| The Coleman Report of 1966 revealed that minority students in Catholic schools, particularly multiply disadvantaged students, were outperforming their public school counterparts. Later studies by Greeley (1982), Carper and Hunt (1984), Neal (1995), and others provided results similar to those found in Coleman's report. In considering the low-income, Mexican-American as a multiply disadvantaged student, this study examines the religiously-oriented and non-religiously-oriented classroom and environmental factors, within selected Catholic elementary schools, which are perceived to be related to their high performances. Four Catholic elementary school teachers, in four different schools within the same diocese, along the Texas-Mexico border, were investigated. Teachers were chosen from schools with high populations of Mexican-American students, and from schools with histories of high performances on the Stanford Achievement Test. Case studies of 3rd-grade teachers were developed, and a three-interview series was used. Teacher participants were also observed at least three times, in their natural settings. Their principals were also interviewed, and teacher and parent focus group discussions were conducted. After providing in-depth descriptions of each case study in chapter 4, an additional chapter was constructed in order to organize the findings from each case study into emerging, common themes. Conclusions of this study, found in chapter 6, indicate that each one of the schools studied, despite variations, revealed interconnected and interdependent pivotal points (parents, teachers, curriculum, religion, administration and school climate) that were perceived to be related to the high performance of low-income Mexican-American students. The teacher, parent, and principal respondents also shared common goals and values, and, were in about the nature and mission of Catholic schooling. Consensus of this agreement type is rarely seen in public schools, and may even be absent in urban Catholic schools. This phenomenon may be due to the absence of bureaucracy and fewer political forces in Catholic schools, or to the relatively homogeneous population of the families attending these schools. Implications and recommendations for further research are presented in the final chapter, and include comparisons of the findings from this study to those from other Catholic school studies, and from search on effective schools and teaching. |
