School - Dyer,IN

Illinois Board of Ed has report cards online for the schools in Illinois. The down side is that the teachers in private schools don't always have to have a degree in education. Ask the schools.

It depends what school district you are in. There are some public school districts that are very good and some are not. I went to private (Lutheran) school from grade 4-10 because we didn't live in a very good school district. I did get a very good education and found a big difference when I went to the public for grades 11 & 12 due to parent's divorce. We now live in a very good public school district and my daughter goes to public school and is also getting a very good education. If you live in a district that is known to have good schools and education, then I would say go for public. If the district is not know for being a good one, then definitely go for private. Hope this helps!

My children have both been to public and private schools. For my experience, I have found that public schools are better than private. In private schools, the teachers are not certified teachers and usually don't have the best college education. Public school teachers have certifications plus they are specialized in some subjects. The public schools are less expensive and have less students in the class room. I rather pay more for a better college than a private school where public schools have more to offer.

It really depends on your school system - though I now live in the Indianapolis area, I grew up outside of Washington, D.C. and attended one of the nation's highest rated public school systems.

Here's what I found on your local school system:
http://www.greatschools.org/indiana/dyer/931-George-Bibic...

All I did was to Google "Dyer Indiana School System Score" - you should easily be able to modify the search to be able to find information on SAT scores, ISTEP scores, etc.

Locally, we have phenomenal public schools - but, go 7 miles into Indianapolis, and it's a different story.

My husband only attended private, Christian schools. I only attended public schools. We're going to enroll our kids in public to see how it goes (we still have a few years) - in the end, it's our job as parents to make sure they're keeping-up and doing well.

Good luck making your decision.

Something to consider...
Your child will be able to get a terrible teacher in the best school or the best teacher in the worst schools. It really all depends on the teacher. Before you spend $$$$ on private schools, ask other moms about the teachers in your area. Find the best one and request her! Many schools allow you to request teachers. Also, keep in mind private school teachers do not have to have a teaching certificate(at least in the state of Illinois). Be sure to ask if your teacher in the private school is state certified. If your child has any disabilities or needs any kind of special service like speech or any gifted education, chances are, the private school won't have it and will send your child to public school to get these services. Public schools have a lot of resources that private schools don't have the finding for. On the other hand, there are some terrible public schools I would not step foot in!!! You can go online and check out your schools "report card" and look at test scores. There is usually a link on your school districts website. Good Luck.

there won't be facts on this, because it depends on WHICH public school (not district, but individual school) and WHICH private school (again particular school).
You can find those on the web, type in the school name and city/state. If that doesn't give you enough you can call each school to get info on class size (although studies have proven this has NO bearing on academic success in grades 2 and up), test scores, non academics offered (gym, music, art, etc.).
You can look up some schools on Greatschools.org but it is VERY biased as it is anonymous reporting.
Personally I think you are cheating your family by going private. It costs a LOT of money, money you could be using to buy things your family needs, save for college or suplement their lives in an educational way.

If you spend $3000 a year on tuition (cheap for private) that is a LOT of private tutoring you could do if the public school isn't meeting needs. That is a lot of museum trips, a lot of books you could buy, a lot of science kits you can buy.

You are already paying for a school, use it. Make it the best there is by getting involved and knowing what is going on in your child's life.

The studies you will find are that parent involvement means more then anything else. Parenting matters more then where you plop the kid for hours a day.
But I did google private vs public... did not read any of these cause I believe the money statement above is reality you must use.
http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/5
http://privateschool.about.com/cs/employment/a/teachingco...
(one of those is from a private school magazine, the other from a public school magazine, wonder which recommends which? LOL)
http://www.kimberlyswygert.com/archives/002835.html - interesting !!
Students do better in private schools, according to common wisdom -- and some well-regarded data now more than two decades old. But a recent study of standardized math scores in more than 1,300 public and private schools says the opposite may be true, according to Sarah and Christopher Lubienski, education professors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Public school students from similar social and economic backgrounds tested higher in a national math achievement test than their peers in private schools, the Lubienskis say in an article to be published in the May issue of Phi Delta Kappan, an influential education journal. They also are presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), being held April 11-15 in Montreal.

I think you need to look at individual schools not a general argument, public vs private. Also what kind of private are you considering? Catholic schools or Waldorf/ Montessori type schools? What is your philosophy about what you are trying to create for your child? My child went to a great public school in Chicago that was a fine arts Magnet school. I feel he was much better prepared for high school then my friends who send their kids to Waldorf school which is expensive, but they got much better individual attention. I have another friend who is unhappy with her Catholic school. You need to know what you want from an education for your daughter and what the schools in your area have to offer. (and you may need to go out of your area as I did). Do you want your child to go somewhere that has diversity? Some people assume that private is better but I don't think that is true. Statistics are only part of the picture.

In our area the public school test scores in elementary are ok - but the high schools are excellent so it all depends on the area you live in. You will probably need to research the schools specific to your area, meet the teachers with your daughter and see how she interacts with them.
It is not only the schools but the teachers...we had our son in (what we thought a good) Lutheran school and he was treated as problematic and put in a corner basically.
Come to find out he was trying to get more stimulation. He ended up skipping kindergarten to go into first grade at a Montessori school. We love it. The fit for him is great and he is soaring.

You won't find a cut and dry answer for your question. There are WAY too many other factors.

Unless you live in a terrible district, public school is usually fine, especially for the younger grades.

The biggest impact on your child's education will be you. Your involvement level and how much you support and encourage your child at home about her education will have the biggest effect on whether or not she flourishes in school.

It is hard to compare apples to apples. The private schools generally have such a different socio economic group that comparing test scores or graduation rates etc is not really meaningful regarding how the school is actually doing compared to most public schools. However, you may want to consider that it will likely benefit your child to be around many children who are on track to go to college and whose education is supported and they are oriented to thinking education is a good thing and interesting etc. Alfie Kohn has a very good book on what to look for in a school. Rather than thinking of it as private versus public, I would look for a school whose philosophy matches your own and whose environment will nurture your child. Good luck.

I don't think there are any general statistics or facts that supports the idea of one over the other. I really just comes down to the individual school public or private and your kid's personality.

I think it really depends on what the public schools are like in your area and what the private schools are like. A private school is not automatically better than all public schools. There are some private schools that aren't really that good and some public ones that are phenomenal.

Generally, private schools tend to have smaller classes so teachers have more time for one on one attention. Students usually have to meet certain requirements for admission so all the students in a class are at about the level academically and can move at the same pace.

Public schools are usually larger but often there are special programs or classes students can take (AP classes, gifted programs, etc) to enhance their experience in public school. Also, look for a magnet school if they have them in your area.

Check your school and your school district. Usually each district has somewhere on it to check how they are doing. Also, many public school districts are losing major money for the state this next year. Who knows how that will affect the classrooms. The one things that I do know, is that typically private schools education typically run and academic program as well as the public schools. A big benefit, in the early years, is the smaller class sizes. You should probably look into your specific school, and the private schools around your area.

I think it all depends on what school district you are in and what you are looking for as far as class size and things like that. There are a lot of schools that will be losing funding in the next year. You have a whole year to start looking into it. You can find the schools report card online. It tells info about class sizes, average test scores, etc. I would also contact the school and ask about discipline policies and go in and meet the principal. Get a feel for if he or she stands by her policies. We started in public school and then moved to private. It was mainly due to discipline issues of a couple of kids that the school wouldn't do anything about. But now that she is there, I realize the difference in education also.
Good luck with your decision and really take time to investigate the public school system your in now.

The best thing to do is get on the internet and start looking around. If you want facts, that will be the place to find them.
My opinion, if you can afford a private school it will probably have less students per child and more attention to basics.
Good Luck

I work in a private school. Private schools are set up for different reasons. For instance, in this area, there are private school that are specifically set up for kids with learning disabilities. There are ones for kids with emotional and behavioral issues, and ones for the absolute geniuses. Probably most are for the average to above average child.

I would suggest researching the ones in your area, and the public schools in your area. Ask about classroom size, see if there is a state measurement for the public schools (how well they do on standardized tests), even visit the public school.

The biggest draw in a private school is that the teachers aren't teaching such a wide range - from the severely learning disabled to emotional and behavioral problems and trying to accomodate the advanced at the same time. Generally the classroom sizes are smaller. Private schools have a little more control over discipline, so of course you do have some problems, but not to the extent of public schools. Rarely do you have gang problems. I'm speaking in generalities, of course. Your area may be entirely different. Please don't be offended if I'm completely wrong. I can really only speak for the fort worth area schools. But I encourage you to research, research, research!

As some have said it really depends on where you live. Unfortunately, one of the sites recommended is a subjective site (Great schools) as it really gives general info such as demographics, population, etc. and relies on parental 'reviews' so depending on what a particular parent's experience has been it can skew the results.

Check out http://iirc.niu.edu. This site gives test results based on the spring test that are given to all students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 (high school) for the entire state of Illinois (public schools). You can compare schools in a particular district to those in another. Thing is in Illinois you are sent to a school based on where you live. So unless you are prepared to move, you may not have a choice.

Unfortunately there is no similar website for private or parochial schools, so you have to rely on school visits, talking with other parents, etc. to determine if your child will do well to go there and if it's worth the extra money.

As another person stated...parental involvement (that means you) is a huge factor in how well your child will do. Be involved in school, with your child at home, have her see you reading, check her homework, etc. Even the worst schools have excellent students who go on to do great things.

Yikes, I just noticed that you are in Indiana so this website won't work for you. Hopefully this will help other parents in Illinois...good luck to you.

I know you're looking for facts only but the kinds of "facts" you're looking for really don't exist. Each school is different. There are better public schools and better private schools. In your community, the private might be better; in another community the public might be better. You have to research, visit, and analyze each school on it's own merits. And the "facts" or statistics do not tell the whole story anyway. Different kids do better in different school settings, each school has different things to offer from extracurricular activities, and every school has teachers who are better and worse. The Illinois report card is for public schools only so you can look there for some information. Another good resource is greatschools.org. Good luck.

A teacher friend of mine suggested I research the public and private elementary schools in my area utilizing this web site: http://www.schooldigger.com/. We ended up going with a private Catholic school because the elementary school in our area got poor reviews (poor test scores, higher teacher/student ratio than we would have liked) but every district is different and every school is different. All public school teachers are certified, for example, whereas some aren't in private schools. That is something to ask about too. Definitely research the schools in your area and visit them (interview teachers, parents and principal). We're looking to move in 2-3 years so for now, our daughter will go to private school. Good luck!

Hello Heidi,

I asked this same question last year, for my son. He is in private school and he likes it alot. I really like his teacher too. The public school my son should of gone to, didn't have the best reputation for a lot of things. my son is getting a better education in his school now. there is a lot to consider, good luck

go to greatschools.net.
It's a fantatic site!

It all depends which area you are in and what type of private school you are looking at. It can all be very overwhelming! If you are interested in your local public schools you can go to the Illinois State Board of Education website and look up test scores. Test scores should not be the only factor, but it gives you a good gauge. If you look at private make sure they are accredited and also look at class size. You may think private has lower class size, but that is not always the case. Hope that helps a little :) Good Luck!

no one can answer that without knowing what school district you live in.

I think you have to consider individual schools. You can't generalize public vs. private. Most schools should have open houses so I would recommend you make a list of what qualities are most important to you and start exploring. My son is in public school because we couldn't afford private and so far I have been pleased. He has gym, art, and computer class weekly and he is only in kindergarten. They also have weekly library time. If these are the types of thing you're concerned about find out which schools in your area are offering a curriculum that is well rounded. I keep hearing of layoffs in area schools so consider staffing as well. What are class sizes? Are there teacher's aids? What type of clubs and after school activities are offered? If before/after care is needed for your child you should consider that as well. If you want her in full day kindergarten not all schools may offer that. Hope this helps a little bit - good luck.

Heidi, if you don't mind that I add on another question to your original submission: Is there a place where you can get private (Catholic) school's test scores? I've searched all over for the Archdiocese of Chicago scores, to compare to public school in the Chicago suburbs, and cannot find anything.

With the way the economy is going, private might be better. The reports are that public schools will have larger class sizes because of all of the cuts. Private schools tend to have smaller class sizes because people are paying. Both depending on where you look could potentially have programs that would benefit both you and your family. Private schools offer after school activities upfront, where with the public school, you sometimes won't know what your options are year to year because of budget constraints.My husband and I have decided to go with the Catholic schools. Simply because we like the religion piece and we both attended Catholic elementary schools and had great experiences. High school, we will go public. I hope that helped some. Maybe you should visit a couple of the schools via the web and maybe even a walk in to see where you feel most comfortable. You will know when you have found the right school, just by being there. That is how I knew which school was for us.Good luck!

Check them out, on basis of how many kids in the class, what are the statisics of the school. My kids started in public, then went to private, then for high school went back to public.

It depends on your school district. Many districts or sometimes on the state level will publish standardized test results and graduation rates for schools on their website. Even within a district the differences can be astonishing.

Take our situation: Where we currently live we would not send our child to public schools. The middle and high schools in our assignment area have terrible test scores and the graduation rate at the high school is about 48%. I also work at a community college in our assignment area, and even those student who do graduate, mostly require remedial math and English classes before they are ready for college coursework.

Now if we lived in the more affluent North End of the city, I would have no problem sending my daughter to public school. Most test scores are at grade level and graduation rates meet or beat the national average...

If we can afford it, we will move before my daughter enrolls - I mean it's sad and unfair, but it all does come down to MONEY! For us that means we would have to pay more for our mortgage if we buy a house up north, but if we stay here, we will spend that money on private school...

One of the pro's for private school, no matter where you are is though, that you do get to choose a school with a certain philosophy or religious affiliation, if that is important to you.

Good luck!

If I were to do it all over again I would definetly go private.
No.1 - Private gives them a more one on one basis. If they are having a problem with there work the classrooms' aren't as big and the teacher has more quality time. If there are problems as in learning they are caught much more quickly and you are made aware of this. Their teaching materials as well I feel are more advanced because again the teacher has more time and more monies going into the private sector.
No.2 Public schools I'm not saying are not okay, I am definetly not being biased here. However I find that the classrooms are overly populated. The teacher doesn't have to one on one time with the students. If a child has a problem that problem continues' with them until possibly 2 grades ahead and then they say "your child is having a problem" you definetly don't want to hear this to late. They still have the same comaradie as the private schools', they have EA (Educational Assistants) but again because of class size its hard to get to all of the pupils.
My children did fine in the Public Sector, they had no issues' with homework or classroom work at all, I was lucky that way, however my grandson now is having alot of problems and every time my daughter speaks with the teacher/principal they let on they know nothing about his illness. He is to have an E.A. because he does have ADD and Asbergers'. When he gets into trouble (being left unattended) they wonder why. If they took the time out to read his Pediatricians' letters' that were sent when he first started school as well as his meds' hes' on they would be on track. My daughter as well as the Pediatrician are getting quite tired of them saying we didn't know. Its' been 3yrs. since he was to have a Board Phyciatrist come in and do an evaluation. My daughter is still waiting. I think in a Private Sector this would have been taken care of at the time they got the first letter from the Pediatrician and my grandson wouldn't feel like he is being picked on because of his illness. They already have in red flagged in the school because of issues' he's had so this will carry with him right through to the end of his schooling. I feel this is so very unfair.