Date of Award

2016

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

Abstract

Of the many accomplishments of the Catholic Church in the United States, one of the most known is the Catholic School System. In 1965, over 4.4 million children were educated in the 10,667 Catholic elementary schools, and almost 700,000 in the 1,527 Catholic high schools (Center for Applied Research for the Apostolate, 2013). The mission of the school was embodied, literally, in these skilled male and female religious who taught in these schools. But the number of male and female religious was not sustained, leading to the question of how the religious mission of the school will continue. The number of lay teachers, some not Catholic, have moved into many areas of school employment and education. How are these men and women to be formed into the religious mission of the school? This study attempted to measure the level of faith engagement, and strove to identify the qualities those school employees who are engaged manifest.

Using a modified version of the Gallup ME25 Membership Engagement Survey, since engagement was seen as a precondition of discipleship, or those who have made a conscious and deliberate choice to follow Jesus, and examining key concepts such as charism, mission, discipleship and engagement, it is hoped this study clarified, in a tangible way, the number of engaged employees in a school. In addition, by exploring the faith formation programs in four schools, two Jesuit high schools and two Dominican high schools, the study identified what qualities and characteristics are present in those who are engaged. Finally, recommendations were made for school leaders on how to better to engage employees into the school mission.

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