Critical Transformation: A Conceptual Framework for Examining the Impact of UCCE (University Consortium for Catholic Education) Programs on Latinx Catholic School Teachers

• In Event: For Whom and to What Extent Are Catholic Schools Good?

Abstract

Over the past four decades, there has been a national rise in the enrollment of Latinx students in Catholic schools (authors; Smith & Huber, 2023). Despite this increase, there remains a significant disparity in the representation of Latinx teachers in Catholic schools. While research suggests that Latinx teachers positively and substantially impact the academic, social, and emotional well-being of students of color (Bristol & Martin-Fernandez, 2019; Carver-Thomas, 2018), Catholic schools face difficulties in attracting and developing Latinx teachers (Ospino & Wyttenbach, 2022). These challenges prompt the question of how Catholic education can improve its ability to attract, support, and sustain Latinx teachers in U.S. Catholic Schools.

The University of Notre Dame established the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) designed to bring recent college graduates into K-12 Catholic schools as full-time teachers of record (Notre Dame Task Force, 2008). ACE then provided support to other Catholic universities across the country to create similar programs. These university-sponsored programs united to create the University Consortium for Catholic Education (UCCE)—a collection of alternative teacher formation programs designed specifically to recruit, prepare, and develop new Catholic school teachers. Currently, 13 programs comprise the UCCE. They are united through a collective commitment that aims to prepare teachers through three pillars of teacher support: spiritual development and faith formation; intentional Christian community; and professional teacher development (Davies & Kennedy, 2009).

Limited empirical research, however, has been conducted around the UCCE programs, and scholarship on UCCE programs has yet to explore how this model of teacher formation has specifically impacted the recruitment and support of Latinx teachers in Catholic schools. There is a lack of guidance on how stakeholders within UCCE programs engage in critical reflection regarding the support and challenges faced by Latinx members.

In pursuit of this objective, the authors present a theoretical framework that draws upon empirical research on the preparation and support of Latinx teachers, grounded in the work of critical and Latinx critical theory scholars. The authors conduct a review of recent scholarly literature and theory concerning the development of Latinx teachers.
Through this review, the authors provide a conceptual framework that serves two purposes: (a) that UCCE stakeholders critically reflect on the state of their respective programs; and (b) that researchers in Catholic education identify key areas for future empirical study.

In this paper, the authors discuss the model of teacher education promoted by UCCE programs, with a specific emphasis on its three pillars of teacher support; explore essential concepts from Critical and Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit); and examine significant findings from the existing body of literature on the recruitment and development of Latinx teachers. A theoretical framework named Critical Transformation is proposed, accompanied by relevant questions. This framework aims to stimulate further reflection and research into the work of UCCE programs with a particular focus on supporting future Latinx Catholic school teachers.

Author

• Antonio Felix, Loyola Marymount University