More research on Private and Public schools

Different stereotypes of Public and Private schools found on Urban Dictionary.

 

 

4x Poster Concepts

Less Bullying in Private school due to uniforms

 

Student Focused Education in Private School

 

Same sex Schools are less of a Distraction

Private School has better facilities - Sport, Art, Music



INSPO

INSPIRATION

Famous Posters

 

INSPIRATION

Impressive Posters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mind Maps

CLASS ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

MIND MAP

what first comes to mind...

 

 

 

Private School Campaign Poster Examples

CONCLUSION

PRIVATE vs PUBLIC

 

Pro's of Public

Cultural Diversity
Free Admission
No Uniform
Cheaper Education
Certified Teachers
Local Friends
NCEA Standard

Con's of Public

Zones = less choices
Under-funded schools may not have the materials or they might have to cut some programs
Classrooms are often filled to its maximum capacity
There is too much emphasis on the standardized testing
Both gifted and struggling students might be over looked
The student culture in public schools usually discourages overachievers and A students

Pro's of Private

Better Education
Less Bullying
Better Facilities
Smaller Classes
One on One Opportunities
Higher Standards
Religious Background
Self Respect
Uniform

Con's of Private

Expensive Admission
Expensive Uniforms
Doesn't have to teach NZQA Standard

RESEARCH

PRIVATE VS PUBLIC

The table above gives a breakdown of academic results for high schools across the Auckland region. We haven’t ranked the schools, partly because we don’t think academic achievement should be considered on its own — although we do think it is vitally important. Partly also because, even when you’re looking just at academic achievement, it depends what you’re looking for. The best school for an intellectually gifted student who also excels on the sports field? The best for a kid who can kick and throw brilliantly but struggles with the times tables? The best for a child who achieves in the middle of the bunch and struggles to make friends? The best for someone who wants only to dance?
Here’s the thing. Most good schools will tell you they are the right school for all those students, and that’s very often right. It’s tempting, when choosing a school for a 12-year-old, to look for one that fits their personality and interests. That’s a mistake. Sad but true fact: whatever your 12-year-old is like now, they will almost certainly not be like that at 16. And whatever they do with their time (and whoever they like to do it with) is really not going to be what they do at 16.
The best school for your child is one that believes in an active home/school relationship. One where the kids like going to school, and the academic achievement levels are good (or better than good) for the decile group, and there is a range of opportunities in curricular and extra-curricular activities. And, above all that, where it strikes you there’s a very good principal and a bunch of very good teachers.

Our table is designed to help you identify candidates. It’s a conversation starter for those schools you know about or are interested in. Outstanding achievements are identified in gold

The importance of University Entrance:

If the table looks like a sea of numbers to you, focus on just one set: the two green columns showing University Entrance.
There are three reasons the University Entrance data is so valuable. The first is that it is universal: every student who leaves school is judged either to have reached or not reached this level. UE is not an exam, but is calculated in relation to passes in NCEA, the Cambridge system and the International Baccalaureat (IB). The relativities have been agreed among all the relevant parties, including the schools, the universities and the Ministry of Education.
The second value of our UE data is that it’s very hard to manipulate. This is because we show UE pass rates as a proportion of all school leavers, not just Year 13 as many schools may presuppose. This shows up any schools that encourage less-able students to leave before Year 13, rather than risk failing and thus dragging down the pass rates for the school.
The third value of our UE data concerns its wide relevance. Although 70 per cent of school leavers will not go to university, a good UE pass rate indicates that a school focuses on academic achievement among all students.
In the table, the first UE column is an average over four years. That’s your best overall guide. The second is the figure for the most recent year (2012). If the second is higher than the first, it suggests the school’s UE results are trending upward. If it’s lower, things might be getting worse. Read them together.

A word on deciles:

As a rule, the higher a school’s decile, the more likely the kids are to do well academically. There are lots of arguments about why this is, but the simple fact of it is inescapable.
But deciles do not tell you how good a school is. Our table reveals that students at St Mary’s College in St Marys Bay are more than three times as likely to get UE as those at Waiuku College, although both schools are decile 7. Decile levels will tell you some things about the likely resources in a school, and may give you some clues to the nature of school trips and other “add-ons”. But they don’t have a lot to say about how good the teachers are or how well your child will prosper

NCEA, Cambridge and IB

We don’t report pass rates for NCEA. We think NCEA is a good system that on the whole offers teachers and students a wealth of opportunity. But comparative scores are now very unreliable: pass rates are rising, there is more internal assessment, some schools are changing from achievement standards to unit standards, and many schools now report on the basis of participation rates, not roll rates, which we think is open to abuse.
We report achievement in these exams much the way we report UE: in relation to school leavers. Under “School Leaver Qualifications” in the blue columns in our table, we show the proportion of school leavers who had no qualifications when they left, and the proportions who had qualified at NCEA levels 1, 2 or 3. Good schools have a sequence of numbers that runs from low to high, left to right: very few students leave with nothing; lots get a high qualification. This pattern is evident for the best schools in all deciles.
Outstanding? Check out Carmel College in Milford: 94 per cent gained NCEA level 3 and almost nobody left without at least level 2. In the mid-deciles, Dilworth, a school in Epsom run by a charitable trust, sets the pace, and St Dominic’s in Henderson runs it close — as does decile 1 McAuley High School, a Catholic girls’ school in Otahuhu. McAuley is a phenomenon: its NCEA pass rates compare closely with decile 7 Marist College in Mt Albert, and Marist itself is a good school.
There’s another pattern in these results: most of these outstanding schools are Catholic. Why? There is no single reason, but we believe one strong factor is the built-in integration of school and family established by the church. Other schools can achieve that integration too, but they have to work harder at it.
At Kelston Boys, principal Brian Evans tells us they had an NCEA level 2 pass rate in 2010 somewhere in the mid-50s. Our table now shows 72 per cent of school leavers with that level or better. Evans, clearly an inspirational principal, was formerly at De La Salle College, and presumably has applied to his state school much of what he knows works at the Catholic one.
Several very low decile schools argue level 2 is their realistic target for most students, because this is usually the minimum for a pathway into trade training.

At the top and the bottom

Scholarship, a Year 13 exam, provides a good measure of elite academic achievement, although there are some anomalies to note. Scholarship fits well with NCEA, both in the approach to the curriculum and the timing of exams, but can be harder to dovetail with Cambridge and IB. For that reason, some otherwise high-performing schools (like King’s College) have fewer students than you might expect sitting it. However, many Cambridge and IB schools commit to Scholarship and do very well. (Auckland International College, whose academic year is geared to the Northern Hemisphere, doesn’t offer Scholarship.)
St Cuthbert’s College in Epsom deserves special mention: it’s an IB school, yet it gained 93 Scholarships last year: that’s equivalent to 53 per cent of the Year 13 roll. The next best result was at Auckland Grammar, with 35 per cent, followed by Westlake Boys High in Forrest Hill on the North Shore, Diocesan School for Girls in Epsom, Sacred Heart in Glendowie and Macleans College in the eastern suburb of Bucklands Beach.
Some mid- and low-decile schools regularly show up in the Scholarship lists — while their most able students may not be learning in a Cuthbertian environment, they are clearly getting the support they need. Dilworth, again, was the standout last year, and among decile 1-3 schools, it’s notable that almost half tasted Scholarship success.
It’s dangerous to gauge the worth of a school on Scholarship alone. Some schools focus their best teachers and other resources on the elite, so others miss out. Our table identifies schools with an unusual disparity between the achievements of the elite and those of the rest. They include Alfriston, Mangere, One Tree Hill, Otahuhu and Waitakere, where despite some Scholarship success, around 40 per cent of students left school without gaining NCEA level 2. We identified this problem in most of these schools last year, but the pattern has not changed.
Then there are the outright failures. Papakura High, which does not even have the excuse of being decile 1, let 49 per cent of its students leave school without achieving NCEA level 2 — the generally accepted minimum for a pathway to further training. And at James Cook High School in Manurewa, it was 54 per cent. Over half of all James Cook’s school leavers failed, while a mere six per cent gained UE — that’s barely a quarter of the average for decile 1. On this data, James Cook is the worst-performing school in Auckland.

GUIDE TO THE TABLE

The data in this table was sourced from the Ministry of Education and NZQA, and analysed by Metro.
The achievement data excludes fee-paying overseas students, “Alternative Education” students, adult ESOL students and others who are not chasing regular qualifications.
The table was sent to all schools for verification.

SCHOOL
We list secondary schools in greater Auckland with a roll size in Years 9-15 above 200. A dozen or so smaller schools are not listed. Ormiston College is too new to be listed. Schools are listed alphabetically within decile groups (see 2 below).

DECILE
Most private (independent) schools are designated decile 10, but we have separated them from other decile 10 schools in our analysis as their academic performance – for disputed reasons – is clearly different. We list the schools in decile groups: groups we judge should have comparable outcomes.

CIE / IB
Schools offering the Cambridge (CIE) or International Baccalaureat (IB) exams, as well as or instead of NCEA, for all or a part of their senior school roll, are noted.
In the data under 4 below, we have shown data for CIE and IB results that is judged by the Ministry of Education to be “equivalent” to NCEA:
NCEA level 1 = IGCSE, 4 passes (A* to D); or AS level, 1 pass.
NCEA level 2 = CIE AS level, 4 passes (A to E), or A2 level, 1 pass.
NCEA level 3 (in general) = CIE AS or A level, 7 passes (A* to E, incl 3 x D or better), or other recognised AS or A qualification, or A2 level, 3 passes. (This level generally equates to UE.)
These equivalents have been agreed between the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand schools CIE group, although they are under review.
IB diploma is included in the level 3 data: it is gained after two years and is at least equivalent to NCEA at this level.

SCHOOL LEAVER QUALIFICATIONS
Based on the most recent available data from the Ministry of Education (2012). We show the highest level of NCEA (or its CIE or IB equivalent qualifications) reached by school leavers, as a proportion of all school leavers. For Scholarship results, see 6 below. For schools that offer CIE or IB exams, see 3 above.

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE
The first column shows the proportion of all school leavers who had gained UE by the time they left school, averaged over four years (2009-2012). The second column shows the same data for the most recent year we can report (2012). This is the latest available data from the ministry.

SCHOLARSHIP
The number of Scholarships gained, expressed as a proportion of the Year 13 roll on July 1, 2013. The number of Scholarships gained before Year 13 is not statistically significant. Data from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)

ERO VISITS
Most schools are assessed by the Education Review Office (ERO) every three years. Where ERO visits every 1-2 years, the school’s performance is probably regarded as “poor”. A visit every 4-5 years means ERO regards the school as “exceptional”. Data from ERO

SCHOOL TYPE / YEARS
For most students, Years 9-13 are the secondary school years. Some schools start at Year 7 and some start at Year 1. Some students may spend a year or two longer at school, which is why most schools officially have a roll up to Year 15. Data from ERO.
Integ. = Integrated schools (mostly Catholic schools and others with a religious character)

ROLL
We show the Years 9-13 roll at July 1, 2013. These figures include all students and are given to indicate the size of the school. They are not the roll figures our achievement data is based on (see note above, at start of guide).
 

RESEARCH

Private School vs Public School

Private schools provide parents with choice in education and protect their right to choose the school that best meets the needs of their children. Society is richer for having choice in schooling and the efficiency of the education sector is enhanced where consumers of education services are able to exercise their choice across a wide range of providers.
Private schools, also known as independent schools, produce outstanding academic results from top performing schools. They make a significant contribution to boosting the nation’s global rankings in educational outcomes. They act as a competitive stimulus by setting benchmarks in innovation, diversity and curriculum delivery.
Choice and competition have a salutary effect on almost every other aspect of New Zealand life, including our tertiary education system and our business sector. Choice and competition in schools have a similar impact. The presence of a strong independent/private schools sector has both direct effects (on the academic achievement of those attending independent schools) and instrumental effects (through the competitive effect on state schools), which both work to improve outcomes for all children.

A recent report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research concluded that: “Allowing education providers to respond to the increasing diversity of tastes and preferences in education is efficiency enhancing. An education system characterised by rigidity and uniformity is unlikely to produce the same beneficial outcomes as one with a larger independent schools sector that is responsive to the needs of its ‘consumers’.”

So why do parents choose private schools for their children?
Independent (private) schools create room for the pursuit of learning in different cultural, religious and pedagogical settings. Parents from a wide variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds send their children to independent schools. These schools are not the sole domains of the wealthy or privileged. Most people who choose to send their children to independent schools are ordinary people who have a huge desire to give their children a good start in life. The one commonality of private school parents is their commitment to the education of their children at the school of their choice. Many parents make huge sacrifices to exercise that choice and, increasingly, grandparents and extended family are contributing to the costs.
Parents may choose a school for the curriculum it offers. Independent schools have the flexibility to develop a curriculum that meets the specific needs of the community it serves. They have the freedom to be innovative and to be at the cutting edge of education. As well as focusing on numeracy and literacy, there is a strong emphasis on leading students toward life-long learning and enabling them to be critical and creative thinkers. Increasingly, there is a focus on developing ‘solutionaries’ in school graduates; graduates who will understand that, whatever careers they pursue, they will have a responsibility to ensure that the systems within their professions are sustainable, just and humane.
Private schools have the flexibility to develop a curriculum and learning environment that will motivate and prepare students to be responsible global citizens, conscientious decision-makers and engaged change-makers.

To achieve these educational outcomes for their students, most private schools offer the national curriculum, with secondary schools preparing students for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), others often draw on complementary qualifications frameworks such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and/or Cambridge International Examinations. The qualifications and pedagogy offered in an independent school can often be pivotal to the decision made by parents in choosing the right school for their children.
Another consideration for parents is whether they would like their children to learn in a single-sex school or a co-educational environment. Some parents may want their children to be taught in a composite school (Years 1-13) and others may desire a separate preparatory school environment for the primary schooling years and a secondary school for Years 9 to 13. Some private schools have separate Middle Schools for Year 7 to 10 students.
Social and emotional competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship skills, sit alongside core curriculum competencies as an integral part of a child’s learning. Independent schools offer strong pastoral care programmes that nurture healthy students and develop these critical skills that enhance students’ well-being, positive behaviours, and academic performance. Many private schools engage staff that are trained in pastoral care/counselling and have designated responsibilities in this crucial aspect of a child’s development. Some independent schools have school chaplains who are charged with the development and encouragement of a spiritual dimension in their students education.

Many parents look for a boarding school environment for their children. Historically, boarding schools catered predominantly to rural families in New Zealand but with today’s demanding professional lives of many parents the boarding school students come from wide and diverse backgrounds. Many parents opt for weekly boarding for their children so that there is minmal disruption and commuting during the week and quality family time at the weekend.
Parents often choose a private school because of the expectation placed on parents to be a partner in their child’s education. School-family partnerships greatly enhance students’ social and emotional learning and they create an environment where students are less likely to engage in risky behaviours. It has been found that where there is a functioning school-family partnership, there is less likelihood of truancy and much more effective communication and dialogue between home and school.
Collaboration between teachers, parents and students is helpful in evaluating progress, coordinating efforts and support systems to maximise the child’s learning potential.
When choosing a school, parents will often look at the co-curricular options and opportunities for their children. Many private schools provide a wide range of activities in the sporting, performing arts, outdoor education and service areas. All ISNZ Member Schools run local, national and international community programmes. They imbue their students with a strong social responsibility and commitment to serve the wider community. There is a focus on ‘giving back’ and serving less advantaged communities both in New Zealand and abroad. Community engagement empowers students to affect the change they would like to see. Students take with them a sense of social responsibility, moral obligation and empathy that will make them effective citizens of the world. These students will become the change-makers in our society.
Parents often choose a private school for its religious affiliation. Religion does not seem to be fading away in modernity and requires that we consider its place in our school communities and curricula. Global citizenship requires an understanding, at the very least, of religion and religious differences. Some independent schools belong to a given church, for example, the Anglican Diocese or Presbyterian Church. Other private schools are non-denominational. All ISNZ Member Schools have robust values programmes underpinning their core purpose. Whole school communities are expected to embrace and support a values-based teaching and learning environment. Perhaps the most important aspect of a parent’s decision in choosing a school for their children is around teacher quality.
The shiniest new building, the latest IT facility and the most innovative curriculum will all struggle without good teachers. An emphasis on better teacher quality is a common feature of all reforms. Structural progress in education – new schools, reorganised old ones, new examinations and assessment practices – can happen in a short time. Better teachers take much longer to reform.
Private schools have very clear professional growth expectations of new, mid-career and veteran teachers – similar to the expectations in other professional fields. The principals and academic leaders in our schools foster an academic environment where there is a powerful motivation to become, and to be recognised as, master teachers.
So no matter what the motivation of parents to choose an independent school, at some level they see the opportunities that these schools offer as critical to their child’s future.
New Zealand should aspire to a system of education that is open to all. All parents – regardless of financial means – should have the ability and opportunity to choose where to send their children to school. That is social justice at its simplest. Private schools in New Zealand possess the will, the courage and the insight to constantly review and redefine what it means to be an educated person, and to empower the students in their care with those essential capacities they will need to live their lives with integrity, compassion, empathy, moral courage and ethics.

RESEARCH

Reasons for Private School over Public School.

Every parent wants the best education for their children, but where should you begin your search? For many parents, choosing between the local public school, a charter school, or a private school can become a roadblock in and of itself.
For many, personal bias plays a huge role in their choice. Some equate private school tuition with a superior education. Others are firmly committed to public schools because they provide a more diverse cultural experience.
It can be confusing because school choices are much wider than they used to be. And depending on your family, your child and your district, the best choice may not be the neighborhood school around the corner.

         

To pay or not to pay

As of the 2010-2011 school year, our country had a total of nearly 99,000 public schools; these elementary, middle, and high schools all operate with the help of tax dollars. Most of them are traditional schools with educational standards set by each state. Best of all, the education is free.
Because public schools are reliant on federal, state, and local tax dollars, funding can be cut. Also, public schools have to follow state guidelines on what they can teach and how children are evaluated.         
         
Charter schools offer an institutional hybrid. Like traditional public schools, charter schools are free, and they can’t discriminate against students because of their race, gender, or disability. However, parents must usually submit a separate application to enroll a child in a charter school, and like private schools, spaces are often limited. Charter schools are independently run, and some are operated by for-profit private companies.
However, charter schools are still funded by government coffers and accountable to the government body — be it state, county, or district — that provides the charter. (Many successful charters do substantial additional fundraising as well.) If a school is mismanaged or test scores are poor, a charter school can be shut down.
On the other hand, most private schools depend on their own funding, which may come from parents through tuition, grants, donations, and endowments. Private schools also often actively seek money from alumni, businesses, and community organizations. If the school is associated with a religious group, as is the case with Catholic parochial schools, the religious organization — like the Catholic Church — may be an important source of funding as well. Finally, in areas with a voucher system, some private schools are primarily funded by tuition paid for by a voucher from the state.
Because they’re autonomous, private schools are free to offer religious education, or curriculum not regulated by state standards. Some good schools are not accredited, although most are. Accreditation ensures that the school meets regional or national standards set by a group of peers. It also ensures that the school’s administration and academic programs undergo review by an outside group at least once every few years.
Tuition can be expensive. Some K-12 boarding schools approach the cost of some private universities. A survey of over 1,100 schools belonging to the National Association of Independent Schools found that the national average for day schools is about $19,100. Tuition tends to be lower in elementary grades and higher in high school. Boarding schools where students live and attend school charge a much higher premium, about $45,400 on average, but can range up to $60,000 or more.
Religious schools tend to be cheaper because of their additional sources of funding and their sometimes larger class sizes. For example, Catholic schools are far less expensive than most independent private schools. The average Catholic school costs about $3,700 a year for elementary and $8,200 for high school, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.

Admission policies

By law, public schools must accept every child in its district, but this doesn’t mean your child will get into the school of your choice. Magnet schools draw children from larger areas than a neighborhood zone and can be very difficult to get into. Some high-performing public schools accept children based on high test scores. Schools may also not accept a child based on limited resources: for instance, a school may steer a student with autism to another local school that has a special education program for children with autism.
The way schools place students in certain schools (and not others) varies radically by region and can be a source of parental anxiety in navigating the system and advocating for the best fit for your child. In many larger school districts, students are placed in schools via a lottery. At the high school level, many districts in larger metropolitan areas offer special schools with competitive enrollment based on students’ GPAs, artistic portfolios, or test scores.
Charter schools can also be hard to get into if they are popular, and they may use a lottery system to fill any vacancies.
Private schools are not required to accept every child and often require extensive applications that involve multiple interviews, essays, and testing. Private schools can be extremely selective: not only can they choose students based on their academic achievement but also their ethnicity, gender, and religion, as well as the special attributes (or assets) of their parents.
Many private schools do not have special education programs or teachers trained to work with special learning disabilities (unless they are a private school created with such a population in mind). Some private schools will try to help all the students they admit, but extra resources may come at an additional cost. Other private schools quietly recommend that children with learning disabilities look elsewhere for special education. In contrast, public schools must offer children with disabilities a “free and appropriate public education” which means special services tailored to their needs and free testing.

Teachers

Many people assume that teachers at private schools are as qualified as those at public ones, but it’s noteworthy that public school teachers usually hold a bachelor’s degree and are state-certified or are working towards certification. Certification means that a teacher has gone through the training required by the state, which includes student teaching and course work. Teachers who work at a charter school may fall under more flexible certification requirements than other public school teachers.
Teachers in private schools may not be required to have certification. Instead, they often have subject-area expertise and an undergraduate or graduate degree in the subject they teach.

Academic programs and class sizes

Public schools must follow state guidelines that outline teaching standards and testing procedures. In theory, this creates a certain amount of quality control over academic subjects like reading and mathematics. But with education standards often set by the state, some criticize the rigid curriculum that many public schools offer.
Funding problems have forced many public schools to reduce teaching staffs and cut back on classes that are outside the state’s core curriculum, such as music and arts. Charter schools also may struggle with funding and typically receive less per pupil than traditional public schools. Many charter schools raise substantial amounts of money from private sources — for spending per pupil between charter schools can vary radically within a single city.
Class sizes differ radically from districts to district, so it’s important not to assume too much about student teacher ratios until you investigate. In Detroit, a recent contract could allow high school class sizes to balloon to over 60 students. On the other hand, the average class size in Harford County, MD high schools is just above 22 students. Many charters are smaller schools, which can result in smaller class sizes, but there is no norm among charter schools either.
Although many private schools provide small classes with low student-to-teacher ratios, there is no guarantee that such schools will keep their class size below a certain level.

Racial and religious diversity

Scholarships and loan programs have helped to make private schools increasingly diverse — though not as diverse as many public schools. Today, one out of every four students at a private school comes from a racial minority, compared to over two out of every five in a public school.
For many parents, school is a microcosm of the real world, and many want their child to attend schools that are just as diverse as the communities around them. Public schools systems have tried to address racial segregation by creating magnet schools. Like charter schools, magnet schools are public, and they draw students from different incomes and racial groups often by offering special programs, such as math, engineering, and environmental sciences.
But some say those aims fall short, especially for charter schools. One report from UCLA found that African American charter school students are more likely to be in a school of mostly black students than their peers in traditional public schools.
For many parents, a faith-based education matters. Since teaching religion in a non-secular context in public schools is banned, these parents may opt for a private school with a religious component. Catholic, Jewish, and Christian schools can embrace faith-based education in their curriculum and other activities. Many go beyond academics and require daily attendance at a chapel, synagogue, or temple.
Kids of non-religious families also attend religious schools. For instance, the number of non-Catholic students attending Catholic schools, for example, has risen from 2.7 percent in 1970 to 15.4 percent today, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.
Freedom of school choice is wider than it ever was, but it doesn’t have to be daunting for parents. Visiting a school and talking to other parents is the key to finding out if it’s the right match no matter what kind of school you’re looking for.

Final words of advice

Selecting a school for your child can be a deeply personal choice and may be rooted in your family’s beliefs and values. Whether a school is private, public, or charter, what’s most important is that the school is a good fit for your child and your family. Be sure to visit any school you are considering. Talk to other parents whose children have attended the school. Finally, look at a school’s GreatSchools’ rating and reviews to make sure your child is getting the best education possible.

RESEARCH

One mothers personal experience

1. TESTING
Public school is different now. I mean, all I have to say is "core curriculum standards" or "testing" and you know what I'm talking about. Teachers are teaching to the test, and even they don't like it. It's become a pressure cooker situation, and it's a wonder anyone can think at all in that environment.

2. EDUCATION
I have a passion for learning. I think it should be about expanding your world, thinking creatively and strategically, exploring, innovating, collaborating. Independent schools have more freedom to create programs that encourage this broader definition of education.

3. LOCAL PUBLIC
 It's an okay school, but it's a school that tests more than that state even requires (what the hell?!?) and where teachers are generally unhappy. It's huge and crowded. No one eats during lunchtime because it's too chaotic. How can I send my son to a mediocre school when I know what else is out there? I can't. I just can't.

5. INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
There are no grades or report cards; instead, they have narrative reports. Teachers describe in detail what they're learning and how they're learning it. If kids need improvement in an area, parents hear about it. If kids seems particularly adept in another area, we hear about that, too. There's a bit about how he's doing relative to other kids his age, but that's not the emphasis. His teachers are careful to craft their instruction and curriculum to support the kids' interests while still encouraging them to grow in new areas and skills. It's all kind of jaw-dropping.

6. SMALLER CLASS SIZES
There are 18 kids per class with a teacher and a teacher's assistant. And yeah, it makes a big difference.

7. SHARED VALUES
The other families at my son's school share a similar vision for education and for life in general. I don't think this happens in every private school, and it may be because ours is a school founded by people working in creative fields (film, design, music) rather than just rich folks. But the kids are all mostly centered and thoughtful, and the parents are cool, too. I guess choosing a private school means you also get to select your "tribe" -- whatever that looks like. And the social environment of your child's school becomes increasingly important the older they get.
I could go on, but those are the biggest reasons. Like I said, I'm fortunate to have the choice. Not everyone does. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to pull it off, but I'm so grateful I've been able to send my son to private school -- this school in particular.

RESEARCH

Private vs Public Education

Private versus public

Some differences between public and private schools are obvious. But deciding what's right for your child entails shedding light on the subtle distinctions many parents ignore.

It’s a debate that rages across the playgrounds and living rooms of New Zealand. In fact, nearly one in four parents are currently considering switching their child’s school either from private to public or public to private as a result of the economy.

What’s better for your youngster? How can you compare private and public schools when they seem so disparate? Is it like comparing apples and oranges — two different things that can’t be fairly held to the same standards? 

As any parent who has toured both kinds of school knows, it’s not always easy to answer these questions. Many people have a bias one way or another. Some assume that private schools offer superior everything, justifying their tuition costs. Others contend that public schools provide more real-life experiences or, in some cases, more-developed specialty programs in athletics or science. 

AdvertiWhile this primer won’t dare takes sides, it will touch on the most fundamental differences between public and private schools — as well as a few subtle distinctions that might make all the difference for your child.

The bottom line

The most obvious discrepancy between public and private schools comes down to cold, hard cash. The good news for parents is that public schools cannot charge tuition. The bad news is that public schools are complicated, often underfunded operations influenced by political winds and shortfalls. Financed through federal, state, and local taxes, public schools are part of a larger school system, which functions as a part of the government and must follow the rules and regulations set by politicians. 

AdvertisementIn contrast, private schools must generate their own funding, which typically comes from a variety of sources: tuition; private grants; and fundraising from parents, alumni, and other community members. (Ever wonder why private schools celebrate Grandparent’s Day and public schools don’t?) If the school is associated with a religious group, the local branch may provide an important source of funding as well. 

For parents this quickly translates into the bad news: high tuition costs and sometimes an exhausting work calendar of parent-sponsored fundraisers. The median tuition for their member private day schools in 2008-2009 was $17,441. Tuition for boarding schools was close to $37,017. Average tuition for nonmember schools is substantially less: Day schools charge $10,841 and boarding schools $23,448.) 

The potential benefits of private schools accrue from their independence. Private schools do not receive tax revenues, so they do not have to follow the same sorts of regulations and bureaucratic processes that govern (and sometimes hinder) public schools. This allows many private schools to be highly specialized, offering differentiated learning, advanced curriculum, or programs geared toward specific religious beliefs. There are exceptions to such generalizations — charter and magnet schools are increasingly common public schools that often have a special educational focus or theme.

The admissions game

Another obvious distinction between public and private schools results from their respective admissions procedures. By law, public schools must accept all children. In many cases, enrolling your child involves little more than filling out a few forms and providing proof of your address to the local school district office. In practice, however, getting your child into the public school of his or her choice can be much more complicated. 

Because not all public schools have resources for helping students with special needs, enrolling a child with a learning disability or other disorder may entail a more complex process. Similarly, in school districts with “school choice” policies, the procedure for finding a public school may require that parents enter a lottery to gain admission for their child into their top pick. Finally, at the high school level, many districts in larger metropolitan areas offer special schools with competitive enrollment based on students’ GPAs or artistic portfolios. 

Private schools, by their very definition, are selective. They are not obligated to accept every child, so getting admitted may involve in-depth applications with multiple interviews, essays, and testing. Because private schools define the identity of their communities, they often pick and choose between candidates based not only on their scholastic achievement but also their ethnicity and religious background — as well as the special attributes (or assets) of their parents. 

Teachers, curriculum, and class size

While most people assume that teachers at private schools are as qualified as those at public ones, it’s important to note that all teachers in a public school are usually state certified or, at a minimum, working toward certification. Certification ensures that a teacher has gone through the training required by the state, which includes student teaching and course work. Teachers in private schools may not be required to have certification. Instead, they often have subject-area expertise and an undergraduate or graduate degree in the subject they teach.

There’s a similar discrepancy between curriculum development in private and public schools. Public schools must follow state guidelines that set out specific standards and assessment procedures. In theory, this creates a certain amount of quality control. Private schools, on the other hand, can choose whatever curriculum and assessment model they wish. This freedom to design their own curriculum or avoid standardized tests can result in higher standards for students — or lower.

Many states recognize the value of small classes and have provided funding to keep class sizes small in grades K-3. As students advance to higher grades, class size tends to get bigger in public schools, especially in large school districts and urban schools.

While many private schools provide small classes with low student-to-teacher ratios, there is no guarantee that such schools will keep their class size below a certain level. Some private schools — Catholic ones, in particular — traditionally have larger classes than public schools.

Special needs

Due to special education laws, public schools must educate all children and provide the necessary programs to meet their special needs. This means that all school districts have special education programs and teachers who are trained to work with special-needs students.

Private schools do not have to accept children with special needs, and many choose not to (although there are a small number of private schools designed for special-needs children). As a result, most private schools do not have special education programs or teachers trained to work with that student population. Some private schools will try to help all the students they admit, but extra resources may come at an additional cost. Other private schools practice something called “counseling out” — recommending that children with learning disabilities look elsewhere for a school.

How do you know what’s right for your child?

Don’t rely on hearsay and rumor when it comes to deciding between private and public. Visit the schools and ask the teachers lots of questions. Read school profiles on GreatSchools. At the end of the day, the best school for your child is a highly personal decision based on your family; your values; and, most important, the special needs, idiosyncrasies, and interests of your kid. Let the debate rage on, but don’t forget about the one person for whom this decision is far more than sandbox banter.

Testing.

Private school students typically score higher than public school students on standardized tests, but a 2006 study (pdf) by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCEA), which took into account students’ backgrounds, told a different story.

Public school students in fourth and eighth grade scored almost as well or better than their private school peers in reading and math, except that private school students excelled in eighth-grade reading.

A Harvard University study (pdf) challenged the results, using the same data but different methods. Researchers found that private schools came out ahead in 11 of 12 comparisons of students.

Earlier in 2006, an analysis of math scores by two University of Illinois researchers found similar results to the NCEA study. “Charter, Private, Public Schools and Academic Achievement” (pdf) states that “after accounting for the fact that private schools serve more advantaged populations, public schools perform remarkably well, often outscoring private and charter schools.”

But as this dissenting view from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation’s Education Gadfly newsletter shows, the debate over which kind of school does a better job is far from settled.