Through a secondary analysis of a case study on successful school leadership, this study inquired into the lived experiences and understandings of Catholic identity from the perspectives of administrators, faculty, staff, and students at one urban Catholic school in the northeastern United States. Participants generally spoke about Catholic…

Like many urban Catholic schools, St. Mary of Carmel Catholic School in Dallas, Texas, is faced with many challenges: filling empty seats; supporting increased costs; and, possible closure. The small parish is primarily Latino, but few parish families are enrolled in the school. This action research project used in-depth interviews to examine…

Improving education for students in K-12 urban settings remains a slow-paced and difficult task, with many successes in student learning being episodic at best. The disconnect between government mandates to improve schools and persistent societal issues of poverty and inequity act to increase stress on teachers and educational leaders working in…

These proceedings include selected presentations on Catholic identity by six participants of the 2011 Catholic Higher Education Collaborative (CHEC) Conference on Catholic Identity at The Catholic University of America (CUA). The conference, jointly sponsored by CUA and St. John's University, is the fourth in a series of five national conferences…

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…

Catholic schools are called to embody an identity and charism that make a unique and meaningful contribution to our Church and society. In the article, the authors present a coherent and relevant framework for thinking about Catholic identity and charism in contemporary schools using relationships as the organizing principle. The authors assert…

The purpose of this paper is to establish the unity between the missions of the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) discipline and Catholic higher education by demonstrating relationships among (a) Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the role of the service principle to FCS; (b) Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT) and the centrality of intellect…

This article explores the relevance and challenge of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and internationalization to the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program at the University of San Diego. These issues are discussed in the context of a graduate level course on human diversity that culminated in a 1-day cultural immersion and service learning trip…

This paper examines the internationalization experiences of four school counseling faculty members in a counseling program at a Catholic university. Counseling in general and counseling schools have become a global profession. As a result, it is imperative for training programs to develop graduates who are culturally competent across the globe.…

The advent of the Internet has significantly changed how organizations interact with their customers and constituents in the areas of marketing, information sharing, and engagement processes. College and university websites have become major communication venues for prospective students to learn about schools of interest to them. Catholic colleges…

Adolescents are bombarded during most of their waking hours by images on various screens: computer, television, and film. As so-called digital natives, they are aware that these images are manufactured and manipulated to elicit certain responses. But while they acknowledge the artificiality of those images, they allow the same mediated messages…

Although school counseling candidates in faith-based schools may possess an extraordinary resume, it is essential that their beliefs and behaviors be compatible with the mission and philosophy of the school for which they are interviewing. If hiring practices are not addressed in faith-based schools, these schools run the risk of losing their…

Are Catholic colleges and universities failing in their mission of educating their Catholic students in the faith? Many believe these institutions are in one key way: A 2003 study commissioned by the Cardinal Newman Society concluded that "a survey of students at 38 Catholic colleges...reveals that graduating seniors are predominantly…

Contemporary American college students simultaneously express both increased interest in spirituality and declining interest in traditional religion. Recent research recognizes the trend of young adults separating spirituality from religion, but utilizes varied definitions of each term developed by the researchers. This study asks students…

This paper observes that an ironic tension occurs in the discussion of controversial issues in some Catholic schools. One technique that teachers use in response to student disagreement with the official Church view on a controversial issue like contraception, homosexuality, or female ordination is to present Church teaching but then suggest that…