SCHOOLS & THE YOUNG

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STUDY QUESTIONS PUBLIC-PRIVATE SCHOOL DIFFERENCE FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS

DC EXAMINER - Low-income students who attend urban public high schools
generally do just as well as private-school students with similar
backgrounds, according to a study.

Students at independent private schools and most parochial schools
scored the same on 12th-grade achievement tests in core academic
subjects as those in traditional public high schools when income and
other family characteristics were taken into account, according to the
study by the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy. While the finding
is in line with a handful of recent studies, it's at odds with a larger
body of research over the years that has found private-school students
outperform those in public schools. Some of that research found a
private-school advantage even when income levels are taken into account.

However, the new study not only compared students by income levels but
also looked at a range of other family characteristics, such as whether
a parent participates in school life. . .

When all these factors were accounted for, the only kind of private
schools that had a positive impact on student achievement were Catholic
schools run by holy orders such as the Jesuits. . .

The researchers found:

-In reading, family income, parental discussion, parental expectations,
parental involvement and eighth-grade scores all positively affected
12th-grade reading scores. Scores weren't affected by the type of school
a student attended unless it was a Catholic order school.

-In math, parental discussions and involvement had no effect on
achievement scores. Parental expectations and family income did have an
impact. . .

http://www.examiner.com/a-980837~Study_Examines_Public__Private_Schools.html


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