A Meta-Analysis on What Religious and Public Schools Can Learn From Each Other

• In Event: The Ongoing Role of Religion in Public Education

Abstract

This meta-analysis of fifty-three studies examines what faith-based private schools and public schools can learn from one another. The results indicate that even when adjusted for socioeconomic status (SES), students from faith-based schools out perform their counterparts from public schools. Faith-based schools enjoyed an advantage over public schools in offering demanding courses, insisting that children of color and low-SES children take demanding course loads, reducing the achievement gap, giving more homework, and encouraging parental involvement. Public schools also held an advantage in certain respects as well, including encouraging classroom discussion, offering services for students with special needs, offering fair wages for teachers, and possessing adequate physical facilities. The significance of these results is discussed.

Author

• William H. Jeynes, California State University - Long Beach