The Value of an Independent High School

At Waterford, you will be known. Teachers personally know their students and provide individualized instruction. No matter what your passion, you will find a faculty member who is willing and ready to help you achieve your dreams.

High school is often a time adolescents want to disappear into a crowd, to be seen as just the same as all their peers, and to dismiss adults as out of touch. These issues are often magnified in large public schools that lack the financial resources and teaching faculty to address individual student needs. At independent high schools, students receive more personalized attention from teachers as a result of smaller class sizes. The average class size in public high schools is 24.2, whereas the average class size in private secondary schools is 10.8 (National Center for Education Statistics)

Small class sizes prevent students from slipping through the cracks; students are seen and known by teachers they respect and trust. Small classroom settings provide independent school teachers with the time and resources needed to assess the academic progress of each of their students on a daily basis. Teachers are able to provide differentiated instruction by identifying and supporting students who may struggle academically as well as extend and advance the material for students who may be ready to take on more rigorous coursework in a particular subject. This environment also gives teachers more time to dedicate to quality assignment feedback and detailed report cards so students and parents are fully informed of student progress and class expectations.

NAIS schools understand that students have multiple intelligences and different styles of learning that require close engagement at an individual level, and small classrooms provide every student with opportunities to set and accomplish big academic goals.

Study done by National Center for Education StatisticsValues Added: The Lifelong Retuns of an Independent School Education

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Small class sizes encourage students to develop meaningful relationships with their teachers. Research shows that small classrooms create more opportunities for direct student-teacher interaction (Public School Review). Through these interactions, teachers come to know each student individually and work to maximize their capacities through personalized instruction. The positive effect of small class sizes on student-teacher interactions is even more pronounced in independent school settings. In a study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), more independent school seniors reported asking teachers for advice after class and talking with their teachers outside of class compared to their public school graduate peers.

Waterford’s small class sizes allow for teachers to notice subtle and important details about every student. At Waterford, your child will be seen and known by teachers they will respect and trust. Waterford teachers make a daily practice of supporting individuals’ needs, and lighting the kind of intellectual fires that take students far beyondwhat they thought they could achieve. 

Waterford offers a unique structure in the Upper School. Every class has a Class Dean who has responsibility for tracking and supporting the academic progress of each member of their class. Class Deans work closely with the School Dean to coordinate strategy in supporting students. The School Dean, and the team of Class Deans, meet weekly to discuss individual students, and to plan efforts to solve problems and to have a positive influence on student life. Additionally, as a support and guide through the Upper School years, an Advisor is assigned to each student in Upper School. Seven to ten students meet regularly with the Advisor. The Advisor’s role is one of counselor for the student. The Advisor is involved in tracking the overall progress of the student, guiding him/her through the planning and process of registration, and distributing Term grades. The Advisor Group represents a small and informal community of support for each student.

In Waterford’s Upper School, students reap the benefits and value of a liberal arts education as they move into advanced courses in English, history, math, science, world language, physical education, and fine arts – including a wide selection of 17 AP courses. Every course, regardless of subject, is infused with passion, clarity, insight, and critical thinking. The classroom experience is defined by the hallmarks of excellent teaching: effective classroom decorum, a well-rounded curriculum, clear expectations, thorough preparation, careful evaluation, and meaningful dialogue with students. These elements come together to create a unified and fulfilling educational experience that expands intellectual boundaries, creates good habits, builds confidence, and—ultimately—prepares students for college and for life.

Independent high school students are motivated to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Higher learning is deeply valued at independent schools, and most independent school graduates will matriculate to a four-year college or university. According to a report released in 2014 by the National Center for Education Statistics, tenth graders in private high schools in 2002 were nearly twice as likely as their public school counterparts to receive a bachelor’s degree or higher by 2012 (CAPE).

An independent high school is uniquely able to offer its students personalized college counseling. Many public high school counselors are overwhelmed by huge caseloads and lack sufficient time to address the college-specific needs of their students. A recent survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling revealed that, on average, public school counselors spent 22 percent of their time on post secondary counseling in 2014, while their private school counterparts spent 55 percent of their time on college counseling. The American School Counselor Association recommends a student-to-student counselor ratio of 250:1. According to the most recent data, the national average is  491:1, with only three states meeting that recommendation.

When it comes time to apply to college, students who are insufficiently counseled can easily stumble into making poor decisions…They might “undermatch,” for example, by applying just to nearby schools they have heard of, rather than to the best institution they are qualified to attend. They might not fully understand the financial aid process, and skip over schools with high ticket prices, even if they are eligible for a free ride.

Little College Guidance:500 High School Students Per Counselor, NY Times

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Independent schools are invested in educating the whole child. Independent schools believe a rich educational experience is the product of a rigorous core curriculum interwoven with the fine arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, and social development. Students are allowed and expected to find new interests and deeply explore their passions within a broad, liberal arts program.

It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough—it’stechnology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.

Steve Jobs,on releasing the iPad

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High school students spend a large portion of their days at school, interacting with peers,teachers, coaches, and other adults. School culture largely influences the nature of theseinteractions — a school’s values shape the relationships within its community and have thepower to positively impact students’ character development (School Culture and the Moral Development of Children). 

Character education needs to be relevant. It needs to be woven into the curriculum, not tacked on.

Dr. Michele BorbaThe Atlantic

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Independent schools believe they are responsible for the personal growth and character development of their students. Independent schools highly value teachers capable of developing strong relationships with students (On Teacher Quality in Independent Schools). Strong teacher-student relationships are critical to positive student character development. Teens learn moral values from adults they respect, and “when they feel cared about and respected, students are more likely to develop key emotional and social capacities” (NSCC). Independent school teachers also serve as advisors, coaches, and extracurricular leaders, uniquely enabling them to cultivate strong relationships with their students across a variety of activities.