Does where you learn something have a definitive impact on how well you remember it? If you went to the most prestigious university versus onlinembarankings.com are you going to be a better stock broker? Studies say no. It is an age old debate that rages on. Is the cost of a private education worth the expense? Private schools are charging $10,000 a year or more in some cases to provide an education which is available for free at the neighborhood public school. You might be surprised to learn that the extra expense does not gurantee higher test scores.
A recent comparison of scores on standardized tests between public and private schools reveal there is little difference in achievement results. The Center for Education Policy compared performance of students from similar backgrounds and found that scores were comparable between public and private school children on statewide achievement tests. The study did note a gap though in scores on college entrance exams with the private school students scoring significantly higher on the SAT and ACT tests than those who attend public schools.
There are a number of theories on why SAT and ACT scores are higher among private school students which include smaller class sizes and less disruptions because of discipline issues. Private schools have much more discretion at accepting students or expelling them while public schools must remain open to all students.
The public versus private school debate has reignited in recent years because of the controversy over government vouchers to allow students to attend private schools. Several states now give parents money to send their children to a private school if the local public district fails to perform up to government standards. Teacher unions have been the biggest opponent of the plan fearing it will cost members of their organizations their jobs. Those who argue that there should be a seperation of church and state also have lobbied hard against the vouchers because many of the private schools are run by religious organizations. The Catholic Church in America operates the most private schools in the nation educating more than 40% of all students currently attending private schools.