by NYC Private Schools on May 27, 2009
Much ado is made of the student to teacher ratios of NYC Private Schools, and the obvious benefits of a smaller class size and individualized learning plans. For many advocates of a highly specialized educational experience, the push is towards not only a smaller student teacher ratio in class size, but a smaller student body size as a whole. Many people feel that a smaller school can offer it’s students more.
Educational professionals learned a long time ago that smaller is better when it comes to a learning environment, with an obvious threshold that threatens social needs coming in. (A student teacher ratio of 1:1 is great for a personalized learning plan, however it makes it a little difficult to adjust to living and working in a larger society where, quite simply, it isn’t all about you.) . Most prep schools have a student population of about 300-400 students and can offer smaller classes, but you will find examples of larger private schools with extensive campuses and facilities that look more like a college campus then a Private School for children. A larger school doesn’t necessarily mean a larger student to teacher ratio, as a larger school need only hire more teachers to compensate for numbers.
Detractions to Size
With the push going for smaller school size, though, comes the tough choice of sacrificing the school‘s ability to compete successfully in sporting and group events. With so few students, there may not be enough interested in a Debate Club or a Lacrosse Team, and so those types of activities may not be offered at all.
Size does matter in NYC Private Schools, but it is the relativity of size to needs that matters most.
by NYC Private Schools on April 2, 2009
Private Schools and Public Schools alike usually have their student-teacher ratio numbers readily available through a number of sources. These sources can include school websites, brochures, applications and informational packets. Many schools also have a student-teacher ratio published on school review websites. The student-teacher ratio is a simple little item, just two numbers separated by a colon. It seems impossible to misinterpret such a small thing, but indeed it is a statistic that can be skewed in many ways.
Student Teacher Ratio and Full Time vs. Part Time
Most schools will only publish the ratio as it relates to the number of students per full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher. That is to say that if a school as 4 part time teachers, they would report that as the number of students to “1” teacher. The student-teacher ratio at this school would be calculated based upon one teacher instead of four because four teachers at 25% is equal to one full-time teacher. This kind of reporting can make the student-teacher ratio appear higher than it really is at that small school.
Student-Teacher Ratio and Class Size
When discussing student-teacher ratios, it is also wise to keep in mind that a low student-teacher ratio is not the same as a small class size. At schools which have many additional specialized, smaller classes taught by experts in that particular field, this can lower the overall student-teacher ratio even though the general class size is much larger.
If you find that your child’s school, or a school that your child is interested in, has an unusually large or small student-teacher ratio, take a moment to ask how that ratio was determined. And don’t forget to ask about regular class size, as this is not the same thing as a student-teacher ratio and may give you a better idea of what classes are like.
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