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Much has been written and said about the state of public education in America -- almost none of it good! Falling graduation rates, poor test scores, and growing achievement gaps have plagued the once respected system for decades. It is no wonder parents with the financial means often send their kids to private high schools. Here are just a few of the benefits these institutions offer. Higher Academic Standards One of the main reasons private institutions have higher graduation and college-going rates than public ones is that they expect more from their students. As a result, pupils must push themselves to succeed in a more a rigorous academic environment. And, in the vast majority of cases, kids are able to live up to these heightened expectations. Many cultivate a love of learning that lasts long after their school days are done. We should also mention that independent institutions are much better at preparing pupils for higher education. How do we know? According to a recent report, more than one-third of public high school graduates were not ready for entry-level college courses. Safer Environment It's hard to concentrate on learning when you're worried about your safety. Recent data confirms that violence in America's public school is on the rise. For the first time in decades, assault and theft cases increased in 2014. Another troubling trend was the alarming rise in the number of physical attacks on educators. Because there are fewer students and the environment is much safer, serious crime is uncommon in independent institutions. More Individual Attention Because they are privately funded and only accept a certain number of students, independent institutions can control their class sizes. A recent report found that private high schools have about half the number of students in each class. As a result, educators can spend more time with each pupil, both in and out of class. The inevitable result of this extra attention is greater academic success, on average. From the star pupil to the struggling student, every child can benefit when the teacher has more time for them. Access To The Arts If your child attends a public school, there's a good chance he or she has little or no exposure to the arts. The reason? To prepare kids for rigorous testing that helps determine how much money they receive from the state, a growing number of public institutions are cutting arts education. Since they are privately funded, independent institutions can create their own curriculum. As a result, almost all of them give students an opportunity to explore their talents on the stage or in the studio. Discipline And Values About 80 percent of the students who attend private high schools in America attend a religiously affiliated one. Many do so because they (or their parents) believe that education should include both academic and religious instruction. They may also disagree with the way most schools handle discipline. Because private institutions make their own rules, they can expel problem pupils for unacceptable behavior. By comparison, it is much harder to remove a difficult, even dangerous student from a public setting. For all of these reasons and more, a growing number of parents are sending their kids to private high schools. When considering private high schools, Central NJ residents visit Saint Joseph High School. Learn more at http://www.stjoes.org/.
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