Catholic elementary schools underserve Latino students, especially those who are bilingual. This paper presents a conceptual argument for Catholic elementary schools to improve this by pursuing the two-way immersion model of bilingual service delivery in Spanish and English. The argument is presented in three stages. First, we show that Catholic…

On October 1-3, 2009, Loyola University Chicago's Center for Catholic School Effectiveness (CCSE) and School of Education hosted the second in a series of six planned Catholic Higher Education Collaborative Conferences (CHEC) entitled, "Developing and Sustaining Leaders for Catholic Schools: How Can Catholic Higher Education Help?" This working…

In fall 2007, nine Catholic colleges and universities began a collaborative process to explore ways Catholic institutions of higher education (CIHE) could increase effective support of pre-K-12 Catholic schools. This new organization, Catholic Higher Education Collaborative (CHEC), committed to hosting a series of six conferences focused on…

Equality of educational opportunity is threatened by long-standing gaps in student achievement by race, gender, and student poverty, as well as by school sector and school poverty. The true magnitude of these gaps cannot be understood, however, unless these factors are considered simultaneously. While accounting for the effects of demographic…

Catholic schools are set apart from public schools in that Catholic schools aim to create for the school community an atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity. Those who serve in Catholic schools, therefore, need to understand their role as unique, that is, faith driven. The purpose of this study was to assess this…

The 2008 Selected Programs for Improving Catholic Education (SPICE), a national diffusion network, shares school configurations and related governance models that may improve the sustainability of Catholic schools. This article describes how these model schools are successfully addressing their challenges. The structure and authority of 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…

Depending on the area of academic concentration, formal education beyond the secondary school level may present Catholic-educated individuals with a steady stream of perspectives, theories, and worldviews on a variety of sociocultural issues, including sexuality, that are different from those of the Catholic Church. Increasingly, liberal attitudes…

This article presents a research study that utilized a web-based survey to gather data about the communal prayer experiences of faculty members in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the United States and the meaning that such prayer holds to its participants. Key findings show that faculty prayer experiences take place readily, though…

This study examined the impact of Catholic education on elementary and secondary students in Los Angeles. The study focused on the continuation and graduation rates of ethnic minority students who received special funding from the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF). Using qualitative and quantitative measures, the study revealed that students…

This article discusses highlights from the Catholic Higher Education Collaborative conference (CHEC) held at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in January 2009. The conference, a result of a 2007 dialogue on Catholic schooling hosted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, was the first of six to be held at Catholic colleges and…

Rev. Gregory Boyle, S.J., was ordained a priest in 1984 and shortly afterward became the pastor of Dolores Mission parish, serving from 1986-1992. While at Dolores Mission, he developed numerous programs for at-risk youth in the community. In 2001 his various projects assisting youths in gangs were united under one banner: Homeboy Industries.…

Michael Collins, F.S.C., Ed.D. is a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, or Christian Brothers. He currently serves as the president of his alma mater, DeLa Salle High School, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2007 Br. Collins received the National Catholic Educational Association Sr. Catherine McNamee Award for outstanding leadership in…