EduFocus # 11: Examining the success of preparatory schools in Jamaica

Private schools at the primary level – prepartory schools – have always outperformed public primary schools. The results of all national assessments show  these prep schools achieve far higher rates of literacy mastery and scores in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) than public schools. What accounts for this? Are the curriculum delivery strategies and approaches different?Jamaica Partners for Educational Progress interviewed Sasha Wright, Principal of St. Hughs Preparatory School, Elorena Scott, Vice – Principal, and Pauline Stapleton Griffith, K1 teacher from Stella Maris Preparatory School to learn about the practices that make their schools successful. St. Hughs Prep was founded in 1899 and caters to 241 students. A student – teacher ratio of 10:1 is maintained between Pre – K and K2 and 15: 1 for other grades. On the other hand, Stella Maris Prep was founded in 1951, caters to over 700 students and maintains a ratio of 10: 1 in the nursery and 15:1 in K1 – Grade 1.PROMOTING LITERACY DEVELOPMENTThese schools’ contribution to their students’ literacy and social and academic development often begins in the nursery or Pre – K, where the focus is on  building phonetic awareness and learning simple words.St. Hughs’s K 1 students read the “Lady Bird Series” one-on-one daily  with their teacher and are assigned pages to read with their parents. In addition to sight words, vocabulary, and phonetics, students are also taught new word families every two weeks. They are also given short spelling tests. In K2, a similar approach is taken, using different books and  group reading.Mrs. Wright explained that the personalized reading strategy  allows teachers to “give one-on-one attention to students who are not as strong as we would like them to be and allows us to push and challenge those who have gone beyond what is happening in the class”.HOME SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPStudents in both schools have highly motivated and supportive parents. They are engaged through:

  • Monthly Coffee Mornings. Meetings where the principal provides updates and parents are able to raise issues with the principal and get clarification.
  • Parent Teacher Consultation. Scheduled appointments for parents and the teacher which occur one week after mid - term
  • Exam Paper Review. A talk with the teacher where parents are able to look at the exam paper and understand the areas where the child needs improvement.
  • Grade Level Parents Meeting
  • Individual Class Meeting
  • Parents Workshop.  A workshop that focuses on key topics such as “Family and Professional Partnership.”
  • Parental support on homework assignments. This allows the parent to guide, set standards of excellence, and share in their child’s academic development.

ORGANIZATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENTThe teaching and learning environment is influenced by:

  • Common planning by grade level. Each grade has a grade coordinator which facilitates the cluster planning process.
  • Professional Development workshops, which occur every term
  • Integrated curriculum with real life connection. Examples include field trips to the market, or police station, etc
  • The use of technology in instruction. Technology facilitates alternate ways of presenting information, which is an asset when instructing students with different learning styles.

MONITORING AND MEASURING SUCCESSBoth schools have a strong system of monitoring, and teachers are held accountable by both the administrators and parents. This is achieved through:

  • Assessment of lesson plans and self evaluation. Teachers evaluate each of their lessons and note if their objectives were met. Lesson plans are submitted to senior teachers who assess them and make suggestions when necessary.
  • Observation of teachers. Parents and fellow teachers periodically drop in and observe classes.
  • Mid – term grade book submission to the prinicpal. This helps to provide a picture of what is happening in the classroom.
  • Results of external assessments. Performance on these exams inform improvements to the teaching and learning process and indicate the extent to which the school is successful.

CHALLENGESThe challenges faced by these schools include:

  • Meeting the diverse needs of students
  • Personal problems, which affect students’ learning in school
  • Balancing the number of students with the financial viability of the school
  • Working with parents who are often in denial about their child’s learning disability
  • Confronting the effects of the recession, which makes it more difficult for parents to pay the school fee
  • Promoting sufficient engagement between students and parents. It is noted that parents take children to places but are not talking to them.

WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE DIFFERENCE IN THE RESULTS BETWEEN PREP SCHOOLS AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS?Ms. Wright said that “the children coming into primary school and prep school are not [inherently] different children.” Representatives from both schools identified the following factors that account for lower performance in public schools:

  • External problems such as crime are more likely affect these students
  • The need for improved monitoring of teachers
  • Large student - teacher ratio
  • Low parental involvement and education level
  • Parents’ lack of resources
  • The diversity in parenting style, which has implications for behaviour management in the classroom

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