Assessment and Evaluation

I can just hear you thinking "He's got to be kidding. After spending inordinate amounts of my valuable time and resources getting my child into private school, the school can decide it doesn't want her back next year?"

Yes, the school can do that. Sad. But true. Read the contract which you signed with the school when your daughter was first accepted. It very clearly spells out the rights each party to the contract has. One of those clauses states that the school does not have to renew its contract with you automatically. Most contracts have finite terms which are normally for one academic year.

How do you avoid the school sending a non-renewal notice? You make sure that the following are in order:

1. Acceptable academic progress

While it would be nice if your child could be first in every subject she takes, that is asking a bit too much. But you definitely want to keep her in the top third. If the school recommends extra help or even tutoring, don't fight that recommendation. Calculus may have been a breeze for you. But if she is struggling with it, be ahead of the curve. Accept the help offered.

This video offers a look at Academy Hill School in Springfield, Massachusetts.

All they really want is to see are her best efforts and maximum cooperation in achieving good results. There's a larger lesson that

If you are new to the school where your child has just been accepted, you may think that the school functions like a well-oiled machine with little help from outside. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your help and support as a parent are essential and, indeed, expected. In 2026, parent involvement remains especially important as schools manage student wellness needs, technology integration, enrollment pressures, and rising operating costs. Let's look at some ways in which we parents can contribute time, talent and treasure to our children's schools.

1. Support your school financially.

Depending on where you live and what your schedule is like, supporting the school financially may be all that you can do. If you have the means to make a significant gift, then contact the development office to see how best to use your munificence. Leadership gifts are critical to any school's fundraising success. In any case, give what you can. Gifts from parents are an important source of funding for most private schools.

In 2026, many schools also offer online giving portals, recurring donation options, and targeted campaigns for financial aid, security, technology, and student wellness initiatives. Parents who want more background on school finances can review Private School Endowments and Tuition Explained and Navigating Private School Finances: A Parent's Guide.

2. Be a class parent.

Primary schools, in particular, will appreciate help with all sorts of things. You will be worth your weight in gold if you are

Is your grandchild going away to private school? Perhaps you are wondering how you can fit into his new life away from home. You have always enjoyed watching him grow up. You've gone on trips and vacations together. Just because he's away at school doesn't mean you can't be close. After all, this is the 21st century, and in 2026 it's easier than ever to stay connected.

Let's look at some of the special things a grandparent can do to stay connected with a beloved grandchild who's away at school.

Email

It's kind of old-fashioned these days, but email is still a pleasant way of keeping in touch. If you are in the least bit literary, it will be good for him to receive nicely crafted emails with news and gossip from back home. He needs to hear and reflect on your opinions about issues and events. Email handles that kind of communication extremely well.

Just read your missives carefully before you hit the send button. Remember: you are not there to explain what you mean. So don't be cryptic. He's got plenty to do without wondering what's going on back home. It's also simply bad form to give him bad news in an email. Do that over the phone, on a video call, or in person.

Phone Calls

It's always a treat to hear a loved one's voice. He'll have his smartphone with him, of course, although many private schools have policies about when students can use

Do Your Child's SSAT or ISEE Scores Really Matter?

Standardized admissions tests are part of the drill in most private school admissions offices. You may well be wondering why your child's academic transcripts and teacher recommendations from her current school are not sufficient. Why is it necessary to prepare and register for a standardized admissions test? The results of a standardized admissions test indicate to the school what your child knows and doesn't know academically. Essentially, it would serve no purpose to accept your child only to have her flounder academically. You would be unhappy. Your child would be miserable. The school would also be in a difficult position of being unable to deliver the academic results it can achieve. To avoid this losing situation, most private schools will insist on all applicants taking a standardized admissions test.

SSAT and ISEE

The two most commonly used admissions tests are the SSAT and ISEE. These tests measure your child's language and math skills. How do the admissions offices use the test scores the testing organizations send them? Primarily for comparison purposes. For example, if a school has an applicant pool with an average verbal score of 600 and yours is 700, you will be at the top of the list in that one aspect of all the factors the school looks at. Conversely, if your quantitative score is 550 and the pool average is 750, you will be at or near

Athletic programs in private schools are an integral part of school life. They are not “optional.” All students participate in some athletic activity weekly while school is in session. Most private schools set aside a weekday afternoon, generally Wednesday, for athletics. There are no classes. Everybody is involved in some athletic activity somewhere on campus. In boarding schools, part of each Saturday is also given over to sports. Throughout this article, quotations from private school websites offer insight into how schools view competitive and recreational athletics.

“Competitive or recreational sports at The Putney School are valued for fostering individual skills and strengths. Sports do not conflict with art activities, so there is no need to choose between one or the other.”
— The Putney School, Vermont

This is also a fundamental difference between many private and public schools. Public schools often face difficult budget decisions, and athletic funding can sometimes be reduced when districts must prioritize staffing and academic resources. Most private schools, however, continue to treat athletics as a core part of student development.

“The Gunnery's sports program cultivates competition and cooperation in the context of organized athletics. This is a tradition that stretches back, unbroken, to Mr. Gunn's era. A staunch advocate of physical fitness, he created the school's first athletic teams.”
— The Gunnery, Connecticut

So, why the emphasis on athletics? And what is the point of making every student participate?

Most private school athletic programs teach students invaluable lessons about teamwork, resilience, discipline,