Professional Preparation
of Catholic Educational
Leaders
The Association of Catholic Leadership Programs (ACLP) was founded in 1983 to fulfill the Church's call for a Christian formation of Catholic educators. This "call" was clearly stated in the document, Catholic Higher Education and the Pastoral Ministry of the Church: "Catholic institutions of higher education. . .are urged to provide Christian formation programs for educators who are evangelizers by call and covenant and mission. Only those who have been formed theologically and spiritually can respond adequately to the call of professional ministry in Christian education according to the vision of Jesus Christ and the Church" (USCC, 1980, p. 6). In response, the ACLP meets twice annually, at the National Catholic Educational Association Convention and at the CACE Conference. As noted in the organization's constitution, the specific aims of the ACLP are to:
- Promote degree programs that offer education for Catholic school leaders through cooperative efforts of the members.
- Promote the belief that leaders of Catholic educational institutions are best served through regular studies in degree programs designed for that specific purpose.
- Support members through collaboration
- Share information and resources
- And model cooperation.