Jesuit High Schools and the National Study of Youth and Religion Project

• In Event: Issues in Faith-Based Education

Abstract

The Jesuit High Schools and the National Study of Youth and Religion Project builds from past research (Smith, with Denton, 2005) to determine the influence of the culture of religious (and specifically Ignatian) formation on the spiritual lives of students at Jesuit high schools, and to identify best practices and other resources for secondary educators to more effectively support students’ spiritual growth and development. This paper proposes a review of the quantitative findings from the pilot study of this 3-year project. The guiding questions for the pilot study are: Do students in U.S. Jesuit schools demonstrate spirituality outcomes similar to diverse students in the NSYR? What impact does attending a Jesuit school have on teens’ religious formation?

Authors

• Michael Thomas O'Connor, Boston College

• Jenny Small, Boston College

• Joseph M. O Keefe, Boston College

• Patricia A. Weitzel-O'Neill, Boston College - Roche Center for Catholic Education

• Molly Cummings, Boston College