The purpose of this research was to determine how the role of the principal in the Catholic school could be redesigned so that more quality applicants are prepared to seek principalship and principals already in the role could be retained. The catalyst for this study derived from the shortage of suitable applicants for the position of principal, a problem that exists not only in Australia, but also in many Western countries. An exploratory mixed method design was chosen for the study with the data gathering divided into two phases. The first phase was the qualitative phase during which the data were gathered using focus group interviews and analysed using QSR N6. The second phase was the quantitative phase, where the data were collected using a survey constructed from the data gathered and analysed in the first phase. This research project asked the question, how can the principalship be redesigned to attract more quality applicants to the role and retain incumbents already in the role? The research revealed that, to answer the question a fundamental rethinking of the principalship is necessary and that such momentous change requires nothing less than a paradigm shift. The new paradigm would be based on sharing leadership rather than on an hierarchical approach. It would have structures that are flexible and customised to the local needs of the school and school community. Learning would be central and a work/life balance would be essential, for all principals. The new paradigm would also offer enough flexibility to encourage women to both take up, and remain in, principalship. The findings from this research led to the development of nine propositions, which, it is suggested, should inform and influence the new paradigm of principalship. Together with the recommendations, they provide a scaffold and a guide to action for redesigning the principalship.

This thesis explores the religious dimension of the role of the principal in the Catholic Secondary Schools of South Australia. The study is set in the context of a complex and changing environment. Society is becoming increasingly secular, and religious values are on the wane. The role of the principal has become progressively more encumbered by government regulation and policy and an increased level of accountability for a wide range of school outcomes, many of these outside the core purposes of the school (Fullan, 2003). In Catholic schools, the numbers of the professed religious men and women, traditionally the backbone of those schools, has declined dramatically in the last two decades and lay persons have taken over from members of religious congregations as principals in most Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia This represents a paradigm shift in leadership in the Catholic schools. It has resulted in an increased focus from within both the Church and the Catholic Education System on the essential Catholic nature of those schools, and the role of the Principal in nurturing and managing this. The study found that principals had a deep sense of the importance of this dimension of their role, but that they felt a real need for more support and formation, especially in the scriptural and theological aspects of leadership. Most felt pressured by the ‘normal’ routine of principalship, and were looking for ways to ‘make time’ for reflection in order to better ground their actions and decisions in the core values of the schools, the System and the Church. As a result of this research, a series of recommendations are offered to Church and System authorities, to principals and to those aspiring to be principals in the Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia. These relate to professional practice in such areas as defining the nature of the Catholic schools, and recognizing their particular charisms; developing leadership succession strategies and preparation courses for aspiring leaders; exploring alternative approaches to the principal selection process, and developing a mentoring program and professional support networks.

For the last forty years, since the end of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has been committed to renewal. In Queensland, Catholic schools have responded to this commitment by undertaking cyclical renewal processes since the early 1980s. The focus of this research was the process of Catholic School Renewal in the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. The review of the literature focused on literature relating to school effectiveness and school improvement internationally and nationally, as well as Catholic School Renewal in Queensland generally and the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton specifically. The following research questions focused the research design: 1. How is the process of Catholic School Renewal a source of potential growth? 2. How does the process of Catholic School Renewal ensure quality Catholic education? 3. How is the process of Catholic School Renewal a useful quality assurance tool? The epistemological stance adopted for the research was constructionism. The research paradigm adopted was interpretivism with social interactionism as the selected orientation. As case study is congruent with an interpretivist tradition of research it was adopted as a useful way of gaining insight into the perspectives of the participants. The case was comprised of some staff members who worked in one of four Catholic primary schools situated in three of the four regions of the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. Data collection took the form of semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire with the data being analysed using the constant comparative method. The study concluded that the process of Catholic School Renewal in the Diocese of Rockhampton is a useful quality assurance tool which helps to ensure quality Catholic education. Whether or not the process is a source of growth is dependent on a number of factors, paramount among which is the approach and ability of the Regional Supervisor of Schools. There were six major recommendations arising out of the research. These related to: 1. Ensuring the Regional Supervisor of Schools has certain attributes and knowledge. 2. Inservicing school staff on the purpose and nature of Catholic School Renewal. 3. Providing External Validation Team members with adequate inservice. 4. Permitting more involvement of the school principal in the process. 5. Initiating a review of the process of Catholic School Renewal in the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. 6. Rockhampton Catholic Education continuing to use the process.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 1992. / Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

This thesis is a narrative describing the set design for the Richmond premiere of Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley. The project was a creation of a set to be used by the Barksdale Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. The performance was held in February 15, 2008 through March 22, 2008 at the Barksdale Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. The production was a cooperation between the Virginia Commonwealth University Theatre Department and the Barksdale Theatre Inc.

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2014-08-22T13:05:43Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao - Patricia Rodrigues Luiz Peixoto - Educacao - RC.pdf: 7721019 bytes, checksum: 439534380269aa0c33a7d0a9e34ca00a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-22T13:05:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao - Patricia Rodrigues Luiz Peixoto - Educacao - RC.pdf: 7721019 bytes, checksum: 439534380269aa0c33a7d0a9e34ca00a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This study aimed to investigate the origin of Breed Our Lady Aparecida in Ipameri-GO, founded and directed by the Congregation of the Missionaries of Jesus Crucified in the period from 1936 to 1969. For this, sought to know the principles of this congregation in the dynamic of Catholic Church, attuned to the interest and commitment of religious expansion in cities that served as points of irradiation of offices of the church and Catholic education. Thus, the particulars about the functioning and internal organization indicated the traces of the institutional history, that gave visibility to the intention to educate the children of society of Ipameri in the mold of Catholic faith. Methodologically, the study was situated in the area of History of Education, cropping in the parts of the School Culture and School Institutions, based on the documentary and bibliographic researches, which allowed the identification of different cultural objects that formed the empirical sample. The analyzes and interpretations were based, theoretical and methodological, in authors such as Barra (2011); Ginzburg (2011); Souza (2008); Bencosta (2005); Brandão (2005); Faria Filho (2005; 2002); Buffa and Pinto (2002), Thompson (2002; 1981); Borges (2000); Cunha (2000); Frago and Escolano (1998); Forquin (1993); Bretas (1991) and Loureiro (1988). In particular, the traces of School Culture were perceived in the vestiges of the institutional existence, marked by the mediation of symbols, rituals, norms and practices materialized in the Catholic school institution. The organization of spaces and times, as well as relations of the breed with the society, in the local and regional context, were interpreted according to the data obtained and the literature review, which pointed to the accomplishment of its primary goal: to become an institution reference to society, inscribing a school culture formatted by the principles and fundamentals Catholic Christians. / Este estudo teve por finalidade investigar a origem do Educandário Nossa Senhora Aparecida em Ipameri-GO, fundado e dirigido pela Congregação das Missionárias de Jesus Crucificado no período de 1936 a 1969, pelo viés da Cultura Escolar e da sua existência enquanto instituição. Para tanto, buscou-se conhecer os princípios desta Congregação na dinâmica da Igreja Católica, sintonizada com o interesse e empenho de expansão religiosa em cidades que serviam de pontos de irradiação dos ofícios da igreja e da educação católica. Assim, as particularidades quanto ao funcionamento e à organização interna indicaram os traços da história institucional, que deram visibilidade ao propósito de educar os filhos da sociedade ipamerina nos moldes da fé católica. Metodologicamente, o estudo se situou no campo da História da Educação, com recorte na vertente da Cultura Escolar e das Instituições Escolares, tomando como base as pesquisas documental e bibliográfica, que permitiram a identificação dos diferentes objetos culturais que compuseram a amostra empírica. As análises e interpretações teórico-metodológicas foram fundamentadas em autores como Barra (2011); Ginzburg (2011); Souza (2008); Bencosta (2005); Brandão (2005); Faria Filho (2005; 2002); Buffa e Pinto (2002), Thompson (2002; 1981); Borges (2000); Cunha (2000); Frago e Escolano (1998); Forquin (1993); Bretas (1991) e Loureiro (1988). De modo particular, os traços da Cultura Escolar foram percebidos nos vestígios da existência institucional, marcados pela mediação de símbolos, rituais, normas e práticas materializadas na instituição escolar católica. A organização dos espaços e do tempo, bem como as relações do educandário com a sociedade, no contexto local e regional, foram interpretadas segundo os dados obtidos e pela revisão bibliográfica, que apontaram para o cumprimento de seu principal objetivo: tornar-se uma instituição de referência para a sociedade, inscrevendo uma cultura escolar formatada pelos princípios e fundamentos cristãos católicos.

Researchers have observed that effective leaders are essential to achieving and sustaining high student achievement in disadvantaged poor rural areas. Poor leadership may negatively influence the academic performance of students. The poor performance of students in disadvantaged rural areas has been a continuous concern for Catholic educators in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the leadership practices that a rural Catholic school principal implemented to improve the academic standards in a disadvantaged environment in Nigeria. This qualitative case study sought to explore the practices of a principal in a Catholic school in the Diocese of Auchi that have improved student performance significantly in a disadvantaged rural area. Leithwood and Riehl's core leadership practices framework served as a conceptual basis for understanding the leadership practices of an effective school principal. The collection of data was through semistructured interviews with 12 participants (principal, 6 teachers, and 5 parents), a focus group with 5 teachers, field notes from direct observations, and documents from the school. Data analysis was thematic and flexible as guided by an interpretative framework. The findings suggest that Catholic school principals in disadvantaged areas need to set direction, have professional development for teachers, focus on the teaching and learning, and create an enabling climate with a positive culture, building Catholic character, good relationships, and stakeholders' collaboration. This study may contribute to positive social change in building best leadership practices in helping students learn in the midst of poverty, sustaining and improving student academic achievement.

This research concerns how lay principals are negotiating the nurturing of authentic Edmund Rice education in their schools within a period of organisational change in the 21st century. The context of this research is Queensland Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition, once more commonly known as Christian Brothers’ schools. These schools claim to carry on the educational charism of Edmund Rice (1762-1844), Founder of the Christian Brothers, who began schools in Ireland to provide a holistic education for boys, especially those who were marginalised by poverty and social stigma. Christian Brothers’ tradition purports that the Edmund Rice educational charism was handed on to successive Christian Brothers’ schools by Christian Brothers; however, research indicated that there were clear deviations from the original charism just prior to and following the death of Edmund Rice, raising questions of whether these schools remained authentic carriers of the original charism. Research also suggests that these deviations resulted in number of instances when the original charism of Edmund Rice was, at best, muted, or, at worst, distorted beyond recognition. Additional investigation also demonstrates that these departures from Rice’s charism resulted in a culture that differed from Edmund Rice’s original vision for education thus raising issues of authenticity for schools in the 21st century. Since Vatican II the Congregation of Christian Brothers has undergone significant changes. Most notable has been the reduction in Brothers in leadership positions in schools. Edmund Rice’s beatification in 1996 sparked renewed interest in his original educational vision, and The Congregation of Christian Brothers world wide began to explore what this charism might mean in contemporary times. In Australia, schools changed their name from Christian Brothers’ schools to Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition, as part of an attempt to develop an authentic educational vision for contemporary Australian schools. At the time of this research, there were ten schools in Queensland, all led by lay principals, within a subset of forty or more schools across Australia. In Queensland, these schools encompass a wide socio-economic spectrum and offer differing educational offerings ranging from a totally traditional curriculum, to a comprehensive curriculum, to more flexible offerings for disengaged and marginal youth; the majority of these boys’ schools are single sex schools. This researcher identified that there was lack of clarity as to what constitutes an authentic Edmund Rice school and that a lacuna existed between the organisational rhetoric and the reality of principals. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to explore what lay principals perceived to be the essential features or ethos of this educational vision and the ways they developed this ethos into an authentic Edmund Rice culture in order to determine whether these schools are authentic to the original vision of Edmund Rice. Because the purpose of this research was to explore perceptions, the epistemological position of Constructionism, using an interpretivist perspective was adopted for this research. The methodology of Case Study was utilised as it allowed for the exploration of the world of Queensland Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition from the perspectives of principals: nine current principals and one past principal were studied. The literature review generated the following research questions: 1.What do principals consider are the essential features of the Edmund Rice ethos? 2.How do principals ensure that the ethos of Edmund Rice is an integral element of school culture? 3.What aspects of leadership do principals consider important in ensuring that the Edmund Rice ethos is developed into an authentic culture? The findings of this research indicated that principals perceived that the essential features of ethos were found in: providing values based education; ensuring that young people were liberated from factors which marginalised them; ensuring that their schools were places of Diversity and Inclusivity; undertaking the development of Right Relationships; and developing a strong sense of community. Principals ensured that the Edmund Rice ethos was authentically connected to school culture through: providing Social Justice Initiatives; developing spirituality and sense of the sacred; providing flexible options for a diverse range of students; and ensuring that structures and formation experiences were provided to support the development of ethos. Finally, principals articulated their leadership role: in ensuring the embedding of ethos in culture was one of cultural change agent; as a spiritual and prophetic leader; developing a student centred focus; and being a role model for leadership within the totality of the school community. The research concluded that, for these principals, the development of an authentic Edmund Rice school was embedded in these three issues: 1.Ethos: A Catholic education with values based on Edmund Rice and his educational mission; 2.Culture: A positive environment which enables and encourages the development of structures and formation experiences to support ethos; 3.Leadership: Leadership led by a principal who understands ethos and is committed to a role model of the development of an authentic culture. However, the research also concluded that, while lay principals were committed to the development of an authentic Edmund Rice school and were committed to the organisational change needed to achieve this goal, they were constrained by a variety of factors including: school context; school tradition and history; the traditions and expectations of the Christian Brothers; the financial situation of the school; support or lack of support from the college community and Edmund Rice Education. These factors make the realisation of authenticity a goal to be worked towards, rather than a concrete reality. In essence, this study concluded that, one overriding dilemma for principals was whether they were prepared to make the sometimes difficult decisions needed to ensure authenticity to the original Edmund Rice educational charism, or retain the status quo, with the knowledge that, in so doing, they may be militating against authenticity to the Edmund Rice educational vision.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Brown University, May 2003. / "UMI Number: 3087270"--Prelim. p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, May 2003. / "UMI Number: 3087270"--P. before T.p. Includes bibliographical references.