Learning Curve
Sweetwater Episcopal Academy in Longwood has a waiting list for all of its classes, from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Lake Mary Preparatory School, which educates preschoolers through high school seniors, has expanded from 200 children six years ago to 650 this year.
They're not alone in experiencing unprecedented growth. Private schools in Central Florida are in a definite boom cycle. Of the region's 516,000 schoolchildren, almost 12 percent are now enrolled in private schools. Just six years ago, that figure stood at 9 percent.
There are many reasons why parents are willing to pay thousands of dollars a year for private education. Some make the choice because they want a solid academic program that also emphasizes religious principles. Others want their children in classes with smaller teacher-student ratios than public schools offer.
"We have about 15 kids in each elementary classroom," says Michele Purvis, principal of Lake Forrest Preparatory School, formerly the Kenworthy School. "We have a family atmosphere here. Everybody knows everybody's name. It's very safe, very nurturing."
Lake Forrest also offers after-school karate, gymnastics, dance and a science invention program, making it a one-stop shop for busy parents.
Some parents say they want their children to attend schools that don't feel constricted by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), which sets statewide standards for student performance and is the basis for public school grades.
"I wanted a school where teachers actually teach, not a school where they're handicapped by state guidelines that tell them exactly what to teach," says Laine Allen, who has two children at Windermere Prep.
Michael Patterson, father of a daughter at Lake Highland Preparatory School, says, "To tell you the truth, I've lost confidence in the ability of public schools to produce students who can think for themselves."
Another factor adding to the private school boom is Florida's voucher program, the largest in the United States. More than 25,000 students have taken advantage of the program, under which students in consistently underperforming public schools may either transfer to different public schools or receive vouchers to attend private schools.
Private schools are responding to the increased demand. The number of private schools in Florida increased from 1,603 to 2,231 between 1998 and 2003—almost a 40-percent rise. Central Florida has 391 private schools, with more coming and plenty of building activity on existing campuses.
Sweetwater Episcopal has an indoor gymnasium and music classrooms scheduled for completion in December 2006. Lake Highland Prep is hoping to buy the nearby North Park Baptist Church to use for its middle school program. And Park Maitland School doubled its physical size last year, adding new classrooms for lower grades and building a new arts and athletics building.
Faith-based options are also growing in popularity. Hebrew Day School, located in Maitland, is the only school in the region affiliated with the Jewish faith. The school, with 260 students, opened a new building recently to keep pace with demand.
"Parents are interested in religious schools because of what they see happening in society today," says Dr. Zena Sulkes, head of Hebrew Day School. "They want their children to have an education consistent with their own morals and beliefs."
However, parents are also "seeking a balance." Unless the secular education offered is outstanding, she says, religious affiliations alone aren't enough.
"We have a very challenging academic curriculum, and we have built up a very strong, faith-based education," says Cheryl Bair, director of development at Sweetwater Episcopal. "We draw a lot of parents who want both."
On the other hand, Lake Mary Prep offers only academic training.
"We're for people who are not looking for a specific religious orientation," says executive director Pouneh Alcott. "We encourage diversity. We feel children need to be raised in an international environment. Our school is very much the real world—all kinds of kids, all shapes, sizes and religions and economic levels."
So, is private school is the right choice for your child?
Sorting it all out requires research and persistence. Although the Florida Department of Education requires non-public schools to respond to an annual survey, the state does not license, approve, accredit or regulate private schools. In fact, the only requirement for operating a private school is obtaining a local business license.
Still, a private school must compete for students and therefore must rely on its academic reputation. That means it has an incentive to retain good teachers, to earn accreditation and to cultivate high-performing students and satisfied parents. Quality, more than price and location, is a private school's main competitive edge.
Most colleges require that an applicant's diploma come from an accredited high school, public or private. And if regional accreditation is not specified, the school must be approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which covers 11 states.
SACS, 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.
"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. In addition to SACS, 45 other authorities offer accreditation to private schools in Florida. While some impose stringent standards, others mandate little more than payment of dues.
Including SACS, there are 11 accreditation organizations officially recognized by the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools (FAANS). The largest, the Florida Council of Independent Schools, uses criteria similar to SACS's to evaluate only secular private schools, representing more than 77,000 students in 158 member schools.
Another fact to 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 a four-year college degree? Does the school provide continuing education programs for its teachers?
High faculty turnover should raise a red flag. According to Robert Kennedy, a Michigan-based consultant who helps parents choose private schools and guides them through the application and enrollment process, an annual turnover rate of 40 percent or higher generally indicates a poorly run school or an unhappy staff.
Likewise, 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," Kennedy says.
When researching academics at a prospective private school, remember that there are no state-mandated academic programs. Ask for a senior class profile, which should indicate which colleges have accepted students from the school.
Trinity Preparatory School, for example, regularly advertises the fact that 100 percent of its graduating seniors are accepted at college, often to such big-name universities as Harvard, Yale and Northwestern.
"That's the number one reason why I sent my sons to Trinity," says Anne Walker of Maitland. "From the moment they arrive, they're geared to high achievement and getting the best possible placement in top colleges and universities."
Finally, talk to friends and neighbors who have children in private schools, and visit the schools that 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?"
Above all, decide what's most important for you and your child. Whatever you determine, chances are good that Central Florida has a school that fits the profile.
WHAT ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS?
Charter schools are public schools of choice. They are largely free to innovate, and are often better able to accommodate the needs of underserved groups of students.
Since 1996, the number of charter schools in Florida has grown from five in Florida to 222, with enrollment of more than 50,000 as of last year. Across the nation, over 500,000 students attend 2,000 charter schools.
Charter schools are by definition flexible and have the freedom to set their own rules on such issues as curriculum, teaching style, personnel and discipline. They are operated by parents, teachers, administrators and concerned citizens. Funding for charter schools comes from the state, with a portion of the money allotted per student.
Regardless of the charter school's mission or focus, students must still fulfill state requirements and pass statewide exams.
MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL
Q. Are public schools and private schools given school grades?
A. No. Only public schools participate in the state's grading system.
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 raw FCAT scores and in part on how much low-performing students improve from the previous year. Lower-than-expected improvement from these students can impact a school's grade even if many other students do well on the FCAT. A number of 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, which means they can disregard teacher contracts and move more experienced teachers into failing schools. Districts must also end social promotion into F schools, devise individual education plans for students, appoint community oversight boards and close any charter schools that have received two failing grades.
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 11 percent. Also, the number of schools receiving A's or B's soared from 21 percent to 66 percent. Proponents say the schools are getting better; opponents say teachers are simply getting more proficient at "teaching to the test."
Q. Is there improvement across the board?
A. No. There are still some schools that steadfastly remain D and F schools, but their numbers are falling. Central Florida schools as a whole posted more grade improvements last year than declines. And the overwhelming majority of A-rated schools were able to keep their grades another year. Some critics of the grading system say it can give the impression that all children are failing to learn at low-rated schools. But sometimes slow progress can offset gains made in other areas. In some cases, schools can drop an entire grade if underperforming students' scores don't improve, even when other students' scores have.
Q. What's "No Child Left Behind?"
A. That's a federal program that applies only to elementary and middle schools. It also uses standardized-test scores for rating purposes, but focuses only on targeted groups of students—mostly minorities, poor children and learning-disabled children. Schools in which such students show "Adequate Yearly Progress" receive federal school-poverty funds. Schools that fail two years in a row (which would be the vast majority of schools in Florida) must offer transfers or other options. Under the federal standards, only 35 percent of Florida schools met the No Child Left Behind benchmarks in 2004 versus 23 percent last year.