Shifting Gears to Achieve School Improvement: Revitalizing the Mission of Catholic Elementary Schools Through Disruptive Innovation and a Blended Learning Network

Abstract

Many Catholic educational practitioners and researchers believe that if Catholic schools in the United States are to survive a crisis of decreased enrollment, they must shift gears to new models of sustainability in order to compete in educational markets (D’Agostino, 2014; Kennedy, 2012; Linbeck, 2012). Data-driven blended learning is for some a promising innovation, in an effort to do this. However, only limited research exists. Some schools do blended learning through a model where a third party educational resource offers support to a school network. The purpose of this study was to explore ways that Catholic schools can partner with third party educational resources and employ disruptive techniques, such as blended learning, to remain competitive while still maintaining a Catholic culture and identity. The findings demonstrated a school improvement process in two Catholic elementary schools in partnership with a third party organization that shifted three critical gears to achieve increased student academic achievement and enrollment: (1) operational vitality through the provision of human, financial, and technological resources; (2) personalization of curriculum delivery through a rotational blended learning model; and (3) building a school growth mindset culture. Recommendations are offered to Catholic school decision makers considering blended learning solutions.