Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Book Review: Transformative Translanguaging Espacios: Latinx Students And Their Teachers Rompiendo Fronteras Sin Miedo, Katie Ward

Journal of Catholic Education

No abstract for a Book Review

Evidence-Based Practices To Promote Inclusion In Today’S Catholic School, Sean Smith, G Cheatham, Maggie Mosher

Journal of Catholic Education

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present inclusionary practices for Catholic education classrooms that emphasize the integration of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Practices that have been developed to address the needs of all students, particularly learners who are at-risk as well as their peers with an identified disability. Over the past two decades, educational reforms and corresponding effective practices have evolved to correspond with the growing expectations that all student should be given the opportunity to participate in the general education experience. Applying the evidence-based practices presented in this article can provide Catholic educators with the needed support and …

To Act With Justice And Love Tenderly: Exploring The Church’S Call For Inclusion, Michael J. Boyle

Journal of Catholic Education

This paper explores some of the documents that provide a foundation for the Church and its ministries to deliver justice and mercy to all, including students with disabilities. First, Catholic Social Teaching (CST) traditions will be presented as the foundation to some of the documents of the American Church. A chronology of the documents of United States bishops will trace the flow of CST as the impetus for designing and delivering programs for students with disabilities in Catholic schools. Implications for Catholic schools are outlined for next steps for implementation.

Why Inclusion Isn’T Coming, It Is Already Here: Catholic Schools And Inclusive Special Education, Michael N. Faggella-Luby, Max Engel

Journal of Catholic Education

Catholic school personnel are increasingly recognizing that many of their students, including students with disabilities, need and benefit from inclusive educational practices. These oftentimes ad hoc practices are motivated by the Catholic identity and mission of the school, as well as the diverse educational needs of students. This article responds to these recognized realities, arguing that Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the practical reality of academically diverse students requires understanding disability as being unique to each student, though within categories recognized in the Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA) that serve as starting points for interventions. CST and the recognition of …

Possibilities For Trans-Affirming Policy Potential: A Case Study Of A Canadian Catholic School, Lindsay Herriot, Tonya D. Callaghan

Journal of Catholic Education

Background: Mainstream media is increasingly reporting on the relationships between Catholic and trans identities in parochial schools, particularly with regard to gendered washroom use. With greater numbers of trans youth coming out at younger ages, significant educational policy changes are being considered around how Catholic schools can or should include trans youth. Method: This study applies trans and queer theologies to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in investigating the Wilson case, which was the first known instance of a Catholic school including some affirming policy provisions for trans youth. The authors additionally collected and coded 12 news articles from a variety …

School Choice Vouchers And Special Education In Indiana Catholic Diocesan Schools, William H. Blackwell, June M. Robinson

Journal of Catholic Education

Catholic schools are now located at a crossroads of school choice voucher programs and special education services. With enrollment in Catholic schools declining over the past several decades, voucher programs that allow parents to use public funds for tuition at private schools – including tuition for students with disabilities – could possibly help to steady or even reverse this decline. This study examined the impact of Indiana’s statewide voucher program on Catholic schools, student enrollment, and special education services in three large diocesan school systems. The findings address issues related to enrollment growth, changing student population characteristics, special education services, …

Providing Access For Students With Moderate Disabilities: An Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program At A Catholic Elementary School, Matthew P. Cunningham, Karen K. Huchting, Diane Fogarty, Victoria Graf

Journal of Catholic Education

After a significant policy change led to the admittance of students with moderate disabilities, St. Agnes School (SAS; pseudonym)—a Catholic PK-8 school in Southern California—implemented an 18-month professional development (PD) program to improve teachers’ inclusive classroom practices. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL; Center for Applied Special Technology, 2015b), the PD program included cyclical, one-on-one instructional coaching sessions that were led by trained UDL coaches and consisted of lesson demonstrations and personalized feedback. While SAS teachers held state credentials, most had very little training to work with students with special needs prior to this PD; …

A Content Analysis Of Catholic School Written Discipline Policies, Daniel L. Philippe, Claudia M. Hernandez-Melis, Pamela Fenning, Katie N. B. Sears, Emily M. Mcdonough, Elizabeth Lawrence, Michael Boyle

Journal of Catholic Education

School discipline has traditionally endorsed the use of exclusionary practices (i.e. suspension and expulsion). Such practices can have a negative short- and long-term impact on student lives, and tend to be enforced disproportionately with certain student populations. Although public school discipline policies have received increased scrutiny in recent years, Catholic school policies have received very little attention. This study presents the results of a content analysis of the written discipline policies of 33 Catholic secondary schools from two dioceses within a major metropolitan area. Results suggest that although variability exists in the types of behaviors included in formal written policies, …

Academic Performance Of Students With Disabilities In Higher Education: Insights From A Study Of One Catholic College, Laura M. Wasielewski

Journal of Catholic Education

The purpose of this study was to determine if students with disabilities perform comparably to students without disabilities academically at a small liberal arts college. Quantitative results were gathered through the comparison of end of semester and cumulative grade point averages for students with disabilities and students without disabilities (n=56). The t test for independent means and a 2-way analysis of variance were used to test hypotheses. Students without disabilities had significantly higher academic performances than students with disabilities as measured by grade point averages. Female students without disabilities outperformed female students with disabilities as measured by end-of-semester and cumulative …

Insulin Administration In Catholic Schools: A New Look At Legal And Medical Issues, Mike Huggins

Journal of Catholic Education

Anecdotal evidence indicates that more students with type 1 diabetes are enrolling in Catholic schools across the United States. Meeting the medical needs of these students appears to be a significant challenge—legally and logistically—for many Catholic schools. District officials, school leaders, and school staff need support to understand the complexities of the disease and its treatments, as well as the laws that govern how non-medical school staff can intervene in normal and emergency situations. The goals of this article are: (a) to explore the current state of the legal and medical issues regarding non-RN administration of insulin to minor students …