Using a qualitative approach, this research project examined the practices of charism formation and mission education at institutions of higher education founded by Dominican Sisters in the US. Broad surveys of those in roles responsible for mission at the institutions were followed by select site visits conducted in person and virtually and…

Current literature suggests that continued efforts and initiatives are being implemented to include all students with special education needs in Catholic schools. However, there is limited research on Catholic School principals' perceptions of special education and current initiatives, specifically within the Archdiocese of New York. This…

With the decline of religious men and women working in religious order-sponsored Catholic secondary schools, the relationship between religious orders and their secondary schools had to transition from ownership of their schools to agreements of sponsorship. Although the president and principal in religious order-sponsored secondary schools have…

A Catholic school is distinguished from a public school through its Catholic identity based on its mission statement which clearly outlines what it means to be Catholic through a theological, evangelical, and ecclesial foundation (Engle et al., 2020). The purpose of this study was to discover the reason for a diminished Catholic identity at St.…

This qualitative case study assessed the need for a Catholic Education Center (CEC) for Catholic school principals within the United States. The research questions that were addressed were: 1) How have Catholic school principals experienced support around complex and controversial issues when conflicting viewpoints exist between school and Church…

This study examined principals' perceptions of faith-based schools in Southern California. A 6-item survey was distributed by hard copy to 217 Catholic principals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and by e-mail to 218 Protestant school principals affiliated with the Association of Christian School International. The survey was…

The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational values, their influence and alignment, in the ethical decision-making of Catholic school principals. Semi-structured interviews allowed the 12 participants to explore personal and school values, areas of congruence and dissonance, methods for resolving dissonance, the process of…

In this study, the researcher examined the idea of the Catholic School Advantage (CSA), whether it is a quantifiable effect, or if it can be explained by selection bias on the part of parents. Additionally, the researcher sought to examine if this selection bias, if it exists, could explain any academic achievement differences between Catholic…

Increased standardization within adolescent literacy education leads to dehumanization of students who become a demographic label, statistic, or problem to fix (Blackburn, 2013; Freire, 1996; Gordon, 2009; Paris & Alim, 2017; Paris & Winn, 2013). This is particularly true in urban contexts where cultural and linguistic diversities are…

This qualitative study examined the elements of professional learning communities within Catholic elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate best practices of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as reported by elementary principals in a random sample of Catholic elementary schools. The researcher interviewed 14…

School choice is a research topic that is often associated with public funds supporting educational alternatives. While much of the school choice research literature focuses on this category, additional types of school choice merit examination. This study examines how Catholic parents chose high schools for their children within the geographic…

This report describes a problem based learning project that analyzes the training resources, documents, manuals, and program materials provided to school leaders to ensure Catholic identity. Current research suggests that a critical element of Catholic school leadership is the ability of school leaders to maintain and enhance Catholic identity.…

This report describes a problem based learning project that analyzes the training resources, documents, manuals, and program materials provided to school leaders to insure Catholic identity. Current research suggests that a critical element of Catholic school leadership is the ability of school leaders to maintain and enhance Catholic identity.…

Over the past 45 years, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of religious and priests working in Catholic schools in the United States. Currently, 96% of all elementary and secondary faculties are comprised of lay men and women (McDonald, 2010). This same phenomenon can be found in Marianist-sponsored secondary schools in the United…

With declining numbers of priests and religious sisters and brothers, principals and other Catholic school leaders need assistance in maintaining the Catholic identity and mission-related activities of their schools. One answer to the shortages of ordained priests has been employing lay campus ministers to help students in developing their faith…