The Scoop on: Poverty and Catholic Education

The Catholic education students at my school receive includes tuition costs that equates to much more than a monthly car payment per child for our families. Although Catholic education is on the lower-end of tuition costs among private and other faith-based schools, for many parents, it is a burden.  Adding to this cost is the expense of specific, mandatory uniforms-both dress and casual, and physical education uniforms.  The list of additional expenses goes on and includes frequent bake sales, book sales, field trips, and activity fees in which to participate.  However, outside of all of this, is the research-based success reports of graduating students both academically and socially, making it worth the cost.  The choice to send their children to a Catholic school is a sacrifice parents make in order to provide their children with a rigorous and spiritual education.

So what does a private school education have to do with poverty?  The opportunities for a better education for students of all income levels (now with federal aid available), allow for even more families to take advantage of a private school education.  The Catholic school education model includes characteristics of: rigorous academic courses, strict discipline, high teacher expectations, a safe and orderly environment, closely monitored attendance, close parent-teacher-student relationships, and a faith-based community of learners.  These characteristics affect student performance on many levels, primarily the overall school environment.  The two sources below show how Catholic education meet and or/support the needs of its students in the fight against the affects poverty has within the classroom.

According to Eric Jensen's Teaching with Poverty in Mind, students have three strong "relational forces that drive school behavior" (p20). These forces include: 1.  Reliable relationships (need for reliable and safe mentors) 2. Peer Socialization (sense of belonging) and 3. Quest for Importance (feel special). Catholic education aims to educate the "whole" child where the child's needs are met in all areas, specifically the three forces mentioned by Jensen that affect behavior.  By meeting these needs and addressing these behavioral drives, students have opportunities to learn necessary societal behaviors that they might not learn at home.  Consistency and stability are strong aspects of a Catholic education which can support children affected by various stress factors at home. 

The document, "The Catholic School Advantage", states that the academic advantage of Catholic schools is greatest for disadvantaged and minority students.  It has also been found that Black and Hispanic students in Catholic schools had greater achievement gains than comparable minority students in public schools and that socioeconomic status had a smaller effect on minority students (Hallinan & Kubitschek).  With the strides of equality (uniforms) and the focus of service, humility, and acceptance of others, it makes sense that children of minority groups are more fully supported in academic achievement because of the strong discipline and parent-teacher-student relationships than in traditional public schools.

Although we do not see poverty in Catholic Education in the traditional sense, we can witness the positive affects a Catholic education can have on children of lower incomes or in minority groups.   This education levels the playing field for all families and students, and incorporates a solid faith community in addition to strong academics. 

The strategies our Catholic schools are implementing serve children from many perspectives in addition to poverty in regards to income levels.  Other ways we can continue to combat the affects of poverty would be to include the following in Catholic education models:

• Implement a breakfast meal program
• Provide more scholarship opportunities
• Hire more teaching assistants to support growing class sizes
• Increase resources for learning disabled students
• Provide more support for ESOL students
• Provide free before and after school care
• More frequent uniform donation drives

Although Catholic schools are limited in resources public schools have, establishing a controlled school environment has shown positive affects in student growth and performance.  I invite you to check out the video below about Catholic Schools 2014!

References:

Hallinan, M. & Kubitschek, W., The Catholic Advantage. (2013). School Sector, School Poverty, and the Catholic School Advantage.  Retrieved February 3, 2014, from:  http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ914866.pdf

Jensen, J. (2009)  Teaching with Poverty in Mind.  Alexandria: ASCD.

[Student Photo] Retrieved February 3, 2014, from: http://www.worcesterdiocese.org/Portals/2/NewSkin/Catholic_Education_PageImage.jpg

[Video] Retrieved February 3, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTNdFtfJkKE&feature=youtu.be