Educational Psychology Review

NEW STUDY FINDS PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE AT BOOSTING KEY CIVIC OUTCOMES

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Civic, Knowledge, Education, University, Citizenship, Social, Private, Educational Psychology Review, Parent, Research, Policy, Center for Open Science, UNESCO, Meta-analysis, Democracy, Student, Social capital, University of Arkansas, Education policy, Ageing

NEW YORK, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Private schools are linked to more positive civic outcomes for students and parents than public schools, according to a peer-reviewed statistical meta-analysis published today in Educational Psychology Review by authors from the University of Buckingham and University of Arkansas. The research, which combines, audits, and analyzes all available empirical studies of the effects of public and private schools on various civic outcomes, found that private schooling is associated with an advantage of 5.5 percent of a standard deviation, or roughly two percentile points, over public schooling in various measures of civic outcomes.

Key Points: 
  • "Since public schools were often established specifically to prepare children for citizenship, one might assume that they're superior to private schools at that function.
  • The study, titled "The Public Purposes of Private Education: a Civic Outcomes Meta‑Analysis," found that religious private schools had a greater effect than secular private schools relative to public schools, equivalent to 7.6 percent of a standard deviation.
  • "Educational pluralism, advanced by effective school choice policies, seems to be a boon, and not a bane, for civic outcomes."
  • For now, a wealth of evidence indicates that private schools do at least as well, and likely better, at forming democratic citizens.

First comprehensive analysis finds broad gains in U.S. student test scores over last five decades

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
Intelligence, Hoover Institution, GLOBE, Educational Psychology Review, Growth, Brain, Programme for International Student Assessment (2000 to 2012), Stanford University, Learning, Progress, 2009 Davis Cup, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Life, University of Buckingham, Reading, PIRLS, Harvard Kennedy School, LTT, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, Student, SES, Policy, Hoover, Education policy, Neuroscience, University, Harvard University, TIMSS, Education, Management, Tutoring, Medicine, Program

Clear progress for U.S. students over 50 years of testing in both subjects, but steeper gains in math than reading.

Key Points: 
  • Clear progress for U.S. students over 50 years of testing in both subjects, but steeper gains in math than reading.
  • In reading, the gains are only 4 percent of a standard deviation, just short of about one year of additional reading over the entire period.
  • The differences shrink in middle school and by high school, the highest socioeconomic group makes larger gains.
  • In particular, improved conditions for brain development may benefit student abilities to analyze abstract relationships crucial for math achievement.