Private Schools

Private schools are educational institutions that operate independently of the public school system, often funded through tuition payments, donations, and private grants. They typically offer smaller class sizes and a more tailored educational experience, which can be appealing to families seeking specific curricula, religious instruction, or specialized programs. Admission into private schools can be competitive, with many requiring entrance exams, interviews, and recommendation letters.

These schools often emphasize various pedagogical approaches, which may include traditional academic subjects, arts, or vocational training, catering to diverse student needs and interests. While private schools can provide unique educational environments, they may also raise discussions around accessibility and equity, as they often charge tuition, which can limit enrollment to families with greater financial resources.

Private schools can vary widely in philosophy, culture, and governance, reflecting a broad spectrum of values and educational priorities. Understanding the landscape of private schooling helps families make informed decisions about their children's education and consider how these institutions align with their personal beliefs and goals.

Published in: 2021

By: Donnelly, Matt

Subject Terms

Private Schools

Abstract

Because the United States does not have a state-controlled educational system, parents have the choice of sending their children to public or private schools. While public schools are funded through taxation, private schools rely on a combination of tuition and, in many cases, donations for the members of the religious organization operating the school. Private schools date back to the early colonial history of America and continue to thrive alongside their public school counterparts. Some Americans believe that private schools are safer and provide better social and intellectual training, while others argue that the alleged benefits of private schools are overblown. One continuing controversy involves school vouchers, government coupons enabling parents to use public money to help pay for private school education. Private schools in America today consist of a wide variety of different types such as preparatory (prep) schools, Waldorf schools, Montessori schools, parochial schools, Christian schools, Hebrew schools and Islamic schools.

Overview

Unlike many other nations in both the developed and developing world, the United States does not have a state-controlled educational system. In terms of K–12 education, parents are free to send their children to taxpayer-funded public schools, educate their children at home, or send them to a private school by paying the tuition fee.

Private Schools in Colonial America. The earliest educational method in the American colonies was homeschooling. This was partly out of necessity—as no schools existed when the colonists arrived—and partly because of the conviction of many early colonists, and particularly the Puritan settlers of New England, that a child's parents were to be the primary educators. Of course, as the colonies became established, and books and teachers proliferated, both private and public schools became established as institutions that would educate colonial children.

In Virginia, the history of private schools dates back to 1635–36, when a school was opened in Elizabeth County, and at least five others were later founded (Dexter, 1906, p. 6). The first private schools in New Amsterdam (later New York City) were opened by 1642 (Dexter, 1906, p. 14). In Rhode Island, where publicly funded schools came later than in most of the colonies, one writer observed in 1716 that "there were schools of all kinds, though no uniform organized system" (quoted in Dexter, 1906, pp. 51–52).

Delaware's first schools were either run by religious organizations, such as the Quakers, or were private, with public schools established later in the eighteenth century after the importance of public education was stressed in the 1792 state constitution (Dexter, 1906, pp. 58-59). In Pennsylvania, cultural conflicts between German and English settlers inhibited the early growth of public education, so private schools filled the void by providing the predominant form of education throughout the colonial period; students without financial means were educated at private schools for free (Dexter, 1906, pp. 60-61).

In Maryland, "Catholic missionary and parochial schools have played an important part in the educational history of the state; the first of the former, for the Indians, having been established as early as 1677" (Dexter, 1906, p. 65). Other types of private schools flourished throughout the eighteenth century, despite the colonial government's attempt to encourage the creation of public county schools. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, public-private partnerships created schools funded by the state but operated by churches and missionary societies (Dexter, 1906, p. 68). Charitable organizations founded private elementary schools in South Carolina by the end of the Revolutionary War, while there were eleven public elementary schools (Dexter, 1906, p. 70). In Georgia, the Moravian missionaries and later the evangelist George Whitfield founded charity schools for the poor, but legislative action helped public education gain a solid foothold in the decades between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War (Dexter, 1906, pp. 71–72).

As the colonies became the United States and the nation began to expand its territory, similar public-private patterns continued to be commonplace along the frontier. In newer Midwestern states such as Minnesota, for example, private and public schools sprang up almost alongside each other ("Public and private schools," 2001). In Western states, mission schools were the first to educate young people. Sometimes, however, it seems that students attending privately funded frontier schools in places such as Fort Vancouver (Washington) were not quite so young—one teacher in the small school there in the 1840s had "three shipwrecked Japanese among his pupils" (Lee & Frosy, 1844, p. 126).

Today's Private Schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 10 percent of K–12 students in the United States attended a private school in 2015 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). According to the Heritage Foundation (2009), among members of the 111th Congress (2009–11), 36 percent of Representatives and 44 percent of Senators sent their children to private schools—roughly four times the national average. For members of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group comprising African American legislators, the number was 39 percent .

What does the private school universe in the United States look like? According to the biennial Private School Universe Survey (PSS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics at the US Department of Education, 33,619 private schools enrolled over 4.5 million students in the fall of 2013 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). The researchers also identified some other information that paints a vivid picture:

69 percent of private schools were either Catholic or otherwise religious, with the remainder being nonsectarian.
Private schools tend to have small student bodies—private schools averaged 136 students per school.
Geographically, there were more private school located in suburban areas than cities, but more private school students were enrolled at city schools than those in suburban areas.
Private schools in general have the following ethnic breakdown: 70 percent White, 10 percent Hispanic or Latino, 9 percent Black or African American, and 6 percent Asian.
Private schools tend to have low student-to-teacher ratios. The average student/teacher ratio for all private schools was 10.4.
Graduation rates were 97 percent for private schools, an extremely high number (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016).

Tuition Costs. The annual tuition for private schools can be considerable, though most schools offer financial aid, and many Catholic and religious schools offer tuition discounts based on need and/or church membership. In addition, Sallie Mae, an institution well known for offering federal student loans to college students and their parents, also offers loans to help parents finance a private elementary or high school education (Melendez, 2007).

The National Association of Independent Schools, which represents more than 1,500 private and preparatory schools in the United States, reports that the average median 2012–13 tuition for K–12 was $20,612. For boarding schools, that number rose to $46,800 (NAIS, 2014).

The relationship between public schools and private schools has sometimes been uneasy. While there are many instances in which public and private schools enjoy a friendly rivalry, both on and off the athletic field, there are ongoing policy debates about the use of government funds to let parents finance a private school education, and, since many private schools are religious in nature, deeper controversies involving the proper relationship between church and state.

Further Insights

Different Types of Private Schools. There are distinctions that should be made between different types of private schools. One school can traverse several sub categories. The differences between the types of private schools in the United States often can be put down to emphasis and/or philosophy of education.

Preparatory Private (prep) Schools tend to be larger private boarding schools that focus on preparing students to win acceptance to the nation's elite colleges and universities.
Waldorf Schools practice a holistic, more arts-based method of education that lets the teacher set his or her own curriculum and tailor it to the needs of the individual children in the classroom.
Montessori Schools , most of which are elementary schools, view teachers as guides who help children discover their unique gifts and talents through a variety of hands-on learning methods.
Parochial Schools are run by the Catholic Church and stress the moral and ethical development of the child along with the child's intellectual development. They were started in the 1840s in response to what Catholics perceived to be the Protestant nature of the American public school system, but now they accept students of any religious background.
Christian Schools, run by Christian religious organizations or various Protestant Christian denominations, tend to emphasize conservative social values and a biblical world view in addition to academic excellence.
Islamic Schools, operated by or with the support of mosques, stress Islamic cultural and religious values, including mastery of the Qur'an and the Hadith (the sayings of Mohammad).
Hebrew Schools emphasize Jewish social values and history, including knowledge of the Torah, while also stressing academic excellence.

Why Do Parents Choose Private Schools?. Despite the popular conception that parents choose private schools merely for academic reputation, there are various reasons why parents choose private schools over public schools for their children. According to Lynn Boone, director of Montessori Centres in Indiana:

"Private schools teach critical thinking, the choice/ consequence connection, social skills and leadership skills at a very young age. The sooner children develop these life skills, the better they fare." (Quoted in Castleman, 2007, para. 8).

West (2001) in his study for Brown University looked at reasons why parents in Providence, Rhode Island were choosing private schools. When the researchers talked to private school parents, they identified a wide variety of reasons:

The researchers found that 43% of private school parents had children enrolled who had previously attended public schools. When asked what, if anything, would lead them to put their children back in public schools, the leading responses were smaller class sizes, school safety, better trained teachers, and more attention given to their children. When private school parents were given a list of four hypothetical public school improvements, "[t]he most popular change was programs for gifted students (named by 58 percent of parents), followed by reading programs (48 percent), after school programs (42 percent), and new computers and Internet access (25 percent)" (West, 2001).

Special Education in Private Schools. According to Broughman and Swaim, 6 percent of the total private schools in 2011–12 had a special education program or emphasis (Broughman & Swaim, 2013). While some smaller private schools are poorly equipped to deal with students living with developmental disabilities, others have programs that rival or are superior to those in neighboring public schools. Many of the services for special education students in private schools are provided through partnerships with specialists working for the public schools.

Private schools have struggled with the concept of mainstreaming, putting special education students into a regular classroom environment with other students who do not have developmental challenges:

"Many times, private schools and special education systems have coexisted, but typically only in programs that were exclusively for students with special needs, and these programs tended to segregate students with special needs in private programs, separated from typically developing students. Rarely were students with special needs included in the regular education programs of private schools" (Taylor, 2005).

Such efforts have been required by the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, which mandated that all students regardless of disability receive an education in the least restrictive environment. While this applied specifically to schools funded by public money, private schools have been attempting to provide the same services.

Beyond traditional private schools, some special education students needing individualized attention are served by nonprofit or for-profit special education centers, which essentially are paraschool organizations.

Viewpoints

Do Private School Students Perform Better Academically?. A group of researchers in 2005 produced "Student Achievement in Private Schools," a report for the U.S. Department of Education in which they looked at the academic achievement of private and preparatory school students from 2000–2005 and then compared that performance with that of public school students. They found statistically significant differences:

"Students at grades 4, 8, and 12 in all categories of private schools had higher average scores in reading, mathematics, science, and writing than their counterparts in public schools. In addition, higher percentages of students in private schools performed at or above Proficient compared to those in public schools Average scores in mathematics at grades 4 and 8 increased between 2000 and 2003 for both public and private schools overall" (Perie, Vanneman & Goldstein, 2005, p. 1).

However, as the researchers note, it is important to be cautious about drawing any conclusions from their data about the relative quality of private and preparatory schools as opposed to public schools. The data they collected, for example, was cross-sectional rather than longitudinal, and they cited difficulties in gathering sufficiently detailed data needed to make more in-depth comparisons using several metrics. They also note that public and private schools "often serve different populations of students" (Perie, Vanneman & Goldstein, 2005, p. 3), suggesting that differences in academic achievement should not be so surprising.

Critics of public schools argue, however, that even when accounting for socioeconomic and racial factors, private schools still deliver a higher quality of education. They argue that this is because they are largely free of burdensome government regulations and they have higher rates of parent involvement. But the relationship between private schools and their public counterparts may not be a zero-sum game. Earlier research indicates that when public schools and private schools compete, there can be mutually beneficial outcomes.

Vouchers: Public Money for Private Schools?. Justified or not, there has been a concern that some public schools, particularly in urban areas, are failing the students they serve. Through a combination of school violence, teacher apathy, and low expectations on the part of school administrators, the poor and minority students who make up the majority of the student body in many urban schools are being shortchanged. Many critics argue that parents with children stuck in underperforming schools should be offered a government voucher that will help them pay the cost of a private school education. Then, given competition from private schools, failing public schools either will be forced to improve, or save taxpayer dollars by shutting their doors.

According to one Washington Times article (Chick, 2007), there are five areas of concern regarding vouchers:

Some middle class parents who currently are paying private school tuition without government assistance argue that vouchers are another form of welfare that places an additional tax burden on working families.
From the perspective of public school teacher unions and pressure groups such as the National Education Association, vouchers are nothing more than a scheme to undermine public education in the United States by funneling money and the best students to private schools.
From the perspective of some private schools themselves—especially those operated by religious organizations and churches—vouchers are an attempt to entangle private schools in government red tape and thereby hamper their educational effectiveness.
Others argue that providing public money to private schools—many of which have a religious basis—is a violation of the Constitutional principle of the separation of church and state, and therefore is prohibited.
More pragmatic critics argue that, even if one were to concede their legality, vouchers do not deliver the intended result of helping poor and minority students improve academically (Chick, 2007).

There are many supporters of vouchers, of course, including those minority parents whose children are, in their view, forced to attend poor quality schools. Many of these parents argue that vouchers will help address the implicit racism in a public educational system that lets middle class white families choose better schools while not allowing poor families or those of color the same privilege. They also note that many of the fiercest critics of vouchers in the U.S. Congress—both African American and white—send their own children to private schools (Feinberg, 2007).

Other supporters of vouchers argue that the success of school vouchers depends on how many regulatory strings are attached. While not arguing for or against vouchers, one researcher compared the methods of funding education in five countries, including the United States, and concluded, "it is not the source of funding that is important; it is whether the funding carries political restrictions on the decision-making powers of the private schools that matters" (Toma, 1996, p. 146).

Terms & Concepts

Christian School: Often operated by Christian religious organizations or various Protestant Christian denominations, these schools tend to emphasize conservative social values and a biblical world view in addition to academic excellence.

Hebrew School: Jewish schools that emphasize Jewish social values and history, including knowledge of the Torah, while also stressing academic excellence.

Islamic School: Operated by or with the support of mosques, these schools stress Islamic cultural and religious values, including mastery of the Qur'an and the Hadith (the sayings of Mohammad).

Montessori School: Comprised mostly of elementary schools, such schools view teachers as guides who help children discover their unique gifts and talents through a variety of hands-on learning methods.

Parochial School: Private schools operated by the Catholic Church that stress the moral and ethical development of the child along with their intellectual development. They were started in the 1840s in response to what Catholics perceived to be the Protestant nature of the American public school system, but now they accept students of any religious background.

Preparatory School: Larger private boarding schools that focus on preparing students to win acceptance to the nation's elite colleges and universities.

Private School: A type of school that does not admit all students who apply, is not funded by taxpayers, and operates with a minimal amount of state or federal regulation and oversight.

Public School: A type of school funded by public funds collected through taxes. Public schools are legally obligated to accept all students seeking an education. Some public schools serve students in their community, while others serve students from a wider geographical region.

School Vouchers: Taxpayer-funded credit slips that parents can use the same as cash to pay for all or part of the tuition and fees at a private school of their choice.

Waldorf School: Schools that practice a holistic, more arts-based method of education that lets the teacher set his or her own curriculum and tailor it to the needs of the individual children in the classroom.

Bibliography

Berger, R. L., & Witners, J. V. (2016). Does private schooling increase adult earnings? Cohort-level evidence for U.S. states. Review of Regional Studies, 46(3), 281–294. Retrieved December 14, 2016 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=119962103&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Broughman, S. P. & Swaim, N. L. (2013, July). Characteristics of private schools in the United States: Results from the 2011–12 private school universe. U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. December 1, 2014 from http://www.nais.org/Articles/Documents/NAISFactsAtAGlance201213.pdf.

Buck, S. (2012). Special education vouchers are beneficial: A response to Hensel. Journal of Law & Education, 41, 651–663. Retrieved December 11, 2013 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=80415581&site=ehost-live

Castleman, T. (2007). Private school: A sound investment. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from IndyStar.com: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070919/ CUSTOMPUB25/70918053.

Chick, K. (2007, June 22). Voucher students don't star. The Washington Times (DC).

Comparing public schools to private. (2014). Education Next, 14(3), 52–54. Retrieved January 20, 2016 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=96215751&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Coulson, A. J. (2011). Do vouchers and tax credits increase private school regulation? A statistical analysis. Journal of School Choice, 5, 224–251. Retrieved December 11, 2013 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=61158284&site=ehost-live

Dexter, E.G. (1906). A history of education in the United States. New York: Macmillan.

Feinberg, E. (2007). How members of Congress practice private school choice. Backgrounder #2066. Washington, D.C.: The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/ bg2066.cfm.

Glass, G. V. (2014). Myth: Private schools are better. School Administrator, 71, 11. Retrieved December 1, 2014 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=97764966

Henry, M. (1993). School cultures: Universes of meaning in private school. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Iqbal, M. (2012). Public versus private secondary schools: A qualitative comparison. Journal of Research & Reflections in Education (JRRE), 6, 50–62. Retrieved December 11, 2013 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=82754972&site=ehost-live

Lee, D. & Frost, J. H. (1844/1973). The far Western frontier. Reprint. Manchester, NH: Ayer Publishers.

Melendez, L. (2007, June 25). Lender offering student loans for elementary school. abc7news.com. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from acb7news.com http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=education&id=5421579.

National Association of Independent Schools. (2014). Independent school facts at a glance. Retrieved October 9, 2014, from NAIS http://www.nais.org/Articles/Documents/NAISFactsAtAGlance201213.pdf.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Characteristics of private schools in the United States: Results from the 2013–14 Private School Universe Survey. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 19, 2016, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2016/2016243.pdf

Perie, M., Vanneman, A. & Goldstein, A. (2005). Student achievement in private schools: Results from NAEP 2000-2005. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the U.S. Department of Education http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006459.

Taylor, S. (2005). Special education, private schools, and vouchers: Do all students get a choice? Journal of Law & Education, 34, 1–24. Retrieved September 23, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=15890258&site=ehost-live

Toma, E. (1996). Public funding and private schooling across countries. Journal of Law & Economics, 39, 121–148. Retrieved September 23, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=11479770&site=ehost-live

West, D. M. (2001). Why Providence parents send their children to private schools, and what would bring them back. Providence, R.I.: Taubman Center for Public Policy, Brown University. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from Brown Universityhttp://www.brown.edu/Departments/ Taubman%5FCenter/polls/PrivSchParents. html#Why%20Children%20Are%20Sent%20to%20 Private%20Schools

Private Schools

On this Page

Subject Terms

Private Schools

Abstract

Overview

Further Insights

Viewpoints

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

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