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Researchers have considered how school choice policies affect student achievement, but less inquiry explores how the organization of schools may change in the presence of choice. This descriptive and exploratory paper analyzes a state representative sample of school mission statements at two time points: before the enactment of choice policies in Indiana, namely the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, and again six years into the policy. Using structural topic modeling, this paper examines whether and how school mission statements topics have changed over this period. Descriptive findings suggest mission statement topics differ significantly between sectors but show few changes over time. The most striking shift is that Catholic and other private religious schools appear to be clarifying the religious aspects of their mission in the presence of robust choice policies.

For many years, the Catholic school system within the United States was considered the preeminent educational institution, particularly for poor and marginalized students that live in low income, inner city areas. Now, given the large number of school closures, the Catholic school system's long-standing goal of educating economically disadvantaged students in inner city schools is in peril. In this study, the researchers examined De Marillac Academy, a Catholic, tuition-free middle school, located in the Tenderloin District in San Francisco, CA, to identify both the non-cognitive skills students have learned and the organizational factors in place, which have contributed to these urban students' success in high school and beyond. The authors discuss how the concept of what Angela Duckworth calls grit and Swadener and Lubeck's notion of students-at-promise contribute, in part, to the students' academic success. They also offer a perspective on how to best teach grit in urban Catholic schools.

This paper is a reflection upon the research findings of Rebecca Allen and Anne West in relation to religious schools in London. While welcoming this contribution to the systematic study of faith schools (a neglected area of empirical inquiry), the paper argues that the use of "religious schools" as a unitary category is problematic for the analysis. It also suggests that certain historical and cultural contextual knowledge is required when analysing the characteristics of different categories of religious schools. This response is intended to be helpful for future researchers into the different types of faith school. (Contains 8 notes.)

Chile's General Law of Education (LGE) states that one of the purposes of education is the spiritual development of all its schooled population. In turn, other legal documents claim that the Institutional Educational Project should define how schools are to approach that statement. This article analyses the frequency of keywords, based on a theoretical framework and revision of the Vision and Mission sections of the Educational Projects of 20 schools from Valparaíso, in order to show how this statement is approached and what those approaches imply.

This report contains a proposal of a task force of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) for the development of an ACCU program on education for justice. It is believed that the Catholic community must be educated in the tradition of Catholic social thought, and a learning environment must be created that reflects a commitment to justice and an openness on the part of Catholics to change personal attitudes and behavior. After a foreward on education and justice by Alice Gallin, the following four perspectives are presented: "Education for Social Justice--A Christian Perspective," by William J. Byron; "Justice and Peace: The Place and the Potential of Colleges and Universities," by J. Bryan Hehir; "Education in a Global Perspective," by Lawrence T. Murphy; and "Justice--What Is It All About?" by David Burell. Seven institutions were chosen as pilot schools to implement the proposal, and two of the pilot programs are described. Ray Jackson and Dan Regan describe the program at Villanova University and Ken Jamieson describes the program at the University of Notre Dame. Short descriptions are also provided of each of the seven pilot schools. Descriptions of programs at other schools are as follows: Joseph Fahey discusses the model at Manhattan College; Suzanne DeBenedittis discusses the Loyola-Marymount University program; Don Post describes the global studies program at Saint Edward's University; and Joseph Fahey describes the M.A. program in religious studies at Sacred Heart University. (SW)

Contents include: "gaudium et spes" and campus ministry at a Catholic university (Daniel Germann); campus minister and president: partners in service (Charles L. Currie); lay ministry on a Catholic campus (Jennifer Konecky); campus ministry in a small institution: a model (James D. Poisson); campus ministry to and by faculty members (Monica K. Hellwig); Jewish-Christian ecumenical activity on campus (Lawrence J. Madden); spiritual direction in a university setting (George Winzenburg, T. Michael McNulty); and new directions: notes (Mary K. Himens, F. Stephen Macher). (MSE)

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 sponsored by the collaborative. Each of these presentations looks at Catholic identity from a different perspective, including collaborative partnerships between K-12 schools and higher education; school policies that promote Catholic identity; curriculum; research into Catholic social teaching; and leadership. Contributors include Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., 14th president of CUA and current Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey; Reverend Donald J. Harrington, C.M., president of St. John's University; Sr. Barbara L. Monsegur, CFMM, principal of Lourdes Catholic High School, Arizona; Karen Vogtner, principal of St. John the Evangelist School, Georgia; Thomas W. Burnford, secretary for education, Archdiocese of Washington; and, Mary Jane Krebbs, associate dean for graduate studies in the School of Education, St. John's University.

This research article discusses the theme of the infusion of sustainability in school economics. It stems from the researcher's study that explores teaching and learning in secondary school economics in Malta. The underlying conceptual framework for this study is critical realism, which offers an understanding of the world that is real, but which may be differently experienced and interpreted by different observers (Alderson, 2021; Bhaskar, 1979; Fletcher, 2017). This paper draws upon observation sessions and interviews with fourteen economics teachers. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyze data (Braun & Clarke, 2006) with the help of Nvivo software. The participants regarded education for sustainable development as a prominent theme. Furthermore, they educated their students to reflect on how their choices affected not only themselves but also others and cultivated an awareness of social justice in them. The considerations raised by this paper can assist teachers, teacher educators, and researchers in their reflections and efforts relating to enhancing the sustainability dimension in school economics education and other subjects.

Student participation at school is receiving heightened attention through international evidence connecting it to a range of benefits including student learning, engagement, citizenship and wellbeing, as well as to overall school improvement. Yet the notion of student participation remains an ambiguous concept, and one that challenges many deeply entrenched norms of traditional schooling.Informed by understandings of 'participation' linked to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this article takes the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) as a case study to explore how student participation is currently articulated in educational policy. It reports the findings of an analysis of 142 state and federal government policy-related documents, along with qualitative interview data from nine policy personnel. The findings suggest that students are conceptualised within these policies in contradictory ways, interpretations of participation are diverse yet frequently instrumentalist, and there is little conceptual coherence across the educational policy landscape in NSW in relation to 'student participation'. The findings are discussed in light of international interest around student participation. The analytical framework used in this analysis is proposed as a possible tool for critically examining the place and purpose of student participation at school, regardless of jurisdiction.

Over the past twenty years, Catholic elementary schools that self identify as "inner-city" have closed at a higher rate than Catholic schools in other locations. These schools have also long been associated with a legacy of effectively serving low-income students, students of color, and recent immigrant students, suggesting that the persistent closure of these schools may have a negative impact on these communities. In this paper, we set out to assess the extent to which there have been demographic or organizational changes over the past twenty years in these "inner-city" schools. We found that while these schools do still serve higher proportions of students of color than Catholic schools nationally, there are distinct organizational and demographic trends that have developed in these schools that merit additional analysis or investigation. We conclude this paper with several suggestions for how to build a research agenda around this up-to-date demographic and organizational analysis of this segment of U.S. Catholic elementary schools.

This paper reports on a recent survey of principals of Catholic high schools across the country regarding the existence of formal gender identity policies or informal practices with respect to the behavior and treatment of transgender students in their schools. The survey's findings are discussed in the context of recent developments with respect to the science, clinical interventions, and legal accommodations surrounding gender variance. The paper also describes the political developments with respect to this issue and some of the pushback in communities of faith. It concludes by suggesting the need for receptivity to scientific findings as part of a broad-based discussion of gender identity policies in Catholic secondary education.

This paper reports on a two-week Earth Science programme, designed and delivered by the New Zealand Crown Research Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS Science) referred to as the GeoCamp. This initiative has offered 10- to 13-year-old students learning experiences outside the classroom in several regions throughout New Zealand. The programme discussed in this paper was held in the Wairarapa region in the south-east of the North Island. We examined 23 students' attitudinal changes toward scientists and science. Data collection reported in this paper occurred on the first day of the programme and six months later, when students were asked to draw annotated diagrams of scientists. Our results indicate that students participating in the camp broadened their views of scientists from being stereotypically eccentric chemists in lab coats, to those being aligned with real-world scientists, i.e. not being eccentric, some being females, some working outdoors, and being collaborative. They also recognized that scientists engage in a diverse range of work, and suggested some specific problems that they would like to solve if they were to be scientists. We suggest that these results reveal affective learning outcomes of this Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) approach.

For centuries, Catholic schools have promoted extra-curricular activity as a means to develop well-rounded students. Sports programming has been a vital aspect of this work, but there is little research into how these programmes can support the combined educational-religious missions of the schools. In response, this paper relies on archival and interview research to present a historical case study of Canadian coach-educator Father David Bauer, who spent his lifetime as a Basilian priest educating through sport in the face of its violent tendencies. We discuss how Bauer, as an educator and prominent international figure in ice hockey, identified difficulties arising from violence over several decades. Influenced by his military experience and his religious community's educational charism, we see how Bauer drew from a Basilian intellectual tradition and other experiences to push back against several types of violence arising in sport: physical, psychological, structural, media-driven, and others. The paper concludes with seven recommendations of nonviolence for Catholic school sports programmes, where leaders can learn from Bauer's story and enable programmes of human development and bridge-building, and thereby, positively enhance school mission.

For close to three decades, his Eminence Zenon Cardinal Grocholeski, worked at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura as notary, chancellor, secretary and prefect. A professor, scholar, and canonist of exceptional ability, he is considered one of the world's most prominent experts on the Code of Canon Law. In light of his competence and experience, The Servant of God Pope John Paul II, appointed his Eminence as Prefect of the Dicastery for Catholic Education in 1999. This rare combination and manifestation of intellect, expertise, and dedication is witnessed in the oration presented for publication, The Catholic School According to the Code of Canon Law delivered by His Eminence, as Prefect of the Congregation of Catholic Education on May 28, 2008 at Fordham University, New York. (Contains 19 footnotes.)

This article presents responses from Thomas C. Hunt, James L. Heft, S.M., and Ronald J. Nuzzi to the report of the Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic Education's (2006), "Making God Known, Loved and Served: The Future of Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in the United States." Hunt analyzes the 12 recommendations offered by Notre Dame on behalf of Catholic schools as its tangible manifestation of embodying leadership to meet the following goals: (1) To strengthen Catholic identity; (2) To attract and form talented leaders; (3) To ensure academic excellence; and (4) To finance Catholic schools so that they are accessible for all families. He then considers the five general recommendations the report made to the broader Church community regarding Catholic schools. In a brief essay, Heft offers a reflection on the report and provides a summary of the Carnegie meeting whose purpose was to explore how a "field" of Catholic educational research might be created. In his response, Nuzzi suggests that although the Notre Dame Task Force report (2006) does not represent official Church teaching of any sort, it may be helpful to review its reception in the community of the Church, and especially among Catholic educational professionals. Following the convictions of an incarnational theology, analyzing the reception of the report should provide some insight into the current challenges facing schools and even suggest some approaches to address them.

This article offers responses from Lois K. Draina, an associate professor, Ronald J. Nuzzi, a program director, and Rachel Sara Moreno, associate professional specialist to a United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) document "Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium" (2005). After several careful readings of the document, Draina was clear about one thing: Its goals are strikingly similar to "In Support of Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools," published by the USCCB in 1990. Draina stresses that the challenges outlined in the document are real, but outlining the needs goes only so far. She asks where is the specificity regarding action and accountability. She sees that the document's tone suggests, however, that the bishops are looking for helpers to address the needs of the Catholic school system. Nuzzi, as a program director, knows firsthand of the joy and appreciation Catholic educators feel in response to this document. He adds that for this consciousness raising, publicity, and invitation to collaborate in the future success of schools, all Catholic educators are grateful. Meanwhile, Moreno wonders if some pastors read this document which states, "It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community...to provide an exceptional education experience for young people." She cites that many of Catholic school colleagues are forced to leave the ministry because of financial constraints.

This article offers responses from various authors to the article "Incarnational immersion-based learning in cultural contexts: A charity model," by Dr. John Trokan (2005.) Mount St. Joseph's program on incarnational immersion-based learning, as described in the article by Dr. John Trokan, will have the participating students' eyes opened to the richness and complexity of spiritual, social, political, and economic issues among peoples of different culture. Civille shares that in his classes, he uses films and case studies to give the students some sense of seeing the world through the eyes of others. But he believes nothing compares to the firsthand experience of living in another culture and experiencing with the people their joys and hopes, their anxieties and fears. Mount St. Joseph College should be commended for its program. As Beckman reads Trokan's essay, she indeed also sees differences between the community-based learning efforts at Mount St. Joseph and her school's own. She attempts to allow Trokan's words to help her rethink what they do. For Green, the Trokan article tells the story of one particular program at one particular school. It shows a willingness that needs to be replicated at other universities and Catholic schools around the country to engage our students' faith formation by creating meaning. It shows that there is an ever increasing awareness to bring students back into relationships and service to others for the common good.

Amidst increasing religious disaffiliation, often due to a perceived tension between faith and the STEM disciplines, Catholic schools provide critical opportunities for young people to recognize how these domains can be mutually elevating. The field, however, lacks guidance as to how this integration should occur in practice. This conceptual paper first provides an overarching framework for how aspects of the Catholic tradition, like Scripture and the Catholic social tradition, can shape traditional educational domains of STEM teaching and learning. Secondly, we provide a heuristic of three criteria for deeply engaging students at the interface of the Catholic faith and the STEM disciplines. Finally, we narrow in on K-12 science standards and provide six examples of how the three criteria can be applied to authentically and deeply advance understanding at the intersection of science and the Catholic faith.