No formalized system for students with special needs currently exists within Catholic schools. Unlike public schools, Catholic schools are not legally required to meet the need of every child (Pitasky, 1999; Shaughnessy, 1998). Moreover, Catholic schools and Catholic secondary schools in particular, have traditionally excluded students with special needs due to the nature of the schools' limited academic curriculum and college preparatory focus (Shokraii, 1997). Although a number of past studies have asserted that Catholic schools were successful in meeting the needs of specific socioeconomically "at risk" populations (Byrk, Lee, & Holland, 1993; Convey, 1992; Greeley 1989; Keith & Page, 1985; Shokraii; Wilms, 1985), the distinctive features that have been equated with their instructional effectiveness, such as rigorous curriculum, strict disciplinary code, and controlled communal atmosphere (Jacobs, 1997), have also been viewed as exclusionary rather than inclusionary. However, in 1962, with the convening of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), a paradigm shift began to evolve. Vatican II, an ecclesial, theological, and ecumenical congress invoked by Pope John XXIII and held from 1962 through 1965, was the impetus for institutional change in Church doctrine (Flannery, 1996). A central message that emerged from this convocation of over 2,000 church leaders was that the Catholic Church must no longer operate as a separate entity "but must become profoundly engaged with the reality of the world's experiences" (McDade, 1991, p. 422). This theme also had an impact on Catholic education, and a subsequent statement on schooling was issued through the Declaration on Christian Education (Vatican II, 1965), calling for a new, more humane environment, characterized by freedom and charity (Byrk et al., 1993; Shimabukuro, 1998).
