Volume 12, Number 4
June, 2009
Table of Contents
Editors’ Comments (p. 437)
Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., Lorraine Ozar, & Michael James
Articles
The Evolution of “Association” as a Model for Lay/Religious Collaboration in Catholic Education, Part II: The Emergence of Shared Mission as a Ministry Paradigm, 1986-2000
Kevin M. Tidd, O.S.B.
(pp. 439-456)
The second in a two-part series, this article reviews the recent struggle of the Christian Brothers to develop the concepts of Lasallian schools and shared mission as a means to invite and incorporate the full and active collaboration of lay men and women in the ministry of Catholic education.
Transferring Social Justice Initiatives into Lasallian Schools
Rebecca A. Proehl & Sawako Suzuki
(pp. 457-474)
This article describes a research project that examined the impact of a Lasallian mission formation program on program participants and their institutions. The study found that the program had a powerful impact on the participants personally, and seventy-one percent (71%) became newly involved or recommitted to social justice initiatives upon returning from the program. Two factors, however, significantly predicted the participants’ level of transfer of learning into action: the availability of social support at their home institution and the applicability of their learning to their work. The article concludes with recommendations to help institutional leaders even more intentionally support participants to bring the lessons learned from mission-formation programs back to their institutions.
A Professional Development Model for Math and Science Educators in Catholic Elementary Schools: Challenges and Successes
Debora Kuchey, Julie Q. Morrison, & Cynthia H. Geer
(pp. 475-497)
Catholic elementary schools must continue to invest in the professional development of math and science teachers in order to prepare students for the challenging work that lies ahead of them. The purpose of the study was to examine the degree to which the Initiative for Catholic Schools (ICS), a 2-year professional development program for science and math teachers, demonstrated positive outcomes within the context of Catholic elementary education across the five levels of impact for a professional development program: participants’ reactions, participants’ learning, organization support and change, participants’ use of new knowledge and skills, and student learning outcomes. The results provide evidence of positive outcomes in the participants’ reactions, participants’ learning, organization support and change, and participants’ use of new knowledge and skills. The impact on student learning outcomes was less consistent and varied by grade level.
Responding to the Demands of Assessment and Evaluation in Catholic Education
Leanne M. Kallemeyn
(pp. 498-518)
Public schools are experiencing a new era of assessment and evaluation with the implementation of state accountability systems and No Child Left Behind. How can Catholic schools respond by recognizing the legitimacy of evaluation and assessment, while also critically examining its appropriateness? To help address this question, the article contains a brief history of how Catholic schools have accommodated evaluation and assessment demands, followed by a critical examination of standards-based accountability systems and high-stakes testing in relation to the identity and current milieu of Catholic schools. It also presents an expanded understanding of assessment and evaluation, which draws heavily on qualitative research paradigms.
Focus Section – Law in Catholic Schools
Civil Law and Catholic Education: Past, Present, and Future
Mary Angela Shaughnessy, SCN
(pp. 519-535)
Moral, Legal, and Functional Dimensions of Inclusive Service Delivery in Catholic Schools
Martin Scanlan
(pp. 536-553)
Catholic school educators are morally compelled by Catholic social teaching to foster inclusive service delivery for students who have traditionally been marginalized in schools, including students in poverty, students of color, English language learners, and students with special needs. This article applies this moral context to analyze the legal obligations of Catholic schools under Section 504 to serve students with special needs. It argues that as Catholic schools follow Catholic social teaching by developing inclusive service delivery to meet students’ special needs, their legal obligations grow. The article concludes by describing the learning consultant model, a system of service delivery that balances these moral and legal duties.
Book Reviews
A Place of Honour: Reaching Out to Students at Risk in Ontario Catholic Schools
By Tony Cosentino & Joe Bezzina
Reviewed by Maureen Kenny
John Crawford, F.S.C.
The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America
By Jonathan Kozol
Reviewed by Patrick Fennessy
Social Studies for Social Justice: Teaching Strategies for the Elementary Classroom
Reviewed by Rodney Pierre-Antoine