Today our 2027 Research Team came together to officially begin the next phase of our work. Today marks the launch of the culminating year of a three-year research journey focused on leadership, professional learning, school culture, and teacher retention.
This meaningful work draws on a strong framework of diverse experience, perspective, and expertise around the table. As 1 Corinthians 12:12 reminds us, many members form one body. In the same way, many voices can strengthen the work and help us see more clearly what PK-12 school leaders and educators need.
Over the coming months, our work will move forward in two connected ways. We will continue gathering, analyzing, and integrating research as we prepare our study for presentation and peer review at the Oxford Education Research Symposium in March 2027. At the same time, we will begin translating that evidence into a manuscript designed to provide school leaders with practical strategies, examples, reflection, and guidance for intentionally creating and sustaining positive school cultures.
I am grateful for the wisdom, experience, and commitment this team brings to the work, and I am excited about where this research may lead as we seek to contribute something both scholarly and useful to Catholic school leaders and the educators they serve.
Oxford Education Research Symposium | 2027 Research Team
Why Fellowship is Essential with Karina Lepkowski, Principal, Most Holy Trinity
Fellowship is more than networking. It is more than collaboration around a project, committee, or a professional learning day. Fellowship is what happens when trust is built over time, shared mission becomes a shared walk, and colleagues become the trusted voices we return to because we know they will listen, encourage, challenge, and help us see more clearly.
Today, I had the joy of meeting with Karina Lepkowski, Principal at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Karina and I have been collaborators for 14 years. She served on my team at St. Regis Catholic School, we have worked together on committees, and she has led sessions for professional learning days I developed for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Over the years, our professional paths have crossed in many meaningful ways. But perhaps one of the most treasured parts of our story is this: Karina introduced my son to music and taught him how to play the alto saxophone. His love of jazz and the gift of having music in his heart will last him a lifetime. For that, I will always be grateful to this amazing educator, and I am honored to call her a friend now.
While these accomplishments speak beautifully to Karina’s professional impact, what I value most is the way she leads through relationships. She is the kind of educator and leader who listens deeply, shares generously, and reminds others that the work of Catholic education is strengthened when we walk alongside one another.
As Karina and I caught up and discussed projects we are working on, I was reminded of something important. Educational leaders need trusted voices. We need people who understand the work, who know the heart behind the work, and who can offer honest insight because the relationship is rooted in care. These are the colleagues who help us process ideas, sharpen our thinking, and stay grounded in mission. They remind us that leadership was never meant to be a lonely road.
Research continues to affirm what many of us have experienced in our own leadership journeys. Strong professional learning is collaborative, sustained, and grounded in reflection. Darling-Hammond, Hyler, and Gardner (2017) found that effective professional development creates opportunities for educators to share ideas, collaborate in job-embedded ways, and build communities that can positively influence the culture and instruction of a school or system. Similarly, research on collective teacher culture points to the importance of shared goals, supportive colleagues, collective efficacy, and belonging as important dimensions of a healthy school culture.
This is why fellowship matters. When leaders intentionally build relationships of trust and professional friendship, they strengthen the culture around them. Fellowship helps us become better listeners. It helps us ask better questions. It gives us space to pause, reflect, and renew. It also helps us remember that the work of education is deeply human. Behind every initiative, every professional learning session, every school improvement goal, and every strategic plan are people who need encouragement, connection, and belonging.
In my own research on teacher retention, school climate, leadership, collaboration, and culture emerged as important areas of focus in understanding how educators experience their work and what helps them remain committed to the mission (Ball, 2023). Positive school culture is not built by accident. It is formed through intentional relationships, shared purpose, and the daily decision to walk alongside one another.
As educational leaders, we often spend time developing strategic muscles: planning, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, and execution. These are important. However, I would share that research supports that we also need to be just as intentional about building the muscle of fellowship. Collective teacher culture is strengthened through shared goals and values, collective efficacy, supportive colleagues, belonging, and job satisfaction, all of which remind us that trusted professional relationships are central to healthy school communities (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2021). Who are the trusted voices we call when we need to think out loud? Who helps us see the good when the work feels heavy? Who reminds us of who we are and why this work matters?
The summer weeks offer a beautiful invitation to pause and reach out. Send the text, make the call, or schedule the coffee. Technology offers us the wonderful ability to connect via Zoom, Meet, FaceTime, etc. We really have no excuse not to engage with the technological tools at our fingertips today. I encourage you to reconnect with the colleague who has walked part of the journey with you. Take time to say thank you to the person who helped shape your leadership, your school community, or even your family in ways that will last a lifetime. Gratitude has a way of lowering our stress levels and refocusing our lens to see the good all around us.
When we make time to walk alongside one another, we build the kind of school culture where others can do the same.
This year, my research has continued to center around school culture and team development. In my two latest projects, When We Train Our Eyes to See the Good, Amazing Things Happen and The Middle School Culture Blueprint, which I am co-authoring with Dr. LaTonya White, I have been reflecting deeply on the gift of fellowship and why it matters so much for educational leaders. If you would like to share your thoughts, please send me a message or leave a comment. I welcome the feedback and insights.
Dr. LaTonya White and Dr. Denise Ball, National Catholic Leadership Convention 2026
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things, Denise
References
Ball, D. M. (2023). Improving teacher retention within Archdiocese of Washington schools [Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University]. Liberty University Scholars Crossing.
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2021). Collective teacher culture: Exploring an elusive construct and its relations with teacher autonomy, belonging, and job satisfaction. Social Psychology of Education, 24, 1389–1406.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2011). New American Bible, Revised Edition.
There is a particular kind of energy that comes from meaningful collaboration. The kind that is grounded in shared mission, fueled by trust, and sustained by a deep belief in the work we are called to do.
Over the past year, I have had the privilege of working alongside incredible partners to bring the Middle School Mindset Portfolio of Services to life. What began as an idea has grown into something far more powerful than any one organization could have accomplished alone. In just a few short weeks, we will launch this work nationally on May 29.
This moment feels significant, not simply because of the launch itself, but because of what it represents.
A Response to a Critical Moment
Middle school is a pivotal season of formation. It is a time when students are asking deeper questions about identity, belonging, and purpose. It is also a time when educators are navigating increasing complexity like academic recovery, student engagement, and social-emotional needs, all while striving to create classrooms where students feel known and valued.
We cannot meet this moment in isolation.
The Middle School Mindset Portfolio was built in response to that reality. It is not a single program or a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, it is a collaborative ecosystem designed to support educators with practical strategies, meaningful resources, and a shared commitment to strengthening both instruction and culture.
The Gift of Partnership
One of the greatest joys in this work has been collaborating with mission-aligned partners who bring both expertise and heart to the table.
A special acknowledgment goes to Archangel Education and Technology, whose team is building an innovative digital ecosystem that will no doubt become a destination space for educators and system leaders. Their work reminds us that when technology is designed with purpose, it can truly amplify impact.
Equally inspiring has been our partnership with the Archdiocese of Miami pilot schools. On May 29th, during this complimentary webinar, we will hear directly from middle school teachers who have engaged in this work, educators who are thoughtfully applying strategies, reflecting on practice, and shaping what this portfolio will become at scale.
To visit these vendor partners supporting schools nationwide, please visit:
We can serve students and teachers more when we do it together!
From Research to Practice: Naming What Matters Most
This work has also deepened my ongoing collaboration with Dr. LaTonya White. Together, we are preparing to share our research in the forthcoming Middle School Culture Blueprint (Ball & White, 2026).
At the center of our work is a simple yet deeply impactful reminder: what we reinforce each day becomes the culture we experience, whether by intention or by default.
Middle school culture does not happen by accident. It is shaped in the small, consistent moments: in how we greet students, how we structure learning, how we respond to challenges, and how we create space for student voice. Belonging is not a program we implement. It is a condition we intentionally cultivate through every interaction, every structure, and every expectation (Ball & White, 2026).
When we are intentional, we create environments where students and teachers can thrive. When we are not, culture is still formed, but often in ways that do not serve our mission. The opportunity before us is to lead with clarity, purpose, and hope, and to build cultures where every student and educator knows they are seen, valued, and called to grow.
A Moment of Anticipation
As we look ahead to our national webinar launch on May 29, I am filled with gratitude for the partnerships, for the educators, and for the shared commitment to this work. This is more than a program launch. It is a reflection of what is possible when we come together, listen deeply, and build something that responds to the real needs of our schools. It is a reminder that we are not alone in this work. And… it is an invitation to continue to collaborate, to continue to learn, and to continue to see the good that is unfolding all around us.
The May 29th registration is live (scan the QR code above). Come and join the conversation!
Vendor Partner Middle School Mindset Portfolio of Services
The Middle School Mindset Portfolio of Services represents a unique national collaboration between: ADAC | William H. Sadlier | Friendzy | Archangel Education & Technology. An à la carte portfolio of resources.
ADAC, Inc.
ADAC partners with PK–12 schools, systems, and networks nationwide to help educators and leaders confidently meet the needs of every student.
Friendzy, Co.
An effective curriculum that teaches a new generation of students character development skills.
Curriculum Associates
Together with one million educators, we’re connecting every part of learning—from assessment to instruction, data to discovery—to empower classrooms and communities to thrive.
Archangel Education & Technology
Archangel brings a human touch to technology, blending passion, deep expertise, and a strong community focus to enrich educational experiences.
William H. Sadlier
Core and supplemental math programs teach the essentials students will use the rest of their academic and professional lives.
National Standards in Gifted and Talented Education
Standards provide a foundation for the policies, rules, and procedures necessary to deliver high-quality, systematic programs and services for high-ability students. Guidance and framework resources.
Standards and Assessments
Raising academic standards for all students and measuring student achievement to hold schools accountable for educational progress are central strategies for promoting educational excellence and equity in our Nation’s schools.
Odyssey of the Mind
An international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
Math Chimps
Great online math games aligned to the Common Core State Standards~for ages 4-16
Team Building and Problem-Solving Strategies for the Classroom
Odyssey of the Mind
An international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
Websites with Games and Activities Created by Authors
Oceanhouse Media
Great educational book apps and so much more. Check out often for FREE downloads to help your child learn letters, phonics & math!
