Educational Experiences for Private School Students

• In Event: Challenges and Experiences of NAEP Across School Types and Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

While a great deal of research has examined differences in performance outcomes between students attending public and private schools (Lubienski & Lubienski, 2013; Wong, Cook, & Steiner, 2009), less empirical attention has been paid to examining variations in the educational experiences of students in these schools. Survey questionnaire data collected as part of the 2019 NAEP grade 8 reading assessment (n = 143,100) were used to explore differences in resources for learning and instruction in school (e.g., access to and use of digital devices) and learning-related views (e.g., persistence in learning, confidence in reading knowledge and skills, interest in and enjoyment of reading) among students attending public and private Catholic schools.

There were some differences in the types of digital devices that students had available for their use in public and private Catholic schools, as reported by their teachers, though the frequency of using these devices in class tended to be similar by school type. There were no significant differences by school type in the percentage of students with desktop computers available for their use in school in 2019 (56% public vs. 57% Catholic; p > .05). However, a higher percentage of public-school students had laptop computers available for their use in school (95% public vs. 79% Catholic; p < .01), and a higher percentage of Catholic school students had tablets available for their use in school (37% public vs. 68% Catholic; p < .01).

Overall, Catholic school students tended to report high (i.e., more positive) learning-related views. Compared to Catholic school students, a higher percentage of public school students reported low to moderate levels of persistence in learning (low: 13% public vs. 8% Catholic; moderate: 31% public vs. 29% Catholic; ps < .01); on the other hand, a higher percentage of Catholic school students than public school students reported high levels of persistence (56% public vs. 63% Catholic; p < .01). A similar pattern emerged when examining students’ confidence in their reading knowledge and skills—a higher percentage of public school students than Catholic school students reported low to moderate levels of confidence (low: 5% public vs. 2% Catholic; moderate: 30% public vs. 25% Catholic; ps < .01), while a higher percentage of Catholic students reported high levels of confidence compared to public school students (65% public vs. 73% Catholic; p < .01). Finally, a higher percentage of Catholic school students reported high levels of interest and enjoyment (22% public vs. 26% Catholic; p < .01).

Author

• Jan Alegre, Scholarus Learning