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Canon law recognizes the pastor as the chief educational officer (CEO) of the parish school. However, recent studies demonstrate that seminaries do not prepare seminarians for work in or leadership of Catholic schools, and recent scholarship also demonstrates that an increasing number of seminarians lack the desire to lead a parish school. Our research study examined the post-seminary preparation of priests for leadership of parish schools. We also explored alternative governance models for Catholic schools. We conducted structured interviews with 10 national leaders to explore these two areas of interest. Our findings demonstrate that preparation of newly ordained and veteran priests for parish school leadership is woefully inadequate. Interviewees suggested that the pastor/principal relationship and school finance are two important topics that should be addressed in best practice preparation programs for school leaders. All 10 interviewees had difficulty imagining alternative governance models for schools in which the pastor would not serve as the CEO, but at the same time, some of the participants could see potential benefits of alternative governance models. Based on the findings of our study, we recommend that: (1) seminary programs include an initial introduction to the importance of Catholic schools for evangelization; (2) a new national model for preparing young and veteran priests for school leadership be developed and implemented; (3) existing best practices for alternative governance models be collated and promulgated; and (4) church leaders and stakeholders determine the best governance models for their schools and then prepare the appropriate people for leadership roles accordingly.

Stability of leadership in Catholic education at the (arch)diocesan level is essential for achieving school system wide goals. This study investigated turnover and retention of Catholic school superintendents in the USA. Ten former superintendents were interviewed. The interview findings revealed that all but one former superintendent had left their positions earlier than planned. Their major reason for leaving early was related to negative experiences with church bureaucracy and politics at the head offices of their respective (arch)dioceses. To increase retention, the authors recommend a two-year induction process that includes a well-thought-out orientation, mentoring, provision for spiritual support, and access to tailored professional development. The authors also recommend these system-level changes: an overhauled preparation programme for superintendents, new organisational practices in the diocesan main office (i.e. chancery), clear succession plan, and national standards to guide consistent implementation of these changes.

Recognizing that pastors of parishes with a Catholic school play a vital role in Catholic education, and that the seminarians of today will be the parish pastors of tomorrow, this study sought to provide a better understanding of the perceptions held by Catholic seminarians about parish schools. Fourteen seminary students from 12 seminaries and 14 different dioceses from across the United States participated in focus group interviews to discuss their thoughts and perceptions about parish schools. Themes that emerged from focus group discussions included the reinterpretation of the New Evangelization, the understanding of the value of Catholic schools, mixed feelings about leadership of a parish with a school, lack of preparation for school administration, and minimal preparation specific to Catholic schools. Recommendations include the addition of a focus on Catholic schools in new editions of the Program of Priestly Formation (USCCB, 2006) and changes to seminary curricula.

Our multi-disciplinary research team explored the experiences and concerns of Latino/a students and their parents related to being welcomed and included in Catholic high schools in a United States diocese. We collected both qualitative and quantitative data in order to create a fuller picture of Latino/a experiences in these high schools. We make recommendations based on our findings to advance the scholarship on best practices for including students of new demographic groups in Catholic high schools with a specific focus on welcoming and including Latino and Latina students in Catholic high schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic schools are called to embody an identity and charism that make a unique and meaningful contribution to our Church and society. In the article, the authors present a coherent and relevant framework for thinking about Catholic identity and charism in contemporary schools using relationships as the organizing principle. The authors assert that 21st-century Catholic schools can provide a much needed and appealing charism for today's world by building a culture of relationships. The authors' framework deals specifically with a student's relationship with self, God, others, the local and world community, and creation, as well as a student's ability to critique culture through the lens of faith. The framework draws on ecclesial documents, scholarship, and current educational practice. (Contains 3 figures.)

In "Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB; 2005) calls on Catholic colleges and universities to work with diocesan educational leaders to prepare leaders for Catholic schools. In response, the Creighton University Education Department and the Archdiocese of Omaha's Catholic Schools Office formed a task force that held a series of meetings in the "Upper Room" on Creighton's campus to create a framework for leadership in Catholic schools and develop a preparation program that fulfills the framework. This article describes the task force process, framework development, and the Catholic School Leadership graduate certificate that resulted. The article concludes with observations related to the Omaha experience and thoughts about what comes next. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

This article assesses religion teaching as a profession in terms of selected characteristics that scholars agree are common to all professions. The characteristics that are addressed include essential service, call to serve, special knowledge and skills, specialized and advanced university training, public trust and status, code of ethics and performance standards, and professional organization. The research suggests that religion teaching satisfies two of the seven selected characteristics, namely essential service and call to serve, but does not fully satisfy the other five. The main conclusion drawn is that steps must be taken to professionalize religion teaching. To that end, recommendations include the further development of a professional association for religion teachers, credentialing standards, and a certification/licensing scheme.

Simple Summary: Patients with oncogene-addicted lung cancers that have developed resistance to oral targeted therapy have limited treatment options. Several studies have shown conflicting results in this setting, but those using Bevacizumab and Paclitaxel in combination with immunotherapy (ABCP) have consistently shown activity. Spread to the brain is common, but it is not known how many patients with brain metastases are amenable to chemo-immunotherapy, and its effect in this patient group has not been reported to date. We present here our retrospective real-life experience in patients treated with ABCP. Our results in 34 patients underlined that spread to the brain occurred in 19 patients (56%), 17 of them without previous brain radiotherapy. In these 19 patients, chemo-immunotherapy triggered frequent and quick responses inside and outside the brain and showed similar outcomes to those shown in patients with smoking-related lung cancer and previously untreated brain metastases. Contrary to Pemetrexed-containing chemo-immunotherapy studies, Atezolizumab, Bevacizumab, Carboplatin, and Paclitaxel (ABCP) treatment has consistently shown clinical benefit in prospective studies in patients with lung cancer and actionable mutations, where intracranial metastases are common. Here, we aimed to describe the real-life population of patients fit to receive ABCP after targeted therapy and quantify its clinical effect in patients with brain metastases. Patients treated in Cheshire and Merseyside between 2019 and 2022 were identified. Data were collected retrospectively. A total of 34 patients with actionable EGFR or ALK alterations had treatment with a median age of 59 years (range 32–77). The disease control rate was 100% in patients with PDL1 ≥ 1% (n = 10). In total, 19 patients (56%) had brain metastases before starting ABCP, 17 (50%) had untreated CNS disease, and 4 (22%) had PDL1 ≥ 1%. The median time to symptom improvement was 12.5 days (range 4–21 days), with 74% intracranial disease control rates and 89.5% synchronous intracranial (IC) and extracranial (EC) responses. IC median Progression Free Survival (mPFS) was 6.48 months, EC mPFS was 10.75 months, and median Overall Survival 11.47 months. ABCP in real-life patients with brain metastases (treated or untreated) was feasible and showed similar efficacy to that described in patients without actionable mutations treated with upfront chemo-immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School counselors are needed now more than ever. Providing Catholic school counselors the specialized formation they need to be effective in the Catholic school context is essential. This study addressed two research questions in this regard: (1) What competencies (e.g., understanding, incorporating) and topics do Catholic school principals and school counselors believe are important for school counselors to fully contribute to the educational and faith-based mission of Catholic schools; and (2) How might the research findings inform pre-service education and/or continuing education and formation of school counselors for the Catholic school context? Online surveys were developed using the "Defining Characteristics of Catholic Schools" from NSBECS and researchbased, mission-centered competencies and topics. The surveys were sent to the 40 principals and 54 school counselors at the schools in one mid-size U.S. diocese that employ school counselors. The survey response rates were 87.5% for principals and 91% for school counselors. Findings confirmed high levels of support from both groups for school counselors understanding mission-related topics and incorporating these competencies into counseling practices and activities, although principals often rated the importance higher than did school counselors. Some between group differences were statistically significant on items such as the importance of incorporating Catholic teaching with current student and school issues. To reduce differences in perceptions, the authors recommend increased collaboration between principals and counselors to achieve unity of vision. Other recommendations to help school counselors contribute to mission include embedding mission-related topics or adding specialized courses to school counseling programs at Catholic universities, designing mission-centered professional development opportunities, and building networks of school counselors to support them in their complex and evolving role in support of Catholic school mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]