Are American private schools good or not?

In the United States, the free public education system from kindergarten to high school is perfect, but parents still want to send their children to private schools with high tuition fees. What are the advantages of American private schools over public schools? There is such a detailed comparative article on HowStuffWorks, a famous American science and technology website, which lists the characteristics and advantages of American private schools. See if American private schools are good!

Generally speaking, most private schools in the United States have religious backgrounds or are designed for the special needs of students. The educational concept pays more attention to cultivating children's habit of lifelong learning and the advantages of teacher-student comparison, so students in private schools have better grades than public schools, and students have greater opportunities to enter Ivy League universities and graduation rates.

In the United States, free access to public schools is one of the basic rights of children. Although there are free public schools in 50 states, many families choose to send their children to private schools, and many private schools have to pay high tuition fees every year. In American schools, the proportion of private schools is about 24%, and the proportion of children attending private schools is 1 1%.

Private schools are all over the United States, among which some kindergartens in new york are the most advanced, and the competition among these schools is fierce. There are all kinds of private schools in America, religious and non-religious, for gifted children and disabled children. No matter what your child needs, likes, skills and age, you can find a private school in the United States that can make him/her grow up healthily.

Since there is a free education system, why do parents choose private schools? Usually the reason is the poor teaching quality or too many students in nearby public schools. In this case, parents will feel that their children can get a better education by attending private schools, even though they need to pay tuition fees.

There are also some families who choose private schools because they want their children to receive religious education or learn special skills. Children with special needs or disabilities are also suitable for studying in private schools. Let me introduce you to various private schools in the United States, hoping to help your child find the most suitable one (if you have immigrated or are preparing to immigrate, your child has not yet entered the university).

Private schools think that every child is unique, and parents hope to find a suitable private school for their children's skills or beliefs.

Most private schools are classified according to the source of funds. They may be independent or non-profit, which means that the school is managed by a group of directors or other groups. Private schools are profitable, and management is usually not from government officials. In addition, religious schools are run by churches or other religious organizations and managed by church members.

The source of funds has a lot to do with the amount of tuition. According to the statistics of foreign websites, the annual tuition fee of independent schools is between several thousand and ten thousand dollars. Because religious schools are funded by the church, the tuition fees range from $65,438+$0,200 to $7,500, while the tuition fees of profit-making private schools are the highest, and the annual tuition fees of top schools are generally not less than $30,000.

In addition to funding sources, private schools can also be classified according to religion and age. According to the National Education Center, 30% of private schools in the United States are run by the Catholic Church, 50% belong to other religions, and only 20% have nothing to do with religion. All three schools can provide education from kindergarten to high school.

When choosing a school, parents should also consider whether their children need to go to school or live on campus. For those children with special needs or interests, they can choose schools for the disabled or preparatory military schools, and of course there are private schools with special artistic or academic fields.

Some private schools are also classified according to the educational theory system. For example, schools will adopt Waldorf courses or Montessori courses. These schools offer more subjects than traditional schools, and focus on cultivating students' curiosity, concentration, leadership, social skills or sense of responsibility. Under the Montessori education model, students will not start studying traditional subjects until the second year.

Advantages of private schools Compared with public schools, one of the most fundamental benefits of private schools is of course the better quality of education. According to the results of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2000, the average scores of students in private schools are higher than those in public schools. The subjects of the exam include reading, mathematics and science.

From the first NAEP test in the fourth grade to all subsequent tests, students in private schools are obviously superior to those in public schools. However, an academic report in 2007 put forward the view that private schools have not significantly improved students' ability considering social and economic factors, because those students with high scores have excellent grades regardless of whether they attend private schools or public schools. After adjusting the socio-economic factors, there is not much difference between the scores of students in private schools and public schools.

The academic report also pointed out that the scores of students in Catholic schools were above average, but not too high. The real advantages of private schools are reflected in the graduation rate of universities and the college entrance examination. Students in private schools scored higher in the college entrance examination, and the graduation rate after entering the university was also significantly higher. These two advantages benefit from the higher standards of private schools, which can be seen from the fact that private schools provide more courses in order to implement their own educational ideas.

In addition, private schools are more satisfied with parents and teachers than public schools. According to the survey of the American Private Education Committee, parents of private schools are satisfied with all aspects of their children's education, and teachers are more satisfied. They think they can make more contributions, and their opinions are taken seriously. Although many factors may lead to high satisfaction, the biggest reason may be the small number of students. The ratio of students to teachers in private schools is usually 1 1: 1, which means that teachers can pay more attention to the education of individual students and provide more help to those who are more difficult.

Admission process of private schools The admission process of private schools is usually carried out one year before the start of school, when the school will be open to potential students to visit and introduce their courses. The deadline for each school to accept applications is different, usually 1 1 month or1February, and the admission notice for autumn admission is usually sent in March.

So, what is the application process of private schools? Usually, applicants need to fill out forms or write papers, or they may be interviewed or observed for a period of time. Performing arts schools also need auditions, live auditions or video auditions. All schools should check the files and records of studying in other schools.

Private kindergartens will let students go to school to be evaluated by managers and teachers. They will evaluate students' academic skills and get along with others. Although the examination standards of private schools are controversial, most schools will require students to choose one or two entrance examinations. The examinations include the entrance examination for middle schools (SSAT) and the entrance examination for independent schools (ISEE). Both exams cover a large number of subjects.

In some areas, the enrollment rate of private schools is quite low. For example, the enrollment rate of private schools in Los Angeles can reach 37%, while that of Manhattan is only 4%. Fortunately, most private schools are not that difficult to get into. If your child doesn't attend your favorite private school, it's usually not your fault. Many private schools will consider gender, race, socio-economic status and many other factors unrelated to study when enrolling students.

If your daughter is rejected, it is likely that there were too many girls in the freshman year; Family factors will also be considered when entering school. If your child has relatives studying in that school, the chances of being admitted will be higher. The administrators of private schools hope that parents can seek truth from facts. Instead of training children to meet the enrollment requirements of the school, it is better to confess students' real hobbies and skills and let children find private schools that suit them.

In addition, this is also the biggest purpose of private schools. The curriculum of private schools is decided by the schools themselves, and the curriculum of public schools must be arranged according to local regulations. Although private schools can choose subjects, they must also abide by the regulations of the local education commission. These regulations vary from state to state, usually to ensure the health and safety of students, such as traffic management, food management, staff management, file preservation and so on.

The Board of Education may not prescribe courses for private schools, and even if subjects are prescribed, they are much less than those prescribed by public schools. The relaxed curriculum requirements allow them to focus on areas that they think are important or in line with the school's teaching philosophy. For example, religious schools are allowed to teach religious-related subjects and use the Bible as teaching materials, which is absolutely forbidden in most public schools. The biggest controversy lies in the origin of human beings. Private schools can choose to teach students creationism or evolution, or even both, but general laws stipulate that public schools can only teach evolution.

Many private schools allow students to arrange their afternoons freely, especially high schools. For example, in an art private school, students have classes in the morning and can practice singing or dancing in the afternoon. There are also physical training in the afternoon, emphasizing discipline or meeting special needs (helping students improve their learning ability, etc.). ) In general public schools, there are few such courses, and even if there are, there is still insufficient funds. Because of financial problems, many students in public schools can only attend art or physical education class once a week.

Another advantage of private school courses is to enable students to grow up healthily under the appropriate educational concept. For example, in schools that adopt Waldorf or Montessori courses, students' performance will not be graded, nor will they study in traditional classrooms, especially in the lower grades. The educational concept of private schools is very different from that of public schools. Public schools emphasize the national unified examination and carry out education according to the requirements of the examination, while private schools mainly cultivate students' curiosity and let them study for life.

The examination in private schools is quite different from the standard examination. The examination required by the National Education Bureau of the United States for public school students is not entirely applicable to private school students. Most students in public schools will take the annual unified examination, but students in private schools are different. According to the regulations of the Education Bureau, students in these two schools must take part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) every four years, specifically in the fourth, eighth and twelfth grades, in order to evaluate the teaching level. Students' personal scores will not be fed back to students, and only some schools are required to take the exam, accounting for about 10%. For the accuracy of the results, these schools are randomly selected. Public schools must disclose their NAEP scores, but private schools can choose not to disclose them. Some private schools also publish their scores as a kind of publicity to attract students to sign up.

In addition to NAEP, students from public schools will also take assessment exams organized by the state government. In most states, private schools are allowed not to take such exams, but they can also take them. Most of the reasons for participating are to compare the results with other schools in the same area. Parents of potential students may make choices based on these achievements. Usually, private schools will treat the unified examination with a low profile, because the results conflict with the core values of private schools and violate the goal of allowing students to develop in many aspects. Many educational experts believe that there are defects in the unified examination, and the debate about the unified examination is still going on.

Even though students in private schools don't have to take many unified exams, there is one exam that they can't avoid, and that is the College Entrance Examination (SAT). Most American universities regard SAT scores as one of the admission criteria. Because many students in private schools lack unified examination experience, they may have some trouble in dealing with the SAT, but their scores still exceed those of students in public schools. Private schools can not only avoid the unified examination, but also completely deny the results. Most schools that adopt Waldorf or Montessori courses do not grade students before high school, but reflect their performance in other ways. Many schools give a piece of paper, on which students' mistakes or shortcomings are written in red ink, and then discuss the improvement methods with students. Students with poor spelling skills will be arranged to take part in learning to improve their spelling skills, such as reading or educational games.

Private schools rank so many private schools. How should parents and students compare? The quickest way is to look at the rankings of private schools. There are many criteria for ranking, including school academic performance and the results of physical exercise. Look at the local newspaper. There may be comments from private schools. Of course, you can also choose across the country. For example, American News, World Report and Famous Schools are all good sources of information. They will rank schools according to certain standards from time to time to provide reference for parents.

If you want the school to be more aristocratic, you can look at Forbes' ranking of the most expensive private schools in the United States. You can also measure the enrollment rate provided by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). As mentioned above, schools with an admission rate of only 4% should not be considered.

What exactly is a "good" private school? Different people have different answers, but good schools are similar in some ways. Their students have higher test scores or higher student satisfaction. They provide children with the courses they need, whether they need more help or greater challenges. Some good private schools encourage teachers to have targeted training, deepen their academic level, and also require teachers to have relatively high academic qualifications. A good private school has a higher enrollment rate, which can make students better prepare for the SAT. The most important thing is not to think that the "best" private schools around you are the best for your children, but to find more schools that can enable your children to exert their maximum potential, build self-confidence, develop studious habits or learn leadership skills.

According to statistics, the average annual tuition fee of private schools in the United States is 17000 dollars, and the highest boarding school is 50000 dollars a year. Although the tuition fee is very high, fortunately, 20% of students can get financial aid, with an average annual cost of $9,000, and the average annual cost of boarding schools is17,000.

Financial subsidies take many forms. Some schools grant subsidies according to students' needs, and some schools grant scholarships to sports special students according to examination results. In addition, there are many forms of loans for private schools, and schools will cooperate with parents to discuss a scheme that will not lead to bank bankruptcy. If your school can't give you enough financial aid, find the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). They also have various forms of subsidies. You can look at their official website.

So, how do private schools decide which students should receive financial aid? Each school has different ways of choosing, but some funding places have been occupied by students in need. Once the school recruits students who need financial help, it may also provide subsidies for them to complete their studies. More funding is allocated to students who conform to the school's teaching philosophy, or students who can make the school improve the quality of education. These students may have special skills in some minority areas and have excellent talents in learning or leadership.

Of course, not all schools provide financial aid. Top private schools don't like to provide financial aid, and even if they do, they will only give generously under certain circumstances. However, some schools have completely different styles. They will ask parents to pay sponsorship fees or hold fund-raising meetings to ensure the grant as much as possible. Speaking of financial aid, we have to mention vouchers. If parents want their children to attend private schools instead of nearby public schools, they may get such vouchers. Students who get vouchers are compensated by the government for not attending public schools (every family will pay education tax).

Vouchers have certain limitations, so parents must apply to see if their children meet the requirements. Some regions restrict the use of vouchers. For example, some states prohibit students from using vouchers from religious schools. There is a great controversy about vouchers. Supporters of vouchers believe that all taxpayers should benefit from government education funds, whether private schools or public schools. Opponents believe that this system means that the government begins to control private schools, because the government strictly stipulates which schools can use school vouchers, which directly affects parents' choices. Some schools will discriminate against students who have vouchers, even though they have to accept vouchers from qualified students.