Catholic Education: a Journal of Inquiry and Practice: a ten-year retrospective review of catholic educational research.

Catholic Education: a Journal of Inquiry and Practice: a ten-year retrospective review of catholic educational research. This journal has a brief but important history, encompassing thesupport of major Catholic colleges and universities across the UnitedStates United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . In particular, the University of Dayton The University of Dayton is one of the ten largest Catholic schools in the United States and is the largest of the three Marianist universities in the nation. It is also home to one of the largest campus ministry programs in the world. and the University ofNotre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam]is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame have provided a home for the editorial offices and thecontributed services of the editors. As the journal prepares for atransition to its third home at Boston College Boston College,main campus at Chestnut Hill, Mass.; coeducational; Jesuit; est. and opened 1863. Actually a university, the school's Chestnut Hill campus comprises colleges of arts and sciences and business administration, the graduate school, and schools of nursing , this article offers asummative Adj. 1. summative - of or relating to a summation or produced by summationsummationaladditive - characterized or produced by addition; "an additive process" and evaluative overview of the contents of the journal sinceits inception. Recommendations are offered regarding ways to continue togrow the field of educational research situated in Catholic schools. INTRODUCTION Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice is a refereedjournal refereed journal,n a professional or literary journal or publication in which articles or papers are selected for publication by a panel of readers or referees who are experts in the field. --the only one of its kind in the United States--devotedexclusively to Catholic education from K-12 through higher education.Catholic Education (hereafter Journal) was founded in 1996 through thecollaborative efforts of the University of Dayton, Saint LouisUniversity Saint Louis University,mainly at St. Louis, Mo.; Jesuit; coeducational; opened 1818 as an academy, became a college 1820, chartered as a university 1832. Parks College (est. 1927 as Parks College of Aeronautical Technology) in Cahokia, Ill. , Fordham University Fordham University(fôr`dəm), in New York City; Jesuit; coeducational; founded as St. John's College 1841, chartered as a university 1846; renamed 1907. Fordham College for men and Thomas More College for women merged in 1974. , and the University of San Francisco ••[ (Nuzzi, 2004). Two individuals in particular held preeminent leadershiproles in the establishment of the Journal: Sr. Mary Peter Traviss, O.P.,then Director of the Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership atthe University of San Francisco, and the Rev. James Heft, S.M., thenprovost at the University of Dayton. Also instrumental to theJournal's growth and organizational development was the Universityof Dayton's commitment to extend for one year its stewardship ofthe Journal. (1) The original start-up funds for the Journal's operationalexpenses were provided by the Lilly Foundation. The Journal is supportedby a governing board Noun 1. governing board - a board that manages the affairs of an institutionboard - a committee having supervisory powers; "the board has seven members" and an advisory board. It is published quarterlyand is formally supported by 20 Catholic universities. The originaleditorship of the Journal (1997-1998) was provided by William F. Lositoand Joseph F. Rogus. Since 1998, Thomas C. Hunt and Ronald J. Nuzzi haveshared editing responsibilities. The Journal is currently indexed in theCatholic Periodical and Literature Index, Education Research Complete,and Education Abstracts Full Text. The fourfold fourfoldAdjective1. having four times as many or as much2. composed of four partsAdverbby four times as many or as muchAdj. 1. mission of the Journalis to: (a) present selected research studies that relate to the purposesand practices of Catholic education; (b) stimulate discussion exploringimportant issues that challenge the field; (c) challenge Catholiceducators to rethink from an inquiry orientation their positions on themajor questions confronting their institutions and their uniquetraditions; and (d) nourish nour��ishv.To provide with food or other substances necessary for sustaining life and growth. the ministerial role of educators byexploring the relationship between Christian faith and professionalpractice. The readership of the Journal has grown since its founding toover 85 institutional subscriptions and more than 550 individualsubscriptions with both domestic and international distribution. As Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice recentlycelebrated the 10-year anniversary of its founding, the current inquiryis a retrospective review retrospective review,a posttreatment assessment of services on a case-by-case or aggregate basis after the services have been performed. of the scholarship published during that timeperiod. This decade review is conceptualized as a means to encapsulate en��cap��su��latev.1. To form a capsule or sheath around.2. To become encapsulated.en��cap both the progress in the field and areas for needed growth. The relativedearth of peer-reviewed, research-based dissemination outlets makes sucha review both imperative and timely. As underscored by Hunt, Joseph, andNuzzi (2001), "In the 1960s, the National Catholic GuidanceConference Journal succeeded the Catholic Counselor. Both no longerexist. The Catholic Educational Review, the Catholic School Journal,Notre Dame Journal of Education, and the Catholic Educator also nolonger exist" (p. i). Given that, Catholic Education: A Journal ofInquiry and Practice now carries an important mantle to disseminateeducational research to teachers and administrators, parish and diocesanstaff, and researchers and professors in academia. METHODOLOGY This systematic review consists of all published articles from theinaugural issue (September 1997) through the 10th volume (June 2007).Using an SPSS A statistical package from SPSS, Inc., Chicago (www.spss.com) that runs on PCs, most mainframes and minis and is used extensively in marketing research. It provides over 50 statistical processes, including regression analysis, correlation and analysis of variance. database, each article was listed as a separate entry andseveral data fields were completed for the individual articles. Thefirst major data fields concern demographics of article authors: (a)name of author(s); (b) gender; (c) affiliation; (d) occupational role;(e) religious or non-religious. The second set of data fields addressesthe nature and scope of the published article including (a) whether itis a standard research article, a review of research, a focus article,or a "response from the field;" (b) whether it has a domesticor international focus; and (c) whether it focuses on primary,secondary, or higher education. The third set of data fields centers onclassifying whether the article used primarily quantitative,qualitative, or mixed methodology approaches. When possible, a specificresearch design/methodology is assigned (e.g., case study, survey,historical review, etc.). Last, through consultation with the managingeditor, topical classifications (e.g., moral education, school choice,adolescence, etc.) were assigned to each article. Basic descriptiveinformation was catalogued for each book review published in the 10volumes of the Journal. FINDINGS Descriptive information is provided across five domains:authorship, article type, article focus/scope, article methodology, andbook reviews. AUTHORSHIP Two hundred fifty-four individuals served as first (or sole) authoron an article, review of research, or response from the field. Of those,107 (42.1%) were women, 147 (57.9%) were men. Thirty-nine authors(15.4%) appeared as a first author on more than one occasion, with threeindividuals contributing as first author on five or more occasions.Forty-six (18.1%) of the authors were ordained or��dain?tr.v. or��dained, or��dain��ing, or��dains1. a. To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on.b. To authorize as a rabbi.2. or vowed religious. The254 first authors in some cases may have contributed to other pieces ofscholarship as a second, third, or fourth author, although that is notreported in this analysis. Finally, four selections not counted withinthe author total (254) appeared with corporate authorship in theJournal: (a) the Pastoral Letter Pastoral letters are open letters addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances. on the Christian Ecological Imperativeby the Social Affairs Commission of the Canadian Conference of CatholicBishops (2004); (b) The Catholic School: On the Threshold of the ThirdMillennium by the Congregation for Catholic Education The Congregation for Catholic Education (in Seminaries and Institutes of Study) [Congregationis de Institutione Catholica quo ordo studiorum in Facultatibus Iuris Canonici innovatur (1998); (c)Renewing our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools inthe Third Millennium by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops(2006); and (d) Consecrated con��se��crate?tr.v. con��se��crat��ed, con��se��crat��ing, con��se��crates1. To declare or set apart as sacred: consecrate a church.2. Christianitya. Persons and their Mission in Schools by theCongregation for Catholic Education (2003). The Journal reprints suchdocuments since their corporate authorship represents official Churchteaching, albeit of varying degrees. The professional affiliations of authors included higher educationsettings, schools, diocesan offices, research organizations, andnon-profit agencies (see Table 1). Just over half (51.6%) of all firstauthors' professional affiliation was a Catholic university orcollege. Nearly 70% of authors were based at higher education settingsin general (i.e., Catholic, public, and private). Notably, 11.8% ofauthors were professionals in school settings. Examining authors'roles within their primary affiliation setting provided a more refinedglimpse into author characteristics. Table 2 presents frequency andpercentage by author roles, which included university professors at allacademic ranks, school administrators, diocesan leaders, teachers,non-profit agency directors, and graduate students. Full professorscontributed nearly one out of every four articles in the Journal. ARTICLE TYPE Several of the 254 authors discussed above contributed multiplearticles to the Journal. In sum, across the 10 volumes, the Journalpublished 315 separate pieces of scholarship. Table 3 depicts thefrequency of Journal submissions categorized as focus articles, researcharticles, reviews of research, and responses from the field. Multiple articles organized within one issue around a distincttheme or topic comprise a focus section. Focus articles represented 41%of published material in the Journal and have delved into topic areassuch as moral education, inclusion, alternative teacher education,liturgy in schools, special education, and Catholic secondary schools.General articles within a particular issue, typically ranging from6,000-7,500 words, accounted for 39% of Journal content. Since the firstissue, the Journal has included reviews of research whose authors havesynthesized various bodies of literature. The 36 reviews of research(11.4% of total content) have addressed wide-ranging topics: time of dayeffects on human performance (Hines, 2004), teacher recruitment andretention (O'Keefe, 2002), educators' spiritual formation(Earl, 2005), and the modern homeschooling home��schoolor home-school ?v. home��schooled, home��school��ing, home��schoolsv.tr.To instruct (a pupil, for example) in an educational program outside of established schools, especially in the home. movement (Ray, 2001). Basedon suggestions from the Journal governing board, with the emergence ofVolume 8 (2004-2005) a new article category appeared: responses from thefield. These responses, although shorter in length than the standardresearch articles and focus pieces, represented an attempt to engagescholarly interaction and debate around particular subjects. Moreover,including the responses from the field was an explicit attempt to engagedialogue among researchers and practitioners. As a relatively newsubmission format, responses from the field have comprised 8.6% of totalJournal content. ARTICLE FOCUS AND TOPIC Twenty-eight articles (8.9%) had an explicitly international focus(e.g., Australia, Scotland, India, Transylvania), with the remainderconcerned with domestic issues, samples, or not specifying adomestic/international lens. While the Appendix lists the sheerdiversity of topic areas addressed by scholarship in the Journal, Table4 lists the 10 most frequently addressed areas. Topics in highereducation were addressed in just over 6% of all articles. An additionalsix articles focused on Ex Corde Ecclesiae Ex Corde Ecclesiae (Latin:"From the Heart of the Church") is an Apostolic constitution written by Pope John Paul II regarding Catholic colleges and universities. It was promulgated on August 15, 1990. (John Paul II John Paul II,1920–2005, pope (1978–2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522–23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. , 1990); ifthese are included within the higher education topic area, thepercentage of total content devoted to higher education topics increasesto 8.3%. General examples of this genre include an article on hiringpractices at institutions of higher learning (Breslin, 2000) and aconsideration of teaching at the university level as a profession or avocation (Buijs, 2005). Along with higher education, Catholic identity,school choice, multicultural education, leadership, and privateeducation were topics addressed on more than 10 occasions. Out of theentire spectrum of topics listed in the Appendix (75 total), the 10 mostfrequently occurring that are listed in Table 4 accounted for over onethird (40.4%) of all material published in the Journal. ARTICLE RESEARCH METHODS The methodology and research design characteristics of each articlewere reviewed and classified according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. the method descriptionspresented in Table 5. The majority of Journal publications (61%) arebest described as descriptive research Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where, when and how. or research reviews. Naturally,this figure includes every review of research since by definition thosecontributions were syntheses of extant research. Other articles in thiscategory, however, include those that espouse a general narrative/essayformat, outlining and describing a topic area in a discursive, detailed,and/or purely descriptive manner. For example, Doyle (2004) outlined theimportance of high quality data as a necessary and powerful component ofthe federal legislative process as they concern educational programs forchildren attending private schools. Contributions in this category canbe largely theoretical, as evidenced by Bidwell and Dreeben's(2003) descriptive, sociological analysis of the private/publicdistinction in the organization of schools. Historical reviews appeared 34 times (10.8% of total content) anddelved into areas such as the evolution of private schooling in theUnited States (Glenn, 1998) and Elizabeth Ann Seton's passion foreducation (McNeil, 2006). Survey methodology was employed in 26 articles(8.3%). Exemplars include Squillini's (2001) examination of jobsatisfaction characteristics that lead to longevity and commitment amongCatholic elementary teachers; Watzke (2002) used an e-mail survey ofdepartment chairs and directors to examine practices within teachereducation programs in Catholic colleges and universities. Qualitative,case study approaches were used to glean glean?v. gleaned, glean��ing, gleansv.intr.To gather grain left behind by reapers.v.tr.1. To gather (grain) left behind by reapers.2. in-depth insight into topicsranging from social change efforts at a Catholic inner-city school inIndia (Jessop, 2001) to a two-part series on third-grade teachersworking in the sociocultural context of Hispanic border schools (Watt,2002a, 2002b). Of the remaining methods-policy review, interview, groupcomparison, mixed methodology, document analysis, and focus group-eachwas used in less than 5% of Journal articles. BOOK REVIEWS One hundred and forty book reviews were published in the first 10volumes of the Journal by 128 authors. Nine authors contributed two ormore book reviews. Only one issue (Volume 4, Number 4) did not publishany book reviews. In all other issues, there ranged between one to ninebook reviews with an average of four per issue. Books reviewed wereprimarily education-related but drew widely from germane fields such associology, law, human development, psychology, liturgy, history, andtheology. The sheer diversity of reviewed content reflects theeditors' commitment to viewing schools and other Catholiceducational entities as ecologically situated and deeply contextualized. REFLECTIONS ON JOURNAL CONTENT With regard to authorship, the descriptive analyses revealed thatover two thirds of Journal content was contributed by highereducation-based authors. That finding should be examined in light of theJournal's mission statement to consider whether it upholds themission as stated or calls for mission refinement. For example, withless than 5% of Journal content published by teachers, the Journalshould consider whether it wishes to solicit more scholarship frompractitioner researchers. There is a longstanding and growing movementto encourage the reflective engagement of teachers as experts in theirown right, able to conduct systematic, action-oriented research in theirown professional settings (Hendricks, 2006; Mertler, 2006; Nuzzi &Frabutt, 2007; Sagor, 2005). With the laicization of Catholic educationin general, it is perhaps not surprising that nearly one fifth of allarticles were authored by ordained or vowed religious. Issues toconsider when reviewing the affiliations and roles of publishing authorsinclude the manner of manuscript solicitation, direct outreach toauthors, and issuing specific calls for authors that are school, agency,or parish-based. Expanding the source of published research to include teacherresearchers might also have an impact on subscriptions. Theoreticalarticles attract a particular demographic more suited to highereducation and the professoriate. Including studies of individual schoolsand classroom practices or programs, conducted by teachers, would appealto a wider audience. In regard to article type, there is a clear balance among the twomajor types of article categories, focus articles and general researcharticles (41% and 39%, respectively). There has been consistentcommitment to review the knowledge base in various thematic areas asevidenced by the appearance of 36 reviews of research. Although new, theresponses from the field format is a particularly useful and engagingmanner to present scholarship as well as debate new and emerging ideas.Maintaining the responses from the field as a recurring fixture in thetable of contents places value on the dialogic di��a��log��ic? also di��a��log��i��caladj.Of, relating to, or written in dialogue.dia��log nature of a field'smaturation, highlighting the interplay and contrast of divergentviewpoints. The Journal has published scholarship on topics that span theCatholic educational research spectrum. Its pages have offered an outletfor research on topics as divergent as civic virtue, dance, andwomen's studies women's studiespl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)An academic curriculum focusing on the roles and contributions of women in fields such as literature, history, and the social sciences. . The caveat must be mentioned that much research isoften undertaken because of the nature of the financial support behindit. Financial support--through federal grants, foundation funding, andother sources--is, in turn, a barometer of the prevailing politicalclimate. When the public policy arena is focused on a particular issue,it is likely that research funding Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both "hard" science and technology and social science. The term often connotes funding obtained through a competitive process, in which potential research projects are evaluated and soon follows, typically for studiedinquiry into both sides of the argument. In regard to research methodologies employed in Journalscholarship, a range of designs and approaches were observed, from casestudies to survey designs to historical analysis. Taken as a whole,however, the majority of content in the first 10 issues of the Journal(61%) was largely descriptive. Such a finding is in line with the notionthat when a field--Catholic education in this case--is young, it islargely descriptive. At such a stage, the primary objectives of thefield's scholarship are to define parameters of the field; producein-depth, descriptive reviews of content areas; and provide conceptualframeworks and models to guide future research. It would be expectedthat in the next 10 years, although descriptive research will continueto play a necessary role, other educational research methodologies willconstitute an increasing percentage of Catholic education scholarship. As the Journal moves forward, a model of scholarship outlined byBurkhardt and Schoenfeld (2003) may provide insight and guidanceregarding a balanced approach to publishing educational researchsituated in Catholic schools. These authors described three approachesin the field of education more generally: (a) the humanities approach isgeared toward gaining knowledge and understanding by generating newideas and often manifests itself as critical commentary; (b) the scienceapproach is focused on the analysis of phenomena, the building of modelsto explain and predict, and then empirically testing those models; (c)the engineering approach centers on understanding phenomena in order todevelop solutions to practical problems. The advisory board and editorswould be wise to aim for a balance among these approaches. It appearsthat the Journal already does well to surface the humanities approachand offers some scholarship that fits the definition of the scienceapproach. By engaging practitioners even more in practical,research-based methods to address challenges and opportunities in theirschools, parishes, and campuses, the Journal will augment its repertoireof relevant, solutions-focused scholarship. Any journal, however, can only offer for publication the best ofwhat is received by way of manuscripts, both solicited and unsolicited.In calling for a deepening and a broadening of research approaches, nocriticism of current editorial standards or advisory board policies isintended. Rather, this recommendation can serve to shape the researchagenda of the membership of both the advisory board and the governingboard, and help direct the supported research agenda of theirrespective, constitutive constitutive/con��sti��tu��tive/ (kon-stich��u-tiv) produced constantly or in fixed amounts, regardless of environmental conditions or demand. faculties. Thus, if the Journal can achieve abetter balance among the approaches described as humanities, science,and engineering, it will only be the result of research ably conductedby many of the sponsoring institutions and their faculties and thebroader participation of K-12 Catholic school teachers. This effortholds great potential, especially in its interdisciplinary appeal toattract and bring together thoughtful teachers and professors in fieldssuch as psychology, sociology, law, and political science. In 1992, Convey addressed the status of educational researchregarding Catholic schools at the end of his work, Catholic Schools MakeA Difference. Summarizing published research from the period 1975-1990,Convey noted that the majority of studies on Catholic schools employeddescriptive approaches, comparative analyses, and included a surveymethodology. Longitudinal studies, which follow the same group ofstudents over a period of time, were few in Catholic education andremain so. Analytic priorities at that time included the need to measurethe true relationship between salient variables under study and thevalidity of approaches based on these variables. More sophisticatedstatistical techniques and rigorous predictive and inferential in��fer��en��tial?adj.1. Of, relating to, or involving inference.2. Derived or capable of being derived by inference.in approaches in the study of Catholic education were few, and althoughmuch has been accomplished in the area since 1992, much remains to bedone. CONCLUSION The Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic Education (2006) wrote thatit is imperative to "build the field of Catholic education"(p. 9). To embark on such an endeavor, it is critical to focus first onhistory, paying respect and homage to the past. It is often the casethat institutions and leaders must maintain and extol ex��tolalso ex��toll ?tr.v. ex��tolled also ex��tolled, ex��tol��ling also ex��toll��ing, ex��tols also ex��tollsTo praise highly; exalt. See Synonyms at praise. connections totheir historical forbears in order to meet the challenges of today andtomorrow. In the same way, this article is offered as a means to fosterhistorical memory of Catholic educational scholarship--both distant andrecent past-in a way that celebrates Catholic identity. Catholic education needs passionate leaders, but that leadershipmust be informed by accurate knowledge, scientific research, andmission-driven decision making. Efforts to advance the participation ofteachers in research and the breadth of higher education'sinvolvement in Catholic schools can serve to strengthen both thespiritual and academic trajectories of Catholic educationalinstitutions. As the Journal transitions to a new institutional home, BostonCollege ushers in a new period of stewardship for Catholic education. Inthe midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?"midmost of that transition, the inquiry outlined here is a small butimportant step toward taking stock of the Catholic educational researchknowledge base, confirming strengths, identifying areas of neededgrowth, and moving forward with renewed purpose. In this way, wecelebrate Catholic educational research for its rich past, but lookforward to its exciting future. Appendix Master List of Topic Areas Addressed through Journal Scholarship Adolescence Australia Biography Catholic Identity Catholic Social Thought Civic Virtue Classroom Management Consecrated Religious Dance Economics Education Law Education Reform Education Technology Elementary Education elementary educationor primary educationTraditionally, the first stage of formal education, beginning at age 5–7 and ending at age 11–13. Emancipatory e��man��ci��pate?tr.v. e��man��ci��pat��ed, e��man��ci��pat��ing, e��man��ci��pates1. To free from bondage, oppression, or restraint; liberate.2. Education England Ex Corde Ecclesiae Gay/Lesbian General Research Governance Government Funding Higher Education History Homeschooling Hope Inclusion India Instruction Ireland Jesuit Education Lay Faculty Leadership Liberation Theology liberation theology,belief that the Christian Gospel demands "a preferential option for the poor," and that the church should be involved in the struggle for economic and political justice in the contemporary world—particularly in the Third World. Literature Liturgy Lonergan, Bernard Marianist Education Maritain, Jacques Maritain, Jacques(zhäk märētăN`), 1882–1973, French Neo-Thomist philosopher. He was educated at the Sorbonne and the Univ. of Heidelberg and was much influenced by the philosophy of Henri Bergson. Mentoring Merton, Thomas Merton, Thomas,1915–68, American religious writer and poet, b. France. He grew up in France, England, and the United States and studied at Cambridge Univ. and at Columbia (B.A., 1938; M.A., 1939). Moral Education Movies Multicultural Education Other Faith-Based Education Parental Involvement Philosophy of Education Private Education Public Education Public Policy Reconciliation, Sacrament of Religious Instruction School Choice School Counseling School Leadership Scotland Scripture Secondary Education Self-Esteem Social Justice Special Education Spirituality Stress Student Achievement Teachers Teacher Education Teacher Recruitment Teacher Retention Transylvania Unity Urban Schools Vatican Documents Violence Virtual Schools Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966)Disney, Walter Elias Disney Women's Studies REFERENCES Bidwell, C. E., & Dreeben, R. (2003). Public and privateeducation: Conceptualizing the distinction. Catholic Education: AJournal of Inquiry and Practice, 7(1), 8-33. Breslin, R. D. (2000). Hiring to maintain mission. CatholicEducation: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 4(2), 227-238. Buijs, J. A. (2005). Teaching: Profession or vocation? CatholicEducation: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 8(3), 326-345. Burkhardt, H., & Schoenfeld, A. H. (2003). Improvingeducational research: Toward a more useful, influential, andbetter-funded enterprise. Educational Researcher, 32(9), 3-14. Congregation for Catholic Education. (1998). The Catholic school onthe threshold of the third millennium. Catholic Education: A Journal ofInquiry and Practice, 2(1), 4-14. Congregation for Catholic Education. (2003). Consecrated personsand their mission in schools: Reflections and guidelines. CatholicEducation: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 7(1), 88-116. Convey, J. (1992). Catholic schools make a difference: Twenty-fiveyears of research. Washington, DC: National Catholic EducationalAssociation. Doyle, M. L. (2004). Improving public policy advocacy through theeffective use of data. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry andPractice, 8(1), 69-85. Earl, P. H. (2005). Spiritual formation for Catholic educators:Understanding the need. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry andPractice, 8(4), 513-530. Glenn, C. L. (1998). The history and future of private education inthe United States Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the elementary and high school levels (often known outside the United States as the . Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry andPractice, 1(4), 427-444. Hendricks, C. (2006). Improving schools through action research: Acomprehensive guide for educators. Boston: Pearson. Hines, C. B. (2004). Time-of-day effects on human performance.Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 7(3), 390-413. Hunt, T. C., Joseph, E. A., & Nuzzi, R. J. (2001). Handbook ofresearch on Catholic education. Westport, CT: Greenwood. Jessop, T. S. (2001). Key ingredients in the search for socialjustice: A case study of best practices in a Calcutta school. CatholicEducation: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 5(1), 101-116. John Paul II. (1990). Ex corde ecclesiae [On Catholicuniversities]. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference. McNeil, B. A. (2006). Historical perspectives on Elizabeth Seton Noun 1. Elizabeth Seton - United States religious leader who was the first person born in the United States to be canonized (1774-1821)Mother Seton, Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, Seton and education: School is my chief business. Catholic Education: AJournal of Inquiry and Practice, 9(3), 284-306. Mertler, C. A. (2006). Action research: Teachers as researchers inthe classroom. Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks,residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , CA: Sage. Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic Education. (2006). Making Godknown, loved and served: The future of Catholic primary and secondaryschools in the United States. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame. Nuzzi, R. J. (2004). Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry andPractice. In T. C. Hunt, E A. Joseph, & R. J. Nuzzi (Eds.), Catholicschools in the United States: An encyclopedia (pp. 96-98). Westport, CT:Greenwood. Nuzzi, R. J., & Frabutt, J. M. (2007, June). Educators andsocial justice: Applied research in Catholic schools. Paper presented atFrom Evangelization e��van��gel��ize?v. e��van��gel��ized, e��van��gel��iz��ing, e��van��gel��iz��esv.tr.1. To preach the gospel to.2. To convert to Christianity.v.intr.To preach the gospel. to Discipleship dis��ci��ple?n.1. a. One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.b. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.2. : Integrating Community-BasedLearning and Catholic Social Thought, Notre Dame, IN. O'Keefe, J. (2002). Research related to teacher recruitmentand retention. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice,5(3), 401-406. Ray, B. D. (2001). The modern homeschooling movement. CatholicEducation: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 4(3), 405-421. Sagor, R. (2005). The action research guidebook: A four-stepprocess for educators and school teams. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Social Affairs Commission of the Canadian Conference of CatholicBishops. (2004). Pastoral letter on the Christian ecological imperative.Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 8(1), 34-43. Squillini, C. (2001). Teacher commitment and longevity in Catholicschools. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 4(3),335-354. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2006). Renewing ourcommitment to Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the thirdmillennium. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 9(3),266-277. Watt, K. M. (2002a). Border Catholic schools: Unique stakeholder stakeholdern. a person having in his/her possession (holding) money or property in which he/she has no interest, right or title, awaiting the outcome of a dispute between two or more claimants to the money or property. alliances (Part I). Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry andPractice, 6(1), 27-48. Watt, K. M. (2002b). Border Catholic schools: Unique stakeholderalliances (Part II). Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry andPractice, 6(2), 168-188. Watzke, J. (2002). Teachers for whom? A study of teacher educationpractices in Catholic higher education. Catholic Education: A Journal ofInquiry and Practice, 6(2), 138-167. JAMES M. FRABUTT RONALD J. NUZZI University of Notre Dame THOMAS C. HUNT University of Dayton MARGARET A. SOLIC SOLIC Special Operations & Low Intensity ConflictSOLIC Springs of Life International Christian Centre Saint Mary's College Saint Mary's College,at Notre Dame, Ind., near South Bend; Roman Catholic; for women; est. 1844 as St. Mary's Academy, chartered 1850 at Bertrand, Mich.; moved and chartered 1855. The school shares certain programs and facilities with the Univ. NOTE (1) The founding institutions agreed to share hostingresponsibilities for the operation and editorship of the Journal, eachproviding 5 years of institutional support. The University of Daytonprovided a sixth year of support before the Journal's transition in2002 to the University of Notre Dame. James M. Frabutt is a faculty member in the ACE Leadership Programand Concurrent Associate Professor of Psychology at the University ofNotre Dame. Ronald J. Nuzzi is Director of the ACE Leadership Program atthe University of Notre Dame. Thomas C. Hunt is a Professor in theDepartment of Teacher Education and a Fellow in the Center for CatholicEducation at the University of Dayton. Margaret A. Solic, a senior atSaint Mary's College majoring in History and Women's Studies,is completing an undergraduate research assistantship as��sis��tant��ship?n.An academic position that carries a stipend and usually involves part-time teaching or research, given to a qualified graduate student. at the Institutefor Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame. Correspondenceconcerning this article should be sent to James M. Frabutt, Ph.D.,Institute for Educational Initiatives, 154 IEI IEI Institution of Engineers of IrelandIEI International Electronics IncIEI Institution of Engineers IndiaIEI International Epidemiology InstituteIEI Israel Export InstituteIEI Indoor Environmental InstituteIEI Interrupt Enable Input Building, Notre Dame, IN46556.Table 1First Author Professional AffiliationsCategory Frequency PercentCatholic university or college 131 51.6School 30 11.8Public university or college 29 11.4Non-profit agency 20 7.9Diocesan administrator 19 7.5Private university or college 15 5.9United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 7 2.8Research organization 3 1.2Total 254 100Note. Percentages may total more than 100.0 due to rounding.Table 2First Author Professional RoleCategory Frequency PercentProfessor 59 23.2Assistant professor 37 14.6Executive director 34 13.4Associate professor 32 12.6School administrator 29 11.4Diocesan office 16 6.3Teacher 11 4.3Research associate/Fellow 11 4.3Director 11 4.3M.A. or Ph.D. student 10 3.9Other 4 1.6Total 254 100Note. Percentages may total less than 100.0 due to rounding.Table 3Article TypeCategory Frequency PercentFocus article 129 41.0Research article 123 39.0Review of research 36 11.4Responses from the field 27 8.6Total 315 100Table 4Topic AreaCategory Frequency PercentHigher education 20 6.3Catholic identity 14 4.4School choice 13 4.1Multicultural education 11 3.5Leadership 11 3.5Private education 11 3.5Moral education 10 3.2Secondary education 9 2.9Special education 9 2.9Biography 9 2.9Total 117 37.2Table 5Methodological Approaches Utilized in Journal ArticlesMethod Description Frequency PercentDescriptive research/Research review 192 61.0Historical review 34 10.8Survey 26 8.3Case study 17 5.4Policy review 11 3.5Interviews 11 3.5Group comparison 9 2.9Mixed method 8 2.5Document/Text analysis 6 1.9Focus groups 1 .3Total 315 100Note. Percentages may total more than 100.0 due to rounding.