Parents who want to find to find the best schools for their children base their decisions on a number of factors. Academic standards, extracurricular activities like music, the arts, and athletics, and individualized attention, all contribute to a quality education. Test scores and college admissions are an indication of high academic standards, which provide a solid foundation for a lifetime. On all of these counts, private schools tend to outperform public schools, due their smaller enrollments. This allows them to devote more resources and care to each individual student.
What are some advantages of private schools?
About one out of four or 25% of all schools in the U.S. are private schools. Total enrollments, from preschool to high school, add up to 2.63 million students. Private schools typically have smaller enrollments than public schools, who allows them to devote more resources to each individual student. They are able to offer such extra facilities as computer labs, summer day camp, and digital textbooks, which enrich the overall educational experience for children at every stage.
As part of their normal course offerings, private schools provide an all-round education which includes the fine arts, science labs, and athletic facilities. This gives children a solid foundation for a lifetime of achievement. It introduces them to the creative arts as well as the STEM fields, and gives them a chance to develop their skills and talents in the arts and athletics. Summer day camps help students to consolidate their learning and to try new activities and sports.
A nurturing environment
The advantages of private schools make them the best schools for parents who want their children to succeed not only academically but in life. Smaller teacher to student ratios make it possible to devote individual attention to each student. Smaller class sizes provide students with a comfortable and nurturing environment in which to develop their academic skills and creative talents. Many parents who chose private schools for their children cite qualified and committed teachers as a major factor in their decision.
Safety is another major concern for parents, and in this area as well, private schools do better. Smaller sizes make for better care and supervision of students. An emphasis on developing character and good citizenship also creates a sense of responsibility among students.
Test scores and college admissions
The many advantages of private schools make them the best schools for parents who want their kids to do well in standardized tests and to go on to college. Private school students typically score higher than the national average on standardized tests. For example, the average private school student scores around 1235 on the SATs, which is much higher than the national average of 1060. Private schools encourage students to think about their post-secondary education from an early stage.
In fact, high school counselors at private schools report that they spend over half or 55% of their time discussing higher education with students. By contrast, public high school counselors spend less than a fourth, or just 22% of their time discussing college options with students. As a result, nearly all, or 95% of all students from non-parochial private schools go on to college, as compared to just 49% from public schools.
When parents consider the factors that help them choose the best schools for their children, they find that private schools meet most of their criteria. High academic standards, extracurricular activities that promote all-round character development, a nurturing environment, and extras like summer day camp all add up to a quality education that provides a solid foundation for a successful life.
