Academic Concerns
When is the right time to move my child?
You may be thinking of transferring your child for any number of reasons. Your child may be approaching a new entry level grade. Your family may be relocating. Or he or she may not be thriving in school. While you don’t want to move your child capriciously, for the most part changing your child’s school is less traumatic than parents anticipate, and often of great benefit to the child.
If your child is not thriving, the first thing that you, as a parent, want to do is investigate possible causes. Is the reason academic, social, emotional, or transitional? Talk to your child and the teacher to see if there is anything situational that can easily be changed. Sometimes a tutor is all a child needs to get back on his or her feet. If a child is having a problem with a friend perhaps changing a seat or a class would be helpful. The teacher should be able to let you know if additional professional support is required and point you in the right direction if that is the case.
But there are times that a child simply is not well-matched with the school, and a new school will make all the difference. When children enter Kindergarten, parents often don’t know much about them. A shy child placed in a large public school may not be happy. Sometimes switching him or her to a small, intimate private school will allow him or her to develop the confidence to be successful in a larger arena later on. Alternatively, a child with a minor learning disability in a selective private school may feel that he or she doesn’t belong, whereas in the local public school he or she can get support services without feeling like an outsider.
Even when a child is successful, it may be a good idea to change his or her school. If s/he has been in a small community from pre-K through grade 8, a new school will offer a new peer group, a more complex institution to navigate, and the opportunity to go through a transition while living at home. Children who have moved during their school years typically find the adjustment to college easier. And, in a new school a child can explore new interests and re-invent him or herself. Children who have had the opportunity to move schools find it easier to take risks and become more independent. When it comes to making those difficult decisions that all high school students are confronted with, a child who has experienced transition is better prepared to “say no.”
Whatever your reason for thinking of moving your child, it is important to recognize that placing a child in the right school next time will have a positive impact. Whether in six days or six months, your child will adapt to his or her new school, and the benefit of the new environment will far outweigh the stress of the transition.
Co-educational or single-sex?
There are reasons to consider both co-educational schools and those of a single gender but one is not necessarily a better choice than the other. Here are some factors you may want to consider:
Play: does your child prefer playing with children of his/her own gender or both boys and girls? There are some boys who like to play with girls as well as boys and some girls who choose to play with boys as well as girls. Become attuned to your child’s preferences so that you do not deprive your child of friendships that will enrich and fulfill him or her.
Interests: while all schools today encourage boys to participate in activities that were once in the girls’ domain and vice versa, there are still boys who prefer sports and girls who prefer cooking – as well as ones who don’t. So if your son does not like sports for example, or rough and tumble activities, you might want to keep him in a co-educational environment so that he will have playmates when the majority of boys are engaged in the sort of play that is not his preference.
On the other hand, in an all-boys school all the boys necessarily participate in the school play and other arts activities. Unfortunately, even today, in some co-educational schools the arts electives continue to be dominated by girls. So an all boys’ or all girls’ school will give your child the opportunity to pursue his or her passions in a stigma free environment.
Academics: some research has suggested that girls do better in math and science when they don’t have to compete with boys. This research is inconclusive, however, and some children are more susceptible than others to this type of influence. In addition to co-educational and single-sexed schools, some schools will divide children by gender in math and science during vulnerable years.
If you are unsure whether your child will be happier in a co-educational school or one of his own gender, include both when constructing your school list and visit a number in each category. And recognize that this may change at different ages, so moving your child to a different school later is always an option.
K-8 or K through high school?
There are advantages and disadvantages of schools that serve only the primary years – and the same holds true for those that continue all the way through secondary school. Depending on the child and family, K-8 or K-12 schools may be the right choice. Here are some things to consider when choosing your child’s first school:
Advantages of early childhood schools:
Elementary schools focus all of their attention, financial and educational resources on early childhood. Teachers and administrators typically have expertise and particular interest in this age group. Building architecture, playground equipment, technology, are all designed to take into account the unique needs of younger children. Administrators don’t have to make complex decisions whether to invest limited funds in the primary or secondary programs – everything is designed around your child.
Some parents are concerned about exposing their young children to the language and behavior of older students and this is not a worry in schools that go only through the primary years.
Pre-adolescence is a turbulent time for children. Those attending a K-8 school find themselves in a comfortable setting, in the enviable position of being the oldest kids in the school, during the notoriously difficult 7th and 8th grades.
Families are forced to move their children to a new school for high school. We at School Choice International believe that change of school is an opportunity for parents and students to evaluate what has been working successfully for a child as well as what hasn’t – and to ensure that the next school is one where the child will thrive. Students who move for high school typically are better matched academically as well as socially with their school than youth who have been in the same school since pre-K or K. And they have a chance to attend school that offers electives and extracurricular activities that satisfy their interests and passions. In addition, kids who have to experience a transition and make new friends and learn new norms while still living at home may be better equipped for the greater transition they will have to make when living away from their parents and having to make this adjustment when beginning college.
Advantages of K-12 schools:
The obvious advantage is that once children begin school neither they or their parents will have to go through the application process again until the college search. For parents who find this process particularly stressful or who worry about forcing their child to experience another transition, this can be a huge relief.
K-12 schools have resources and facilities that are designed for the older children but from which younger children can benefit. Science labs, technology, theaters and musical instruments may be sophisticated and offer opportunities that K-8 schools do not have available.
Children who go their school years with the same peer group develop friendships that endure throughout their lives and a sense of confidence that comes with continuity of adults and friends.
Often schools that have both primary and secondary schools take advantage of the mix of students to develop programs where older children mentor their younger peers, serving as role models on specially designed class trips, during classes and extracurricular activities. These programs allow young children to enjoy, learn from, and become motivated by those they naturally admire. And the older students learn leadership skills and empathy.
School is starting: what if my child doesn’t do well academically?
A child may not do as well academically at the start of the new year, particularly if s/he is in a new school, but his or her performance may improve as the year goes on.
Children may not understand directions given by a new teacher. Expectations may be unfamiliar and unclear. They may still be affected by something they may have experienced over the summer. It is important to keep communication frequent both with your child and the teacher to ensure that minor problems don’t escalate.
If a child’s academic performance continues to decline when he or she performed well in the past, it may be because of differences in teaching styles, which may not match the student’s learning style, or simply because they are at a different age and developmental phase. It is important for parents to try to work with the child and school to identify the source of the problem and address it from the source.
If a child is coming from a different country, performance may be on par but the grading system may differ as a result of cultural differences. For a child moving from a country with “grade inflation” to one where teachers grade more realistically, the child may perform similarly but receive lower grades for the same work. If this is the case, parents need to recognize the superficial nature of the performance decline and explain it to the child.
When a family makes a decision to move internationally parents need to begin to redefine education as something broader than schooling. There is no substitute for firsthand experience with people of different cultures, learning languages through total immersion, or the life skills brought about by the actual transition. Once parents reflect on the true value they are giving their children through an overseas move, the different school experience is an acceptable tradeoff.
The public schools in my neighborhood are good. Is there any reason to consider private?
Public and private schools offer very different educational experiences. Depending on your child and the circumstances of moving him or her to a new school, you may want to consider one or the other, or both.
Even when public schools are excellent, there are valid reasons to send a child to a private school and, conversely, there may be reasons to send a child you had expected to send to private school to a public institution. A good learning environment for some children may not be for others. If finances are not a determining factor, we suggest that you make every effort to find the school that best fits your child, whether public or private. And many students at private schools receive financial aid, so do not rule out private schools based on financial reasons alone.
Some factors to consider when choosing between public and private:
Class size:
Private schools can provide small class sizes and the individual attention that comes out of close relationships with teachers. Public schools may not have the luxury to keep classes small, particularly in times of budget constraints. If your child has a tendency to get lost, a large class size may be a concern.
Choice:
In a private school you can choose a program that reflects your family’s values as well as the specific needs of your child. You are not limited to the local option. However, today there are increasing alternatives within the public sector including magnet schools and charter schools.
Curriculum:
Private schools are selective. An academically homogeneous environment may allow for more challenge, but it also can create a great deal of stress. If your child is intrinsically motivated and feels pressured to be the best, a highly competitive environment may create unnecessary stress that outweighs the other benefits of the school.
Private schools are free from the limitations of standardized testing and can therefore offer a challenging curriculum that may be advanced compared with the same grade in a public institution. Public schools require students to take standardized tests. While these tests were instituted to ensure accountability, teachers often “teach to the test” so their students will perform well. If your child thrives on a more creative curriculum than is covered by the standardized tests or is academically advanced, public schools may not provide sufficient challenge.
Some small private schools can only offer a limited number of courses and extra-curricular activities. If your child has a talent or interest that is not taught or offered in his or her private school, a large public school may have a greater breadth of courses available.
Geography and Transportation:
Private schools often draw from a broad geographical area, so your child may have a significant commute to school, to participate in extracurricular activities on weekends, and will likely form friendships with children who live at a distance. Public schools draw from a small community. Transportation time will be minimal and your child will make local friends.
Special needs:
Some private schools specialize in serving children with special needs; others do not cater to this population but can address limited learning needs by virtue of their small class size and individualized teaching. Public schools are mandated by law to address the particular needs of a child and have the resources to do so well. If a child’s particular need is not within their capability, they must take responsibility for sending that child to a suitable environment. In many cases children with special needs are better served in the public sector.
Get Started Today! For help with any aspect of your school search, please contact us at clientservices@schoolchoiceintl.com, or call us at 1-914-328-3000 (within the USA, call us toll-free at 1-866-881-5959).
