study of Catholic High School Religion Teachers
Timothy J. Cook
Creighton University
(pp. 115-121) Vol. 4 No. 1; Sept 2000
The Next Generations: A Study of Catholic High School Religion Teachers is a McGivney Grant-funded study that will examine the critical and growing shortage of credentialed high school religion teachers. Using survey research, this study will assess the national situation and attempt to forecast what the future holds. Ultimately, the study will make recommendations regarding the future recruitment, preparation, and retention of religion teacher candidates.
Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention of Catholic High School Religion Teachers
Timothy J. Cook
Creighton University
(pp. 530-556) Vol. 4 No. 4; June 2001
In September 2000, this journal announced an important national study, funded by grants from the Lilly Endowment, the Knights of Columbus McGivney Fund, and the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education, on the impending shortage of religion teachers in Catholic high schools. This article reports the findings of that study in three important areas: recruitment, preparation, and retention. The study summarizes the results of surveys to nearly 200 Catholic high schools and 1000 religion teachers throughout the United States. Extensive recommendations are offered for each area studied, with a view to securing a stable future pool of highly qualified high school religion teachers.
Toward the Professionalization of Catholic High School Religion Teachers: An Assessment of Religion Teaching as a Profession
Timothy J. Cook & William J. Hudson
Creighton University & Totino-Grace High School
(pp. 399-424) Vol. 9 No. 4; June 2006
This article assesses religion teaching as a profession in terms of selected characteristics that scholars agree are common to all professions. The characteristics that are addressed include essential service, call to serve, special knowledge and skills, specialized and advanced university training, public trust and status, code of ethics and performance standards, and professional organization. The research suggests that religion teaching satisfies two of the seven selected characteristics, namely the essential service and call to serve, but does not fully satisfy the other five. The main conclusion drawn is that steps must be taken to professionalize religion teaching. To that end, recommendations include the further development of a professional association for religion teachers, credentialing standards, and a certification/licensing scheme.
The Challenge to Catholic Teacher Education in Scotland
James C. Conroy & Douglas McCreath
St. Andrew’s College, Scotland
(pp. 327-327) Vol. 2 No. 3; March 1999
Maintaining a strong sense of religious purpose is a challenge facing private education. Institutions of higher learning confront special challenges when addressing issues of religious identity, governance, and mission. Scotland’s Catholic community encountered a major challenge when the only teacher education college for those aspiring to teach in Catholic schools, St. Andrew’s College, began merger talks with the University of Glasgow, an institution with historical ties to the Church of Scotland. After reviewing the historical context of the merger discussions, the authors provide a helpful analysis of the process and offer a four-fold model of analysis for other institutions in similar transitional stages.
Supporting Children with Disabilities in the Catholic Schools
Abby L. W. Crowley & Shavaun Wall
Catholic Community Services, The Catholic University of America &
The Catholic University of America
(pp. 508-522) Vol. 10 No. 4; June 2007
Many children with disabilities attend Catholic schools, but the resources to serve these children adequately are limited. Teacher assistants are increasingly being used to meet this need by assisting students with disabilities in regular classrooms. The authors maintain that such assistants can be effectively used in Catholic schools for this purpose, and others, if appropriately prepared. This article identifies the education needed to enable urban teacher assistants to work effectively with students with special needs in regular classrooms in Catholic schools. The article also examines a preparation program at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Moral Education and Teachers’ Self Perceptions:
Novice Male Teachers in the Catholic High School
Aine Donovan
U.S. Naval Academy
(pp. 441-460) Vol. 3 No. 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.
Thomas Aquinas: Integrating Faith and Reason in the Catholic School
Dennis Doyle
University of Dayton
(pp. 343-356) Vol. 10 No. 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.
Jacques Maritain’s Seven Misconceptions of Education:
Implications for the Preparation of Catholic School Teachers
Mario O. D’Souza, CSB
University of St. Michael’s College
(pp. 435-453) Vol. 5 No. 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.
Spiritual Formation for Catholic Educators: Understanding the Need
Patricia Helene Earl, I.H.M.
Marymount University
(pp. 513-530) Vol. 8 No. 4; June 2005
This article discusses the need for thoughtful programs of spiritual formation for lay educators who staff Catholic schools. The importance of teacher formation in spiritual growth and in knowledge of the Catholic faith and daily living of the Gospel is highlighted.
Mentorship: Adult Formation for Educators in Catholic Schools
Leona M. English
St. Francis Xavier University
(pp. 398-409) Vol. 2 No. 4; June 1999
Catholic history is filled with examples of seasoned believers sharing their faith and witness with younger generations in order to help inculturate them into the ethos of Catholicism. This essay presents a model for mentoring in Catholic schools, arguing that such collaboration is not only institutionally life giving, but also congruent with the stated community-building purposes of the school. Noting that even Jesus sent his disciples out “two by two,” the author describes the spirituality required of teachers as best experienced through sharing.
Catholic School Faculty as an Adult Learning Community: A Model for Children
Catherine Eggleston Hackney
Kent State University
(pp. 388-399) Vol. 1 No. 4; June 1998
Educational leaders have historically expressed belief in the importance of teacher development. They have, however, largely failed to view professional development activity as a process that lies at the very heart of efforts to create a community of learners. This article reviews the author’s experiences with a Catholic elementary school faculty as that faculty journeyed toward becoming a learning community characterized by sustained inquiry, collective problem solving, and shared decision making. Implications for practice
are considered.
Teacher Candidates’ Incoming Beliefs about Teaching:
Comparing Catholic Service-Learning and Traditional Programs
Vladimir T. Khmelkov, Ann Marie R. Power, & F. Clark Power
University of Notre Dame
(pp. 206-228) Vol. 5 No. 2; Dec 2001
This study analyzes a range of professional beliefs held by a sample of incoming teacher candidates in the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a service-learning teacher education program at the University of Notre Dame, and a sample of preservice teachers in a traditional teacher education program at a state university. The key dependent variables in this study are preservice teachers’ sense of professional responsibility and self-efficacy beliefs regarding the intellectual and moral aspects of their teaching. Findings indicate that ACE teacher candidates hold a greater sense of responsibility for helping disadvantaged students academically and for fostering all children’s moral growth compared to their counterparts in the traditional program. This study is the first stage in a longitudinal research project that explores the effectiveness of ACE’s model of teacher education in preparing professionally competent and responsible teachers.
A Search for Common Ground: Value Preferences of Lay and Religious Teachers in Roman Catholic Secondary Schools
Candace H. Lacey
(pp. 55-67) Vol. 2 No. 1; Sept 1998
This study examined the value preferences of full-time lay and religious faculty members in Roman Catholic secondary schools in one archdiocese. Using The Study of Values (Allport, Vernon, & Lindzey, 1960), two main research questions were addressed: What relative importance do teachers place on the six identified values? And what differences exist between the value preferences of religious and lay teachers? Findings indicated that both religious and lay teachers considered the religious value preference most important, while the economic value was the least preferred orientation. The significant difference found between groups for the religious valued preference is discussed in terms of instrumentation. Implications for hiring are presented and recommendations for future research are made.
Motivating Content: How Interest and Self-Efficacy Respond to Subject Matter Taught in an Alternative Teacher Education Program
Joyce F. Long & Raeal Moore
University of Notre Dame & The Ohio State University
(pp. 442-464) Vol. 11 No. 4; June 2008
Understanding how teachers’ motivational levels respond to the course content is particularly relevant in Catholic schools, where instructors are routinely required to teach courses both within and beyond their certification area because of budgetary constraints. Students in the ACE alternative licensure program face this challenge during their 2 years of teacher preparation. Pre and post data from first- and second-year ACE students (n = 107) revealed that although subject matter interest levels remained relatively robust throughout the academic year for primary certification subjects, significant differences emerged in scores for religion and other out-of-certification courses. In addition, sense of self-efficacy in classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies also varied by subject matter taught and year in the program.
Preparing Special Educators to Assume Collaborative and Consultative Roles
Thomas J. Long, Carole Brown, & Agnes Nagy-Rado
The Catholic University of America
(pp. 490-507) Vol. 10 No. 4; June 2007
The incidence of children with disabilities is growing in both the private and public school sectors. As a result of this trend and efforts to place children in inclusive settings, there is an increasing need for special educators who can provide instruction within the context of a regular education classroom, develop individualized education plans (IEPs), support parents, and be consultants to teachers on behalf of children. The consultative special education teacher will be increasingly in demand in the future if children with disabilities are to be successfully included in public, private, and Catholic schools. The Catholic University of America utilizes a consultative, collaborative model for preparing Master’s candidates in its special education program. The results of the first 4 years of this program demonstrate that the candidates in this program have acquired the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are needed to be effective consultative, collaborative special educators in the field. This article provides a detailed description of the elements that make up this personnel preparation program. Particular focus is placed on the skills and knowledge to carry out consultative planning, including a rubric to evaluate the candidates’ performance. The article offers guidance to universities who may choose to create special education programs that prepare consultative special educators.
What Secondary Teachers Need in Professional Development
Lisa Lucilio
(pp. 53-75)
Most dioceses do not have well-articulated, systematic approaches to the professional development of Catholic school teachers and administrators. This article summarizes current research on effective strategies for professional development and reports on a study of one Midwestern diocese regarding the needs, perceptions, and plans of teachers and principals at the high school level.
Process of Compassion: Pastoral Care During School Closings
Patrick J. McDevitt, C.M., Anthony J. Dosen, C.M. & Frances Ryan, D.C.
DePaul University
(pp. 24-40) Vol. 10 No. 1; Sept 2006
Catholic education in the United States continues to face mounting economic challenges. Dioceses are being challenged with the painful reality of closing Catholic schools that have long served communities. These school closings leave behind wounded and disillusioned professionals. The Process of Compassion Workshop was developed to provide personal and professional help for healing so that teachers could move forward in their careers. This article provides a theoretical framework with action research to care for the dedicated people school closings leave behind.
The Catholic Teacher: Our Greatest Resource
John King Mussio, J.C.D.
Late Bishop of Steubenville
(pp. 364-374) Vol. 4 No. 3; March 2001
The 56th annual meeting of the National Catholic Educational Association was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1959. The following essay is a transcript of a talk delivered at that meeting on March 31, by the then Bishop of Steubenville, Ohio, the Most Reverend John King Mussio. He was speaking to the Secondary School Department about the importance of Catholic high schools and the vital role of teachers in the education and formation of youth. Although over 40 years have passed, Mussio cites many problems and challenges facing Catholic educators that are still with us today. His praise of teachers is almost poetic; his love of Catholic education is profound. Calling teachers the fifth mark of Church, Mussio clearly values the Catholic school system and those whose example and teaching help youth “to keep in step with Christ.”
Teacher’s Perceptions of Power Relationships
Barbara E. Ochterski
(pp. 335-356) Vol. 5 No. 3; March 2002
Research exists on the power relationships experienced by teachers in public schools as they interact with each other and with the principal. However, no such studies had been done in non-public schools. What takes place in Catholic schools should be examined because of the significant role these schools have played in the American educational system. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how teachers describe their experiences of power relationships as they talked about school-related issues in two Catholic secondary schools for girls. Research methods included semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and informal conversations. Data were analyzed according to Nyberg’s (1981b) four forms of power theory (force, exchange and bargaining, rhetoric, trust and mutual commitment). The findings suggest that in Catholic schools, securing commitment to the mission through the use of rhetoric is important, perhaps essential. In girls’ schools, the trust and mutual commitment form of power is present where there is a traditional, hierarchical organizational structure. The exchange and bargaining power form is common among teachers and with the principal in both settings. Insights gained from this study are intended to promote understanding of the personal and social dynamics which support positive power relationships, lead to greater involvement of teachers in substantive decision making, and ultimately benefit students.
The Development of the Teacher as a Professional in an Alternative Teacher
Education Program
Joseph T. Pascarelli, Blaine C. Ackley, & Gerald M. Balaban
University of Portland, University of Portland, & Clackamas Education Service District
(pp. 229-243) Vol. 5 No. 2; Dec 2001
Recruitment and retention strategies are a growing concern for Catholic educational leaders. This article offers a glimpse into the dynamics of a leading teacher recruitment effort, the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) sponsored by the University of Notre Dame. After surveying the first two cohorts who taught in Catholic schools through ACE, the authors uncover significant and meaningful components of this alternative teacher preparation program with a view to challenging traditional teacher education efforts and
preservice requirements.
Teacher Retention in Catholic Schools
Walter F. Przygocki
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(pp. 523-547) Vol. 7 No. 4; June 2004
Teacher attrition is a concern in all educational sectors but is of special importance to Catholic schools because of the salary disparity between public and Catholic schools. This review examines the research on teacher retention in general with a view to understanding how this knowledge might inform teacher recruitment and retention strategies in Catholic schools and dioceses. The relationship between salient teacher characteristics—such as job satisfaction and salary—and teacher retention is discussed.
Women Scholars, Integration, and the Marianist Tradition:
Learning from Our Culture and Ourselves
Mary Ellen Seery, Shauna M. Adams, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Connie L. Bowman,
Patricia R. Grogan
University of Dayton
Laurice M. Joseph
The Ohio State University
(pp. 297-314) Vol. 5 No. 3 March 2002
In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each others’ scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing –Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, the group best identified with the Marianist mandate to educate in family spirit. Each member of the group considered the possible reasons for this outcome.
Nurturing Spirituality and Vocation: A Catholic Approach to New Teacher Induction
Richard Shields
University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto
St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School, Hamilton, Ontario
(pp. 160-175) Vol. 12 No. 2; Dec 2008
The Catholic school system in Ontario, Canada, is fully funded by the government. Recently Ontario’s Ministry of Education mandated an induction year, the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP), for all new teachers. This legislation provides an opportunity for Catholic school boards to take the lead and shape creative and effective programs for new teacher induction. The mission of the Catholic school and the vocation of a Catholic teacher give meaning and direction to the new teacher’s professional educational practice. This article first explores some of the pastoral theological concerns that those charged with developing a Catholic approach to NTIP need to consider and integrate into the programs they develop and lead. It then proposes a model for new teacher induction that builds on the insights from pastoral theology and adult learning theory.
Toward a Pedagogy Grounded in Christian Spirituality
Gini Shimabukuro
University of San Francisco
(pp. 505-521) Vol. 11 No. 4; June 2008
Church documents, theology, leadership theory, and sociology come together in this article to present a pedagogy for Catholic schools that is deeply rooted in personal faith and a contemporary understanding of the person. Practical insights into developing a spirituality for teaching are offered.
The University Consortium For Catholic Education (UCCE): A Response to Sustain and Strengthen Catholic Education
Paige A. Smith
John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
(pp. 321-342) Vol. 10 No. 3; March 2007
This article examines the current and potential contributions of the University Consortium for Catholic Education (UCCE) to both K-12 and higher Catholic education. In order to situate the development of alternative teacher preparation programs, a history of Catholic teacher formation is addressed followed by a brief summary of the existing programs that comprise the UCCE. Attention is given to the essential nature of a Catholic educator’s responsibility to deepen Catholic identity through authentic education in collaboration with the family and how recent college graduates who matriculate in UCCE programs are formed to respond to
this task.
Teacher Commitment and Longevity in Catholic Schools
Cathy Squillini
The Facilitator Center
(pp. 335-354) Vol. 4 No. 3; March 2001
This study investigated the characteristics of job satisfaction that lead to commitment and longevity in the Catholic school system for full-time Catholic elementary school lay teachers. The study was conducted using 339 teachers in the Archdiocese of New York who were part of the Catholic school system for 10 or more years. Data were collected through survey questionnaires and interviews. Using a theoretical framework relevant to job satisfaction, motivation, and adult development, the data were analyzed to determine how teachers are influenced by the work, the workplace, and other members in the workplace in determining their job satisfaction. The results of the study indicated that Catholic elementary school lay teachers place high priority on characteristics such as autonomy, administrative recognition and support, student motivation, and positive relationships with colleagues. Participants also stated that these characteristics are the conditions of the Catholic school system that encourage them to remain in Catholic school teaching. For the Catholic elementary school lay teachers in this study, commitment stems from the cultural bonds between the teacher and the school that reflect the shared values and beliefs held by both.
Perceptions of Faculty Members in Selected Catholic High Schools Regarding North Central Association School Improvement Models
Karen L. Tichy
Archdiocese of St. Louis
(pp. 295-311) Vol. 2 No. 3; March 1999
This article discusses a study which compared faculty members’ perceptions regarding the North Central Association (NCA) evaluation process based on format used (conventional, individualized, or outcomes) and school type (diocesan or private). Data were collected on the independent variables of format, school type, and prior NCA experience. The dependent variables were respondents’ ratings on a seven-point Likert-type scale regarding the mechanics of self-study, faculty ownership, relevance to local and professional concerns, improvement generated, and the results of participation. The author concluded with the following recommendations: (1) more time for conducting the self-study; (2) more clarification of the evaluation process, especially the outcomes format; (3) additional examples of exemplary self-studies; (4) greater attention to designing the self-study, developing faculty leadership, sustaining faculty motivation, and developing specific action plans; and (5) increased emphasis on student learning.
Mentorship: Toward Success in Teacher Induction and Retention
Sonya Vierstraete
Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Marshall, Minnesota
(pp. 381-392) Vol. 8 No. 3; March 2005
The mentoring of new teachers has proven to be an effective strategy in helping novice teachers succeed. This essay provides an overview of mentorship and suggests concrete, research-based techniques for implementing a mentor-ship program.
Teachers for Whom? A Study of Teacher Education Practices in Catholic Higher Education
John Watzke
University of Notre Dame
(pp. 138-167) Vol. 6 No. 2; Dec 2002
This article presents the results of a study of teacher education practices at 80 Catholic colleges and universities. The impetus for this work was the many Church documents in support of Catholic schools and the cooperative work of diocesan superintendents and educational leaders in the matter of teacher education. The goal of the study was to investigate questions fundamental to the role of Catholic higher education in the preparation of teachers: From where will the next generation of teachers to serve Catholic schools come? How does the preparation of teachers in Catholic institutions of higher education relate to the unique opportunities Catholic schools afford their communities? Do these programs serve Catholic schools? Given the dearth of research and professional literature specific to these questions, the study and data analysis were exploratory with the goal of identifying themes and issues for continued research, dialogue, and professional action.
Alternative Teacher Education and Professional Preparedness:
A Study of Parochial and Public School Contexts
John L. Watzke
University of Notre Dame
(pp. 463-492) Vol. 8 No. 4; June 2005
As staffing in Catholic K-12 schools has transitioned to a predominantly lay teaching corps over the past 50 years, a parallel process of secularization has taken place in teacher education programs at Catholic colleges and universities. The tradition of teaching as a vocation in the formation of vowed religious has been replaced by standard programs of educational foundations, course work, and field experiences with a primary emphasis on the issues and needs of public schools. Many factors contribute to this focus in Catholic higher education: financial concerns; teacher candidate preference; state laws; lack of proximity, affiliation, or experience with Catholic schools. Many programs function under a mission to prepare teachers for any school setting, public, private, or parochial, and view an intentional focus on Catholic Education as limiting or debilitating to the professional development of teacher candidates. This article asks the question: can an alternative teacher program based in service to Catholic education prepare teachers to be effective in both parochial and secular settings? The study investigated the professional preparedness of M.Ed. in program teacher candidates (n= 163) working in Catholic Schools and program graduates (n= 137) and these graduates’ principals (n= 112) working in either Catholic or public schools. Results of the administration of a professional preparedness inventory indicated teacher self-reported and principal reported rates at comparable levels to replicated national surveys. Comparison of graduate and principal responses by school context indicated no statistically significant difference for overall measures of preparedness. Specific areas of significant difference were identified in the Catholic school context (higher preparedness rates in curriculum and instruction and questioning and discussion skills) and public school context (higher rates of preparedness in encouraging critical thinking, reflective practice, and use of technology). Discussion focuses on the Catholic school context as a viable alternative for the preparation of teachers for multiple school contexts.
Hiring and Retaining High-Quality Teachers: What Principals can do
Roseanne L. Williby
Skutt Catholic High School, Omaha, Nebraska
(pp. 175-203) Vol. 8 No. 2; Dec 2004
Many Catholic school principals have limited assistance from their respective central offices in the recruitment and selection of teachers, especially if their objective is to recruit candidates of color or candidates for a particular subject area. Aware that teacher quality is related to student achievement, Catholic school principals must employ up-to-date, effective recruitment and hiring strategies to compete for qualified candidates in today’s market. Mindful that teacher recruitment programs alone will not solve staffing problems, principals must remain vigilant for causes of low retention and strategize to retain their high-quality teachers. Implementing an intensive induction and mentoring program with expert colleagues throughout the year can reduce teacher turnover and expenses.
