Examining the Influence of Collaboration on Catholic School Leaders’ Pursuit of Instructional and Organizational Change

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  In Roundtable Session: Faith, Pedagogy, and Leadership in Catholic Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how and why Catholic school leaders formed internal/external partnerships in order to address ongoing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic era. We examine the perspectives of Catholic school and system leaders in order to better understand the ways these partnerships matter for helping Catholic schools pursue organizational change. We draw on data collected from 11 participant interviews with Catholic system leaders and school leaders working in a single Northeast United States diocese. Preliminary findings suggest Catholic school leaders sought out primarily external partners in order to help them solve crises because of a perceived lack of school support present in their diocese, while at the same time desiring more intra-system collaboration.

Authors

• Andrew F. Miller, Boston College

• Michael T. O'Connor, Boston College

• Whitney M. Hegseth, University of La Verne

• Andrew Hurley, Boston College