Values Added: The Lifelong Returns of an Independent School Education

February 2004

WHAT IS NAIS?The National Association of Independent

Schools (NAIS) is a voluntary membership

organization of more than 1,200 independent

schools and associations in the United States

and abroad. NAIS acts as the national voice of

independent pre-collegiate education and as

the center for collective action on behalf of its

membership. It serves and strengthens its

member schools and associations by

articulating and promoting high standards of

educational quality and ethical behavior, by

working to preserve their independence to

serve the democratic society from which that

independence derives, and by advocating

broad access for students in affirming the

principles of equity and justice.

To be eligible for membership in NAIS,

schools must be 501(c)3 nonprofit

organizations that are fully accredited and

nondiscriminatory in hiring and admission.

WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL?• Independent schools are private,

pre-collegiate learning institutions,

each with a unique mission.

• Independent schools are governed by

independent boards of trustees.

• Independent schools are nonprofit

institutions that are primarily

supported through tuition payments,

charitable contributions, and

endowment income.

• Independent schools uphold high

standards of educational quality.

• Independent schools are publicly

accountable to parents, communities,

and the agencies that accredit them.

© 2004 National Association of Independent Schools

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An Education That’sValue Added and Values AddedAmericans are intelligent consumers whoseek value for every dollar they spend. Westudy the marketplace, look for the bestreturns, and make every effort to secure astrong future for ourselves and ourchildren. We invest time and money inprofessional training to build long andrewarding careers. We purchase good carsbacked by excellent performance ratingsand safety records. And we invest in goodhomes that enhance our quality of life andprovide our loved ones with essential spaceto grow.

As parents, we also seek exceptionalschools for our children: schools withexcellent teachers and a strong academiccommitment, schools that are rich invalues. The National Association ofIndependent Schools’ (NAIS’s) 1,200member schools know that qualityeducation is more than a value-addedproposition. They recognize thatexceptional schools prepare our childrennot just for this year’s tests, but for all oflife’s tests. And they understand that thebest education is a values-addedexperience that provides a structured,nurturing environment where youngpeople learn not only reading, math, andscience, but also the importance of hardwork, leadership, personal responsibility,and good citizenship.

NAIS Students Measure Up to All of Life’s TestsNew data from the U.S. Department ofEducation show that NAIS schools excelin offering young people exactly this kindof values-added education. In 1988, anationally representative sample of eighthgraders drawn from a wide range ofschools (classified as public, Catholic,NAIS, and other private schools) wasselected by the National Center forEducation Statistics (NCES) to participatein the National Education LongitudinalStudy (NELS). This major federallysponsored study was designed to trackstudent outcomes over more than adecade, and NELS has produced valuableinformation on student progress towardlifetime goals.

While most comparisons of studentperformance offer only “snapshot”evaluations of academic performancebased on data drawn from a single testadministered on a single day, NELS tracedthe life experiences of students who wereeighth graders in 1988 into the 21stcentury. The first three follow-upassessments, conducted in 1990, 1992,and 1994 — when most of theparticipants were still in school —included scores from achievement tests inreading, social studies, math, and science,as well as the SAT. In these evaluations,NAIS students performed well above theirNELS peers, with 71.7 percent achieving1100 or better on the SAT — a score thatwould qualify most students foradmission to highly selective colleges anduniversities. By comparison, 20.2 percent

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of public school students and 20.6percent of Catholic school studentsachieved 1100 or better.1

But NELS also analyzed important social,economic, and educational indicators.Participants reported on their progress inhigh school, their success in getting intocollege, their satisfaction with work andfamily life, and their goals for the future.They also provided reports on theirhobbies and social activities as well asinformation on personal habits likesmoking, drinking, and drug use.

The NELS research findings offer aninvaluable opportunity to see how NAISschools and other schools measure up inpreparing their students for theopportunities and challenges of life in the21st century.

What NELS Says AboutNAIS StudentsIn 2000, the final NELS assessmentstudied outcomes for the original cohortas its members were entering their mid-20s and facing the opportunities andchallenges of adulthood. The data fromthis follow-up have justbeen released by NCES, andthe results show thatstudents who attended NAISschools have experiencedremarkable success relativeto their peers.

1. NAIS Graduates Lead theNation in PostsecondaryAchievement

When asked in 1988 about whether theyplanned to go on to college, two-thirds ofall NELS eighth graders placed a highpriority on attaining higher education. Asof 2000, two out of five had achieved thegoal of a four-year college degree.

But success in higher education became areality for the vast majority of NAISschool graduates — more than three-quarters graduated from a college oruniversity by their mid-20s. (See Table A.)This figure includes two-thirds whocompleted at least a four-year collegedegree, 8 percent who completed master’sdegrees, and 1.5 percent who achieved aPh.D. or professional degree (e.g., M.D. orLL.B.).

Almost one quarter (23.7 percent) of NAISschool graduates had completed thecoursework for an associate’s degree orprofessional certificate or pursued somepost-secondary education without yetcompleting a degree.

The overall results indicate that nearly allNAIS students in the NELS study pursuedpostsecondary education by 2000, animpressive indicator of achievement thatoutpaced results for graduates of public,

1 NCES. “Making the Cut: Who Meets Highly Selective College Entrance Criteria?” (April 1995), data table 1.

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Catholic, and other private schools by awide margin.

2. NAIS Graduates Pursue a Rich Variety of Majors While Setting Strong Professional GoalsAnother factor that distinguished NAISstudents from their peers was their choiceof college majors. The NELS surveytracked college majors in 115 fields ofstudy ranging from accounting tozoology. It found that the most popularcollege majors across the entire cohortwere in fields geared toward preparingstudents with professional skills. Businessand accounting was the most popularcategory (17.1 percent), followed byhealth-related fields (12.1 percent),education (7.4 percent), engineering (6.4percent), and the biological sciences (5.3percent).

NAIS graduates had pursued a much morediverse range of college majors in theliberal arts, social sciences, and naturalsciences. Their preferred choices wereliberal arts (12.9 percent), history (7.9percent), the biological sciences (7.8percent), visual and performing arts (7.6percent), psychology (6.8 percent),business/accounting (5.8 percent), andjournalism/communications (5.1 percent).

The data show that NAIS graduates’studies in the traditional disciplines werecomplemented by a strong focus onpreparation for the future. The majority(55 percent) said they intend to completea master’s degree, Ph.D., M.D., LL.B., J.D.,or D.D.S. by the age of 30, a figure thatwas significantly higher than the

professional-development aspirations ofother NELS participants. (See Table B.)More than 30 percent of NAIS graduateswere planning to pursue business degrees,7.7 percent were planning for law school,and 7.2 percent wanted to pursuemedicine. By contrast, less than 3 percentof the total NELS cohort said they would

follow medical careers, and 24 percentexpressed interest in obtaining a businessdegree.

3. NAIS Graduates Typically AttendIndependent Colleges NAIS students were much more likelythan their NELS peers to attend private,independent colleges rather than publicinstitutions. Nearly two-thirds of NAISstudents attended private colleges anduniversities (64 percent), compared toone-fifth (21.5 percent) of all students,while slightly more than one-third ofNAIS students attended four-year publicinstitutions (34.4 percent), compared tonearly half (44.9 percent) of all students.

TABLE B: Percent of StudentsPlanning to Earn Postgraduate Degrees by Age 30

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4. NAIS Graduates Express StrongSatisfaction with Their Careers andConfidence in Opportunities for FurtherTrainingIn terms of overall job satisfaction, nineout of 10 (90.8 percent) NAIS graduatesexpressed satisfaction withtheir jobs, compared with 84.4percent of all students. AndNAIS graduates were alsoextremely optimistic abouttheir opportunities fortraining, with 80.3 percentsaying they expected theseopportunities, versus 77.3percent of their NELS peers.

5. NAIS Graduates Are Skilledin the Technology of the 21st-Century WorkplaceThe teenagers of the 1980swere the first generation ofAmericans to grow up withcomputers, but familiaritywith technology does not always translateinto mastery. The 2000 NELS follow-upshows, however, that NAIS students areextremely skilled with computers and areadept navigators of the Internet.

Virtually all NAIS graduates (95.5 percent)said they use word processing at work,versus 78.9 percent of the total NELScohort. Similarly, 81.6 percent regularlyuse e-mail, compared with 72.6 percent ofall study participants. And 84 percent ofNAIS students use the Internet and knowhow to perform Internet searches,whereas just 64.8 percent of the totalNELS cohort said they had this facility. (See Table C.)

6. NAIS Graduates Pursue Healthy, ActiveAdult Lives

The NELS data also show that NAISschool graduates have gone on to achievehealthy adult lives and pursue a more

active range of personal interests thantheir NELS peers. They read newspapers,books, and magazines more frequentlyand are more likely to use computers athome. They go to plays, concerts, andcommunity events more often and aremore committed to regular exercise andpersonal fitness. (See Table D.)

TABLE C: Technology Use byNAIS Graduates vs. NELS Peers

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7. NAIS Graduates Place Higher Value onCommunity Service and Civic ParticipationPerhaps the most significant factor thatdistinguished NAIS graduates from othersin the 2000 follow-up survey was thestrength of their commitment tocommunity service and active civicparticipation.

While slightly morethan one out of fivesurvey participantsreported volunteeringfor civic events (22.1percent), nearly one-third of NAIS schoolgraduates (31.8percent) said thatthey regularlyparticipated involuntary activitiesin their communities.

NAIS students were also nearly twice aslikely to volunteer to work for politicalcampaigns and political causes. And NAISstudents were committed to exercisingtheir civic duty as voters. Whereas slightlymore than half of all NELS participantsvoted in the 1996 presidential election,more than three-quarters of NAIS schoolgraduates registered their voices. (See Table E.)

TABLE E: Civic Engagement ofNAIS Graduates vs. NELS Peers

TABLE D: Leisure Pursuits ofNAIS Graduates vs. NELS Peers

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SMALLER CLASSROOMS, CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS HELP ALL STUDENTS SUCCEED

The emphasis on mentoring students as part ofregular teaching responsibilities at independentschools plays an essential role in helping studentsthrive in new learning contexts and social settings.

Vuoch Tan Minnich fled war-torn Cambodia withher family in 1979 at the age of five. After living inrefugee camps in Thailand and then the Philippines,Vuoch’s family immigrated to Columbus, OH, whereher mother and stepfather both worked two jobs tosupport themselves and their two daughters. Vuochenrolled in elementary school armed with just a fewkey English phraseslike “Hi, how areyou?” “I’m hungry,”and “Where is therestroom?” but herquiet determinationand inner strengthcaught the attentionof her fourth-gradepublic schoolteacher, Beth Craig.

Convinced thatVuoch would benefitfrom smaller classesand more personalattention from herteachers, Mrs. Craig convinced her to apply to theColumbus School for Girls (CSG). Vuoch did poorlyon her CSG admission test, but her interview wonover CSG’s admissions director, Terrie HaleScheckelhoff, who recognized a young girl whocould offer CSG as much as the school could giveher. Vuoch entered that year with a full scholarshipand soon encountered terrors and uncertainties that— from her own experience — rivaled anything shehad ever experienced. Beyond mastering English, shewas asked to attend school functions, play sports, go

to socials, and attend her classmates’ birthdayparties. Her peers practiced a unique and exotic arrayof social customs that were nearly incomprehensible.

Yet Mrs. Craig’s hunch about CSG paid off for Vuoch.Ms. Scheckelhoff became Vuoch’s personal tour guidethrough the mysteries of Americana, translatingeverything from the rules of the school dress code tothe subtext of a Wendy's value meal. Vuochbefriended CSG’s librarian, who provided her not justwith books but also with answers to key questionsabout American ways of interacting and living.

Today Vuoch ismarried and has adaughter of her own.She is also a graduateof Kenyon College, asuccessful financialadvisor, and theupcoming chair ofCSG's jubilee funddrive. She credits herexperience at CSGwith helping herreach her fullpotential. “CSG was asafe and encouragingenvironment for me,”

she notes. “My teachers were so much more thanjust teachers. They were my mentors and friends.They noticed my weaknesses and strengths, and theyapproached me with sincerity when I needed help.CSG provided an opportunity for me to learn fromother people and for others to learn from me. Itessentially gave me the necessary ingredients toembrace life’s journey.”

Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff and Vuoch Tan Minnich in 2003

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The Elements ofIndependent SchoolSuccessThe results of the NELS survey demonstratethat NAIS students receive a qualityeducation that adds value to a student’sacademic preparation and adds values thattransform young people into healthy,active, and engaged adults. But why doNAIS schools excel as learning institutionsfor so many students, and what are thespecific features of their classrooms,teaching philosophies, curricula, andapproaches to child development thatdistinguish them from public, Catholic,and other private schools?

First and foremost is their commitmentto providing small learningenvironments that foster curiosity andactive participation. The averageenrollment of an NAIS school is 483students, and the median enrollment is394 students.2 Many larger NAIS schoolsfunction as small schools (often byseparating the lower school, middleschool, and upper school), wherefaculty and administrators know all ofthe students within their divisions.

NAIS schools are marked by theirdedication to providing rigorousinstruction in core subjects guided byteachers who focus on inspiring studentsto perform beyond even their own goals. And NAIS schools create safecommunities that offer structuredopportunities for children to growpersonally and socially, take on leadershiproles and new responsibilities, and learnessential life skills both inside and outsidethe classroom.

Small Classrooms with Big GoalsNAIS schools make it difficult for childrento hide from challenge or lose themselvesin the shuffle. When students don’tprepare their homework or fail a popquiz, they attract an immediate andfocused response from their teachers.According to the latest figures from theU.S. Department of Education, theaverage student-teacher ratio in mostpublic schools is 15.6:1, and it is 17.2:1 inCatholic schools.3 At NAIS schools,however, the average student-teacher ratiois just 8.7:1 (6.7:1 at boarding schools and9.1:1 at day schools).4 (See Table F).

As Arthur G. Powell of Brown University’sAnnenberg Institute for School Reformhas noted, this context provides NAISteachers with both the time and spacethey need to assess the academic progressof every student in their class on a day-to-day basis. It allows teachers to monitorsubtle indicators of performance likefacial expression, lapses in attention, or astudent’s willingness to volunteerresponses for some questions but not forothers. It trims the quantity of the

2NAIS Statistical Indicators, 2002-2003. 3NCES. Private Schools: A Brief Portrait. Findings from the Condition of Education 2002, p. 6.4NAIS Statistical Indicators, 2002-2003.

TABLE F: Average Student-Teacher Ratio(Number of Students Per Teacher)

6.7

9.1

17.2

15.6

8

TABLE G: Percent of Teachers Who Said They Havea Lot of Influence in Establishing Curriculum

(Includes NAIS Schools)

Source: NCES, 2002.

average instructor’s teaching load so thatattention can be given to quality feedbackand timely remediation. It gives teachersmore time to correct homeworkassignments so that they can providedetailed commentary on the beststrategies for factoring equations orensuring subject/verb agreement, ratherthan quickly administered checks andminuses. And it gives teachersopportunities to prepare detailed reportcards that keep parents informed of everydimension of their children’s progress andprovide students with a clear sense of expectations.5

Small classroom settings also allow NAISteachers much more flexibility inchoosing curricula and materials thataddress the diverse learning needs of theirindividual students. Recent data fromNCES show that independent schoolteachers feel more empowered than theirpeers in other schools in setting thecurriculum they teach.6 (See Table G.)

This environment encourages students ofaverage ability to learn more and studymore than they normally would, becauseteachers can evaluate the individualstrengths and weaknesses of everystudent’s learning process and designtargeted interventions that push themtoward higher achievement withoutgenerating a sense of failure ordiscouragement. NAIS schools understandthat students have multiple intelligencesand different styles of learning thatrequire close engagement at an individuallevel, and small classrooms provide everystudent with opportunities to set andaccomplish big academic goals.

These are the benefits of small classroomsthat parents and students value most, andit helps explain why the American publicgives NAIS schools such high marks forteacher quality. A nationallyrepresentative poll conducted by NAIS in1999 revealed that independent schoolswere identified over public schools by afactor of more than two to one for thequality of their teachers (47 percent ofsurvey respondents thought this describedindependent schools, compared to 22percent who thought it described publicschools) and the ability of teachers tokeep students motivated (41 percentindependent, 14 percent public).Moreover, independent schools wereidentified over public schools by a ratio ofthree to one for their capacity tochallenge students to do their best (46percent independent, 12 percent public)and by a ratio of four to one for theirefforts in encouraging parentalinvolvement (48 percent independent, 12percent public).7

5Arthur G. Powell, Lessons from Privilege: The American Prep School Tradition (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998), pp. 164-238. 6NCES. Private Schools: ABrief Portrait. Findings from the Condition of Education, 2002, pp. 13-14. 7 NAIS. 1999 National Public Opinion Poll on Perceptions of Independent Schools. This statistically significant national poll was commissioned by NAIS and conducted by Accurate Data.

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NAIS schools have long recognized that investmentsin faculty development encourage teachingexcellence and create dynamic learning communitieswhere all children can succeed. In Seattle, theUniversity Child Development School’s (UCDS) focuson faculty has produced measurable results, not onlyfor UCDS students but also for students across the city.

UCDS is guided by the principle that all childrenlearn differently. Its teachers recognize that studentsin the same class are often at different places in theirpersonal development and come from diversebackgrounds. Finding innovative ways to engagestudents’ multiple intelligences is thus essential tohelping children make sense of the world, and UCDSteachers have developed a dynamic philosophy ofinstruction that concentrates on crafting personalizedlesson plans that leverage a young person’s curiosityand creative energy.

Close faculty partnerships are essential to translatingthis philosophy into practice. UCDS serves 300students from preschool through fifth grade, and its30 full-time teachers work together on a day-to-daybasis. They co-teach every class and conduct weeklytwo-hour planning meetings where the successes andfailures of specific lesson plans are discussed. Facultydesign curriculum extensions for children who arehaving difficulty mastering core concepts.

“Our teachers believe that there is no such thing as aperfect curriculum — a magic bullet that works forevery student,” says UCDS head of school PaulaSmith. “That’s why we focus on setting benchmarksof core knowledge rather than instituting a fixedcurriculum plan. The job of our teachers is to worktogether, study what goes on in the classroom, andfigure out the approaches that work best for eachstudent. Every day we talk with each other aboutwhether a lesson worked, and that’s the best possible professional development program that I can imagine.”

Recognizing the strength of UCDS’s innovativeapproach to curriculum development and evaluation,the University of Washington’s Applied MathDepartment approached Smith three years ago aboutcollaborating on a National Science Foundation grantto implement more effective math teaching inSeattle’s low-performing schools. Smith jumped at

the chance, recognizing that it offered UCDS not justan opportunity to extend its commitment to thecommunity, but also a new learning context for hercolleagues. Six teachers volunteered to work withtheir peers at the Seattle School Distict’s ThurgoodMarshall Elementary School on ways to implement amore collaborative teaching style for mathinstruction.

Building a connection with Thurgood Marshall’steachers was a challenge at first because manyregarded the initiative as an unwelcome districtimposition and a judgment on their skills asinstructors. But trust developed over the first yearwhen it became clear that UCDS’s teachers werefocused on trading experiences and sharing ideasabout best practices. And their focus on encouragingfeedback and pursuing benchmarks rather than a pre-set curriculum quickly caught on. By the end of thefirst year, instructors from UCDS and ThurgoodMarshall were co-teaching lessons, developing newstrategies for breaking down faculty isolation, andconcentrating on student performance.

“I think when they realized that we saw them asteaching experts who possessed knowledge andexperience that we wanted to tap into, the wallscame down,” Smith notes. “I think they alsoappreciated us for recognizing that their kids weresmart and believing that they could achieve.”

But just how much Thurgood Marshall’s studentscould achieve with a new approach to facultydevelopment surprised everyone. As a result of thepartnership, the school’s fourth graders advancedfrom none of the students passing the state mathproficiency exam before the program began to nearly60 percent passing three years after the program’sinception — a figure that places the inner-city schoolsignificantly above the state average.

In accounting for the success of the project, Smithcredits a process that engages teachers as experts inwhat they do. “If teachers are given an establishedcurriculum and told to stick to the program, it doesnot engage their creativity or recognize them fortheir key role in improving the science of learning,”she explains. “There is no one-size-fits-all curriculum,and teachers will feel more empowered and helptheir students achieve more if they are recognized forwhat they can contribute.”

BUILDING DYNAMIC LEARNING COMMUNITIES THROUGH FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

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A Focus on Core KnowledgeAnother key element of NAIS schools istheir emphasis on providing a rigorouscurriculum that encourages students tomaster core knowledge at an early ageand acquire advanced skills in math andlanguage that pave the way for success incollege. NAIS schools provide anatmosphere of high personal expectationscomplemented by a structure ofmandatory course requirements forgraduation that do not offer studentsready opportunities to opt out of takingessential classes. The ultimate success ofthis educational system depends onquality teaching and small learningenvironments, but it is further reinforcedby a commitment to providing multiplesections of core classes like Algebra I orSpanish as opposed to a much broaderrange of course electives.8

This situation allows teachers to assess theskills and preparation of individualstudents and place them in sections thatwill test their abilitieswithout overwhelmingthem. It also encouragescollegiality and creativecurriculum developmentamong faculty who teachthe same subject. Finally,the commitment of NAISschools to corerequirements fosters anegalitarian sense ofcommunity amongstudents based on sharedlearning experiences thatoften can take on theaura of rites of passage.Young scholars often

form study groups to prepare for tests,while older students who have masteredthe material provide impromptu help andcounsel. The end result is a context thatfocuses student attention on masteringeach course requirement so that they canmove on to the next academic challenge.

The success of NAIS schools in creatingenvironments where students rise to meethigh expectations and challenges isdemonstrated by the fact that NAISschool students are twice as likely to takealgebra by the eighth grade comparedwith their peers in all schools. Thepercentage of NAIS students who study a foreign language by the eighth grade isalso extremely high by national standards.(See Table H.) Indeed, the percentage of NAIS students who study a foreignlanguage before the eighth grade (85percent) exceeds the national average of students who study a foreign languagebefore graduating from high school (82.6 percent).9

TABLE H: Percent of Students Who StudiedCore Subjects by Eighth Grade

Source: NELS 1988 Survey

8 Arthur G. Powell, Lessons from Privilege: The American Prep School Tradition (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998). 9 NELS 1988 Survey.

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San Francisco University High School (SFUHS) wasestablished in 1973 by a group of parents andcommunity leaders who saw the need for a strong,academically oriented, independent, coeducationalsecondary school in the city. With an enrollment of415 students, SFUHS has built an impressivereputation for excellence in college preparation, butit also stands out for its commitment to servicelearning and for building bridges of opportunity forunderserved San Francisco youth.

Part of SFUHS’s mission is to engage students in aneducation that fosters responsibility and challengeseach individual to live a life of integrity, inquiry, andpurpose larger than the self. The school’s CommunityService Learning (CSL) program reflects this belief.The guiding principles of CSL are to provide servicein the community, to reflect on the personalsignificance of that service, and to understand thepolitical and public policy issues related to thatservice. The four-year developmental curriculumengages 100 percent of the student body in servicelearning: Freshmen participate in service-learningprojects, sophomores take a social issues class, andjuniors and seniors submit action plans and learningcontracts for service-learning projects and then writeabout their experiences. Students work with morethan 50 different nonprofit organizations in the SanFrancisco Bay Area and play instrumental roles in anumber of large-scale community initiatives for social change.

Anisha Desai, director of CSL, writes, “We are aschool in the city and of the city, and we arededicated to creating responsible young adults whowill engage actively with the community aroundthem. Our relationship with organizations and theirclients is a mutually beneficial one — they benefitfrom the humanpower and other resources that our

students and faculty bring, and we benefit immenselyfrom their stories and experiences.”

Recent SFUHS graduate Julia Shalen agrees that CSLrepays the time, energy, and commitment that itrequires. “I personally feel that CSL gives more tostudents than almost anything else at the school,”she says.

SFUHS also reaches out to underserved andacademically under-challenged San Francisco youththrough its Summerbridge Program, which was firstlaunched in 1978. The program is a year-round,tuition-free academic support and enrichmentprogram for Bay Area public and parochial schoolstudents in grades seven through nine. Servingapproximately 100 students each year, Summerbridgeseeks highly motivated students with a compellingneed for the challenges and support that the programoffers.

Applicants to Summerbridge commit to attend twoyears of a six-week summer program and year-roundafter-school tutorials and enrichment classes. Manystudents attend the optional third summer. Theclasses are taught by SFUHS students and otheracademically advanced high school and collegestudents from around the country. The program’sphilosophy of “students teaching students” ensuresthat Summerbridge remains an energetic, exciting,and creative learning community, and 90 percent ofits participants go on to attend a four-year college.

“At Summerbridge, I learned how to appreciate muchmore than the value of my own personal education,”says recent graduate Caleb Jonas. “I learned howimportant it is to provide all students withopportunities for growth, both academically and personally.”

SAN FRANCISCO UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL BUILDS BRIDGES TO THE CITY

“NAIS schools don’t teach aheterogeneous connection ofnonacademic courses,” says A. GrahamDown, former president of the Councilfor Basic Education. “There is a clarity ofmission and a core academic program.Everyone agrees on the purpose — to getstudents into good colleges, to developcharacter and leadership, and to focus onvalues and participation in democracy.”

The core curriculum of independentschools also prevents struggling studentsfrom being tracked into lower-levelcourses, notes Pearl Kane, associateprofessor of education and director of theKlingenstein Center for IndependentSchool Education at Teachers College,Columbia University. “Because NAISschools tend to be small, they don’t trackstudents into particular levels of learning.All students take a core curriculum thatfits with the mission of the school. Ifstudents don’t do well, they can’t takelower-level courses. Instead they get more help.”

A Measurable Commitment toDiversityPerceptions of NAIS schools are oftenshaped by Hollywood myth-making.Movies featuring Robin Williams andKevin Kline as gifted teachers inspiringquiet revolutions at 1950s- or 1970s-eraboarding schools help reinforce the ideathat independent schools are exclusivetraining academies for young white menfrom affluent families. But the reality ofNAIS schools in the 21st century is quitedifferent.

American society has changeddramatically over the past half-century,and NAIS schools have embraced this change.

NAIS schools have expanded their long-standing commitment to providing low-and middle-income students withaffordable access to a quality education,and they have made a measurablecommitment to improving the racial andethnic diversity of their campuses.Whereas minority students in 1993 madeup just 16 percent of NAIS students,students of color now represent 20percent of NAIS school enrollments, a 25percent jump over a 10-year span10 and afigure that is rapidly approaching thenational average for people of color.Indeed, the percentage of students ofcolor at NAIS day-boarding schools (26 percent) and boarding schools (31 percent) already exceeds nationalaverages for racial and ethnic diversity.

NAIS schools see their commitment todiversity as much more than a matter ofsocial equity, however. They recognizethat diverse learning environments areessential to giving all children thepreparation they need for productivecareers in the global workplace of the 21stcentury. And NAIS schools recognize thatstudents from various backgrounds enrichlearning communities by contributingmultiple talents and life perspectives.

12 10 NAIS Statistical Indicators, 2002-2003.

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Many students credit their experience atNAIS schools with providing them withaccess to small, safe communities that offerbig views of the world ahead. To providemore economically disadvantaged studentsand students of color with exceptionalopportunities for personal growth, NAISschools have implemented a broad range ofoutreach programs in their localcommunities.

NAIS recently honored Germantown FriendsSchool (GFS) in Philadelphia, for its effortsto bring more students from the city into itshalls. In 1965, recognizing that academicexcellence and diversity are complementary— and that both are essential parts of theAmerican dream that started in Philadelphia— GFS wanted its student body to reflect thesocial, economic, racial, and religiousdiversity of the city. To move the processforward, GFS created the CommunityScholars Program, an endowment that offersscholarships for four students of color everyyear in grades six through nine.

The GFS Community Scholars Programstrengthens the school’s diversity goals andoffers opportunities to underprivilegedstudents in Philadelphia. The number ofstudents of color who attend GFS has sincerisen from just 5 percent of the student bodyin 1965 to more than 26 percent today. Thisinvestment in the children of Philadelphiahas strengthened GFS’s historic bond to thecity, and the endowment has repaid itsinitial investment many times over byproducing graduates who now enjoysuccessful careers in law, medicine,education, politics, and business and whohonor their alma mater by sending theirown children to the school. The landmarksuccess of the GFS program demonstratesthe long-term rewards of a focusedcommitment to diversity and provides amodel for similar community outreachprograms by NAIS schools across the United States.

AN EXEMPLARY DIVERSITY PROGRAM FOR PHILADELPHIA

An Education for the Whole ChildNAIS schools believe in educating thewhole child. They are deeply committedto preparing every one of their studentswith the essential knowledge and skillsthey need to thrive in future educationalendeavors and to succeed in theworkplace. That’s why they emphasize arigorous curriculum built around corecourses in English, math, natural science,social science, and foreign language.

But NAIS schools also know that youngpeople learn some of life’s most importantlessons outside the four walls of theclassroom. They recognize that anindividual’s growth toward adulthoodcannot be measured by a single test orgraded by a single standard. And one ofthe signature qualities of NAIS schools istheir commitment to providing safe,structured communities that engagestudents in positive social situations andprovide space for personal development.

By participating in weekly school events,group projects, team athletics,extracurricular activities, and communityservice, NAIS school students learn thevalue of cooperation, the importance ofreaching beyond themselves, and thevalue of building relationships withothers. Each of these activities is madepossible by a commitment to smalllearning environments where facultydouble as coaches, advisors, andcounselors.

This context transforms NAIS schoolteachers into mentors and allows them tosee the whole child — not just the

student behind a desk. It gives instructorsinsight into the broader dimensions of anindividual student’s personality andpersonal development. It lets faculty seewhat motivates and excites their studentsto perform well. And it generatesteachable moments across a wide array ofextracurricular settings that reinforcewhat young people learn in class.

A Community of LearnersOne important factor that distinguishesNAIS schools from other K-12 institutionsis a commitment to providing theirstudents with a strong sense ofcommunity beyond the classroom. At NAIS schools, young people areperpetually engaged in a broad range ofin-school, after-school, and weekendactivities geared toward socialengagement and personal development.

These activities can range from lunchesand dinners proctored by faculty who sitat the head of every table, to frequentschool assemblies where school leadersdiscuss school concerns and seniorstudents present oral projects, to artshows, theater groups, student writingprojects, and weekend sporting eventsthat bring the whole school together tocelebrate both individual achievementand the product of group efforts.

The philosophy behind these activities isthat young people learn best by doing,and extracurricular contexts provide themwith opportunities to explore theirtalents, apply what they have learned inclass to structured activities, and grow in

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confidence as they share their work andexperience with their peers and teachers.And because NAIS school teacherssupervise and participate in theseactivities, instructors have importantopportunities outside of class to evaluatestudent progress, see students as socialactors, and understand what really excitesthe young people they serve.

Lessons from the FieldSports play a big role in the culture ofmany schools, but sports participation atNAIS schools is nearly universal, andteam activities are focused on helping allstudents draw lessons from the field.

Many NAIS schools field successful varsityteams that send graduates on to thecollegiate level and professional sports.But just as the core curriculum of NAISschools produces an egalitarian sense ofshared experience, requirements forparticipation in team sports give everystudent new opportunities to learn thevalue of teamwork, fair play, discipline,and persistence. Whereas 23 percent of allcollege-bound seniors at public schoolsdid not play sports during high school,that figure is just 6 percent for NAISschool students.11

NAIS schools emphasize the character-building dimension of sports rather thanidolizing individual talent or touting thefinal score. They give all students achance to play every day by creating non-varsity or intramural teams for studentswith average athletic skills. And coachesfocus on the social developmentdimensions of sport — the importance ofeffective communication, of transcending

individual performance to achieve teamgoals, and of developing healthy bodiesto complement maturing minds.

A Commitment to Community ServiceOne of the benefits of NAIS schools isthat they are coherent communitiesstructured around dedicated teachers,strong academic and extracurricularprograms, and high expectations. This isthe intrinsic value of a small learningenvironment, and it is important toproviding students with a safe setting forgrowth.

But NAIS schools recognize that they arepreparing their students for life in a largerworld, and they value their role in thebroader communities they serve.Recognizing that true preparation forleadership requires hands-on experienceand an appreciation for life’sopportunities and challenges, NAISschools have pioneered dynamic service-learning programs for their students.

Research conducted by NAIS showed that87.5 percent of NAIS schools had activeservice-learning programs, and theseinitiatives had been operating for twodecades on average. An additional 10percent of NAIS schools were planningcommunity-outreach initiatives. Morethan half of all NAIS schools (56 percent)required their students to participate incommunity service as a condition ofgraduation.12 Many NAIS schools operateprograms that meet nationally establishedcriteria for high-quality service-learninginitiatives as defined by the National

1511 Arthur G. Powell, Lessons from Privilege: The American Prep School Tradition (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998), pp. 25-26. 12 NAIS, Community Service & Service Learning Initiatives in Independent Schools, 1998.

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Commission on Service Learning. Theseinclude programs that offer opportunitiesfor integrated learning where students canapply the knowledge and values they arelearning in class to real-life situations; anemphasis on service that meets real needsin local communities; and considerationof student voices in shaping,coordinating, and evaluating service-learning experiences.13

The emphasis that NAIS schools place onengaging students with surroundingcommunities reinforces the lessons thatyoung people learn in class. This focus oneducating children in the true values ofcitizenship may help account for the highlevels of civic engagement that NAISgraduates demonstrated on the NELS2000 follow-up assessment.

The multidimensional aspects of whole-child learning thus provide a vital contextfor helping NAIS school students buildcitizenship and leadership. Notes RonaldWolk, founding editor and publisher ofEducation Week and Teacher Magazine,“Preparing leaders for society is one of thegreatest contributions of privateindependent schools. They are successfulin doing this because they go beyondacademics to address the development ofthe whole person.”

Wolk says NAIS schools can do thisbecause “faculty get to know studentswell and bond with them. When asked

what they value most about theireducational experience, students put‘relationships’ high on the list —relationships with faculty and with otherstudents. And because they tend to besmall, NAIS schools are effective atforming human communities and lastingrelationships.”

13 NAIS, Community Service & Service Learning Initiatives in Independent Schools (1998).

NELS MethodologyConducted by the National Center for Education Statistics with

funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the National

Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) 1988 base-year survey was a

clustered, stratified national probability sample of public and private

eighth-grade students that included a statistically significant sample of

students drawn from NAIS schools. Almost 25,000 students across the

United States participated in the original survey. Questionnaires and

cognitive tests were administered to each student in the sample,

covering school experiences, activities, attitudes, plans, selected

background characteristics, and language proficiency. Four follow-up

surveys were conducted in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 2000.

The fourth follow-up to NELS included interviews with 12,144

members of the original 1988 cohort, 12 years after the base-year data

collection, to generate a statistically significant sample. Computer-

assisted telephone interviews and computer-assisted personal

interviews were used to collect the follow-up data, and interview topics

included experiences with postsecondary education, labor market

outcomes, job-related training, community integration, and marriage

and family information. The fourth follow-up study also collected

transcripts from the postsecondary institutions that study respondents

reported attending after high school.

Source: NCES, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. Base-Year to Fourth Follow-Up Data File Users Manual (2002).

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America’s Independent Schools: Learning, Leading, Achieving.