ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Instructional Practices of High School Religion Teachers
Author: McGah, Marianne H.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Teachers,Religious Education,Catholic Schools,Teacher Effectiveness,Best Practices,Teaching Methods,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Relevance (Education),Questioning Techniques,Cooperative Learning,Guidelines,Learner Engagement,Student Centered Learning,Instructional Effectiveness

High school religion teachers in Catholic schools are central to the mission of such schools and teach in every Catholic high school. Research on effective teaching has not traditionally included this subset of teachers. The overall purpose of this study was to research the best instructional practices for high school religion teachers in Washington State, explore how to best implement the best practices, and explore what opportunities for sharing best practices teachers currently have. The Survey of Instructional Practices (SIP) was created, piloted, revised, and administered in this study. The SIP provided information from high school religion teachers in Washington State about lessons deemed to engage students and enhance student learning, in addition to teachers' opportunities for sharing ideas on best practices for teaching high school religion. The participants in this study reported on a best lesson taught in a high school religion class and many key findings emerged. The best instructional practices included: (a) discussion, (b) application to real-world situations, (c) application to student's own life, (d) questioning by teacher, (e) cooperative or collaborative learning, and (f) identifying similarities and differences. Each of these practices is highlighted in the research on best instructional practices for teachers. Furthermore, four major themes emerged for how teachers can implement these practices, which included: (a) clear guidelines and directions, (b) students engaged, (c) student-centered, and (d) students working together. Lastly, participants in the study highlighted the opportunities for sharing best practices as being informal, yet helpful and important. Overall, the findings highlight two important themes for high school religion teachers: (a) the importance of collaboration, both for students and teachers, and (b) the importance of being engaged in the learning process.
Leadership by the Standards: Constructing a Principal Evaluation Protocol Based on the NSBECS
Author: Kiely, Thomas J.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Administrator Evaluation,Principals,Catholic Schools,National Standards,Best Practices,Evaluation Methods,Leadership Qualities,Administrator Effectiveness,Faculty Development

One of the anticipated results of the wider adoption and use of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) has been the call for different tools aligned to the NSBECS. Multiple (arch)dioceses and schools have endeavored to construct such tools for their own use. In the state of Wisconsin, the Catholic Conference has aligned their entire accreditation process with the NSBECS in a effort to guide Catholic schools towards excellence in all areas of school self-understanding, programming, and management. In 2016 Dr. Kathleen Cepelka, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee created a task force of principals and other school leaders under the direction of Associate Superintendent Susan Nelson to craft a Teachers' Evaluation Framework based upon the NSBECS and the other best practices on teacher evaluation currently in use. Dr. Cepelka encouraged school leaders and others in the field of leadership evaluation to create a similar tool/framework for principal evaluation. The tool is the result of wide consultation and a deep reading of the NSBECS and other literature on job evaluation in both Church and secular circles. This article describes the construction of the &quot;Principal Evaluation Protocol&quot; with a particular emphasis on the utilization of the NSBECS as the guiding document in the process.
The NSBECS Impelling Action in South Carolina
Author: Leatherwood, Sandra
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Catholic Schools,Elementary Schools,Secondary Schools,Religious Education,Standards,Benchmarking,Catholic Educators,Educational Objectives,Educational Development,Strategic Planning,Educational Cooperation

The Diocese of Charleston is composed of 32 schools, of which 26 are parish elementary, two parish PK through 12, and 4 diocesan secondary schools. Unlike many dioceses in the United States, the Diocese of Charleston is unique in that it encompasses the entire state of South Carolina. This poses a challenge not only geographically, but also in many other areas where developing a system of schools is crucial to the sustainability of Catholic education. Among the challenges a diocese of this type encounters is not only distance from the Catholic Schools Office, but in many situations, the distance between schools, which is especially significant in this case since most schools have one class of each grade level. The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS) unearthed factors that each of the schools have in common, regardless of where they are located, grade levels, the culture of the school or the socio-economic makeup of the families. It revealed ways of thinking and talking about Catholic education to which all schools in the diocese could relate regardless of their size or composition. The NSBECS highlighted tangible ways in which the diocese could begin to build a common language and work towards common goals while the schools and the Catholic Schools Office supported each other in the process.
The NSBECS: The Foundation for Effective Catholic Principal Preparation
Author: Sullivan, Debra
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Principals,Administrator Education,Catholics,Catholic Schools,Religious Education,Leadership Qualities,Program Effectiveness,Benchmarking,Standards,Program Implementation,Partnerships in Education

The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) are a national articulation of defining characteristics and performance benchmarks that guide Catholic schools in assessing, strengthening, and sustaining their operations in four Domains: Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality. In relation to Catholic school leadership, the NSBECS can be a document that suggests a standardized framework from which &quot;. . . a set of competencies can be identified that provide the basis of a universally agreed-upon set of Catholic school leadership standards that can be used in conjunction with national and/or state-based educational leadership frameworks&quot; (Boyle, Haller, &amp; Hunt, 2016). This is exactly how the Greeley Center for Catholic Education used the NSBECS to develop the Catholic Principal Preparation Program. In response to the call for effective Catholic school leaders, candidates in Loyola University Chicago Greeley Center for Catholic Education's (GCCE) Catholic Principal Preparation Program (CPPP) learn to be agents for change. Even while performing the role of the instructional leader, Catholic school leadership requires additional skill sets, such as monitoring religious education and formation, promoting Catholic identity, serving as the faith leader, leading under unique governance models, and ensuring operational vitality. In order to prepare candidates for such a multidimensional role, the GCCE used the NSBECS as a powerful planning document to help identify the competencies needed for Catholic school leadership.
Tolkien&apos;s Allegory: Using Peter Jackson&apos;s Vision of Fellowship to Illuminate Male Adolescent Catholic Education
Author: Zoeller, Adam P.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Males,Adolescents,Catholic Schools,Story Telling,Religious Education,Films,Secondary School Students,Fiction,Single Sex Schools,Religious Factors,Fantasy

With many of the Catholic student population disengaged from regular ritual experiences their working vocabulary of the prayers and knowledge of the Church is limited. A beneficial bridge for many of these disconnected students, specifically male adolescents has been the use of storytelling in connection to Catholic themes to lay the foundations of ritual and deeper concepts through a more familiar setting. Through media literary, multi-modal instruction and Scripture exegesis adolescents can begin to recognize, understand, and feel a connection with the severity of the sacrifice of the Apostles in following Jesus of Nazareth. This article will offer some insights that have proven to be beneficial to help male adolescents to engage the complicated and foreign concepts and topics of the new curriculum framework, in association with Peter Jackson's vision of Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring.
National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools: An Archdiocesan Framework for Excellence
Author: Cepelka, Kathleen A.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Standards,Academic Standards,Benchmarking,School Effectiveness,Catholic Schools,Accreditation (Institutions),Recognition (Achievement),Teacher Effectiveness,Educational Improvement,Educational Planning,Teacher Evaluation,Administrator Evaluation,Principals,Institutional Mission,Self Evaluation (Groups),Institutional Characteristics

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee's system of Catholic schools currently consists of 95 elementary schools and 15 high schools in the 10-county region of southeastern Wisconsin. According to the National Catholic Educational Association's (NCEA's) 2017-2018 &quot;Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment, and Staffing,&quot; Milwaukee ranks 12th nationally in school enrollment and 9th in number of schools (McDonald &amp; Schultz, 2018). In 2012, a team of three associate superintendents, principal advisory councils, and Office for Catholic Schools collaborators were invited to consider establishing the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) as the single framework for all work related to Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee including, but not limited to, school accreditation, the Archdiocesan Exemplary Recognition Program, the Teacher Effectiveness Framework, school improvement planning, and teacher and principal evaluations. In 2012 the Wisconsin (arch)diocesan school leaders began to align statewide Catholic elementary school accreditation standards with the NSBECS as well. Approved by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops in 2014, this new process, based completely on the NSBECS, is now the premier and preferred accreditation tool for all Catholic elementary schools in Wisconsin. Information about the Wisconsin Catholic Schools Accreditation tool may be accessed in this report. [For the &quot;United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2017-2018. The Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing,&quot; see ED591954.]
Seminarian Sentiments about Catholic Schools
Author: Calkins, Kevin J.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Catholic Schools,Religious Education,Clergy,Cross Cultural Studies,Educational Attitudes,School Effectiveness,Financial Support,Educational Background,Age Differences,Ethnicity,Hispanic Americans,Latin Americans,Foreign Countries,Online Surveys

Three hundred sixty-one seminarians from the 48 diocesan seminaries in the United States and the North American College in Rome, Italy responded to a survey regarding their sentiments about the value of Catholic schools, their effectiveness, and the importance of financially supporting them. The results suggest that while diocesan seminarians are generally supportive of Catholic schools, they are more positive about the value of Catholic schools and the importance of providing financial support than they are about the effectiveness of Catholic schools, especially their religious effectiveness. The seminarians' sentiments toward value and financial support are comparable to those of previous studies of priests. The seminarians' own backgrounds in Catholic schools, selection of the most important purpose of Catholic schools, age, Hispanic ethnicity, and whether the seminary provided academic instruction about Catholic schools are factors that influenced their sentiments, particularly of effectiveness. The study did not include seminarians from religious congregations.
The Effectiveness of Professional Development in Overcoming Obstacles to Effective Online Instruction in a College of Education
Author: Borup, Jered
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Schools of Education,Electronic Learning,Faculty Development,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Online Courses,Outcomes of Education,Asynchronous Communication,Cooperative Learning,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Technological Literacy,Self Efficacy,Teacher Motivation,Program Effectiveness,Barriers,Attitude Change,Models,Instructional Effectiveness

Growth of online learning has placed increased pressure on K-12 schools and universities to provide students at all levels with qualified instructors. It is especially important that colleges of education provide pre- and in-service teachers with skilled online instructors so that they can experience the benefit of quality online instruction firsthand as students. This case study examined the effectiveness of a 6- to 7-week professional development course designed to improve faculty members' knowledge, skills, and dispositions--all required to teach online effectively in a college of education. Faculty participants were also given the opportunity to earn up to seven digital badges for demonstrating specific skills during the professional development course. Analysis of 18 faculty interviews, surveys, and discussion board comments found that course content and assignments improved faculty members' knowledge and skills, but the ways the course was delivered and the online teaching methods modeled by the course instructor appeared to have a larger impact on perceptions and attitudes towards online learning. As a result, online teaching professional development may have its greatest impact when it models the types of online courses the college would like faculty themselves to design and facilitate. Faculty appeared to be more motivated to earn digital badges than they had originally anticipated, but were confused about what to do with the badges once they were earned.
Putting Theory into Practice: Incorporating a Community Engagement Model into Online Pre-Professional Courses in Legal Studies and Human Resources Management
Author: France-Harris, Antoinette
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Theory Practice Relationship,Models,Online Courses,Legal Education (Professions),Human Resources,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Service Learning,Student Development,Personnel Management,Educational Environment,Teacher Student Relationship,Peer Relationship,Instructional Effectiveness,Educational Quality,College Faculty,School Community Programs,Student Volunteers,Professional Identity,Advocacy,Private Financial Support,Cooperative Learning

Scholars widely agree that community-engaged learning can significantly improve the learning experience for students while simultaneously having a positive impact on the community. This paper explores student perceptions in online pre-professional undergraduate courses in the legal studies and human resources management fields in which community-engaged learning projects were utilized. Students were paired with community members in instructor-focused activities linked to their academic curricula. Using reflective discussions, a survey, and focus groups, the instructors attempted to gather important data related to student perceptions of the community-engaged learning experience that builds upon prior research. While specific themes emerged in each course, the most significant findings common to both groups were the following: (1) students recognized the powerful impact of their profession, (2) students realized the increasing importance of soft skills to their success, and (3) students appreciated the growth in their own personal attitudes and professional skills. The student perceptions from these classes should lead to a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of community-engaged online classrooms and give guidance for developing future projects.
Making a Difference: The Promise of Catholic School Standards
Author: Ozar, Lorraine A.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Catholic Schools,National Standards,Academic Standards,Benchmarking,Program Implementation,School Effectiveness,Elementary Schools,Secondary Schools,Educational Improvement,Stakeholders

The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS) were published in 2012 to serve as both a guide and assessment tool for PK-12 Catholic school effectiveness and sustainability. The NSBECS rest on the conviction that adhering to these standards and benchmarks with fidelity will result in highly effective Catholic schools. The present study began the work of examining the use and impact of the NSBECS through two national surveys: Survey 1 (2015) focused on the scope of NSBECS implementation: who has been adopting/implementing the NSBECS and why. Survey 2 (2016) sought to better understand circumstances of implementation: how stakeholders are adopting/ implementing NSBECS and with what success. Results and analysis of both surveys demonstrated that users report the NSBECS to be a vital framework for assessing and improving Catholic school effectiveness, and generally calling Catholic schools to greater excellence. Equally important is the scholarly significance of recognizing the use and impact of comprehensive school effectiveness standards such as the NSBECS. This study provides the starting point and new direction for all sectors of education as educators understand the critical impact of such standards, and emphasize the importance of adopting a systemic school wide approach to school improvement and sustainability.
The Efficacy of an Online Cognitive Assessment Tool for Enhancing and Improving Student Academic Outcomes
Author: Shaw, Lindsay
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outcomes of Education,Academic Achievement,Electronic Learning,Learner Engagement,Cognitive Measurement,Self Efficacy,Undergraduate Students,Learning Strategies,Feedback (Response),Psychology,Foreign Countries

With technology at the fingertips of most undergraduate students, it has been difficult for instructors to fully engage students in the classroom, which has resulted in the creation of several innovative online cognitive assessment tools. These tools often integrate several cognitive learning strategies within an assessment, with the goal of actually enhancing learning, as opposed to just measuring it. In the current study, students' level of engagement and test performance using a recently developed online application were compared to their final multiple-choice paper-and-pencil exam mark to determine the efficacy of the new online application in achieving improved learning outcomes. Results indicated that students had high test scores using the online tool despite their limited engagement in the cognitive learning features, calling into question the online cognitive assessment tool's facilitation of long-term learning. Implications and recommendations for future online cognitive assessment application implementation in educational environments are discussed.
National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools: An Effective Tool for School Accreditation
Author: Erich, Margaret
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Standards,Academic Standards,Benchmarking,School Effectiveness,Secondary Schools,Catholic Schools,Accreditation (Institutions),Alignment (Education),Educational Practices,Educational Change,Educational Improvement

In 2012, as the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS) were published, the Michigan Non-Public School Accrediting Association (MNSAA) embarked on a mission to update its school accreditation process in an effort to refresh the process and to better align with current educational practices. The NSBECS became the guiding light that helped update and revitalize this process. This article provides an overview of the NSBECS.
&quot;Scribe Hero&quot;: An Online Teaching and Learning Approach for the Development of Writing Skills in the Undergraduate Classroom
Author: Francis, Kimberly
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Writing Instruction,Writing Skills,Skill Development,Computer Assisted Instruction,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Feedback (Response),Student Attitudes,Integrated Learning Systems

This study examined whether writing skills could be taught to post-secondary students via online learning modules and what student perceptions of such a learning process were like. A pilot study of the modules--called &quot;Scribe Hero&quot;--was conducted in the Fall of 2017. Statistical analysis of quantitative data reveals an improvement in student writing skills following their engagement with the online learning modules. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed that the students were engaged by the experience, finding it educational and refreshingly different from in-class options. The feedback also suggested that user-friendly technology, tone of the online environment, incentivising meaningful feedback, and maintaining a sense of direct applicability of content are essential to capitalising on this teaching and learning methodology. Overall, the findings of this small-scale research study support further development of this technology while also offering lessons that can be transferred to other contexts for teaching writing.
Open Video Repositories for College Instruction: A Guide to the Social Sciences
Author: Miller, Michael V.
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Video Technology,Instructional Materials,Open Educational Resources,College Instruction,Social Sciences,Economics,Psychology,History,Sociology,Anthropology,Political Science,Web Sites

Key features of open video repositories (OVRs) are outlined, followed by brief descriptions of specific websites relevant to the social sciences. Although most were created by instructors over the past 10 years to facilitate teaching and learning, significant variation in kind, quality, and number per discipline were discovered. Economics and psychology have the most extensive sets of repositories, while political science has the least development. Among original-content websites, economics has the strongest collection in terms of production values, given substantial support from wealthy donors to advance political and economic agendas. Economics also provides virtually all edited-content OVRs. Sociology stands out in having the most developed website in which found video is applied to teaching and learning. Numerous multidisciplinary sites of quality have also emerged in recent years.