Test your knowledge of private school facts and trivia with these twenty-one questions and answers.
The Questions
1. How many private schools are there in the U.S.A.?
2. How many boarding schools are there?
3. Which private school offers the most Advanced Placement courses?
4. Which private school is the most expensive?
5. Which private school did Bill Gates graduate from?
6. How many Montessori schools are there in the U.S.A.?
7. Where did Reggio-Emilia schools get their name?
8. Who founded the movement that spawned the modern Waldorf schools?
9. Which is the oldest school in the U.S.A.?
10. What was Maria Montessori's degree in?
11. Who founded what we now call the progressive school movement?
12. What percentage of American students attend private school?
13. What are the names of the schools established by the last Hawaiian princess?
14. Which New England family founded Exeter and Andover?
15. Which Roman Catholic order established a network of prestigious high schools?
16. What grade does Fifth Form refer to?
17. How many Jewish schools are there in Brooklyn, New York?
18. What does the term crew refer to?
19. What is the oldest private school athletic league?
20. What is the name of the independent school association based in Washington, DC?
21. Which private school has the largest endowment?
The Answers:
1. How many private schools are there in the U.S.A.?
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys private schools every two years. Their most recent data from the 2011-2012 survey shows 30,861 schools, 4,494,845 students, and 466,467 students in schools that are members of a private school association.
2. How many boarding schools are there?
The Association of Boarding Schools reports slightly less than 300 member schools.
3. Which private school offers the most Advanced Placement courses?
Quite a few private schools offer more than 25 Advanced Placement Courses, which is impressive, especially considering that there are only approximately 34 AP courses offered.
In this video, an expert answers questions about the optimal number of AP courses a student should take.
This video from Lasseter's Lab has some suggestions.
4. Which private school is the most expensive?
La Rosee in Switzerland. Their website shows a tariff of 126,000 Swiss francs, which at the time of writing is approximately USD 138,000. This does not include incidentals such as ski trips or accommodation for your child's security detail.
5. Which private school did Bill Gates graduate from?
Bill Gates, who founded Microsoft, graduated from Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington.
6. How many Montessori schools are there in the U.S.A.?
The NCES shows approximately 2,300 Montessori schools. These belong to two leading Montessori associations: American Montessori Society and Association Montessori International.
7. Where did Reggio Emilia schools get their name?
The Reggio Emilia approach is from the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy. The movement was started by an Italian teacher, Loris Malaguzzi, after World War II. Educational philosophy draws heavily from the ideas and theories of progressives such as John Dewey. As this short video will reveal, the Reggio Emilia Approach is a gentle approach to educating children.
8. Who founded the movement that spawned the modern Waldorf schools?
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), the Austrian philosopher, was interested in and had firmly held beliefs about the education of children. He was ahead of his time in many ways, not the least of which was his belief that schools should not be under government control.
9. Which is the oldest school in the U.S.A.?
The oldest American private school is the Collegiate School in Manhattan. It was founded in 1628.
10. What was Maria Montessori's degree in?
Maria Montessori graduated with a degree in medicine in 1896. She was one of Italy's first female doctors.
11. Who founded what we now call the progressive school movement?
Two people spearheaded the movement in America, which we now call progressive education. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, John Dewey and Francis Parker revolutionized how children were taught. Up until that point, learning had been largely by rote. Dewey and Parker believed strongly that children should explore and discover to learn. This video explains some of the tenets of the progressive movement.
12. What percentage of American students attend private school?
According to the NCES, about 10% of all American children are taught in private schools.
13. What are the names of the schools established by the last Hawaiian princess?
The Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii were established in 1887 as a legacy from Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last princess of the Hawaiian royal family.
14. Which New England family founded Exeter and Andover?
The Phillips family. Dr. John Phillips, a Harvard graduate and resident of Exeter, New Hampshire, founded Exeter Academy in 1781. His nephew Samuel Phillips, Jr., a Harvard graduate, founded Andover Academy in 1778.
15. Which Roman Catholic order established a network of prestigious high schools for young men?
The Jesuits, or Society of Jesus, as they are formally known, established and managed some thirty-two secondary schools in the U.S.A. They are noted for their rigorous academics and tradition of developing extraordinary men from ordinary boys.
Learn more about Jesuit Schools in this short video.
16. What grade does Fifth Form refer to?
Fifth Form is a quaint British appellation still used by several private schools in the U.S. to denote Grade Eleven. Students used to enter British private (public) schools in Grade Seven or Form One.
17. How many Jewish schools are there in Brooklyn, New York?
According to the NCES, there are 154 Jewish schools in Kings County, New York.
18. What does the term 'crew' refer to?
Crew refers to the ancient sport of rowing. The sport is offered at private schools that participate in international rowing regattas, such as the Head of the Charles in Boston and the Royal Henley Regatta in England.
19. What is the oldest private school athletic league?
The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) was founded in 1942.
20. What is the name of the independent school association based in Washington, DC?
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is based in Washington, DC, and promotes the interests of its approximately 1,500 members.
21. Which private school has the largest endowment?
The Kamehameha Schools recorded an endowment worth $9.06 billion for 2011. The original bequest consisted of 375,000 acres of land worth about $500,000. The endowment has now diversified to the point where 75% is in various financial instruments and the remainder in real estate.
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