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Why Teach in a Private School?

Private School Advantages

Exceptional Job Satisfaction

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Henry Adams once said, "A teacher affects eternity." Teachers in private schools profoundly appreciate the eternal dimensions of their work, for they nourish not only the minds but also the hearts and souls of their students. Serving in schools that emphasize a child's complete development, private school teachers have the privileged opportunity to transmit the core academic skills as well as the lessons that count most in life: lessons about spirituality, love, values, the wonder of creation, the purpose of existence. Can any work be more important?

Indeed, the work of the private school teacher is of such significance, it is often regarded as a ministry and a calling, rather than just a job. Patty Quinn, a teacher at a private school in Maryland, described it this way: "I look at this job as a vocation, not as a career. I really think that the work that I'm doing has eternal consequences." (Education Week, March 29, 2000)

Private schools are wonderful places in which to teach. They offer caring, orderly, safe, and nurturing environments; they emphasize the education of the whole child; they insist on academic excellence; and they treat teachers as professionals, giving them considerable autonomy and independence in matters of instruction. The disciplined environment, rigorous curriculum, caring communities, and high expectations private schools provide make them some of the most effective schools in the country. Teachers in private schools can spend their time doing what they are supposed to be doing: teaching.

A century ago, many parents counted on schools to help rescue their children from the terrible shadow of poverty. Today, a new generation of children needs deliverance from a far more crushing poverty, a poverty of spirit. In an age which sometimes seems so void of basic values, an age where children are coarsened by the media and numbed by nihilism, parents are calling on private schools to help them infuse their children's lives with purpose and meaning. They desperately want teachers who can enliven the mind as well as the heart; teachers who can call youngsters to a life of service and love; teachers who can not only teach children to read and write, but also to tell right from wrong.

The life of the private school teacher is an extraordinary calling. Are you up to the challenge?

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Private School Advantages
Exceptional Job Satisfaction
Schools Committed to Excellence
Invigorating Professional Environment
Safety and Discipline
Supportive Community
Focus on Values

Exceptional Job Satisfaction

Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline, released in December 1999 by the National Center for Education Statistics, tracked 1992-93 college graduates as they wound their way from diploma to first teaching job. The report showed that private school teachers typically were more satisfied with their jobs than their colleagues in public schools. In fact, on all six aspects of job satisfaction examined in the study, substantially higher percentages of private school teachers reported they were "very satisfied" (see chart). Further, 42 percent of private school teachers, but only 23 percent of public school teachers, said they were "quite satisfied overall" during their most recent semester of teaching.

Another measure of teacher job satisfaction is the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. A report from NCES in 2002 entitled Private Schools: A Brief Portrait used 1999-2000 SASS data to show that private school teachers are more satisfied with their jobs than public school teachers--not a trivial finding. Private school teachers are also more content about class size and more likely to say they receive lots of support from parents. By substantial margins, they are more likely to agree that most colleagues share the school's mission and that staff cooperative effort is high. The report notes the significance of the last two items this way: "A school's professional climate, in particular the existence of a strong shared purpose among staff members and cooperative interactions among people at the school, is likely to contribute to its effectiveness."

Although complaining about management may be an American pastime, most private school teachers have some positive things to say about school administrators. A majority strongly agrees that the principal enforces school rules (63 percent), expresses expectations for staff (57 percent), and communicates school goals clearly (61 percent). Six of ten private school teachers regard the administration as supportive and encouraging. By contrast, none of those items won strong agreement from a majority of public school teachers.

Another report from the U.S. Department of Education presents additional data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, which also demonstrate that private school teachers appear to be happier about their jobs than public school teachers. (Data are from the 1999-2000 SASS and appear in table 74 of the Digest of Education Statistics: 2002, published June 2003.)

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Schools Committed to Excellence

Private schools are known for the high standards they set. Teachers expect excellence from students, and students tend to live up to those expectations. The high expectations and academic rigor help account for above-average levels of student success. If you're looking to help students reach their potential in a school committed to excellence, consider teaching in a private school.

In a June 2002 report titled Private Schools: A Brief Portrait, the U.S. Department of Education had this to say about the academic performance of private schools:

• Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests.
• Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.
• Private school graduates are more likely than their peers from public schools to have completed advanced-level courses in three academic subject areas [mathematics, science, and foreign language].
• Private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor's or advanced degree by their mid-20s.

According to NCES data, 88 percent of private high school students apply to college, compared to 57 percent of public high school students. And reports from the College Board indicate that SAT scores for private school students are well above the national average.

When it comes to challenging students to stretch their capacity, private schools do an exceptional job. Statistics from the College Board and NCES show that for high school seniors, 24.2 percent of private school students took AP exams in 1998, while 9.4 percent of public school students did so. Private schools, which account for only 7.5 percent of all high school students, produced 20 percent of 12th graders who took AP exams in 1998 and 22 percent of those who scored high enough to have the advanced courses count for college credit.

The National Center for Education Statistics periodically administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to test the knowledge and skills of the nation's students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Students in private schools consistently score well above the national average. At all three grades a significantly higher percentage of private school students score at or above the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels than public school students. Below are the results from the most recent NAEP report cards in reading. To see results from NAEP report cards in other subjects, click here.

NAEP 2003 Reading Report Card

Related Links:
•CAPE article
•Visit the NCES NAEP 2003 reading Web site.
•Download the NAEP 2003 reading highlights report.
•Use the NAEP Data Tool to develop customized reports.

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Invigorating Professional Environment

Teachers in private schools typically enjoy a considerable degree of professional autonomy. They are not entangled in an elaborate web of regulations that control their every move, but are treated as professionals, and are given the discretion they need to help students succeed.
The NCES report Private Schools: A Brief Portrait showed that teachers in private schools have more influence on school policies and teaching practices than their counterparts in public schools. When it comes to practices such as selecting teaching techniques, evaluating students, selecting textbooks and materials, choosing content, and disciplining students, private school teachers are more likely than public school teachers to see themselves as having a lot of control (see table).

And in matters of policy, the report notes substantial sector differences in the percentage of teachers who see themselves as having a lot of influence in establishing curriculum, setting student performance standards, setting discipline policy, and evaluating teachers (see table). In short, the data suggest that private schools trust the professional judgement of teachers and value their counsel.

Academic Background of Teachers

Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline, released in December 1999 by the National Center for Education Statistics, tracked the demographic characteristics and academic preparation of 1992-93 college graduates who became teachers. According to the report, graduates with higher college entrance examination scores were more likely to teach in private schools. Although private schools attracted 13 percent of first-time teachers overall, they drew 26 percent of the teachers who had college entrance examination (CEE) scores in the top quartile. Looking at the data from another angle, 38 percent of the private school group had CEE scores in the top quartile, compared to 18 percent of the public school cohort. The ability of private schools to attract teachers who were higher-achieving college students was also reflected in SAT scores. The average composite score of those who taught in private schools was 1136, 100 points higher than those who taught in public schools.

For the latest information on professional environment, click here to read CAPE's summary of a June 2002 report on private schools from the U.S. Department of Education.

Secretary Paige Issues Teacher Quality Report
Notes Effectiveness of Private Schools in Recruiting Top Students into Teaching

June 21, 2002 - What are the marks of an effective teacher? "[R]igorous research indicates that verbal ability and content knowledge are the most important attributes of highly qualified teachers." So says Secretary of Education Rod Paige in his first annual report to Congress on teacher quality.

According to the report, titled Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge, "[S]tudies have consistently documented the important connection between a teacher's verbal and cognitive abilities and student achievement." Stanford University economist Eric Hanushek is quoted in the report as saying, "[P]erhaps the closest thing to a consistent conclusion across studies is the finding that teachers who perform well on verbal ability tests do better in the classroom [in boosting student achievement]."

That's good news for students in private schools. A 1999 report on first-time teachers from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that the average SAT verbal score was 578 for private school teachers and 520 for public school teachers (Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline, table C26). The average SAT math score was 558 for private school teachers and 516 for public school teachers.

Secretary Paige's report calls into question the value of prospective teachers attending schools of education. "Historically, research suggests that students enrolled in schools of education are not as academically accomplished as other university students." Data also suggest that such schools "fail to attract the best students." Only 14 percent of college graduates who majored in education and 15 percent of all public school teachers had SAT or ACT scores in the top quartile. "In contrast, 25 percent of uncertified teachers scored in the top quartile on these tests, as did 33 percent of private school teachers."

A report released last month by NCES shows that 39 percent of private schools and 70 percent of public schools require teacher applicants to be graduates of a state-approved teacher preparation program (Schools and Staffing Survey 1999-2000: Overview of the Data for Public, Private, and Public Charter, and BIA Elementary and Secondary Schools, tables 1.04 and 2.03).

Secretary Paige's report asks why the "best students are the least likely to enter traditional teacher-training programs," and it offers as one explanation the low pay levels in the profession. But the report goes on to note that "private schools are more effective at recruiting top students into teaching than public schools, despite the generally lower pay offered by these schools."

Paige concludes that the current system of teacher certification "discourages some of the most talented candidates from entering the profession while allowing too many poorly qualified individuals to teach." He proposes a model for teacher preparation and recruitment that includes high standards for verbal ability and content knowledge, streamlined certification requirements, and alternate routes to teaching.

Related Links:
•Download the Secretary's Report on Teacher Quality
•Read CAPE's summary of the 1999 Teacher Pipeline Report

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School Safety and Discipline

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), published by the National Center for Education Statistics, provides data on public and private schools. The following table, based on 1999-2000 SASS data (the most recent), indicates the extent to which teachers think various behaviors are serious problems in their schools. (Source: Table 73, Digest of Education Statistics: 2002)

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