Do most kids at St.Stephen's attend public or private elementary schools? (Austin: how much, middle schools)

[MsMayhew]

We're moving into Eanes ISD and I don't really see the point of sending my 6 year old to a private school because the public schools are so good. I was thinking, however, that eventually I'd like him to go to St.Stephens. Can anyone tell me where the St.Stephens kids tend to go to elementary school? Will he be in any way disadvantaged having attended a public elementary school?

[centralaustinite]

They come from a variety of places both public and private. There is no "track" of schools into St. Stephens. I know kids who went to public elementary (both AISD and Eanes) who switched to St. Stephens at middle school as well as a wide variety of private schools (Montessori, Catholic, Episcopal, etc).

[rpowell]

My two children attended Cedar Creek Elementary school in Eanes and then Hill Country Middle School. They started at St. Stephens in the 9th grade. It took them a few months to get familiar with the use of more open ended questions on tests rather than multiple choice and to learn that the teachers lecture and it is up to the student to determine what may or may not be on the final exam. Both of them, after graduating college, told me how much they appreciated the teachers and the school system at St. Stephens.

I don't think you lose anything by having your kids go to public schools during elementary and I think you only lose a little during middle school; but high school is a big difference.

[Exiled Texan]

I know a family who sis Casis in AISD then St. Stephens.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by rpowell

My two children attended Cedar Creek Elementary school in Eanes and then Hill Country Middle School. They started at St. Stephens in the 9th grade. It took them a few months to get familiar with the use of more open ended questions on tests rather than multiple choice and to learn that the teachers lecture and it is up to the student to determine what may or may not be on the final exam. Both of them, after graduating college, told me how much they appreciated the teachers and the school system at St. Stephens.

I don't think you lose anything by having your kids go to public schools during elementary and I think you only lose a little during middle school; but high school is a big difference.

Have any of your children attended Austin area public high schools? I'm curious about how you know for certain. It's an honest question, not trying to be a smart aleck.

[XLadylawX]

Originally Posted by capcat

Have any of your children attended Austin area public high schools? I'm curious about how you know for certain. It's an honest question, not trying to be a smart aleck.

You'd have to check to confirm but I think the relative percentage of Exemplary rated high schools versus Exemplary rated Middle & Elementary Schools is a big cause for concern.

Either something bad is going on in Texas high schools or the education provided at Texas Elementary & Middle Schools is not preparing Texas students for high school (of course there are exceptions).

[h886]

Originally Posted by XLadylawX

You'd have to check to confirm but I think the relative percentage of Exemplary rated high schools versus Exemplary rated Middle & Elementary Schools is a big cause for concern.

Either something bad is going on in Texas high schools or the education provided at Texas Elementary & Middle Schools is not preparing Texas students for high school (of course there are exceptions).

Well there are multiple factors. Besides the obvious:

-School attendance factors into to the ratings. High schoolers are obviously more prone to and able to skip class than 2nd graders.

-Within groups that tend not to score as high (sometimes 20 kids in a small sub-group bring down the ratings for an entire school), keep in mind that every year in school widens the gap between the haves and have nots. Yes, they sit in classes together every day and receive the same instruction, but if one child goes home, is tutored by their parents, does their homework and receives enrichment over the weekend while another gets no reinforcement whatsoever, the nurtured child will make larger gains every year. In 2nd grade, that difference may not be too pronounced and perhaps the school can make up the difference. By the 10th grade, there's been a lot more opportunity for one child to get ahead while the other falls even further behind.

[blakely]

St Stephens kids definitely come from a mix of private and public schools, from all over the city. They often come from as many as 30 different schools or zip codes for an entering class. As someone else said, there is no "track". Nothing wrong with sending your child to public elementary and then going to St Stephens for middle and high school.

And yes, the curriculum and teaching method is quite different than what your child will likely get in public middle/ high school, even the best ones. There is a lot more emphasis on writing, crafting a solid thesis and supporting your ideas in the graded work. Also, you won't see multiple choice tests, among other differences.

But to the original question, it is absolutely fine to come from public elementary school.

[austinnerd]

Thinking ahead

We're actually contemplating the opposite approach, private up until high school. Give them a great foundation thru elem/middle school and then take advantage of the options and breadth of services available at public high schools (e.g. AP/IB/sports). Not to mention saving financially for that run up to college. Now St Stephens as well as a couple of others have the financial backing to offer pretty much the same thing (esp sports) so in that regard if you are cool with the cost, then you're really not giving much up, so it's really a toss up.

That said, I don't know how many high school applicants they get a year, but one possible advantage to starting off at St Stephens now in elementary can be that once they are in, then you don't have to worry about competing for a spot to get into their high school.

[centralaustinite]

I know many who go that route too! Private K-8th and then on to LASA, Anderson IB, Westwood, or Westlake HS. St. Stephens doesn't have an elementary, they start in 6th grade. I also know folks who choose private school only for middle school (including SS) so it can be hard predicting how many slots they have for high school. But if you are set on SS, there can be an advantage to starting at 6th grade.

As a general rule, private schools produce better writers, public schools are generally better in lab science (this appears in national data, any individual school may or may not fit the pattern)