National Study Comparing Public and Private Schools

National Study Comparing Public and Private Schools

On July 14, 2006, the National Center for Education Statistics released a study titled "Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling" that uses a sophisticated statistical analysis to examine the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores of public and private school students.

The goal of the study was to examine differences in mean (NAEP) reading and mathematics scores (grade 4 and grade 8) between public and private schools when selected characteristics of students and/or schools were taken into account. Among the student demographic characteristics considered were gender, race/ethnicity, disability status, income and identification as an English language learner.

Among the school characteristics considered were school size and location, and
composition of the student body and of the teaching staff. In particular, if the student populations enrolled in the two types of schools differed systematically with
respect to background characteristics related to achievement, then those differences would be confounded with straightforward comparisons between school types.

The full report from NCES can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006461

The National Catholic Education Association points out that this study looks at results on one test score at a given time – it does not measure progress over time. The NCEA argues that the single-year snapshots of test scores provide limited information about student achievement and nothing about the relative quality of public and private schools.

Click here to read an NCEA analysis of the report and a link to the full text of the document.

Catholic Schools: Trend Toward Consolidation

Major trends for northeast Catholic schools include a large increase in regionalized school systems and partnerships with outside Catholic agencies.

Many large Dioceses are creating regional or interparochial schools to offset declining enrollment and financial struggles. By consolidating, many of the schools state they able to increase resources, such as computer labs. The Boston Diocese also recently created a partnership with a Catholic University.

Across the nation in 2003, 123 Catholic schools were closed or consolidated in areas of declining enrollment while 34 new schools opened, according to statistics from the National Catholic Educational Association.

Here are several examples:

NEW JERSEY:

• MERCER COUNTY: TRENTON, NEW JERSEY: A few years ago, the Trenton Diocese consolidated all of its preK-8 schools into one school, now known as the Trenton Catholic Academy. Trenton Catholic Academy, a preK-12 Diocesan Regional school, is located in the heart of Hamilton, New Jersey at the McCorristin Campus that spreads across 62 acres, which was formerly the Kuser Estate. The main campus building houses classrooms, a gymnasium, three computer labs, a library, dining facilities and the administrative offices. The campus also includes a football stadium, two baseball diamonds, two softball fields, and two soccer fields. http://trentoncatholic.org/
• UNION COUNTY: HILLSIDE, NJ: Hillside Catholic Academy opened its doors on July 1, 2004. The school was formed by the merging of Christ the King School, Hillside and St. Catherine’s of Sienna School, Elizabeth.
• HUDSON COUNTY: HOBOKEN, NJ: Hoboken Catholic Academy is a Catholic elementary school for children Pre-K through Grade 8. The school is co-sponsored by the parishes of St. Ann's,Our Lady of Grace, St. Francis, St. Joseph andSts. Peter & Paul in Hoboken and St. Lawrence in Weehawken. The school has an enrollment of about 325 students with an average class size of 25 students.
• Archdiocese of Newark: BERGEN COUNTY, NJ: Transfiguration Academy represents a new model for Catholic school education which they believe will lead the way in academic excellence in the 21st Century. Co-sponsored by the parishes of St. Mary’s, Dumont, St. John’s, Bergenfield and Ascension, New Milford, the Academy says it offers an enhanced curriculum, extra-curricular activities and a new organizational structure. Through these enhancements they hope to attract more students at all grade levels, Pre-K 3 through the 8th Grade. In order to achieve this objective, they said they "enhanced the curriculum in the lower school, Pre-K3 to grade 4, at the Bergenfield campus and established a superior Middle School, at our New Milford location, for grades 5 through 8".
  (source http://www.transfigurationacademy.org)
• BERGEN COUNTY, NJ : Catholic Academy of Northern Valley: The parishioners of St. Joseph in Demarest, Sacred Heart in Haworth, and St. Mary in Closter combined their "energies, talents, financial resources and prayers to ensure the continued viability of quality Catholic education in our parishes". The school officially started on July 1, 2004 and serves students from Pre-K through 8th grade. (source:http://www.catholicacademynorthernvalley.org/)
• BERGEN COUNTY: Visitation Academy, formerly Our Lady of the Visitation School, was established as a parish school in 1958. In 1991, it became inter-parochial and are affiliated with three parishes, Our Lady of the Visitation and Annunciation, both in Paramus and Sacred Heart Church in Rochelle Park. Visitation Academy serves Grades PreK3 though grade 8.
• BERGEN COUNTY: St. John Academy began as St. John the Baptist Parish School in 1955. In 1997 the name was changed to St. John’s Academy to better reflect growth from a small parish school to an interparochial academic institution co-sponsored by four area parishes: (Source: http://www.sja-hillsdale.org/pages/about.html)
  St. John the BaptistHillsdale
  St. Andrew’s ChurchWestwood
  Our Lady Mother of the ChurchWoodcliff Lake
  St. Gabriel the ArchangelSaddle River
  

New York City, NY trends: Declining school enrollment and major parish realignment

2005, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brooklyn and Queens announced that 22 parochial schools in the two boroughs would close. Nine of those are in Queens -- none were high schools.

In Jan 2007: The Archdiocese of New York announced its parish realignment decisions. A committee of lay, religious, and clergy, known as the Archdiocesan Realignment Advisory Panel, reviewed all of the recommendations and made valuable suggestions. All parishes potentially affected by a realignment recommendation were given the opportunity to discuss their observations about the recommendation with Bishop Sullivan and his review committee. In all, ten parishes will be closed, and eleven parishes will merge with other parishes.

NENI will continue to monitor how this affects Catholic Schools in the area.

"These decisions are the culmination of an extensive three-year planning process, which involved long and careful consultation. This process, established by Edward Cardinal Egan, was designed to identify the religious, spiritual, and education needs of the Catholic faithful throughout the entire Archdiocese, and determine how those needs could best be met." according to a Jan 19, 2007 press release http://archny.org/news-events/news-press-releases/index.cfm?i=3501. Complete list of Archdiocesan parish realignment decisions

BOSTON, MASS: (Boston source: see full article in NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/24religion.html

• Boston is also consolidating its schools. St. Edith Stein and two other churches in this city of 94,000 about 25 miles south of Boston, are consolidating their schools, which together serve 500 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, and ceding control to a board of directors. The arrangement, which starts in September, will result in two newly renovated schools, one for lower grades and another for upper grades, at two different churches. (source: see full article in NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/24religion.html)
• Last year the Boston archdiocese partnered with Boston College to run a Boston elementary school, becoming the first diocese in the country to hand over educational responsibility to a university, said Sister Dale McDonald, director of public policy and education research for the National Catholic Education Association.

NJEA: Good News about New Jersey's public schools

The New Jersey Education Association has a website with a collection of statistics about how NJ public school education compares to other states.

http://www.njea.org/page.aspx?z=1013&pz=3

Grades Rise, but Reading Skills Do Not

It is important for parents to have a better understanding of how to compare their student's state test scores. Parents can have free access to not only their individual students scores, but also scores by grade, scores by school, scores by district, scores by state and scores by national average. Although test scores are not a full indication of a student's progress, they can often send a red flag of an area that needs attention.

NENI will periodically forward information about trends in test scores and issues related to NCLB. Here is an exerpt from the New York Times that address the fact that grades and test scores are very different measures of progress.


An exerpt from article is below.
To read the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/education/23tests.html

Grades Rise, but Reading Skills Do Not

Federal reports found that high school students nationwide are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving.


By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
Published: February 23, 2007
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 — High school students nationwide are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving through the effort, according to two federal reports released here Thursday that cite grade inflation as a possible explanation.
Skip to next paragraph
RelatedStudy by National Assessment of Educational Progress (nationsreportcard.gov)
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, an exam commonly known as the nation’s report card, found that the reading skills of 12th graders tested in 2005 were significantly worse than those of students in 1992, when a comparable test was first given, and essentially flat since students previously took the exam in 2002.
The test results also showed that the overwhelming majority of high school seniors have not fully mastered high-school-level math.
At the same time, however, grade-point averages have risen nationwide, according to a separate survey by the National Assessment, of the transcripts of 26,000 students, which compared them with a study of students’ coursework in 1990.
“There’s a disconnect between what we want and expect our 12th graders to know and do, and what our schools are actually delivering through instruction in the classroom,” David W. Gordon, the superintendent of schools in Sacramento, said at a news conference announcing the results.

USDOE Charter School Conference April 5-6 in Wash DC

Registration Open
www.sei2003.com/OII/CSPShowcase/index.htm

U.S. Department of Education
2007 National Charter Schools Program Showcase

One City at a Time:
Expanding High Quality Charter Schools

April 5-6, 2007
Fairmont Washington
Washington, D.C.

Welcome to the National Charter Schools Program Showcase to be held on April 5th- 6th, 2007, at The Fairmont Washington DC in Washington, DC. The theme of this year's Showcase is "One City at a Time: Expanding High Quality Charter Schools" and will bring together State and Federal educational professionals committed to expanding high quality charter schools and increasing the national understanding of the charter school model in their cities and states.

The purpose of this Showcase is to:
· Expand the national dialogue about how States can use chartering as an intervention in low performing schools.
· Identify successful State practices using chartering to comply with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
· Provide local and State leaders with current knowledge about successful charter school models and practices.
· Share up-to-date information about partnerships, initiatives, and technical assistance available to States seeking to leverage their resources and expand the number of high quality charter schools.

A varied and inclusive format has been developed to address these critical topics. Key Department of Education program offices will be presenting initiatives and resources. Special guests include eight of the nation’s most highly successful charter high schools that have closed the achievement gap.

Register now at www.sei2003.com/OII/CSPShowcase/index.htm For information on accommodations and the conference schedule please visit the Logistics and Agenda pages.

Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) for Undergraduates

The law created a new student aid grant program called the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG). Congress has provided funding and the grants are available for the 2007-2008 award year. First-year undergraduate students will be eligible to receive up to $750. Second-year undergraduate students will be eligible to receive up to $1,300. The ACG eligibility criteria are listed below: To be eligible for an ACG each academic year, a student must: Be a U.S. citizen; Be Federal Pell Grant eligible; Be enrolled full-time in a degree program; Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study at a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution; Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study (after January 1, 2006, if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2005, if a second year student); If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for the first academic year. If you have not filed a FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA, at the time that you complete your application, FAFSA on the Web will predetermine if you are eligible to answer the ACG questions.If you have submitted a paper FAFSA and have received your Student Aid Report (SAR) indicating that you may be eligible to answer the ACG questions, please call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4FED-AID. You may also contact the financial aid office at your school for assistance regarding ACG.

Strengthening Family Child Care In Low-Income Communities

Blog Editor's note:
This is an extensive 42 page article that would be of interest to child care providers, parents, and parents who provide care care in their homes.

http://www.surdna.org/usr_doc/childcare.pdf


Summary source: Surdna Foundation

Community-based organizations, especially community development corporations, are playing a significant role in family child care. This report shows how community-based nonprofits are key to the emergence of an infrastructure of support for family-based care through networks and systems. The family child care systems and networks serve to support, organize and increase the supply and quality of family child care providers. We see the most successful strategies implemented through community-based institutions offering a combination of services and supports in both business and child development to address the multi-layered needs of providers.

School Choice

School Choice:

summary source: Institute of Educational Sciences, National Center for Educational Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=6


Question:What percentage of students are enrolled in school choice programs?

Response:Between 1993 and 2003, the percentage of students in grades 1–12 attending a “chosen” public school (a public school other than their assigned public school) increased from 11 to 15 percent, while the percentage attending assigned public schools decreased from 80 to 74 percent. The percentages of students attending private schools also increased during this period (0.9 percentage points for private church-related schools and 0.8 percentage points for private not church-related schools); these increases, however, were smaller than the increase in the percentage of students attending chosen public schools. Public school choice programs allow students to enroll in another public school or district outside their attendance area without justification based on special needs. These programs can include within-district or out-of-district schools. Estimates presented are based on parents' responses and parents may or may not know whether such choice is available.
When asked whether they could send their child to a chosen public school, the parents of 51 percent of students reported having such a choice. Not all students’ parents, however, were equally likely to report that they had this choice. For instance, parents of students in grades 9–12 were more likely to report having choice over their child’s public school than parents of students in grades 1–5 (54 vs. 50 percent), as well as parents of students in the West compared with those in the Northeast and South (61 vs. 39 and 47 percent, respectively), were more likely to report having choice over their child’s public school.
Among students whose parents reported having public school choice, approximately 27 percent attended a chosen public school, while 65 percent attended their assigned school. In addition, students in grades 1–5 were more likely to attend a chosen public school than students in grades 9–12 (30 vs. 25 percent). Black students compared with White or Hispanic students (42 vs. 22 and 27 percent, respectively), as well as students in the South compared with students in the Midwest (30 vs. 22 percent), were more likely to attend chosen public schools.
Another way in which parents can choose schools is to move to a neighborhood so that their children can attend a particular school. In 2003, the parents of 24 percent of students reported that they moved to their current neighborhood so that their children could attend their current school.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). The Condition of Education 2006 (NCES 2006–071), Indicator 36.
Percentage distribution of students in grades 1–12, by type of school: 1993 and 2003
Type of school
1993
2003
Public, assigned
79.9
73.9
Public, chosen
11.0
15.4
Private, church-related
7.5
8.4
Private, not church-related
1.6
2.4
NOTE: Includes homeschooled students enrolled in public or private schools for 9 or more hours per week. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. SOURCE: SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). The Condition of Education 2006 (NCES 2006-071), Table 36-1a .
Other Resources: (Listed by Release Date)
2004, The Nation's Report Card: America's Charter Schools
2003, Overview and Inventory of State Education Reforms: 1990 to 2000
2003, Trends in the Use of School Choice: 1993 to 1999
2002, Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999-2000: Overview of the Data for Public, Private, Public Charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Elementary and Secondary Schools


Tri-State Regional Information on School Choice:
The Interdistrict Public School Choice Program (School Choice Program) is a five-year pilot program designed to increase educational opportunities for New Jersey students and their families by providing students with the option of attending a public school outside their district of residence without cost to their parents. Under the School Choice Program, interested New Jersey school districts apply to become choice districts, that is, districts that designate specific open seats into which they will accept non-resident students at the expense of the state. Each year the New Jersey State Department of Education selects the choice districts from those districts that have submitted a competitive application.

href="http://www.state.nj.us/njded/choice/genfo.htm">http://www.state.nj.us/njded/choice/genfo.htm

http://schools.nyc.gov/Administration/NCLB/PSC/default.htm In accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), students who attend schools identified as Title I Schools in Need of Improvement (SINI) and Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) must be provided with the opportunity to request transfers to schools not in need of improvement.
http://schools.nyc.gov/Administration/NCLB/PSC/FAQs.htm Frequently Asked Questions on School Choice in NYC

• http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/nycfull.pdf
  School Choice in New York City After Three Years: An Evaluation of
  the School Choice Scholarships Program
• http://www.heritage.org/research/education/parchoice.cfm
• http://www.nyschoolchoice.com/ This website provides information on the growing number of choices in schools for students in New York State
• http://www.edreform.com/ParentPower/school_choice/index.htm
• http://www.state.nj.us/njded/parents/title1.htm Intradistrict School ChoiceA Q & A on Options for NJ Children Enrolled in Title I Schools in Need of Improvement
• http://www.nysun.com/article/29057 N.Y. School Choice Is Under Attack in State Senate, The New York Sun, 3/14/06
• http://www.nysun.com/article/47333 Bush, Bloomberg Plans for School Choice May Clash, The New York Sun, 1/25/07
• http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/pepg/PDF/Papers/ny1ex.pdf An Evaluation of the New York City School Choice Scholarships Program: The First Year
• http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_sub.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=134 Progressive Policy Institute

Lottery Aid to Education

Editor's Note: This post is not intended to be for or against the lottery. This post is primarily for parents who want to know more about how much money is generated for education, and how is it allocated.

Lottery in the United States (Summary)
(Summary source: wikipedia.com)
Main article: Lotteries in the United States
In the United States, the existence of lotteries is subject to the laws of each state; there is no national lottery. Before the advent of state-sponsored lotteries, many illegal lotteries thrived; for example, see Numbers game and Peter H. Matthews. The first modern state lottery in the U.S. was established in the state of New Hampshire in 1964; today, lotteries are established in forty-one states and the District of Columbia. On October 8, 1970, New York held the first million dollar lottery drawing.

The first modern interstate lottery in the U.S. was Tri-State Lotto. Tri-State Lotto was formed in 1985 and linked the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In 1988, the Multi-State Lottery Association was formed with Oregon, Iowa, Kansas, Rhode Island, West Virginia and the District of Columbia as its charter members; it is best known for its "Powerball" drawing, which is designed to build up very large jackpots. Another interstate lottery, The Big Game (now called Mega Millions), was formed in 1996 by the states of Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan and Virginia as its charter members.

Instant tickets, also known as scratchcards, were first introduced in the 1970s and have since become a major source of state lottery revenue. Some states have introduced keno and video lottery terminals (slot machines in all but name).
Other interstate lotteries include: Hot Lotto, Lotto South, and Wild Card 2.
With the advent of the Internet it became possible for people to play lottery-style games on-line, many times for free (the cost of the ticket being supplemented by merely seeing, say, a pop-up ad). Two of the many websites which offer free games (after registration) include www.iwinweekly.com and the larger iWon.com, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC Search & Media. GTech Corporation, in the United States, administers 70% of the worldwide online and instant lottery business, according to its website.
Nowadays, many state lotteries in the USA donate large portions of their proceeds to the public education system. Sometimes these funds replace instead of supplement conventional funding ultimately resulting in no additional money for education.


Related Links:
Many states post information on-line about lottery aid to education.

Tri-State Information:

New Jersey:
http://www.state.nj.us/lottery/money/annual_report_2005.pdf

New York:
Aid to Education: http://www.nylottery.org/ny/nyStore/cgi-bin/ProdSubEV_Cat_333653_SubCat_337630_NavRoot_305.htm

Distribution by county: http://www.nylottery.org/ny/nyStore/cgi-bin/ccdist/allocation.php

Article about controversy of aid to education: http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070129/NEWS05/701290338/1035