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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

What makes a Catholic school “Catholic?” Catholic primary and

secondary schools have experienced a number of changes in the years

since the Second Vatican Council. Today, Catholic schools are staffed

almost entirely by lay people, while in the 1960s, they were staffed

primarily by religious sisters, brothers and priests. As Catholics move

from the inner-city to the suburbs, inner-city, parish schools have

dwindled in enrollment filling the halls with non-Catholic students.

Some fear that these changes signify a crisis in Catholic identity.

Indeed, there seems to be no hotter issue about Catholic schools than

the discussion about what it means for a Catholic school to be called

“Catholic.” (http://www.thereligionteacher.com/catholic-identity-in-

catholic-schools/#sthash.hBGoXZ4F.dpuf)

The issue mentioned above is strengthened by Father Peter

Stravinskas, executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation in

New York, that a school’s Catholic identity is not as assured as it was in

an earlier time, when much of the faculty was composed of priests and

religious. He further added that a number of individual schools and the

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Archdiocese of Denver and the Diocese of Gaylord in Michigan have

adopted the Catholic Identity Assessment for all diocesan schools. This

is their way of measuring the extent of the catholicity of schools in

Michigan.

Moreover, looking at the present condition of the Catholic Schools

in the Philippines, it is undeniable to say that they are now confronted

with many challenges. Aside from striving to cope with the demands of

sustaining and enhancing the standard of quality education as Tudy

(2013) pointed out, Catholic schools face enormous challenges as

reflected on the kind of graduates they are producing.

Furthermore, Catholic schools are now continued to be

challenged with regard to their graduates when they are already in

power. Even Msgr. Fernando Capalla, DD, former chairperson of the

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as cited by Tudy

(2013), once said: “It is very discouraging to note that most of the

lawmakers who are products of Catholic schools are the ones who are

making bills that are detrimental to the moral values (Ventura, 2005).

In his work with a Non-Government Organization, Alejo (2008),

discovered that many of the corrupt officials in the Philippines are

graduates of Catholic schools. This is a sad thing to know and lead us

to reflect on the essential marks to which we can say that St. Mary’s

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College is really a Catholic. But how can we measure the standards of

a catholic school and its essential marks? What parameter can we

apply to determine the degree of its standards?

In Tagum City, Catholic private schools are seen as models in

terms of Catholic faith as reflected in their mission -vision of the

school. Different activities in line with Catholic faith and service have

been organized and practiced by students for them to develop their

faith and service to others. Johnson and Fauske (2005) argued that

those activities in educational organizations, such as leading, teaching,

learning, counselling, coaching, among others, take place in an

organizational context. Thus, looking at the standards of Catholic

schools, there’s a need to approach it from the organizational

perspective.

It is in this context that the researchers are very interested to

determine the Catholic identity standards and the marks of St.

Mary’s College of Tagum City, Inc. as a Catholic institution.

Statement of the Problem

Our basic intention of this study is to determine the level of

Catholic identity standards and the marks of St. Mary’s College of

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Tagum, Inc. as a Catholic institution. Specifically, this study seeks to

answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of Catholic Standard Identity of St. Mary’s

College in terms of:

1.1 communicated mission (standard 1);

1.2 academic program (standard 2);

1.3 student-faith formation (standard 3); and

1.4 adult- faith formation (standard 4)?

2. What is the level of the essential marks Catholicity in terms of:

1.1 Inspired by a supernatural vision;

1.2 Founded on a Christian anthropology;

1.3 Animated by communion and community;

1.3.1 teamwork;

1.3.2 cooperation between educators and bishops;

1.3.3 interaction of students and teachers; and

1.3.4 physical environment

1.4 Imbued with a Catholicworldview throughout its curriculum;

1.4.1 Love for wisdom and passion for truth; and

1.5 Sustained by Gospel witness?

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3. Is there a significant relationship between the level of a Catholic

standard identity and the marks of Catholicity of St. Mary’s College

of Tagum, Inc., Tagum City?

Hypothesis

1.There is no significant difference in the level of the Catholic

standard

identity and the essential marks of Catholicity of St. Mary’s College of

Tagum, Inc., Tagum City .

Review of Related Literature

This part of this study presents review of related literature that

has bearing on the present study.

Catholicity

Pope John Paul II reminded a group of American bishops during

their 2004 ad limina visit that it is of utmost importance that the

Church’s institutions be genuinely Catholic: Catholic in their self-

understanding and Catholic in their identity. Moreover, Michael

Guerra, former president of the National Catholic Educational

Association, challenges Catholic Schools by saying that the first and

most important task for Catholic schools is to maintain and continually

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strengthen their Catholic identity. In other words, the five elements

such as Inspired by a supernatural vision; founded on a Christian

anthropology; animated by communion and community; imbued with a

Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum; and sustained by Gospel

witness belong to a Catholic School’s identity are the principles

proposed by the Holy See that justify the Church’s heavy investment in

schooling. These five elements are the measurable benchmarks

forming the backbone and inspiring the mission of every Catholic

School.

Catholic Identity Standards

A standard is an established level of achievement. It is what the

student is expected to know and be able to do in a given curriculum

area. While benchmark is an interpretation of a standard. It is an

articulation of various pieces needed to achieve the standard. 

Achieving benchmarks helps show the student has addressed the

standard.  Benchmarks are more specifically stated than standards

are.  Benchmarks contain specific action verbs that reflect higher-

order thinking skills, skills which are necessary from the youngest

students all the way through high school

(

http://catholicschoolstandards.org/files/Catholic_School_Standards_03-

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12.pdfRetrieved:April 14, 2014).

Inspired by a Supernatural Vision. According to the Teaching

of Catholic Schools, the Church sees education as a process that in the

light of man’s transcendent destiny, forms the whole child and seeks

to fix his or her eyes on heaven. In this, we can say that the specific

purpose of Catholic education is the formation of boys and girls who

will be good citizens of this world by loving God and neighbor and

enriching society with the leaven of the gospel.

Further, in a speech addressed to American Catholic educators in

New Orleans, Pope John Paul II presented them with the pressing

challenge of clearly identifying aims of Catholic education, and

applying proper methods in Catholic elementary and secondary

education. This is a challenge to all Catholic Schools to understand

their educational enterprise, by properly evaluating its content and

transmitting it to the full truth concerning the human person, created

in God’s image and called to life in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Founded on a Christian Anthropology. The emphasis on the

supernatural destiny of students brings with it a profound appreciation

of the need to perfect children in all their dimensions as images of

God(Cf.Gen. 1:26-27).

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Moreover, Catholic theology teaches that grace builds on nature.

Because of this complementarity of the natural and the supernatural ,

Catholic educators should have a sound understanding of the human

person that addresses the requirements of both the natural and the

supernatural perfection of the children entrusted to their care.

Moreover, the Catholic educator must consciously inspire his or her

activity with the Christian concept of the person, in communion with

the Magisterium of the Church. It is a concept which includes a defense

of human rights, but also attributes to the human person, the dignity of

a child of God. This calls for the fullest development of all that is

human (Miller, 2006).

Moreover, the Holy Sees documents insist that in order to be

worthy of its name, a Catholic school must be founded on Jesus Christ,

the Redeemer. It is He whothrough his Incarnation, is united with each

student. Christ is not a afterthought or an add-on to Catholic

educational philosophy; He is the center and fulcrum of the entire

enterprise, the light enlighteningevery boy and girl who comes into a

Catholic school (cf. John 1:9).

Thus the Catholic school is committed to the development of the

whole man since Christ, the perfect man, all human values find their

fulfillment and unity. The duty of a Catholic school is to cultivate

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human valuesin their own legitimate right in accordance with its

particular mission, to serve all men (Miller, 2000).

Moreover, the gospel of Jesus Christ and His very person are to

inspire and guide the Catholic School in every dimension of its life and

activity- its philosophy of education, its curriculum, its community

life, its selection of teachers and even its physical environment.

Animated by Communion and Community. This mark gives

emphasis on the school as a community, a community of persons and

even more to the point of being a community of faith. This communal

dimension is rooted both in the social nature of the human person and

in the reality of the Church as the home and the school of communion.

Moreover, the declaration o Gravissismum Educationis notes an

important advance in the way a Catholic school is thought of: the

transition from the school as an institution to the school as a

community. This community dimension is perhaps one new result of

the new awareness of the Church’s nature as developed by the council.

In the Council texts, the community dimension is primarily a

theological concept rather than a sociologica catergory.

In addition, the Holy See describes the school as a community in

four areas: the teamwork among those involved; cooperation between

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educators and bishops; the interaction of students with teachers; and

the school’s physical environment.

Imbued with a Catholic Worldview throughout its

Curriculum. The distinctive characteristics of a Catholic schools is that

the spirit of Catholicism should permeate the entire curriculum.

Catholic education is intentrionally directed to the growth of the whole

person. An integral education aims to develop gradually every

capability of every student: hisor her intellectual, physical,

psychological, moral and religious capacities.

Moreover, the Vatican documents say that the integral formation

of the human person which is the purpose of education includes the

development of all the human faculties of the students together with

the preparation for professional life, formation of ethical and social

awareness, become aware of the transcendental and religious

education.

In addition, every school and every educator in the school ought

to be striving to form strong and responsible individuals who are

capable of making free and correct choices, thus, preparing young

people to open themselves more and more to reality and to form in

themselves a clear idea of the meaning of life The Catholic School).

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Sustained by Gospel Witness. According to Bishop J. Michael Miller,

CSB, the school’s authentic catholicity is the vital witness of its

teachers and administrators. With them lies the primary responsibility

for creating a Christian school climate as individuals and as a

community.

Likewise, the Holy Sees documents pay a great deal of the

attention to the vocation of teachers and their participation in the

Church’s evangelizing mission. Theirs is a supernatural calling and not

simply the exercise of a profession. The nobility of the task to which

teachers are called demands that in imitation of Christ, the only

Teacher, they reveal the Christian message not only by word but also

by every gesture of their behavior.

In like manner, Pope Benedict XV1 spoke about the kind of

witness required of all teachers of faith including including those in

Catholic schools. He added that every educator and witness finds an

unequaled model in Jesus Christ, the Father’s great witness who said

nothing about Himself but spoke as the Father had taught Him (cf. John

8:28).

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework of the Study

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This study is anchord on the standards that address Catholic

Identity and culture as vital to the mission of Catholic schools in the

United States. This unique Catholic identity makes Catholic

elementary, secondary and tertiary schools, school’s for the human

person and allows them to fill them a critical role in the future life of

the Church, our country and the world (The Catholic School on the

Threshold of the Third Millenium, 1997). The standards are the

following:

First, an excellent Catholic School is guided and driven by a

clearly communicated mission that embraces a Catholic identity

rooted in the Gospel values centered on the Eucharist, and committed

to faith formation, academic excellence and service. Second, an

excellent Catholic school adhering to the mission provides a rigorous

academic program for religious studies and catechesis in the

Catholic faith, set within a total academic curriculum that integrates

faith, culture and life. Third, an excellent Catholic school adhering to

the mission provides opportunities outside the classroom for student

faith formation, participation in liturgical and communal prayer, and

action in service of social justice. And fourth, an excellent Catholic

school adhering to the mission provides opportunities for adult faith

formation and action in service and social justice.

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Moreover, this study is also anchored on the five essential marks

of Catholic Schools by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB. He mentioned

that Papal interventions and Roman documents repeatedly emphasize

that certain characteristics must be present for a school to be

considered authentically Catholic. He added that like the marks of the

Church proclaimed in the Creed-one, holy, catholic and apostolic- so

too does the Holy See identify features of a school as Catholic: a

Catholic school should be inspired by a supernatural vision,

founded on Christian anthropology, animated by communion

and community, imbued with Catholic worldview throughout its

curriculum and sustained by gospel witness. These benchmarks

help to answer the critical question: Is SMC a Catholic school according

to the mind of the church.

Below is a schematic diagram showing the concept of the study.

The independent variable is the Catholic Identity Standard that

consists of the communicated mission, academic program, student

faith formation and adult faith formation. Moreover, the dependent

variable is the essential marks of a Catholic school that consists of

supernatural vision, founded on Christian anthropology, animated by

communion and community, imbued with Catholic worldview

throughout its curriculum and sustained by gospel witness.

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Independent Variable Dependent

Variable

Catholic Identity

Standards

communicated

mission

academic program

student faith

formation

adult faith formation

Marks of a Catholic

School

supernatural vision founded on Christian

anthropology animated by

communion and community

imbued with Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum

sustained by gospel witness

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Figure 1- The Conceptual Paradigm of the Study

Significance of the Study

It is hoped that the result of this study will provide enlightenment

to the following.

Catholic School Administrators. The result of this study might

challenge them to think that a Catholic School is not only a factory for

the learning of various skills and competencies designed to fill the

echelons of business and industry, nor it is for clients and consumers in

a competitive marketplace that values academic achievement but

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rather a Catholic school sets out to be a school for the human persons

and of human persons. Hence, they should be committed to the

development of the whole man.

Teachers. The result of the study will inspire them to strive for

academic excellence and equip their students with enviable skills

imbued with values. Moreover, Direct and personal contact with the

students is a hallmark of a Catholic school . The result of this study will

further motivate them to be friendly with the students but without

losing sight of the school’s mission.

Students. It is hoped that when they go out from the portals of the

school, they will always live the values imbibed by their teachers in

their own lives whether they will be successful or not in their career.

Parents. This will give them an idea to be involved in the Catholic

education of their children by being supportive to their academic and

non-academic endeavors especially for spiritual growth.

Definition of Terms

To make the readers better understand the study, all important

terms are conceptually and operationally defined.

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Catholicity. This means the belief and practices of the Catholic

Church based in Rome (Thesaurus). In this study, it refers to the belief

and practices of SMC patterned in the Catholic Church.

Inspired by a supernatural vision. According to Archbishop J.

Michael Miller, CSB, the specific purpose of the Catholic education is

the formation of boys and girls who will be good citizens of this world,

loving God and neighbor and enriching society with the leaven of the

gospel, and who will also be citizens of the world to come, thus

fulfilling their destiny to become saints.

In this study, it refers to the aims of SMC as a Catholic institution

in forming the students to become good citizens of their community

and to the society in general.

Founded on a Christian Anthropology. In lay

Catholics in Schools: Withnesses to Faith, the Vatican proposes that in

today’s pluralistic world, the Catholic educator must consciously inspire

his or her activity with the Christian concept of the person, in

communion with the magisterium of the church. It is a concept which

includes a defense of human rights, but also attributes to the human

person and the dignity of a child of God (The Holy See: The Teaching

on Catholic Schools)

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In this study, this refers to how SMC cultivate the human values

of the students that lead them to say that they are a school for the

human person and of human person.

Animated by Communion and Community. The declaration

Gravissimun Education is notes that an important advance in the way a

Catholic School is thought of: the transition from the school as an

institution to the school as a community (The Holy See: The Teaching

on Catholic Schools).

In this study, it refers to how SMC as a community focuses in four

areas like: the teamwork among all those involved; the cooperation

between educators and bishops; the interaction of students with

teachers; and the school’s physical environment.

Imbued with a Catholic Worldview throughout its curriculum.

This means that Catholic education is intentionally directed to the

growth of the whole person . An integral education aims to develop

gradually every capability of every student: his or her intellectual,

physical, psychological, moral and religious capacities.Vatican

documents speak of an education that responds to all the needs of

human person (The Holy See: The Teaching on Catholic Schools).

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In this study, it refers to how SMC develop the capability of every

student in terms of his or her intellectual, physical, psychological,

moral, and religious capacities.

Sustained by Gospel Witness. The Holy Sees documents pay a

great deal of attention to the vocation of the teachers and their

participation in the Church’s evangelizing mission. Theirs is a

supernatural calling and not simply the exercise of a profession. The

nobility of the task to which the teachers are called demands that in

imitation of Christ, the only Teacher, they reveal the Christian message

not only by word but also by every gesture of their behavior (The Holy

See: The Teaching on Catholic Schools).

In this study, it refers to the administrators’ and teachers’ way of

practicing Catholics like being committed to the church and living her

sacramental life. Further, this also refers to administrators and

teachers as being the witness of adults in the community and as being

responsible for the formation of the students which is a vital part of the

school’s identity. Communicated mission. This means that

the mission of an excellent Catholic School is guided and driven by a

clearly communicated mission that embraces a Catholic identity rooted

in the Gospel values centered on the Eucharist, and committed to faith

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formation, academic excellence and service. (Catholic Identity

Standards)

In this study, it refers to Gospel values centered on the Eucharist,

and committed to faith formation, academic excellence and service.

Academic program. This means that an excellent Catholic school

adhering to the mission provides a rigorous academic program for

religious studies and catechesis in the Catholic faith, set within a total

academic curriculum that integrates faith, culture and life . (Catholic

Identity Standards).

In this study, it refers to the curriculum that integrates faith,

culture and life.

Student faith formation. This means that an excellent Catholic

school adhering to the mission provides students the opportunities

outside the classroom for participation in liturgical and communal

prayer, and action in service of social justice (Catholic Identity

Standards).

In this study, it refers to students’ participation in liturgical and

communal prayer and action in service of social justice.

Adult faith formation. This means that an

excellent Catholic school adhering to the mission provides adult

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opportunities for service and social justice (Catholic Identity

Standards).

In this study, it refers to the opportunities provided to adults for

service and social justice.

Chapter 2

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METHOD

This chapter presents the research design, research subjects,

data collection procedures, and the statistical treatment of the study.

Research Design

This study will employ quantitative type of research using

descriptive- correlation method. It is a design to estimate the

proficiency of which different variables are related to one another in

the population or interest.

The term descriptive attempts to describe the level of Catholic

identity standards and the marks of Catholicity of St. Mary’s College,

Inc..

Descriptive research involves collecting of data in order to test

and answer the questions in the hypothesis concerning the current

status of the subject of the study. A descriptive study determines and

supports the way things are.

In correlation research, it involves collecting of data to determine

the relationships between two variables. This design is adopted since

the main purpose of the study is to determine if there is a significant

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relationship between the Catholic identity standards and the marks of

Catholicity of St. Mary’s College, Inc..

Research Subject

The target population of this study consists of administrators,

teachers, parents, alumni and students of St. Mary’s College of Tagum,

Inc., Tagum City. Complete enumeration technique known as universal

sampling will be used in this study. In this technique, there is no

concrete number of respondents, like the administrators, teachers,

parents, alumni and students to be given the Catholic Identity

Standard questionnaire and the Marks of St. Mary’s College, Inc. as a

Catholic school. However, during the retrieval, only the questionnaires

that are retrieved will be subjected to statistical treatment.

Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents. There will be 50

respondents for every stakeholder, namely, administrators, teachers,

parents, alumni, and students.

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Table 1- Distribution of Respondents

Stakeholders No. Of Respondents

Administration 50

Faculty 50

Parents 50

Alumni 50

Students 50

Total 250

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Research Instrument

This study will utilize two sets of questionnaire for the

gathering of data. For the independent variable, the researchers

will use a standardized questionnaire to gather the data about

Catholic identity standards and a researcher-made questionnaire

for the dependent variable for the data on the marks of

Catholicity of St. Mary’s College, Inc..

For the first set of questionnaire, this will be administered

without having a validation since this is a standardized

questionnaire. On the other hand, the second set of questionnaire

will undergo a validation of three experts in the field for its

content validity.

To determine both the level of Catholic identity standards,

and the marks of Catholicity of St. Mary’s College, Inc., a Likert

scale will be used to guide the respondents in rating the items.

Part 1- The Level of Catholic Identity Standard

Parameter Limits Descriptive Equivalent

Description

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5 Strongly Agree This means that the standard is very

evident. 4 Agree This

means that the standard is

evident.

3 Moderately Agree This means that the standard is moderately

evident. 2 Disagree This means that

the standard is weak. 1 Strongly Disagree This means

that the standard is completely

absent.

Part 2- Level of Marks of St. Mary’s College, Inc. as a Catholic school

5 Strongly Agree This means that the mark is very evident.

4 Agree This means that the mark is evident.

3 Moderately Agree This means that the mark is moderately evident.

2 Disagree This means that the mark is weak. 1 Strongly Disagree This means

that the mark is completely

absent. Data Gathering Procedures

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The following procedures will be followed in observation of the

systematic approach in gathering the data for this study.

Seeking Permission to Conduct the Study. Before the

collection of data, the researchers will send a letter to the School

President to ask permission to conduct the study in the institution.

Administration and Retrieval of the Questionnaire. After

the permission will be granted, the researchers will distribute the

questionnaire to the target respondents of the study. Retrieval will

follow after the respondents answer the questions.

Checking, Collating and Processing of Data. After the

retrieval, the researchers will check the answers, collate them and give

the data to the statistician for processing.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following statistical tools will be used for the treatment of

data and to answer the questions in the statement of the problem.

Mean. This will be used to determine the level of Catholic identity

standards and the marks of Catholicity of St. Mary’s College, Inc.. This

will answer sub-problem nos. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4.

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Pearson-r. This will be used to determine the relationship between

the level of Catholic Identity standards and the marks of Catholicity of

St. Mary’s College of Tagum, Inc., Tagum City.

REFERENCES

Alejo, A. (2008). Corruption or communion. World Mission, XX( 211), 32.Alfuah, A.

Miller, Michael, CSB (2006). The holy see’s teaching on catholic

schools.

Tudy A. Randy. (2013). A model of catholicity for catholic schools.

international peer reviewed journal.

Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design. Thousand Oaks. CA: Sage