Perceptions of Catholic Identity: Views of Catholic School Administrators and Teachers

This article presents the results of a survey conducted in 2010 of over 3,300 administrators and teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools nationally about their understanding of the meaning of the term “Catholic identity.” The survey was conducted in the fall of 2010 in anticipation of a national conference on the Catholic identity of Catholic elementary and secondary schools at The Catholic University of America, October 2-4, 2011. The vast majority of respondents viewed the school’s culture or faith community as the most important component of its Catholic identity. The longer the teacher or administrator worked in Catholic schools, the higher the rating they gave to the essential nature of the school’s faith community to its Catholic identity. Other aspects of Catholic identity that received high ratings were prayer, the content of the religion course, who taught religion, liturgical celebrations, and participation in service. The respondents viewed the percentage of Catholic students as the least important aspect of Catholic identity

Factors Affecting the Views of Bishops and Priests About Catholic Schools

The attitudes of bishops and priests toward Catholic schools are critical for the school’s success. This article discusses a recent nationwide survey of Catholic clergy that measured the support of bishops and priests for Catholic schools, with a special emphasis on determining factors that affect such support. Overall, a high level of support for Catholic schools is reported by the majority of the clergy surveyed. Factors influencing that support include type and location of ministry, number of years ordained, and one’s own Catholic school background

Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Catholic School Teachers

This article examines the relationship between Catholic school teachers’ motivation and job satisfaction. The data are derived from a survey of 716 teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in three dioceses in the US (Atlanta, GA; Biloxi, MS; and Cheyenne, WY). The school’s academic philosophy and its environment were important predictors of the teachers’ satisfaction with their work with students and with their relationships with administrators and other teachers. The motivation to teach in the school because it was a Catholic school was an important predictor of the teachers’ satisfaction with the school. The results of the study confirm the importance of a religious factor as an important motivator for teachers choosing to teach in Catholic schools and an important predictor of their job satisfaction. Résumé Motivation et satisfaction professionnelle des enseignants des écoles catholiques Cet article examine les rapports entre la motivation et la satisfaction professionnelle des enseignants des écoles catholiques. Les données proviennent d’une enquête menée auprès de 716 enseignants d’écoles élémentaires et secondaires dans trois diocèses des États-Unis (Atlanta, Georgia, Biloxi, Mississipi et Cheyenne, Wyoming). La philosophie des études dans l’école et son environnement représentaient des variables explicatives importantes de la satisfaction des enseignants sur le travail accompli avec les élèves et leurs rapports avec le personnel administratif et les autres enseignants. La motivation pour enseigner dans l’école en raison de sa qualité d’établissement catholique constituait une variable explicative importante de la satisfaction de l’enseignant vis-à-vis de l’école. Les résultats de l’enquête confirment que le facteur religieux est important dans la motivation des enseignants qui choisissent d’enseigner dans les écoles catholiques et qu’il représente une variable explicative majeure dans leur satisfaction professionnelle. Resumen Motivación y satisfacción laboral del profesorado de escuelas católicas Este artículo examina la relación entre la motivación y la satisfacción laboral del profesorado de escuelas católicas. El corpus ha sido extraído de un cuestionario completado por 716 profesores de escuelas primarias y secundarias católicas de tres diócesis de EE. UU. (Atlanta, GA; Biloxi, MS y Cheyenne, WY). La filosofía académica de las escuelas y sus ambientes fueron importantes indicadores de la satisfacción del profesorado en su trabajo con los estudiantes, y de sus relaciones con los administradores y demás profesores. La motivación para enseñar en la escuela por ser católica fue un importante predictor de la satisfacción de los profesores hacia la escuela. Los resultados del estudio confirman la importancia del factor religioso como un motivador importante para que los profesores elijan enseñar en escuelas católicas y un predictor importante de la satisfacción laboral

Seminarian Sentiments About Catholic Schools

Three hundred sixty-one seminarians from the 48 diocesan seminaries in the United States and the North American College in Rome, Italy responded to a survey regarding their sentiments about the value of Catholic schools, their effectiveness, and the importance of financially supporting them. The results suggest that while diocesan seminarians are generally supportive of Catholic schools, they are more positive about the value of Catholic schools and the importance of providing financial support than they are about the effectiveness of Catholic schools, especially their religious effectiveness. The seminarians’ sentiments toward value and financial support are comparable to those of previous studies of priests. The seminarians’ own backgrounds in Catholic schools, selection of the most important purpose of Catholic schools, age, Hispanic ethnicity, and whether the seminary provided academic instruction about Catholic schools are factors that influenced their sentiments, particularly of effectiveness. The study did not include seminarians from religious congregations

The Impact of Catholic School Identity and Organizational Leadership on the Vitality of Catholic Elementary Schools

In order to fulfill their role of teaching children to receive Jesus and live out his call to create the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven, Catholic schools need to possess and foster the distinctive characteristics of Catholic school identity. This study examined the relationship between Catholic school identity and organizational leadership and the extent to which these predict aspects of school vitality in Catholic elementary schools. The results of the analyses point to the signifi cant predictive relationship of Catholic school identity on each subscale of school vitality and at least one subscale of organizational leadership on three of the four subscales of school vitality. In addition, years of teaching in Catholic schools and percent of Catholic students are signifi cant predictors of Catholic school identity

Aspects of resilience of polar sea ice algae to changes in their environment

Sea ice algae are primary producers of the ice-covered oceans in both polar regions. Changes in sea ice distribution are potentially altering exposure to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) wavelengths of light. Incubations using monospecific cultures of common species from the Ross Sea, Antarctic Peninsula and Arctic Ocean were carried out at ecologically relevant light levels during periods of 7 days to examine tolerance to conditions likely to be faced during sea ice thinning and melt. Algal responses were assessed using chlorophyll fluorescence techniques and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Quantum yields of cultures incubated in the dark and at ambient light did not differ. At higher light levels, the Ross Sea and Arctic cultures showed no significant change in photosynthetic health. Cultures from the Antarctic Peninsula showed a significant decrease. Antarctic cultures showed no detectable changes in SOD activity. Arctic culture showed dynamic changes, initially increasing, then decreasing to the end of the study. The general lack of significant changes signals the need for further parameters to be assessed during such experiments. The coupling between measured parameters appeared to protect photosynthetic health, even though significant effects have been detected in other studies when subjected to PAR or UV-B alone

Multiple colonization and dispersal events hide the early origin and induce a lack of genetic structure of the moss Bryum argenteum in Antarctica.

The dispersal routes of taxa with transoceanic disjunctions remain poorly understood, with the potential roles of Antarctica not yet demonstrated. Mosses are suitable organisms to test direct intra‐Antarctic dispersal, as major component of the extant Antarctic flora, with the cosmopolitan moss Bryum argenteum as ideal target species. We analyzed the genetic structure of B. argenteum to provide an evolutionary time frame for its radiation and shed light into its historical biogeography in the Antarctic region. We tested two alternative scenarios: (a) intra‐Antarctic panmixia and (b) intra‐Antarctic genetic differentiation. Furthermore, we tested for evidence of the existence of specific intra‐Antarctic dispersal routes. Sixty‐seven new samples (40 collected in Antarctica) were sequenced for ITS nrDNA and rps4 cpDNA regions, and phylogenetic trees of B. argenteum were constructed, with a focus on its Southern Hemisphere. Combining our new nrDNA dataset with previously published datasets, we estimated time‐calibrated phylogenies based on two different substitution rates (derived from angiosperms and bryophytes) along with ancestral area estimations. Minimum spanning network and pairwise genetic distances were also calculated. B. argenteum was potentially distributed across Africa and Antarctica soon after its origin. Its earliest intra‐Antarctic dispersal and diversification occurred during a warming period in the Pliocene. On the same timescale, a radiation took place involving a dispersal event from Antarctica to the sub‐Antarctic islands. A more recent event of dispersal and diversification within Antarctica occurred during a warm period in the Pleistocene, creating favorable conditions also for its colonization outside the Antarctic continent worldwide. We provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that contemporary populations of B. argenteum in Antarctica integrate a history of both multiple long‐range dispersal events and local persistence combined with in situ diversification. Our data support the hypothesis that B. argenteum has been characterized by strong connectivity within Antarctica, suggesting the existence of intra‐Antarctic dispersal routes

Assessing meiofaunal variation among individuals utilising morphological and molecular approaches: an example using the Tardigrada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Meiofauna – multicellular animals captured between sieve size 45 μm and 1000 μm – are a fundamental component of terrestrial, and marine benthic ecosystems, forming an integral element of food webs, and playing a critical roll in nutrient recycling. Most phyla have meiofaunal representatives and studies of these taxa impact on a wide variety of sub-disciplines as well as having social and economic implications. However, studies of variation in meiofauna are presented with several important challenges. Isolating individuals from a sample substrate is a time consuming process, and identification requires increasingly scarce taxonomic expertise. Finding suitable morphological characters in many of these organisms is often difficult even for experts. Molecular markers are extremely useful for identifying variation in morphologically conserved organisms. However, for many species markers need to be developed <it>de novo</it>, while DNA can often only be extracted from pooled samples in order to obtain sufficient quantity and quality. Importantly, multiple independent markers are required to reconcile gene evolution with species evolution. In this primarily methodological paper we provide a proof of principle of a novel and effective protocol for the isolation of meiofauna from an environmental sample. We also go on to illustrate examples of the implications arising from subsequent screening for genetic variation at the level of the individual using ribosomal, mitochondrial and single copy nuclear markers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To isolate individual tardigrades from their habitat substrate we used a non-toxic density gradient media that did not interfere with downstream biochemical processes. Using a simple DNA release technique and nested polymerase chain reaction with universal primers we were able amplify multi-copy and, to some extent, single copy genes from individual tardigrades. Maximum likelihood trees from ribosomal 18S, mitochondrial <it>cytochrome oxidase subunit </it>1, and the single copy nuclear gene <it>Wingless </it>support a recent study indicating that the family Hypsibiidae is a non-monophyletic group. From these sequences we were able to detect variation between individuals at each locus that allowed us to identify the presence of cryptic taxa that would otherwise have been overlooked.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Molecular results obtained from individuals, rather than pooled samples, are a prerequisite to enable levels of variation to be placed into context. In this study we have provided a proof of principle of this approach for meiofaunal tardigrades, an important group of soil biota previously not considered amenable to such studies, thereby paving the way for more comprehensive phylogenetic studies using multiple nuclear markers, and population genetic studies.</p

Impacts of local human activities on the Antarctic environment

We review the scientific literature, especially from the past decade, on the impacts of human activities on the Antarctic environment. A range of impacts has been identified at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Chemical contamination and sewage disposal on the continent have been found to be long-lived. Contemporary sewage management practices at many coastal stations are insufficient to prevent local contamination but no introduction of non-indigenous organisms through this route has yet been demonstrated. Human activities, particularly construction and transport, have led to disturbances of flora and fauna. A small number of non-indigenous plant and animal species has become established, mostly on the northern Antarctic Peninsula and southern archipelagos of the Scotia Arc. There is little indication of recovery of overexploited fish stocks, and ramifications of fishing activity oil bycatch species and the ecosystem could also be far-reaching. The Antarctic Treaty System and its instruments, in particular the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Environmental Protocol, provide a framework within which management of human activities take place. In the face of the continuing expansion of human activities in Antarctica, a more effective implementation of a wide range of measures is essential, in order to ensure comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment, including its intrinsic, wilderness and scientific values which remains a fundamental principle of the Antarctic Treaty System. These measures include effective environmental impact assessments, long-term monitoring, mitigation measures for non-indigenous species, ecosystem-based management of living resources, and increased regulation of National Antarctic Programmes and tourism activities