Abstract
Student leadership enhances the culture and life of secondary schools, particularly those which identify as Catholic. Student leaders design and implement experiences and initiatives that foster greater identification with a school’s mission and charisms. Within the school community, leadership educators determine the attitudes, knowledge, and skills they will form in those students serving a variety of leadership roles. They are also responsible for developing the lessons and activities they will facilitate in the process of formation for student leaders. This qualitative exploratory case study interviewed 15 leadership educators from Catholic secondary schools located in (Arch)dioceses from throughout the state of California to identify the practices they engaged to grow the leadership capacity of their students. Twelve themes emerged from this study revealing 10 practices for student leadership development and two criteria for their effectiveness. These practices and criteria come together to create the student leadership development framework. Consequently, when set to five movements within the student leadership development cycle, they offer Catholic secondary schools a system for developing and forming student leaders on an annual basis. Working in tandem, the framework and cycle equip leadership educators in Catholic secondary schools with specific strategies resulting in the effective development of student leaders.Keywords: Catholic, practices, secondary school, service, student leadership development