Catholic Schools & the Common Good - Hardcover

Bryk, Anthony S

3.8

15 ratings by Goodreads

9780674103108: Catholic Schools & the Common Good

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674103106 ISBN 13: 9780674103108

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1993

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It is generally agreed that students - especially those from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds - are better educated in Catholic high schools than in public high schools. This finding is intriguing, but what does it mean? Do Catholic schools really have an independent effect on their students, or are they merely skimming off the cream of the student population? If these high schools do make a difference, what are their achievements and how might they be transferred to the public sector? Anthony Bryk, Valerie Lee, and Peter Holland respond to these questions in this comprehensive look at how Catholic high schools function. The authors examine a broad range of Catholic high schools: some have a large percentage of minority students, others are predominantly white; some are single-sex schools, others are co-educational. Although the student population is somewhat more advantaged (socially and academically) than that of public schools, the authors find that the Catholic schools have an independent effect on achievement, especially in reducing disparities between disadvantaged and privileged students. The schools do this by de-emphasizing tracking (all students take an academic curriculum, although brighter and more motivated students are pushed harder); by creating a caring community within the school that values students for themselves, not just for how much knowledge they can absorb; and by the visible presence of faculty who assume multiple roles with students, such as teacher, athletic coach, and counsellor. The Catholic school of today, the authors show, is a very different institution from the Catholic school of 30 years ago. It is now informed by a vision, similar to that of John Dewey, of the school as a community committed to democratic education and the common good of all students. Conversely, public education is largely driven by the rhetoric of the marketplace, a radical individualism, and the pursuit of economic reward. This book offers public schools an alternative, more humane vision of how secondary schooling might be organized.

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Review:

A superb study that enhances our understanding not only of Catholic schools but of schools generally. -- James E. Rosenbaum "Contemporary Sociology" A richly detailed, and documented study...Besides being the best group portrait of today's U.S. Catholic high schools, this is also a formidable testimonial to the virtues and accomplishments of those schools. -- John W. Donohue "America" Like the schools they write about, the authors of this important book combine scholarship with a mission. The scholarship in this book is a rare blend of case study, number crunching and rumination in social and intellectual history. -- Joseph P. McDonald "New York Times Book Review" This comprehensive analysis of the effects of Catholic schools, especially on low-income children, concluded that 'Catholic schools function as a public resource.' Catholic schools are able to accomplish this essential task in all communities because, among many important factors, they introduce a spiritual dimension to the student's education. -- Mike McCormick "Dayton News" An exemplary book..."Catholic Schools and the Common Good" provides intensive analysis of the distinctive character of Catholic schools...After reading the book, one is not only convinced that Catholic schools have advantages for academic achievement--especially for low-income and minority youth--but one understands the mechanisms through which these advantages accrue. -- Adam Gamoran "Teachers College Record" [An] exemplary book..."Catholic Schools and the Common Good" provides intensive analysis of the distinctive character of Catholic schools...After reading the book, one is not only convinced that Catholic schools have advantages for academic achievement--especially for low-income and minority youth--but one understands the mechanisms through which these advantages accrue. -- Adam Gamoran "Teachers College Record" The central argument of this clearly written, superbly researched effort is that [American] public high schools need to mimic their Catholic counterparts. Catholic high schools, according to the authors, 'manage simultaneously to achieve relatively high levels of student learning, distribute this learning more equitably with regard to race and class than in the public sector, and sustain high levels of teachers commitment and student engagement.' -- John T. McGreevy "Commonweal"

From the Back Cover:

The authors examine a broad range of Catholic high schools to determine whether or not students are better educated in these schools than they are in public schools. They find that the Catholic schools do have an independent effect on achievement, especially in reducing disparities between disadvantaged and other students. The Catholic school of today, they show, is informed by a vision, similar to that of John Dewey, of the school as a community committed to democratic education and the common good of all students.

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