Why Private Education?

Private schools benefit students by fostering academic excellence and high achievement, educating the whole child within a values-based setting, and preparing youngsters for success in life. If you want a caring, challenging, nurturing, safe and secure environment for your child–a place where he/she can learn and succeed–consider a private school.

Academic Excellence

Private schools are known for the high standards they set. They engage students and spark the desire to learn. Teachers expect excellence from students, and students tend to live up to those expectations. The high expectations and academic rigor help account for above-average levels of student success, including higher college-going rates. If you’re looking to help your child reach his/her potential in a school committed to excellence, consider a private school.

In a June 2002 report titled Private Schools: A Brief Portrait, the U.S. Department of Education had this to say about the academic performance of private schools:

Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests.

Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.

Private school graduates are more likely than their peers from public schools to have completed advanced-level courses in three academic subject areas (see table).

Private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor’s or advanced degree by their mid-20s.

Private school students scored well above the national average in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP scores provide an immediate measure of student achievement, but the report also presents a long-term measure: attainment of a college degree. “[S]tudents who had attended private school in 8th grade were twice as likely as those who had attended public school to have completed a bachelor’s or higher degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent).”

High Achievement

According to NCES data, 88 percent of private high school students apply to college, compared to 57 percent of public high school students. And reports from the College Board indicate that SAT scores for private school students are well above the national average.

When it comes to challenging students to stretch their capacity, private schools do an exceptional job. Statistics from the College Board and NCES show that for high school seniors, 24.2 percent of private school students took AP exams in 1998, while 9.4 percent of public school students did so. Private schools, which account for only 7.5 percent of all high school students, produced 20 percent of 12th graders who took AP exams in 1998 and 22 percent of those who scored high enough to have the advanced courses count for college credit.

School Safety

Private schools are orderly and safe–the kind of setting necessary for students to learn. The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), published by the National Center for Education Statistics, provides data on school safety and discipline.

Outlook Articles on School Safety
•November 2003: Government Issues School Crime and Safety Report
•June 2002: New Government Report on Private Schools

Focus on Values

Private schools focus on the essentials–that which provides purpose and meaning to life. The sad reality is that our society is marked by a great fear that fundamental values are coming undone. Within that context, a growing number of parents desperately desire the opportunity to choose schools whose primary purpose is to provide youngsters a sound moral and religious education. Private schools are the only schools we have that can assist parents with the religious and spiritual development of their children–a sphere of development so essential for their complete and proper upbringing.The 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey mentioned above asked school principals to rate various goals as their most important. Below is the rank order of goals rated by principals of public schools and private schools, with the percentage of principals ranking each goal as their first, second, or third most important (Public school principals were not asked about the goal of religious/spiritual development.)