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Evidence of the Catholic School Advantage
Decades of research affirm the positive, life-altering effects that Catholics schools confer on those who learn and grow spiritually and intellectually in their “privileged environment.” And yet, many of these precious national resources face mounting financial challenges, risk loss of their iconic Catholic identity, and more.
We could talk here about how many of these uniquely effective institutions, facing exceptional odds, are fragile and are at risk of closure. We could emphasize the fact that without Catholic schools, entire generations of children – especially children in our urban cities – will lose the only real opportunity they may have to earn a quality, transformative education.
We could talk here about how many of these uniquely effective institutions, facing exceptional odds, are fragile and are at risk of closure. We could emphasize the fact that without Catholic schools, entire generations of children – especially children in our urban cities – will lose the only real opportunity they may have to earn a quality, transformative education.
Rather than focus on the problems, however, we would like to share with you important and innovative solutions to these problems and challenges – solutions we see emerging from the arenas of academic research and public policy. Each month we highlight advances in research and policy that directly impact Catholic schools and Catholic education.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT:
A recent article appearing in Catholic Education: A Journal of Research and Practice, entitled “The Promise of Catholic Schools for Educating the Future of Los Angeles,” examined 8th-to-9th grade continuation rates, high school graduation rates, and the long-term impact of Catholic schools on students and their families (Litton, Martin, Higareda, & Mendoza, 2010). Researchers from Loyola Marymount University focused on a group of elementary and secondary students who received funding from the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF), a non-profit organization that provides tuition assistance to students who otherwise would not be able to attend Catholic schools because of financial limitations. Students from traditionally underserved populations who received CEF scholarships attended Catholic schools in Los Angeles, and their educational continuation and attainment were compared with that of their peers enrolled in local public schools.
* What was the continuation rate for CEF-supported students?
o 100% of eighth grade students in 2000-2001 (n = 567) continued into ninth grade. Notably, minority students comprised just over 85% of this sample.
* What was the graduation rate for CEF-supported students?
o 97%. Of the 205 students who enrolled in 2001 as first-year students, 200 graduated from high school with a diploma in 2005. In comparison, the graduation rate for the Los Angeles Unified School District was 66%, the all Los Angeles County high school graduation rate was 80%, and the statewide average was 85%.
Check out the full text of the article to peruse the survey responses and verbatim comments of parents (n = 1,808) and principals (n = 136) regarding the effect of Catholic education on this cohort of students from Los Angeles. Learn how these stakeholders describe how “Catholic schools are making a difference in the lives of CEF students, their families, and society” (p. 365).
This study was also presented at the 2010 American Educational Research Association Annual Conference as part of the symposium, Catholic Schools and the Immigrant Church: A Focus on Latinos.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT:
A recent article appearing in Catholic Education: A Journal of Research and Practice, entitled “The Promise of Catholic Schools for Educating the Future of Los Angeles,” examined 8th-to-9th grade continuation rates, high school graduation rates, and the long-term impact of Catholic schools on students and their families (Litton, Martin, Higareda, & Mendoza, 2010). Researchers from Loyola Marymount University focused on a group of elementary and secondary students who received funding from the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF), a non-profit organization that provides tuition assistance to students who otherwise would not be able to attend Catholic schools because of financial limitations. Students from traditionally underserved populations who received CEF scholarships attended Catholic schools in Los Angeles, and their educational continuation and attainment were compared with that of their peers enrolled in local public schools.
* What was the continuation rate for CEF-supported students?
o 100% of eighth grade students in 2000-2001 (n = 567) continued into ninth grade. Notably, minority students comprised just over 85% of this sample.
* What was the graduation rate for CEF-supported students?
o 97%. Of the 205 students who enrolled in 2001 as first-year students, 200 graduated from high school with a diploma in 2005. In comparison, the graduation rate for the Los Angeles Unified School District was 66%, the all Los Angeles County high school graduation rate was 80%, and the statewide average was 85%.
Check out the full text of the article to peruse the survey responses and verbatim comments of parents (n = 1,808) and principals (n = 136) regarding the effect of Catholic education on this cohort of students from Los Angeles. Learn how these stakeholders describe how “Catholic schools are making a difference in the lives of CEF students, their families, and society” (p. 365).
This study was also presented at the 2010 American Educational Research Association Annual Conference as part of the symposium, Catholic Schools and the Immigrant Church: A Focus on Latinos.