With education at long last near the top of the U. S. Public policy agenda, journalists are reporting more and more about the various alternatives available to American families. That's good news for independent schools - enrollment has been steadily increasing as the schools become better known by a wider range of parents. But some stereotypes still pop up from time to time. MYTH: All independent schools are the same. REALITY: Independent schools are alike in that they set high standards for their students and faculty. They believe that individual attention from concerned adults is key to a strong education and that values are taught by example every day. Independent schools operate with the understanding that learning takes place in formal and informal ways, not just in the classroom but on the basketball court, in the computer center, in the art studio. But independent schools are wonderfully different from each other in both obvious and subtle ways. There are day schools, boarding schools, and combinations; 81% offer coeducation, 11% are girls' schools, 8% boys' schools. The biggest independent schools enroll several thousand students, others, a few hundred or even a few dozen students. Some schools are very old and progressive, some quite new and traditional. Independent schools all prepare students for further study, but their focus can be very different; some emphasize fine arts or experiential learning; others offer programs for bright students with learning disabilities. Independent schools are all over the United States and around the world, and their campus climates vary greatly. One school might feel very different from another located just down the street. MYTH: All independent schools are alike. REALITY: Independent schools have become quite heterogeneous, not by accident, but by design. Schools have reached out to enrich their student population with young people from varying backgrounds. Today, 13.7% of independent school enrollment in the U.S. is made up of students of color, including Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. International students comprise nearly 3% of enrollment. MYTH: All independent school students are rich. REALITY: While a significant number of independent school students come from upper income families, 16.2% of NAIS students receive need-based financial aid. In fact, in the 1992-93 school year, independent schools awarded over $313 million in financial aid, helping over 57,000 students with grants averaging more than $5,400. In addition to dedicating approximately 8% of their budgets to need-based financial aid, many NAIS schools offer other options to help middle and lower income families afford an independent education. Extended payment plans allow families to break up tuition costs with ten or twelve month billing schedules; low interest loans can be arranged through some schools, and discounts are often available for early payment. Independent schools are committed to increasing access and socio-economic diversity and continue to seek creative ways to open their classrooms to students from all economic circumstances. Interestingly, according to the U.S. Department of Education, over 80% of America's wealthiest families send their children to public schools. MYTH: Independent schools expel students all the time. REALITY: Independent schools do not expel many students. To the contrary, they put great effort into helping those students who develop problems. The entire admission process is geared to matching individual students with the right schools, schools where students' potential can be realized and where they will be happy and successful. Students who develop academic troubles in independent schools find lots of help available. Teachers and instructional support staff usually work together with the student, the family, and sometimes outside experts, to identify and solve the problem. Expectations regarding behavior are clearly spelled out in student handbooks and explained during the admission process and at the time of enrollment. Most schools have well-defined, stepped procedures in place to handle behavioral problems, procedures that involve not only the student, faculty, and administration, but the family and often other students. Academic or behavioral, most difficulties are resolved with schools and families working together. MYTH: Tuition covers the cost of attending an independent school. REALITY: While it is true that spending per student in independent schools is usually greater than public school spending, tuition actually covers only about 75% of the cost of educating a student in an independent school. The remainder is made up with annual giving by alumni, parents, friends, and, in many schools, endowment income. The tax-paying parents of 5.2 million U.S. children currently send their children to independent and other private schools at their own expense. With average per pupil spending of approximately $5,500. It would cost U.S. taxpayers an additional $29 billion per year for all those students to attend public schools. MYTH: Independent schools are profit-making enterprises. REALITY: The National Association of Independent Schools requires that its members schools be nonprofit 501(3) organizations recognized and regulated by the Internal Revenue Service. Any surplus funds that may result from full enrollment, a successful summer program, or gifts are automatically reinvested in the school to help build stronger educational programs. Independent schools must be distinguished from profit-making proprietary schools, where owners or investors take money out of the schools and may make decisions based on business, rather that educational, considerations. In addition to maintaining nonprofit status, all NAIS schools are accredited, racially non-discriminatory, and governed by an independent board of trustees. MYTH: Independent school teachers are less qualified than public school teachers. REALITY: At the elementary level, independent schools seek teachers with strong grounding in early childhood education issues. At the secondary level, independent schools look for depth of subject knowledge, rather than teacher certification, as the major qualification for teaching. In short, they think a physics major is better equipped to teach high school physics than an education major who has taken a few physics courses. MYTH: Independent schools are unregulated and unaccountable. REALITY: Independent schools have a long tradition of acceptance of fair and equitable government regulation in the vital areas of health and safety. They work in close collaboration with the various local, state, and federal agencies charged with development and enforcement of such regulations. In the all-important areas of school management and academic program, independent schools are rigorously self-regulating, through several recognized associations of independent schools and six regional accrediting agencies: The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, the North Center Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, the National Association of Independent Schools establishes principles of good operating practice, with which member schools voluntarily comply. Among the areas addressed are admission, financial aid, fund raising, fiscal operations, and working with parents. Finally, unlike their public sector counterparts, independent schools are directly accountable to parents, who choose schools based on performance - and who withdraw their children if a school fails to meet their expectations. The Country School 341 Opening Hill Road Madison, CT 06443 203/421-3113 Member, National Association of Independent Schools Prepared by NAIS for use by member schools and associations.