Preparing to take the ISEE or SSAT this school year? Remember, if your child is entering grades 5 and up, the ISEE is required for California private day schools; and most boarding schools require the SSAT.
Test Innovators provides the most accurate practice exams, along with complete diagnostic reports about your child's performance. You can even see how your child's results stack up against the recommended scores for your prospective schools. Having helped tens of thousands of students, Test Innovators has created the tools necessary for success on these tests. LA School Scout is partnering with Test Innovators to provide a 20% discount off the practice materials at www.ISEEpracticetest.com and www.SSATpracticetest.com — simply enter the code LAschoolscout at checkout to receive 20% off your full order.
As children move from elementary school to middle school to high school, the educational environment changes. It may become larger, for one – public middle schools may be easily twice the size of a public elementary, for example, and public high schools may be two to four times the size of an urban public middle school. This can mean that some students will attend middle schools with a thousand students, and high schools with 4,000 students – the size of a small town! Even private K-12 schools expand in size for secondary school.
But there are also some wonderful benefits to the increase in size – namely the increase in possible course offerings, highly educated faculty, a variety of extra-curricular activities, among others. So while parents might approach this transition with trepidation, students might approach it with nervous exhilaration. After all, as children become increasingly independent, middle school affords them opportunities to exercise that independence in ways that elementary school does not.
So, for example, while elementary school gives students the reassuring cocoon of a single classroom, middle school students spend much of their time “traveling” from subject to subject, room to room, class to class. They’ll have to keep their schedule straight, become more responsible for their work, maintain relationships with an increasing number of teachers, learn how to get where they need to go – and get there on time.
The key to choosing a secondary school, be it middle or high school, is to know your student and his or her strengths. Do you have a learner who can handle a larger, more impersonal school environment? Can they handle more homework – or not? Will they thrive in a competitive, grade-driven environment, or in a school where experiential learning in team-driven projects is the norm? These are the kinds of questions you will need to ask before developing a list of possible schools to explore.
The other key to choosing a middle school for your child is that they are part of the process this time, in a way they couldn’t possibly be for elementary school. They will examine those course offerings, and take a look at the social environment, and may be inclined to one school over another because of them. Honor your child’s leanings, even if they’re motivated by the possibility of joining the rock band on campus, and you’re leaning towards that school because of their offerings for future rocket scientists. Your child gets more than enough pressure to cover material and achieve good grades – make sure they also have a chance to explore and not just achieve.
The middle and high school years can be challenging, especially for parents, but they can also be exhilarating, watching your child challenge themselves, and their perception of themselves, in ways you never imagined. Finding the school that will be their partner on this journey – and yours – is key, and will help them set the foundation for high school and beyond.
L.A. School Scout serves the entire Greater Los Angeles area.
Your school search can be customized to meet your specific educational needs. Call with any questions – we want to help you find the best possible placement for your child. We can be reached at 877.877.6240 or by Email.
