Keeping it Private

The numbers tell a compelling story. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 10 percent of students across the country attend private schools. In Duval, however, the figure is closer to 14 percent. What's more, 20 percent of all Duval high school students attend private schools-the highest ratio among Florida's 67 counties.

Why are private schools so prevalent? In part, it's because Jacksonville's public schools-perhaps unfairly-still carry a stigma from past transgressions. For example, Duval schools lost accreditation in the 1960s while court battles over desegregation plagued the district into the 1990s.

And while Duval now boasts some of the finest public schools in the state, many individual schools-particularly those in urban areas or disadvantaged neighborhoods-still struggle.

Yet, public school problems-real or perceived-can't entirely account for the surging popularity of private education. In fact, public schools in Duval's two neighboring counties-St. Johns and Clay-are known for high test scores and strong parental involvement.

Other factors boosting private school enrollment include Jacksonville's status as a Bible Belt city, where many families prefer a faith-based education, and the region's increasing appeal to affluent relocators, who can afford to be choosy.

"Jacksonville families choose independent schools for the value they receive in quality instruction, for high standards in student conduct and achievement and for a safe, nurturing learning environment," says Douglas A. Walker, director of admissions and enrollment management at The Bolles School, a nationally known day and boarding school founded in 1933.

Northeast Florida's private school students are far from hothouse flowers.

If you follow high school sports, you'll find The Bolles School consistently ranked among the world's top swim teams. Bishop Kenny High School is a powerhouse in track and baseball. Basketball rules at Providence Country Day School and Arlington Country Day School while soccer is all the rage at Episcopal High School.

Success in sports is what makes headlines. But academics take center stage at these schools, and at the dozens of parochial and secular private grade schools that feed into them.

So, is private school right for your child? Maybe, maybe not. Sorting it all out requires research and persistence.

Although the Florida Department of Education requires "nonpublic" schools to respond to an annual survey, the state doesn't license, approve, accredit or regulate these schools. In fact, the only requirement for operating a private school is obtaining a local business license-which means hair salons are subject to greater scrutiny.

Still, private schools must compete for students. Therefore, they have an incentive to retain the best teachers, to earn accreditations and to cultivate high-performing students and satisfied parents. Quality, more than price and location, is a private school's main competitive edge.

Consequently, there are a number of the factors to keep in mind when considering the public vs. private education option for your children, among the most important of which is accreditation. Most colleges require that an applicant's diploma come from an accredited high school, public or private. And if regional accreditation is specified, then the school must be approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which is the accrediting body for all public schools and universities in 11 Southeastern states.

"SACS is one of the most prestigious types of accreditation," says Cheli Cerra, a former Dade County principal and author of Every Parent's Guide to School Choice.

The organization, one of only six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, evaluates academic programs, extracurricular activities, staff qualifications and financial stability, among many other factors.

Jacksonville private schools earning SACS accreditation include Bishop Kenny High School, Episcopal High School, Riverside Presbyterian Day School, St. Johns Country Day School and The Bolles School.

In addition to SACS, 45 other authorities are known to be offering accreditation to private schools in Florida. While some impose stringent standards, others mandate little more than payment of dues.

Including SACS, there are just 11 accreditation organizations officially recognized by the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools-also known as FAANS-the largest of which is the Florida Council of Independent Schools. The council, which represents more than 77,000 students in 158 member schools, uses criteria similar to SACS and evaluates only secular private schools.

How about academics? It's important to remember that in private schools, no particular academic program is mandated by the state. Therefore, successful placement of graduates in the next level of schooling can provide important information.

So, when investigating a private high school, ask for a senior class profile, which should indicate what colleges have accepted students from the school.

"Most schools are proud, and rightly so, of their college acceptances," says Robert Kennedy, a Michigan-based consultant who helps parents choose private schools and guides them through the application and enrollment process. "If they're evasive about this information, then it's a sign of a problem."

You'll also want to know whether the school's curriculum is primarily college preparatory or vocational and how many Advanced Placement courses are offered. Likewise, the guidance program is important in providing college selection and application assistance.

And remember: Private school teachers are not required to be state certified. So you'll want to find out what qualifications the school expects for its instructors. Do all teachers hold four-year college or university degrees? Does the school provide continuing education programs for its teachers?

High faculty turnover should also raise a red flag. Kennedy says an annual turnover rate of 40 percent or higher generally indicates a poorly run school and an unhappy staff. Likewise, he adds, find out how long the current head of the school has been on the job.

"If the top position has changed several times in recent years, make it your business to find out why," notes Kennedy.

Other important factors to consider: Admission procedures, tuition policies (nearly 20 percent of private school students nationwide receive financial assistance), student-teacher ratios (the average for private schools is 15-to-1) and admissions-applications ratios (4-to-1 or higher indicates that the school is very competitive.)

Finances are particularly important. At The Bolles School, for example, tuition for a high schooler who also boards can top $25,000. But in addition to scholarships and financial assistance offered by schools, last year the State of Florida initiated a program whereby children from poor families may receive state-backed grants.

The program is called Helping Educate Responsible, Outstanding and Enlightened Students (HEROES). It offers scholarships of up to $3,500 to students who currently attend public school and qualify for the free- or reduced-lunch program. In Northeast Florida, the HEROES administrative office is located in Jacksonville Beach.

As of July, at least 500 students in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties had been approved for HEROES scholarships. Private schools may choose whether or not to participate, but at least 60 in Northeast Florida are currently on board. Check www.forheroes.com to see which local schools are accepting HEROES students.

Finally, talk to your friends and neighbors who have children in private schools. And visit whichever schools seem to meet your requirements.

"There's no substitute for a personal visit," says Katherine Ford, executive director of FAANS. "Look for strong leadership. Is the school generally clean? Evaluate the appearance and the attitude of the students. Are they ready and willing to answer your questions?"

Most important, decide what's most important for you and your child. Whatever you determine, chances are good that Northeast Florida has a school that fits the profile.

MAKING SENSE OF SCHOOL RATINGS

Parents fiscally or philosophically committed to public education can breathe a

sigh of relief. Northeast Florida offers excellent options for students.

Suburban Clay and St. Johns counties, for example, boast school systems that

consistently rank among the top five in the state, based on Florida

Comprehensive Assessment Test scores.

In addition, these relatively affluent, fast-growing counties have committed to

ongoing programs of school improvements and new school construction. Even

sparsely populated Nassau County, with 11 public schools, and far-flung Flagler

County, with 12 public schools, can claim all earned letter grades of A or B when the state's annual evaluations were released last summer.

The Duval County School System, while larger and socially and economically

stressed, also offers plenty of bright spots.

The district's wildly popular magnet school program draws thousands of students competing for slots in 71 specialized programs ranging from computer science to construction and performing arts to public service.

In addition, the district boasts two academic magnet schools, Stanton College

Preparatory and Paxon School for Advanced Studies, that were ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the country in Newsweek's Best 100 Public High Schools in America listing.

Still, Duval County had nine F schools out of 154 in 2004. Students at several of those schools-those that got F's two out of the past four years-are eligible to transfer to other Duval public schools scoring C or higher.

Vouchers for use at private schools were supposed to be offered as an additional option. However, shortly before press time, a state appeals court struck down Florida's Opportunity Scholarship program because the vouchers would permit public funds to be spent for tuition at church-affiliated private schools. The state Supreme Court, it appears, will have the final word.

Confusing? You bet. Here are some commonly asked questions-and hopefully

clear answers-about the various school accountability programs and what they mean to you:

Q. What's an FCAT?

A. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, better known as FCAT, made its debut in 1998 as part of the state's A-Plus Plan for Education. It's now administered to all public school students in grades 3 through 10 and measures student performance against statewide standards in reading and math. In addition, a writing test is administered in grades 4, 8 and 10 and a science test is administered in grades 5, 8 and 10. FCAT scores are the primary tool used by the state to evaluate a school's performance and assess a letter grade ranging from A to F.

Q. If a school gets an F, does that automatically mean it's a bad school?

A. Well, an F is a failing grade. But remember school grades are based in part

on how much low-performing students improve from the previous year. Less than expected improvement from these students can impact a school's grade even if many other students do well on their FCATs. Several other factors-such as having a significant number of students who speak English as a second language-can also impact grades and give a misleading picture of the overall quality of instruction.

Q. What actually happens to an F school?

A. Under rules approved by the state Board of Education, local districts must

"declare an emergency" at repeat-F schools so they have the ability to disregard teacher contracts and move more experienced teachers into failing schools. Districts must also end social promotion in F schools, devise Individual Education Plans for students, appoint community oversight boards and close any charter schools that have received two F's.

Q. Can poorly rated schools really improve?

A. Many have. Since the A-Plus Plan for Education was introduced five years ago, the number of F and D schools statewide has plunged from 28 percent to 9 percent. Also, the number of schools receiving A's or B's soared to 68 percent from 21 percent in 1999. Proponents will say the schools are getting better; opponents will say teachers are simply getting more proficient at "teaching to the test."

Q. What's "No Child Left Behind?"

A. That's a federal program, adopted in 2002, that also uses FCAT scores. But it applies only to elementary schools and middle schools, not high schools, and focuses only on targeted groups of students, including minorities, the poor and the learning disabled. Schools in which such students show "Adequate Yearly Progress" receive federal school-poverty funds. Schools that fail two years in a row-and that would be the vast majority of schools in Florida-must offer transfers or other options. Under federal standards, only 23 percent of Florida schools met the No Child Left Behind benchmarks in 2004 versus 16 percent last year.

Q. So theoretically, a school could earn a passing grade from the state and failing grade from the feds?

A. Not just theoretically. Many A schools in Northeast Florida and across the state have been deemed not to have achieved Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal program. The problem is, states were allowed to set their own standards for compliance, and Florida erred by adopting criteria that allowed very small numbers of underperforming students to disproportional impact an entire school.