UC Admissions by Private High School
College Admissions by Private High School
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Overview
Although
private schools often enjoy a better reputation than public, they are not
without problems. The typical private or parochial school is funded way below
its public school counterpart. In size, facilities, playing fields and
programs, public schools usually far outstrip private schools. Private school
teachers earn less than public school teachers.
"Typical"
has to be emphasized. Some private schools are well-equipped, offer exceptional
programs, pay their teachers competitively and limit class sizes to fewer than
15 students. Private schools vary widely in funding. But even when "typical,"
private schools enjoy certain advantages over public schools.
The
Advantages
Public
schools must accept all students, have almost no power to dismiss incompetent
teachers and are at the mercy of their neighborhoods for the quality of
students. The unruly often cannot be expelled or effectively disciplined.
Much has
been said about the ability of private schools to rid themselves of problem children
and screen them out in the first place. But tuition, even when modest, probably
does more than anything else to assure private schools quality students.
Parents
who pay extra for their child's education and often agree to work closely with
the school are, usually, demanding parents. The result: fewer discipline
problems, fewer distractions in the class, more of a willingness to learn.
Classmates
When you
place your child in a good private school, you are, to a large extent, buying
him or her scholastic classmates. They may not be the smartest children — many
private schools accept children of varying ability — but generally they will
have someone at home breathing down their necks to succeed in academics.
The same
attitude, a reflection of family values, is found in the high-achieving public
schools. When a child in one of these schools or a private school turns to his
left and right, he will see and later talk to children who read books and
newspapers. A child in a low-achieving school, public or private, will talk to
classmates who watch a lot of television and rarely read.
(These
are, necessarily, broad generalizations. Much depends on whom the children pick
for friends. High-achieving students certainly watch television but, studies
show, much less than low-achieving students. Many critics contend that even
high-scoring schools are graduating students poorly prepared for college.)
The
Quality of Teaching
Do private
schools have better teachers than public schools? Impossible to tell. Both
sectors sing the praises of their teachers.
Private
schools, compared to public, have much more freedom to dismiss teachers but
this can be abused. The private schools themselves advise parents to avoid
schools with excessive teacher turnover.
Although
most can't pay as much as public schools, private institutions claim to attract
people fed up with the limitations of public schools, particularly the
restrictions on disciplining and ejecting unruly children. Some proponents
argue that private schools attract teachers "who really want to teach."
Religion
and Private Schools
Some
private schools are as secular as any public institution. But many are
religious-oriented and talk in depth about religion or ethics, or teach a
specific creed. Or possibly they teach values within a framework of western
civilization or some other philosophy.
Until
recently public schools almost never talked about religion or religious
figures. They now teach the history of major religions and the basic tenets of
each, and they try to inculcate in the children a respect for all religions.
It's hard,
if not impossible, however, for public schools to talk about values within a
framework of religion or a system of ethics. Often, it's difficult for them to
talk about values. Some people argue that this is a major failing.
Many
religious schools accept students of different religions or no religion. Some
schools offer these students broad courses in religion — less dogma. Ask about
the program.
Money
Private-school
parents pay taxes for public schools and they pay tuition. Public-school
parents pay taxes but not tuition. Big difference.
Charter
Schools
Many charter schools
are run by private firms and sometimes charter fans will suggest that charters
are private schools in disguise. But charters are not private schools. They are
public schools, funded by taxes.
Charter schools have
more flexibility than many regular public schools and more influence over their
own budgets. Charters sometimes will have longer instructional days and require
parents to participate in school activities.
Regular public schools
generally enroll their immediate neighborhoods. Charters can accept enrollments
from any where in the state.
Charters can structure
their practices to follow educational philosophies — Montessori, Carden,
Waldorf. But they cannot teach religion or favor one religion over others.
Charter students are
required to take the state achievement tests and to follow many state and
federal policies. These requirements go a long way in shaping the charter
curriculum. All charters should be publishing School Accountability Report
Cards.
Charters are relatively
new, arriving in California about 15 years ago. They are still defining
themselves and fighting opponents — mainly the teacher unions — that would like
to define them into oblivion.
Some
independent charters allow — often after a waiting period — the teachers to
withdraw from the union and negotiate their own contract. If you work in a
regular public school, the union negotiates the contract, which defines hours,
working conditions and pay.
In
California, the unions, through the state legislature, have imposed many
limitations on charters. The teacher unions are closely affiliated with
Democrats, the charters with Republicans but many parents, no matter what the
party, support charters and this has blunted the union opposition.
Charters
come in all forms. Many differ little from public schools. Sometimes, just to
avoid commands from central headquarters, a public school will go charter, keep
the union, make a few changes and pretty much function as before.
With
public schools, with private schools, with charters — caveat emptor, let buyer
beware. Do some investigating before you enroll your child.
Ethnic
Diversity
Many
private schools are integrated and the great majority of private-school
principals — the editor knows no exceptions — welcome minorities. Some
principals fret over tuition, believing that it keeps many poor students out of
private schools.
Money, or
lack of it, weighs heavily on private schools. Scholarships, however, are
awarded, adjustments made, family rates offered. Never hurts to ask.
Choosing a
Private School
1. Inspect
the grounds, the school's buildings, ask plenty of questions. "I would make
myself a real pest," advised one private school official. The good schools
welcome this kind of attention.
2. Choose
a school with a philosophy congenial to your own, and your child's. Carden
schools emphasize structure. Montessori schools, while somewhat structured,
encourage individual initiative and independence.
Ask
whether the school is accredited. Private schools are free to run almost any
program they like, to set any standards they like, which may sound enticing but
in some aspects might hurt the schools. A few bad ones spoil the reputation of
the good. To remedy this, many private schools sign up for inspections by
independent agencies, such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
and the California Association of Independent Schools. These agencies try to
make sure that schools meet their own goals. Some good schools do not seek
accreditation.
Ask about
scores. This is a tricky area because private schools are not required to take
the state tests. They may, however, have their own tests or SAT data or college
placement numbers. The state public universities do track how many students
they get from private high schools. See chart in this chapter.
3. Get all
details about tuition carefully explained. How is it to be paid? Are there
extra fees? Book costs? Is there a refund if the student is withdrawn or
dropped from the school?
4.
Progress reports. Parent conferences. How often are they scheduled?
5. What
are the entrance requirements? When must they be met? Although many schools use
entrance tests, often they are employed to place the child in an academic
program, not exclude him from the school.
6. For
prep schools, how many students go on to college and to what colleges?
7. How are
discipline problems handled?
8. What
are the teacher qualifications? What is the teacher turnover rate?
9. How
sound financially is the school? How long has it been in existence? There is
nothing wrong per se with new schools. But you want a school that has the
wherewithal to do the job.
10. Do
parents have to work at school functions?
11. Don't
choose in haste but don't wait until the last minute. If you can, call the
school the year before your child is to enter, early in the year.
12. Don't
assume that because your child attends a private school you can expect
everything will go all right, that neither the school nor the student needs
your attention. The quality of private schools in California varies widely.
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