PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS

PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS Michael Paglione Jordan Ruggeri Becca Thomas

CLASS EXPERIENCES

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE • Public School: K-12 • Brown Elementary School (K-1) Natick, MA- 380 students • Johnson Elementary School (2-4) Natick, MA – 240 students • Wilson Middle School (5-7) Natick, MA- 800 students • Trottier Middle School (8) Southborough, MA- 500 students • Algonquin Regional High School (9-12) Northborough, MA- 1,400 students • Moved to Southborough in 8th grade for better school system • Found Natick schools be too crowded, did better in the Northborough-Southborough district (less students, smaller classes) • Thought about private high school, but decided on public • Honor roll student- found grades important • High school had a huge emphasis on college (post high school life)

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE • Catholic School: K-6, 9-12 • Our Lady of Victory (K-3): West Haven, CT • St. Mary’s School (4-6): Milford, CT • Harborside Middle School (7-8): Milford, CT (Blue Ribbon School) 600 Students • St. Joseph’s High School (9-12): Trumbull, CT 800 Students • Wanted to attend a bigger school before reaching high school. Wanted an opportunity to choose friends. • Attended St. Joseph for academic reputation and athletic programs.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE • Public school: K-12 • Southeast Elementary (K-4) Mansfield, CT • Mansfield Middle School (5-8) Storrs, CT • E.O. Smith High School (9-12) Storrs, CT *1200 students • Excelled in English, “got by” in everything else • Rarely did unwritten homework or studied • Did projects and papers • Often daydream in class • Despite this, very well liked by teachers • Got along with peers • Never behavior problems in or out of school

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE • Private school (Post-Grad) • Saint Thomas More School (8-PG) Oakdale, CT • About 200 all male students • Open door study hall • Small classes, uniforms, strict rules • Every teacher/administrator knows each student • Mandatory extra help if struggling • Taught me to budget time, study • Gave me confidence

PAST STUDIES- DOES THE SCHOOL MAKE A DIFFERENCE? • Researchers believed that the success of students was a result of the school they attended and not on other factors including background characteristics. • Opportunity Report in 1966 claimed that there is little correlation between what school a student attended and their academic performance. • The researchers of this study believed that the students family background was most important in their education, not what school they attended.

THE COLEMAN STUDY • Private school students preformed better academically than public school students. (1982) • This study took into account students background (socioeconomic status) • Study was replicated using new methodological systems in 1987 and the outcome remained the same.

PAST STUDIES • Another study supported the Coleman study adding that Catholic schools were better academically while providing a “more cohesive academic and social environment.” (1993)

NEW STUDIES • Without taking into account background characteristics of students, private schools including magnet schools and schools of choice have students performing better than those attending traditional public schools.

OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM • Do the schools “make a difference?”

PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS • Are Private Schools Better Than Public Schools?

THE COMPARISON • Performance does not differ between private students and public students on achievement tests in “core” subjects • Students from both school settings are just as likely to attend college. • Job satisfaction at the age of 26 does not differ. • Family background was taken into account

EXCEPTION TO FINDINGS • Students who attended a private high school did score higher on standardized tests than those in public schools which gives those students a greater chance of being accepted into an elite “college” or university.

PROBLEMS WITH COMPARISONS • Private schools may attract students who are already performing higher. • Lower income families have fewer learning resources in their home • Lower income parents may not have much time to spend with their children and may not have a high education level themselves (e.g. Lareau & Horvat, 1999)

GROWTH OF STUDENTS • While taking into account that private schools may attract already advanced students, another study looks at the growth of student learning from 8th grade to 12th grade. • The study finds that private school studies did see more growth over public schools however Catholic school students did not see any more growth than those in a public school.

FAMILY BACKGROUNDSPUBLIC VS. PRIVATE • Private school families are more affluent. • “Cultural Capital” – Private school students are more likely to participate in activities that will help promote learning outside of the classroom.

STUDY CONCLUSION • Family life makes a large impact on the child’s education. • With the proper social support and resources (ex. health care, child care) along with economic stability, students can receive a high quality education from public schools.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS- DIFFERENT TYPES • Rural • Suburban • Urban • Vocational (Tech.) • Charter

PUBLIC SCHOOLS – ADMISSION/CURRICULUM • Cannot charge tuition to students • Funded through federal, state, and local taxes • Must admit all children, regardless of special needs, financial status, etc.; parents need only fill out appropriate paperwork • Must follow all federal, state, and local laws about educating children • Specifically: funding, program development, and curriculum • Offer a general curriculum designed for all children • Includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history, and physical education • Substance of the curriculum is mandated by the state and learning is measured through state standardized tests

PUBLIC SCHOOLS – TEACHERS • All teachers are state certified (or working toward state certification) • Teachers dedicate about 68% of their time (22 hours/week) on core curriculum • About half of the time is spent on English, reading, and language arts (very little time dedicated to science, social studies, and math)

PUBLIC SCHOOLS- SALARY • Average Salary- $47,602 • Highest paying state- Connecticut $57,760 • Lowest paying state- South Dakota $34,039 • Massachusetts- $54,325 • Highest Mass. Districts: - Boston $71,123 - Nantucket $70,781 - Weston $70,617 • Lowest Mass. Districts: - Florida $34,748 - Hadley $40,306 - Truro $40,516

PUBLIC SCHOOLS – STUDENTS • Represent the community • Diversity of backgrounds • May be split up based on ability or interests • Majority of public institutions have special education programs and teachers who are trained to work with students who have specific needs (mandated by special education laws) • Try to keep class sizes small, especially in grades K-3, but class sizes usually grow as children get older, especially in urban and larger school districts

PUBLIC SCHOOLS- CONS • Less freedom with curriculum- everything state mandated • Too much emphasis on state standadized testing • More lecture than hands on activities • Overcrowded- larger classes • Funds can be low • Lack of freedom and individualism

PUBLIC SCHOOLS- PROS • Free tuition • Transportation is provided • Get to know other children in neighborhood • More diverse student body • Learning what public school children all across the country are learning • More after school programs are offered • Higher official to complain to and state and federal laws may be utilized if officials are not responsive.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS PROS/CONSWWW.EDUCATIONBUG.ORG/A/PRIVATE-SCHOOLS-PROS-AND-CONS.HTML • Pros: • Focus on specific topics • Smaller class sizes • Better books/supplies • More access to up to date computers • More challenging curriculum • Most Religious based • Cons: • Cost • Teachers not required to have teaching degree • Less diverse choices in subjects • No special education classes • Entrance exam for admittance often • Most Religious based

TEACHING IN PRIVATE SCHOOLSWWW.PRIVATESCHOOLREVIEW.COM • Flexible curriculum • Smaller class size • Teacher safety • Better supplies • Benefits such as health insurance, savings plans, plus meals and housing if at boarding school

PIAGET • Pro Public Schools • Realistic settings • Tools- just used • Lived experiences

VYGOTSKY • Pro Private schools • Psychological and technical tools • Active learner interacting with environment • Learn leads to development • Create own understanding by choosing own activities (participating in social events)

FACT OR MYTH • Attending a Private school guarantees a student a better education. • Family involvement plays a vital role in a child’s education. • The curriculum in public schools is the same as the curriculum in private schools. • Teachers in public schools spend more time on the core curriculum that teachers in private schools.

YOUR FUTURE

PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS