Reply to How do you compare academics when there’s no real data?

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "How do you compare academics when there’s no real data?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]As a former private school teacher, I’d look at three things: selectivity, curriculum, and ability grouping. The first is a bit hard to measure because schools do not have to disclose application, acceptance, or yield numbers. Generally, you go by reputation. Also, a school that has recently applied to the zoning board to increase its enrollment cap is one that’s growing, usually because it’s in demand. If you can, ask admin to give a broad summary of ERB or MAP scores. There are small private schools that have students in the single-digit percentiles and students in the 99th percentile. It’s really difficult to keep all students appropriately challenged in such an environment.

Curriculum can be a little trickier. You want a school where teachers have flexibility to adjust lessons to students’ needs. You don’t want a school where teachers write the curriculum. In the latter case, young teachers are at a horrible disadvantage, and a teacher departure can wipe out a lot of institutional knowledge about what’s being taught. Writing curricula also eats up a lot of teacher time that could otherwise be used for differentiation, lesson planing, giving feedback, and parent communication. Discount any school using the Readers or Writers Workshop framework. Research the math text on your own.

Ability grouping is the best way to ensure appropriate challenge for all kids. Flexible grouping, as Holton Arms does for its elementary students, is ideal in my opinion. You want groups to be as small as possible as well. Finally, ask if there are opportunities for advancement. Many schools do not have the schedule flexibility, curriculum, or staffing to accelerate exceptional students, especially in math.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics