For many parents, a good education means much more than academics. While reading, math and science are all important, such values as kindness, respect and empathy for others are just as important, if not more so. Fortunately, most Atlanta-area public and independent schools incorporate some form of “character education” in their curricula, guiding children to become caring, involved members of society.
In today’s technology-driven world, the definition of what a school is, or can be, is quickly changing. School systems and independent schools are offering new options in addition to the traditional brick-and-mortar school setting. These programs provide an education no less demanding than conventional classrooms for students who travel a great deal, are homeschooled, or are simply looking to supplement or speed up their current coursework.
Whether your child attends a public or independent school, he or she will be required to take some form of standardized test.
A standardized test is one that is administered and graded in a consistent manner, usually given to students across an entire school or school system or even nationally, as opposed to one created by a teacher for a specific class.
Saint Thomas More is a college-preparatory boarding school for young men who have yet to realize their full potential. Located on scenic Gardner Lake in southeastern Connecticut, Saint Thomas More School immerses its young charges in a structured environment with small classes, a one-to-one tutorial program, great sports and extracurricular activities, a five-week academic summer camp program and 100 percent college placement. At Saint Thomas More, the motto is, “Your son will succeed.”
Brehm Preparatory School is a private, coeducational, non-for-profit boarding school for students with learning disabilities in grades six through 12. Located on an 80-acre campus in Carbondale, Ill., this fully accredited school has been successfully teaching students with language-based and complex learning disabilities to “learn how to learn” since 1982. With a staff of 150 serving 90 students per year, the Brehm School offers a “family-style,” 24/7 environment uniquely designed to foster independence and responsibility. Brehm students go on to college, find fulfilling careers and become successful entrepreneurs.
There are many elements that contribute to a student’s educational success, including finding the right school, building a strong relationship with your child’s teachers and even encouraging a child’s participation in extracurricular activities. But one of the most important components of a thriving educational career is the establishment of good study habits.
Educational achievement hinges on parental involvement that evolves to fit the child’s needs, from the first day of first grade to high school graduation and beyond.
Communication with your child is critical, both when establishing a study routine and afterward, to ensure that things go smoothly. That means not only telling a child to do his or her homework but learning their existing study habits in order to help improve them.
“Knowing how your child learns is the key to providing support,” says Joye Callaway, director of the Academic Resource Center at the Lovett School.
At a time when some educators are obsessed with rankings on standardized tests and many school systems face spending cuts, arts education can be seen as a luxury. But studies have shown that instruction in visual arts, music, theater and other disciplines can promote cognitive abilities, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
According to the advocacy group Americans for the Arts, arts education stimulates critical thinking, refines cognitive and creative skills and strengthens problem-solving. Participation in arts programs has also been linked with gains in math, reading and other areas, according to the research compendium Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development.
“Research in education is showing us that the creative thought process … [and] the high order of thinking skills we need to be instilling in kids are a fundamental component of their intelligence,” says Kevin Glass, headmaster of Atlanta International School (AIS).
As technology continues to expand at a rapid rate, careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are among the fastest-growing jobs in the nation. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration, STEM-related job growth was three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs over the last 10 years. Over the next decade, STEM jobs are expected to grow at an even faster rate as those fields take on an increased importance due to continuing technological advances.