Understanding Full-Time Islamic Schools in the US
By Samar Al-Majaideh
Nov/Dec 2023
In the dynamic, data-oriented domain of education, full-time Islamic schools in the U.S. require a comprehensive understanding and strategic analysis. First established in the 1990s, their roots can be traced back to the 1930s University of Islam — renamed the Clara Muhammad Schools in 1978 — which initiated this country’s Islamic education movement.
Despite these schools’ growth, substantial knowledge gaps persist about their status, trends, governance, and societal integration. To bridge these gaps, the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA) launched its groundbreaking ISLA Database Project in November 2021.
This study builds upon two previous studies conducted to form a comprehensive picture of Islamic schools in the U.S. The first one, published in 1989 by ISNA in an obscure booklet entitled “In-Depth Study of Full-Time Islamic Schools in North America: Results and Data Analysis,” estimated the number of full-time Islamic schools at approximately fifty.
A second study was conducted in 2011 by ISLA’s executive director Karen Keyworth (d. 2017). Entitled “Islamic Schools of the United States: Data-Based Profiles” and published by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), it stated that “the number of Islamic schools recorded was 235 schools” (2011). Today, ISLA’s Directory of Islamic Schools provides the figure of approximately 320 such schools.
Project Objectives
The ISLA Database Project’s focus revolves around full-time Islamic schools in the U.S., with two pivotal objectives:
● Developing an Updated, Comprehensive Directory of Islamic Schools: Its goal is to craft an exhaustive current directory of these schools. This target serves as a crucial resource for stakeholders in education.
● Building a Data-Driven Profile of Islamic Schools: This endeavor seeks to formulate a wide-ranging, data-base profile that will provide insights into facets of Islamic schools to drive informed decisions and strategic planning.
Database Project Vision and Mission
Through this initiative, ISLA aspires to elevate the Islamic school community by promoting a culture of informed decision-making through data and nurturing bonds both within and beyond this community. Its mission is to identify and understand these schools’ characteristics by building an updated directory and a data-based profile.
Eight key research questions guide its scope:
• How many full-time Islamic schools are there in the U.S.?
• What are their key characteristics?
• What is their demographic profile?
• How do they manifest leadership?
• How do they approach teaching and learning?
• What resources do they have access to?
• What are their growth trends?
• What are the top three challenges they face?
Answers to each research question will provide a foundation for future research and allow full-time Islamic schools in the U.S., organizations that serve them and researchers interested in American Muslims education to build upon in seminal ways and/or direct their services and programs to address the established needs.
Study Tool Creation
To fulfill these objectives effectively, ISLA embarked on a comprehensive initial study that harnessed diverse resources (e.g., scholarly articles, industry reports and expert opinions) that offered significant information on how to design an effective survey and identified pertinent data points.
In addition, ISLA ensured a collaborative approach in the survey’s development by engaging various stakeholders, among them Islamic school principals, board members, parents, Muslim educators, and education researchers.
Key Achievements to Date
Since its inception, the ISLA database project has realized numerous key accomplishments:
1. Promoting Data Culture: The project instilled a data-driven culture among Islamic schools, thereby highlighting the significance of data for strategic decision-making and educational advancement.
2. Community Engagement: A broad engagement with the Islamic school community has been achieved, fostering a sense of shared purpose, and promoting growth.
3. Extensive Data Collection: The project has made significant strides in data collection, with 110 full-time Islamic schools completing the Islamic School Profile Survey.
4. Stakeholder Reports: Preliminary reports about the initial findings have been shared with stakeholders and donors, promoting transparency and inclusivity.
5. In-Depth Data Analysis: Currently, ISLA is deeply involved in analyzing the data to draw valuable insights.
6. Updated School Directory: The collected data has been used to update ISLA’s existing school directory.
7. Collaborative Efforts: The project has greatly benefited from collaborations with organizations like ISPU (Institute for Social Policy and Understanding).
Future Directions
As the ISLA database project continues, we are committed to expanding its scope and enhancing its impact.
1. Research Collaborations: We plan to partner with more research organizations for in-depth data analysis, thereby enabling us to reveal valuable insights into trends and challenges in Islamic education.
2. Variety of Reports: We aim to convert our findings into various report formats, ensuring the information is accessible and beneficial to a wide range of audiences, including school leaders, parents, and researchers.
3. Communication and Sharing: We will share our findings as broadly as possible, thereby maximizing their use for the benefit of Islamic education.
4. Interactive Map: We are developing an interactive map on our website to visualize the updated Islamic school directory, providing a more intuitive user experience.
5. Continuous Data Collection: A brief survey collecting public information will remain active to capture new data from emerging and evolving schools. This ongoing data collection will help keep the ISLA directory current and valuable.
6. User Feedback and Volunteer Committee: Feedback from users will guide our future enhancements to the project. Additionally, a volunteer committee will be established to help identify new Islamic schools.
7. Regular Updates: We plan to schedule regular database updates to ensure that it remains an invaluable resource for the Islamic school community.
The ongoing ISLA Database Project signifies a major step forward in understanding and leveraging the role of Islamic schools in the U.S. By equipping school leaders with robust, comprehensive data, the project aims to stimulate informed decision-making, efficient governance, and progressive growth. By balancing past insights with present needs, the project holds a promising future in shaping the Islamic educational landscape. For a more detailed overview of the project’s progress, visit the project blog post at theisla.org.
Samar al-Majaideh, Ed.D. is research project manager, ISLA..
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