Two basic questions about Catholic schools are addressed: (1) what is the current status of Catholic schooling in the United States? and (2) what does an analysis of recent trends suggest about the prospects for Catholic schools in the future? Recent research about Catholic schools can be divided into three categories. The first category is…

The social context within which home schooling takes place is described, and the ideological frameworks and contexts within which parents (most of them fundamentalist Christians) make schooling decisions are examined. Research involved participant observation and interviews with 16 home schooling families (13 families self-labeled…

Examination of the conceptual framework and historical roots of moral values in Jamaican education indicates that moral values have a strong effect upon an individual's attitude toward himself, his society, and his own work. This case study is one of four sponsored by Unesco to test these interactions. There are 10 parts to the case study. The…

This packet, developed by the Public Education Religion Studies Center (PERSC), provides the classroom teacher with materials which are helpful in designing and teaching courses or units on world religions. For a description of the purpose and activities of PERSC see related document SO 008 363. The packet contains three articles by nationally…

Maintains that education exists in a context where power is constantly being negotiated between teachers and students. Discusses ways in which this relationship can be articulated and integrated into the curriculum. Recommends adopting teaching practices for respecting the beliefs, values, and lifestyles of others. (MJP)

Discusses the characteristics and benefits of friendship, not only as a central metaphor for the individual/church relationship, but also as a strategy and guide for the church, the individual, and the community. Identifies the four components of friendship as a shared story, embodied love, committed reciprocity, and a shared vision. (MJP)

Proposes a framework for religious educators to evaluate existing resources and plan curricular strategies addressing the spiritual needs of homosexuals and the destructive effects of homophobia. Discusses the interrelationships among personal wholeness, spirituality, and sexuality. Follows the curricular model, "fashioning a people,"…

Explores mentoring as a means of promoting spiritual growth for women in a congregational setting. Surveys the roles and activities of mentors with special attention to utilization in business and educational environments. Proposes four likely components of a mentoring relationship. (MJP)

Describes narrative activity in Spanish in a children's religious education class composed of Mexican immigrants at a Catholic parish in Los Angeles. Describes how students and their teacher collaborate in constructing a multiplicity of identities in an ongoing narrative within an oppressive colonial past in Mexico. (31 references) (Author/CK)

Considers the role of lay vocation (here broadly defined as the servanthood of nonordained persons within and without the church) in everyday life and religious education. Discusses the relationship between lay vocation and the holiness movement, a perfectionist doctrine that arose in U.S. Protestantism in the late 19th century. (MJP)

Examines Israel's 1953 State Education Law, the product of a religious and political compromise, that was responsible for unifying schools into a national system. Gives the historical perspective of this system that is comprised of five types of schools: four Jewish, one Arabian. Examines how the schools reflect Israel's religious and political…

Maintains that the quality of most theology courses is measured by the quality of class discussion. Identifies and discusses philosophical, theological, and educational assumptions that have a bearing on class discussion. Presents strategies to help reinvigorate a stalled discussion. (CFR)

Contends that there has been little attention given to the development of professional ethics for religious educators. Asserts that intellectual freedom, equality, and personal freedom/public responsibility need to be given special attention in a code of ethics for religious educators. (CFR)

Examines the learning experiences of a five-year-old African American preschooler who was considered exceptionally literate in Sunday School, but socially illiterate in preschool. Explores ways in which these two settings enabled or disabled Joshua's attempt to become a reader. Discusses his parent's role in facilitating the process by explicitly…

Argues that Catholic schools need to consider what makes a school Catholic when confronting issues of architectural design. Addresses differences in needs between elementary, middle, and high schools, and offers a case study that illustrates a successfully designed urban Catholic high school. (NB)