Aligning the Advanced Placement U.S. History Course with a Catholic Mission

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine how Catholic high school leaders balancethe tension between the Catholic identity of their schools and the secular programs theyoften evaluate for implementation. To study this phenomenon, ten responsive interviewswere conducted with school leaders from four Catholic high schools regarding how theydecided whether or not to implement the 2014 Advanced Placement (AP) United StatesHistory course framework. Department chairs, building administrators, and one diocesanadministrator were asked questions about how they make curriculum decisions, how theCatholic identity of their schools impacts those decisions, and how the AP U.S. Historycourse was evaluated in light of their processes and values. These interviews weresupplemented by a document review of all published communications regarding curriculafrom the participating schools to triangulate data gathered through the interviews.Several conclusions emerged, though one idea synthesizes them: the extent to whichCatholic identity impacts the curriculum corresponds to the extent to which Catholicidentity is considered by school leaders in other matters. Schools in which leadersemphasized the faith in written documents and in other aspects of the school tended toemphasize it in the intended curricula for their programs as well. However, regardless ofthe degree of this emphasis, each of the leaders relied heavily on their classroom teachersto integrate their interpretation of Catholic identity into the coursework, with varyingdegrees of support and guidance regarding how to do so.