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| Education |
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
In a June 2002 report, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that private school students scored higher on standardized tests, had more demanding graduation requirements and sent more graduates to college than public schools. The report said that students who had completed at least the eighth grade in a private school were twice as likely as other students to graduate from college as a young adult.
NCES statistics also showed that students in private schools are much more likely than others to take advanced-level high school courses. Students thrive when allowed to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Joint reports by the NCES and the Bureau of Justice Statistics and a private study by the Horatio Alger Association have found that private school students are significantly more likely than others to feel safe and be safe in their schools.
— Good for Families
Choosing a school for their children is one of the most important decisions parents must make. Whether they move into a school district, apply to a private school or adjust family duties to make home schooling possible, most families want school choice.
For the parents of more than 6 million children, the choice is private education. They choose a private education for many reasons: quality academics, a safe and orderly environment and moral and ethical values being the common reasons cited. Choice makes them satisfied consumers.
The NCES reports that more than three-quarters of private school parents are “very satisfied” with their child’s school compared with less than half of parents whose children were assigned to a public school. Parents often look to private schools as an extension of the home in promoting the values they embrace, and private schools respond. A recent NCES survey found that promoting religious or spiritual life was second only to academic excellence in the goals of private school principals.
— Montessori Schools
Montessori is a type of private school that emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching or reading. More and more educators are turning to the child-centered Montessori approach of learning and schools to support this type of learning are popping-up around the country. In the Bay Area, there are more than 20 Montessori schools. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3 to 6 and 6 to 9, for example), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones.
According to the Montessori Foundation “Montessori classrooms incorporate art, music, dance and creative drama throughout the curriculum” and “many are focused on meeting the needs of the working family and others describe themselves as college-preparatory programs.”
CHARTER SCHOOLS
In California, charter schools rapidly are growing in popularity. Currently, 1,018 charter schools and 18 all-charter districts are operating in California. Approximately 16 percent of these are conversions of existing schools, and 84 percent are new start-up schools. Charter schools are located throughout the state in 49 of California’s 58 counties and in rural, suburban and urban areas. Student populations are diverse and tend to reflect the student populations of the districts in which the charter schools are located. Approximately 438,475 students are enrolled in charter schools in California, according to the California Charter Schools Association.
Charter schools may set admissions standards under the following conditions:
Innovative charter schools are providing programs that offer everything from an emphasis on foreign languages to fine and performing arts. Some charter schools develop partnerships with other public agencies (such as the California Conservation Corps, county government agencies and local community colleges), and some provide specialized programs (such as a program to place students in work experience settings or a program of comprehensive family services).
While most charter school students attend site-based programs with the look and feel of a traditional classroom, other students participate in programs with research-based alternative learning modalities (such as the Montessori methods) or programs that are tailored to the needs of the individual student (such as nonclassroom-based or independent and virtual programs). In some cases, charter schools focus on dropout recovery, providing a second chance to students who wish to pursue a California high school diploma and who have not been successful in other settings.
All charter schools must participate in the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program and other state assessments. Charter schools receive an Academic Performance Indicator like all other public schools. An interactive Web-based map on the Charter Schools in California Counties website, which affords the public easy access to specific information on charter schools, can be found at www.cde.ca.gov/ds/si/cs/ap1/imagemap.aspx.
In a June 2002 report, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that private school students scored higher on standardized tests, had more demanding graduation requirements and sent more graduates to college than public schools. The report said that students who had completed at least the eighth grade in a private school were twice as likely as other students to graduate from college as a young adult.
NCES statistics also showed that students in private schools are much more likely than others to take advanced-level high school courses. Students thrive when allowed to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Joint reports by the NCES and the Bureau of Justice Statistics and a private study by the Horatio Alger Association have found that private school students are significantly more likely than others to feel safe and be safe in their schools.
— Good for Families
Choosing a school for their children is one of the most important decisions parents must make. Whether they move into a school district, apply to a private school or adjust family duties to make home schooling possible, most families want school choice.
For the parents of more than 6 million children, the choice is private education. They choose a private education for many reasons: quality academics, a safe and orderly environment and moral and ethical values being the common reasons cited. Choice makes them satisfied consumers.
The NCES reports that more than three-quarters of private school parents are “very satisfied” with their child’s school compared with less than half of parents whose children were assigned to a public school. Parents often look to private schools as an extension of the home in promoting the values they embrace, and private schools respond. A recent NCES survey found that promoting religious or spiritual life was second only to academic excellence in the goals of private school principals.
— Montessori Schools
Montessori is a type of private school that emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching or reading. More and more educators are turning to the child-centered Montessori approach of learning and schools to support this type of learning are popping-up around the country. In the Bay Area, there are more than 20 Montessori schools. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3 to 6 and 6 to 9, for example), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones.
According to the Montessori Foundation “Montessori classrooms incorporate art, music, dance and creative drama throughout the curriculum” and “many are focused on meeting the needs of the working family and others describe themselves as college-preparatory programs.”
CHARTER SCHOOLS
In California, charter schools rapidly are growing in popularity. Currently, 1,018 charter schools and 18 all-charter districts are operating in California. Approximately 16 percent of these are conversions of existing schools, and 84 percent are new start-up schools. Charter schools are located throughout the state in 49 of California’s 58 counties and in rural, suburban and urban areas. Student populations are diverse and tend to reflect the student populations of the districts in which the charter schools are located. Approximately 438,475 students are enrolled in charter schools in California, according to the California Charter Schools Association.
Charter schools may set admissions standards under the following conditions:
- An existing private school may not be converted to a charter school.
- A charter school must be nonsectarian.
- A charter school may not discriminate, nor can it charge tuition.
- No pupil can be required to attend a charter school, nor can teachers be required to work in a charter public school.
- A charter school must have highly qualified credentialed teachers in all core subjects.
Innovative charter schools are providing programs that offer everything from an emphasis on foreign languages to fine and performing arts. Some charter schools develop partnerships with other public agencies (such as the California Conservation Corps, county government agencies and local community colleges), and some provide specialized programs (such as a program to place students in work experience settings or a program of comprehensive family services).
While most charter school students attend site-based programs with the look and feel of a traditional classroom, other students participate in programs with research-based alternative learning modalities (such as the Montessori methods) or programs that are tailored to the needs of the individual student (such as nonclassroom-based or independent and virtual programs). In some cases, charter schools focus on dropout recovery, providing a second chance to students who wish to pursue a California high school diploma and who have not been successful in other settings.
All charter schools must participate in the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program and other state assessments. Charter schools receive an Academic Performance Indicator like all other public schools. An interactive Web-based map on the Charter Schools in California Counties website, which affords the public easy access to specific information on charter schools, can be found at www.cde.ca.gov/ds/si/cs/ap1/imagemap.aspx.
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