NonPublic Schools: Part II--Evaluating Mission, Values and Goodness of Fit

The School's Beliefs, Values, Philosophy, Mission,  and Atmosphere

Many public schools have mission statements. Every private school should have stated purposes and a philosophy unique to that school. When considering a private school, parents are encouraged to ask to see the school's statement of purpose and philosophy to determine if the stated direction of the school is suitable to the needs of their child.

Some independent school leaders are advocating a hierarchy of statements.  The Independent Schools Association of the Central States has the following monograph: www.isacs.org/resources/monographs/library
.asp?id=66&category=4&action=show
 

Independent school mission statements vary widely, as one would expect given the varied nature of our schools. Part of the variance, however, is attributable to a general blurring of the disparate concepts of mission, philosophy, purpose, goals and objectives and the fact that these concepts seem to have little uniform meaning from one school to the next.

Recent practice indicates that schools are now developing a hierarchy of statements, including the following components:

• A mission statement/statement of purpose, addressing succinctly the questions of why the school exists and whom it should serve. (Who is responsible for crafting this: The Board of Trustees, whatever it is called in that school's organization.)
 

• A philosophy statement, or statement of creed, addressing the overreaching principles upon which the school operates, including (but not restricted to) methodology/pedagogy, school structure, climate, curricular emphasis. Often the philosophy/creed affirms underlying principles of the school and its pedagogy: "This we believe...." (Who is responsible for crafting this: developed in collaboration between the Board of Directors and the administration and faculty of the school)
 

• A goals statement, addressing the principal outcomes one should expect from the experience of the school. (Who is responsible for crafting this: developed in collaboration between the Board of Directors and the administration and faculty of the school)


• Objectives (Division/Departmental/Gr ade Level/Teacher & Course --this may also be called "Scope and Sequence" or "Curriculum Map". It may appear in a separate curriculum guide. (Who is responsible for crafting this: developed in collaboration between the administration and faculty of the school )

  Not all schools, even not all good schools, will have such a hierarchy of statements.  But it doesn't hurt to ask.

Mission Statement and Goodness of Fit

If your child has a learning disability, ADHD, or is on the autism spectrum, you need to pay particularly close attention to the school's mission and philosopy.  There's a well-respected LD school near me, for children in grades 1-8:

YYYYY School serves students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, by providing an appropriate educational experience which enables the students to acquire language skills, while instilling a joy of learning, enhancing self-worth, and allowing each student the right to identify, understand and fulfill personal potential.
 
[snip]
 
Length of stay for students: The goal is to have students transition to a traditional public or private school after two to four years at YYYY School.

There's another good school near me that does not specialize in LDs, but does admit students with LDs/ADHD and has graduated students with high-functioning autism: 

XXXX School is an independent, K-8 school that offers a broad hands-on curriculum. It fosters high academic achievement and emphasizes balanced growth - intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially - for every student. Within a diverse and highly supportive community, XXXX School is committed to maintaining a caring and creative environment that encourages children to love learning, to take intellectual risks, and to treat others with respect and empathy.

Which would be a better fit for your child with learning challenges? You can't tell from the mission statemets.  You would need to dig deeper.

  What questions would you want to ask of XXXX School, if you are considering that school for your child?

The questions you might ask will vary depending on the grade level your child is entering, and what you know about your child's learning profile.

• Does the school have a statement valuing diversity?


• Is there any mention of differing learning styles, or differentiated teaching?


• (For k-5 schools) How does the school respond to children who struggle with reading?


• (For k-5 schools) Does is the reading instruction have a multi-sensory aspect?


• Does the school have parent education meetingss?  Do any of the focus on learning differences?


• Does the school participate in Dr. Mel Levine's Schools Attuned program?

The next issue is atmosphere.  Two schools can have identical mission statements, and two very different "feels".  It is very hard to quantify.

All children make mistakes in learning and behavior.  Without mistakes, a person cannot learn.   

•   What are the expectations for student conduct?


•   What are the steps taken when a student fails to meet the criteria for student conduct?


• What supports are in place for a student who is experiencing behavioral difficulties?


• Is the disciplinary process more punitive, or more designed to increase the student's self-knowledge and self-control?

You might also ask if the school has:

• A conflict resolution curriculum


• "Self-science" or character education curriculum

  You can also talk to parents of currently enrolled students to get a sense of the school's atmosphere.