草榴社区

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SSAT and ISEE
Most private schools use standardized tests as part of their admissions process. The SSAT and ISEE are the common tests you will encounter at independent schools.

Standardized testing is part of most private schools' admissions requirements. There are several reasons why schools use standardized admissions tests. The first reason is that they level the admissions playing field. Every candidate for admission must take the same admissions test. Fairness is the name of the game. The second reason is that schools want to be able to assess candidates' proficiency in core academic subjects. In other words, can the candidate who wants to come to my school do the work we do at our school?

The two most commonly used independent school tests are the or Secondary School Admission Test and the or Independent School Entrance Examination.

About the SSAT

From the : "The SSAT is the required admission test at many of the best independent schools in the world. This test is one important step on the path to an independent school education. Your SSAT score is one part of your complete application to an independent school, and while it is important, it is not the only criteria for admission. The SSAT is designed for students in grades 3 through PG and is administered on three levels (Elementary, Middle, and Upper)."

The SSAT is probably unlike any test your student has ever taken. That鈥檚 because it鈥檚 designed to find the best students in a large pool of excellent students. The SSAT鈥檚 questions are significantly different鈥攊n their difficulty and their content鈥攆rom questions on other standardized

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What Do Teachers Earn?

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What Do Teachers Earn?
What do teachers earn? Teachers' salaries vary from state to state, indeed, from school to school.

What does a teacher earn? "Not nearly enough" is the almost universal answer. Scan a site like and check out competing jobs. You will see that the problem with teaching is that we demand highly qualified, well-credentialed individuals with experience to take jobs for which we literally pay them less than a dog catcher.

The cynics will say that teachers are well-compensated for what they do. After all, they get all those holidays. And they only work for ten months anyway. The reality is that teachers invest inordinate amounts of time preparing lesson plans, learning new techniques, keeping certifications current and so on. And then there is the cost of that bachelor's degree, the masters and doctorate. Let's face it, the ROI is job satisfaction, not financial reward.

This video discuss the effect teacher compensation has on teacher quality.

草榴社区 school teachers are more fortunate than most public school teachers. Why? Because they get to teach their subject to small classes. Real learning takes place in most private school classrooms as a result of low student to teacher ratios. Discipline is rarely a problem. What does this have to do with teacher compensation? Combine job satisfaction with a reasonable compensation package and you will have a happy teacher.

草榴社区 school teachers enjoy many perks which are not generally found in the public sector. These include free or reduced tuition for faculty children,

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What Is IB?

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What Is IB?
What is IB? IB or International Baccalaureate is a curriculum offered by the International Baccalaureate organization based in Switzerland.

In What is AP?, we looked at the organization that has created one of the world's most popular college prep programs. This companion article will look at the other college preparatory program known as IB. The organization behind the IB program, the , was founded in 1968. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IB Organization serves over 1.3 million students in 147 countries.

What is the IB?

Most people think of the IB or International Baccalaureate as the organization which sponsors the highly-regarded college preparatory IB Diploma Programme. Indeed the IB Diploma is where it all started. The IB Diploma is the college preparatory component of a curriculum that begins early childhood and ends with pre-college and pre-career programs.

The International Baccalaureate Organization has grown into four programs: Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma, and IB Career-related Programmes. This, then, is one of the major differences with Advanced Placement. Practically speaking, Advanced Placement encompasses only the college preparatory years in the academic continuum, although it now offers a Pre-AP designed to encourage students. The IB Organization offers programs that begin with 3-year-olds and end with college preparatory and career-related diplomas.

The IB Diploma Programme

Since you are interested in finding out the similarities and differences between the two top college prep academic programs, let's look under the hood of the IB Diploma Programme and find out what's involved. Essentially the

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Will The School Give Me A Refund If My Child Withdraws Early?

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Will The School Give Me A Refund If My Child Withdraws Early?
What happens if my child suddenly takes sick before the end of the school year? What if he is expelled? Answers here.

Will The School Give Me A Refund If My Child Withdraws Early?

You have just paid $45,000 for a year's tuition and fees at St. Sedgewick's.

  • You are all set, right? Not exactly.
  • What happens if your child suddenly becomes sick before the end of the school year?
  • What if circumstances beyond your control force you to withdraw her from school in March?
  • What if he is expelled? In brief, you are obligated to pay the entire year's tuition and fees regardless of whether your child completes the year or not.

What Are My Options?

The only remedy you have is to sign up for the school's refund plan.

  • It typically acts like insurance in the event that your child withdraws before the end of the year.
  • The insurance plan will pay for the unused/remaining portion of your child's time at the school.
  • You contracted to pay for an entire year when you signed the contract with the school at the time she was accepted.

You do not want to be out of pocket. Neither does the school.

  • This is why tuition refund insurance is an important part of your planning for a private school education.
  • Tuition refund policies are in place at every private school, regardless of whether it is day or boarding, large or small, elementary/nursery school, or high school.

St. Mary's School in Raleigh, North Carolina, has a policy that is the sort of

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The Value of a 草榴社区 School Education

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The Value of a 草榴社区 School Education
Why pay $30,000, $40,000 or more for something which public education gives you for free? Here are five reasons why you would do so.

A private school education is not cheap. It is a substantial financial sacrifice for many families. So why do parents willingly pay $30,000, $40,000 or more for something which public education provides free? Here are five reasons why you would do so.

1. Public education is not free.

We often forget that public schools are not free. You and I pay for public schools directly and indirectly through our property and other taxes. Public school facilities and properties are not taxable. As a result, they reduce the tax rolls of the municipality in which they are located. Attend a budget hearing for your local school district. Examine the financial statements. Then you will understand how and where your tax dollars are spent.

What kind of education are your public schools providing? Do the public schools offer the depth and breadth of academic programs you want and need for your child? What about sports programs and extracurricular activities? Have these been cut or substantially reduced because of budget cuts? Peter Green spells out what budget cuts can do to an arts program in his article . It is pretty much the same story with any program which is deemed an extra in public education.

草榴社区 education is an investment in your child's future. You educate your child privately because you want something better for your child. 草榴社区 schools do not cut sports, arts and extracurricular funding as a rule.

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