Three hundred sixty-one seminarians from the 48 diocesan seminaries in the United States and the North American College in Rome, Italy responded to a survey regarding their sentiments about the value of Catholic schools, their effectiveness, and the importance of financially supporting them. The results suggest that while diocesan seminarians are…

This article presents the results of a survey conducted in 2010 of over 3,300 administrators and teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools nationally about their understanding of the meaning of the term "Catholic identity." The survey was conducted in the fall of 2010 in anticipation of a national conference on the Catholic identity of…

In order to fulfill their role of teaching children to receive Jesus and live out his call to create the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven, Catholic schools need to possess and foster the distinctive characteristics of Catholic school identity. This study examined the relationship between Catholic school identity and organizational leadership…

This article examines the relationship between Catholic school teachers' motivation and job satisfaction. The data are derived from a survey of 716 teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in three dioceses in the US (Atlanta, GA; Biloxi, MS; and Cheyenne, WY). The school's academic philosophy and its environment were important…

The study examined the relationship between Catholic school teachers' motivation and job satisfaction. The data came from a survey of 716 teachers in three dioceses (Atlanta, Biloxi, and Cheyenne). The school's academic philosophy and its environment were important predictors of the teachers' satisfaction with their sense of efficacy regarding…

Using data from the High School and Beyond Study, compares Catholic high school students attending parochial schools with those attending other high schools in terms of their attendance at religious services, self-ratings of their religiousness, and ratings of the importance of certain life priorities. (DMM)

Discusses the research finding that the functional community base of Catholic schools is responsible for their effectiveness. Looks at the foundations of functional community (e.g., the religious nature of the schools and the commitment of their teachers). Considers parents' roles within this functional community. (DMM)

Administrators and board members often wonder how their respective governing bodies measure up to others. To help them gauge their success, some benchmarks that diocesan, elementary and secondary school boards, commissions, and councils can use are presented here. The information was gathered through surveys, the results of which are coupled with…

This overview examines the major research studies on Catholic schools published between 1965 and 1991 along with a synthesis of the research regarding the demography, outcomes, and environment of Catholic schools, and of the teachers, parents, and students associated with Catholic schools. The research showed that student from Catholic schools…

Over 11,000 parents of pre-high-school-age children from the Archdiocese of Washington (D.C.) rated the importance of eight factors which influenced their decisions to send their children to Catholic schools. The sample included about 2,000 non-Catholic parents with children in Catholic schools and about 1,700 Catholic parents with children not in…

In her book "Building Better Boards," Sister Lourdes Sheehan listed eight reasons for establishing and fostering Catholic education boards. This paper presents findings of a study that gathered information about boards in different types of Catholic elementary and secondary schools. A national survey of almost 1,400 Catholic schools received 806…