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 …

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.

A Framework For All: Building Capacity For Service Delivery In Catholic Schools, Michael Faggella-Luby, Christie Bonfiglio

Journal of Catholic Education

The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive system of service delivery to meet student need and avoid pathologizing individuals as problems. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a framework for organizing resources, delivering services, and measuring success that directly addresses the mission of Catholic Schools to truly serve all students. MTSS is a research-based and systematic service delivery model that provides tiered supports based on individual learner need. MTSS is defined and contextualized to address both academic and behavioral supports for all students. A …

Inclusion In Catholic Schools: From Inception To Implementation, Christine Bonfiglio, Karen Kroh

Journal of Catholic Education

Inclusion of students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities, in Catholic schools is becoming more prevalent. Despite a long history of the call to serve all learners, Catholic schools have been slow to welcome students who are academically and behaviorally diverse. Meeting the needs of all learners requires understanding the concept of inclusion, removing barriers, and implementing inclusive educational practices. This article defines inclusion and its prevalence in Catholic schools in comparison to national trends in the public domain. Identified barriers to successful inclusive education are identified and described. Additionally, effective practices are outlined and illustrated using a …

Recruitment And Retention Of Catholic School Principals: The Importance Of School Leadership In The Success Of Catholic Schools, Elise Abbie Dite

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Catholic Church has established the importance of a high-quality Catholic school as an essential opportunity for parishes, pastors, parents, teachers, and school leaders to pass the Catholic faith on to the next generation. To ensure an excellent Catholic education for all students, each school must have a strong principal in place who is an excellent faith and instructional leader. Strong principal leadership is an essential element in school success, and schools across the country, both public and private, are experiencing a principal shortage. A shortage of qualified principals means that schools and students are challenged as they look for …

“Give Them A Firm Handshake, Look Them In The Eye, Try To Make A Connection”: Critical Graduate Perspectives On School Advancement Practices Of De Marillac Academy, Alicia M. Tapia

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation engages graduates of De Marillac Academy, a NativityMiguel school in San Francisco, in critical inquiry regarding school advancement practices. Graduates were asked how they participated in school advancement practices face-to-face with guests and donors, through media, on-campus and off-campus at their Annual Scholarship Benefit. Graduates engaged in photo and video elicitation interviews, in which photos and videos were used to spark commentary regarding their thoughts and experiences in advancement settings. As Catholic school educators, we are called to investigate the effects of a student’s formal and hidden curriculum in all aspects of their educational experience. This study found …

Under A Patriarchal Pall: The Hidden Conflict Between Priests And Women Catholic School Principals An Autoethnography, Lynn A. Volkenant

Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study, using an autoethnographic methodology, explores laywomen principals in Catholic K-8 schools, and how they manage to balance their feminist beliefs and work in concert with their priest’s patriarchal orientation. Using interviews from laywomen principals as well as personal stories and perspectives, the study details the hidden elements of the relationship between priests and principals, where and how discord arises, and how laywomen negotiate the difficult terrain of balancing these relationships as they work in Catholic schools. The study explores the personal stories of Catholic school leaders, and also a precise examination of Canon law, Justice in …

Non-Catholic Students’ Cultural And Religious Experiences Attending Catholic High Schools, Solomon Y. Soabil

Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the experiences of non-Catholic high school students attending two Catholic schools supported by government funding in Ghana. Due to financial constraints, the Catholic Church appealed to the Ghana government for financial support. Once approved, the government became part of the administration of these schools. I explored the meaning non-Catholic students ascribed to their experiences participating in the religious program with the goal of documenting the potential adverse effects of school policies. I adopted a phenomenological qualitative approach for my study. Interviews, observations, and documents constituted the sources of data collection. The data analysis revealed non-Catholic …

The Effects Of School Leaders’ Support On Teachers’ Integration Of Technology In Catholic Schools, Donna Reeves Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This mixed methods study examined the effect of school leaders’ support of teachers’ personal and professional technology use, support of teachers’ technology integration, and support of teachers’ current instructional practice on teachers’ technology integration. In 2018, over six hundred teachers and sixty-five leaders from a Catholic diocese in the southeastern United States participated in the LoTi Digital Survey for Teachers and the LoTi Digital Survey for Leaders. In this two-phase study, data from these surveys were used in phase one to examine the degree to which each of the school leaders’ measures of support affected teachers’ technology integration. Using …

Phenomenal Women: Experiences Of Women In Executive Catholic Educational Leadership In The United States, Fatima Ann Samson Nicdao

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Though women are overrepresented in education as classroom teachers, they continue to be underrepresented in decision-making leadership positions in education administration (Bynum, 2016; Coleman, 2003; Fuller, 2013; Grogan & Shakeshaft, 2011; Moorosi, 2018; Robinson et al., 2017; Torrance et al., 2017). The cause of the low representation of women in decision making has been attributed to a wide range of reasons spanning from ingrained patriarchal mindsets, societal biases, lack of professional networks, misconceptions of women in leadership, and the lack of leadership opportunities.

Other causes of gender inequality in educational leadership are linked to a lack of a systematic mentorship …