Tips for Visiting Private Schools

Now that October is upon us, you may be considering applying for private school for next Fall. Private School open houses are held this month throughout the state, and we urge you to spend time visiting schools to see where your child will feel they best belong. If you’re overwhelmed by where to start, click here for a searchable database of the state’s top private schools.

When you visit private schools, it is important to stay focused on what is most important for your child’s personal needs and interests. Finding the right school fit hinges on considering the following questions as you stroll through each campus.

Tips for Visiting Private Schools

• What is the ambiance of the school? How do the adults interact with children?
• How does the school accommodate different learning styles as well as students with special needs? How does this school support students with academic, social or emotional difficulties?
• What is their teaching methodology? Do teachers work by themselves with students in small groups or do they work in teams to teach larger groups?
• How does this school encourage and monitor students’ progress toward meeting academic standards?
• How does this school use technology to support teaching and learning?
• While visiting, parents can look for student work on the walls and in display areas, including writing samples and other evidence of literacy projects and artwork. Displays that feature work samples of the students allow parents to see beyond test scores and decide what the children are learning and how they are learning.
• Ask about faculty turnover. 10-20 % turnover will occur in most schools due to retirements and people moving on, but telltale signs of potential problems would be a high rate of turnover (40% or higher). A school that treats its faculty well will have a low turnover rate.
• What professional development opportunities do teachers have? In what ways do teachers collaborate?
• Look at the school’s facilities and infrastructure. Basic features that a school must have include a well-equipped library with a good collection of books and periodicals, a separate lunchroom, auditorium or large classroom for meetings and presentations, and adequate physical education facilities.
• How often are textbooks and classroom materials reviewed and updated? Is the library/media center well-equipped and organized? Can children regularly check out books and use the center’s resources?
• How does the school communicate with parents? How does this school inform parents of school information and activities?
• How many applicants are typically received for how many open seats? Another way to ask this is: what percentage of the applicant pool are offered enrollment? The higher the ratio, the more competitive enrollment will be at that school. This should help you decide how many schools you’ll need to apply to in order to get a spot for your child the upcoming year.
• What is their application policy? What selection criteria do they use? To which colleges were last year’s graduates accepted?
• What is their student attrition like? This should give you a good idea of how happy other families were with this school.
• What are some of the school’s greatest accomplishments? What are some of the biggest challenges this school faces?
• How does the school determine student placement in classes? How does the school guide and prepare students for academic decisions that define their options in high school and beyond?