Researching Private Schools - What Are Questions I Should Be Asking?

My daughter goes to kindergarten & some things covered before we got there were...

What phonics program is used to teach early reading skills?

What math program is used & what topics will be covered?

What "specials" will they have... ie. art, music, PE, computers, library, etc & how long for each?

Recess time?

Behavior policy... ie. what system is used to reinforce good behavior & address poor behavior?

How much homework, type of homework?

Units covered throughout the year?

I basically wanted an overview of the year & skills I would see addressed.

I work in a private school in the admissions office, and my child attends my school.

Ask how many students per class. (should be lower than 20 if there is only a teacher and no aid, less than 25 or so if an aid) Ask what grade they start having homework and the average amount of time (I know of one school in our area that prides itself in the fact that kids have 4 or 5 hours of homework. To me that doesn't allow a kid to be a kid - that is just busy work) Ask what yearly assessment tests they take and what the average scores are. Ask if there is a College Advisor. (Not every kid is an Ivy League kid, and it is much more important to have help in matching a child to the perfect college for them, not just getting them into big name college) Ask what their college attrition is (what percentage of their kids go on to college - it should be high 90% to 100%) Ask what fine arts offerings they have in all grades, what other "special classes" in lower grades (here we have spanish, music, science lab and chess starting in kindergarten). Ask what their sports policy is. Here we have PE in lower grades taught by our coaches (establishing a very long relationship) - starting in middle school they have mandatory sports participation. Ask about the entrance exam. Here we have an educational diagnostician that does a one on one developmental assessment. Unless your child really and truly is outstandingly brilliant - they should only be looking for average to above average developmentally appropriate things on the assessment. Finally, ask about parental involvement, on tour see if you see parents in the hallways and helping in classrooms. (again, there is a school here that doesn't allow parents in the building during the school day because it disrupts. My opinion is that allowing parents to be involved strengthens the bond, and makes the atmosphere more family friendly) You could also ask what arrangements are made for children with learning differences. Minor changes are good - but if there is/are children in the class needing intense attention, it brings the whole class down, less individual attention)

Hope that helps, I've probably missed several things - but it should give you stuff to think about!

when my son attended a private school I noticed that there wasnt much play supervision when outside. you may want to ask who and how many adults will be outside supervising.

what extra services are available if you child some day needs help in an area? (speech/ OT etc)

Please make sure EVERY teacher is CURRENTLY state certified, especially if it is a religious school where they set their own rules.

Ask what methods they use to teach reading and what programs they use?

Ask maximum teacher-student ratio and if they might add a second class.
Stress that you want your child to be in the experienced teacher's class.

If your child has any special needs, really consider a school that will have the resources to help. Private schools are not the best place for children who need specialized education unless they have the trained staff for it.

Ask if the school has a parent/student handbook. My sons go to a small private school and the handbook provides a great overview of policy and by reading it you can get an overall sense of the philosophy/foundation of the educational program. For example, grade % cut of for A, B and C is clearly laid out and I can tell that they have high standards and do not inflate grades. (I like this, but of course, it only applies to the higher grades.) You should also be able to review policies for disruptive student behavior, bullying and tardiness. As you read, try to determine if the policies fit your own parenting style and family values...it they do, then you might have a good fit for your family. Asking about teacher turn-over rates can be helpful, but is not always a reliable indicator of a school's overall quality.
Good luck!

If possible maybe you should try talking to parents in other grades. See how they like the school and if they have any dislikes. I attended private school and my sisters also attended, we Loved it! I hope your kids have a great experience, it was much better then public school, I know because I attended both in grade school.