Life is a constant state of growth and learning. By nurturing young minds they can fulfill their potential and explore their passions to make the future a brighter place for us all. Unfortunately, education standards in the United States are dropping as we constantly become outplaced by the school systems of other nations. Many believe that this is due in large part to the way our public school systems are run, often turning out cookie-cutter molded children that all must adhere to an identical curriculum rife with standardized testing. A child’s education is one of the most impactful elements of their development, and thus schooling ought to be a consideration of all parents. Here are some reasons why many parents are instead looking into the top private schools in our nation to give their child an advantage that will help shape their life.
Private Education in America
In the United States there are 30,861 private schools ranging from private preschools, private primary schools, private middle schools, and private high schools; in contrast there are 98,817 public schools across the nation. Although private schools account for a quarter of our nation’s schools, they only enroll approximately 10% of students between kindergarten and 12th grade — this number breaks down to an estimated 5.3 million students across the nation. Of these private schools 96% are coeducational, serving both male and female students; the remaining 4% is equally divided between private academies that enroll only girls or boys — many parents choose a private middle school to keep their child focused on their work and free from distractions caused by adolescence. Many private schools adopt a specific teaching philosophy or are instead defined by a religious denomination; this means that parents are likely able to find several private schools in their area that align with their educational goals.
The Difference of Private Schools
As stated earlier, private schools enroll only 10% of our nation’s students. This in turn means that private schools are significantly smaller than overcrowded public schools; most private middle schools are less than half the size of a public school with most private middle schools having somewhere around 250 students for example. Studies found that around 86% of private schools have less than 300 students enrolled. These smaller class sizes mean that each student will receive more one-on-one attention from teachers than their public school-going peers, for 91% of surveyed private school parents, the involvement and dedication of the teachers was their main reason for choosing and sticking with their private school. Of parents with children enrolled in a religious private school, 80% said they were satisfied with the morals, faith, and traditions upheld throughout their child’s academic career. In general, private schools enjoy an 80% approval rating from parents when it comes to the academic standards expected of students.
Making Successful Students
The values, standards, and freedom imparted onto students by private schooling has been proven to have a significant impact on the potential for future success after graduation for students. Students from private schools that took the SAT scored averages of 541 in reading, 579 in math, and 550 in writing; students from public high schools scored smaller averages of 497 in reading, 514 in math, and 489 in writing. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) states that around 88% of private high school students apply to college compared to the just 57% of public high school students. Moreover, of the 305,842 private high school graduates from 2010-2011, about 64% were able to get into a four year college by that fall. When it comes to college, many of these private students continue to outperform peers that instead graduated from public schooling thanks in large part to a diverse curriculum that stands in so stark of a contrast to public school curriculum. In order to give your child the best chance for success you can, make no mistake that private schools offer a unique advantage that just may be the difference between success and failure somewhere down the line.