Bucks County's 2021 Education Guide

Bucks County Magazine’s 2021

EDUCATION GUIDE

A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

A GUIDE TO

Education

Benefits of a Private Education

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rivate schools benefit students by fostering academic excellence and high achievement, educating the whole child within a values-based setting, and preparing youngsters for success in life. If you want a caring, challenging, nurturing, safe and secure environment for your child— a place where he/she can learn and succeed—consider a private school.

Private schools are known for the high standards they set.

They engage students and spark the desire to learn. Teachers expect excellence from students, and students tend to live up to those expectations. The high expectations and academic rigor help account for above-average levels of student success, including higher college-going rates. If you’re looking to help your child reach his/her potential in a school committed to excellence, consider a private school.

At all ages and levels, from preschool through high school, privateschools makes a huge difference in educational outcomes. It is especially important at the early stages of educational growth that students get the attention and care that private schools offer.

• Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement

tests.

• Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.

• Private school graduates are more likely than their peers from public schools to have completed advanced-level courses in three Academic subject areas • Private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor’s or advanced degree by their mid-20s Private school students scored well above the national average in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP scores provide an immediate measure of student achievement, but the report also presents a longterm measure: attainment of a college degree. “Students who had attended private school in 8th grade were twice as likely as those who had attended public school to have completed a bachelor’s or higher degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent).”

And note this: For students from the lowest quartile of socioeconomic status (SES), the advantage of having attended a private school was even more pronounced. Those students were nearly four times more likely than their public school counterparts to have attained a bachelor’s or higher Continued on page 100

A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

Maria’s House Montessori

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ridges are wonderful things. The best are as beautiful as they are well-engineered, elegant in every sense of the word. What does that have to do with our summer program? Absolutely everything.The Montessori Bridge program brings a maximum of forty 3-6 year olds each week into close contact with extraordinary (and fun) components of our shared human endeavor side by side with our inspired guides and expert adjuncts. Maria's House integrates time-honored Montessori practice with new disciplines, as we break down golf and fencing, chess and organic gardening, equine and animal studies, pizza making and madcap team sports into their most basic components. Couple that with our usual array of advanced developmental opportunities (language arts, mathematics, reading, practical life, sensorial, music making, cultural anthropology) and our ongoing Lenni Lenape encampment, and you wind up with a summer experience that's as remarkable for family members and guides as it is for our children. And that's what our summer program is all about. Functioning like an extended family, the three-year (3-6) Montessori cohort provides a habitat wherein each child is both learner and a teacher, an explorer and (eventually) a guide, looking out for others while being looked out for. It is a remarkable, occasionally magical environment. And it is very good soil.

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601 New Britain Rd., Bldg. 200, Doylestown, PA 18901 610.290.5019 • www.MariasHouseMontessori.com

Buckingham Friends School

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At Buckingham Friends School, K-8 learners find space to grow — through our flexible, responsive curriculum; across our expansive 44-acre campus that encourages play and risk-taking; and within our comprehensive value-added programs that add breadth and depth to their individual learning experience. Learn more about our innovative campus-use plan that gives us the ability and flexibility to live our mission and core values while providing for the health and safety of our students on our campus and in our classroom environments. For more information or to register for a personal tour, visit www.bfs.org or contact our Director of Admission, Melissa Clayton, at mclayton@bfs.org.

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5684 York Road, Lahaska PA 215.794.7491 • www.bfs.org

A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

be who you are. trust who you can become.

• More than 40 advanced (AP and IB) courses • • Comprehensive college counseling program • • 41 visual and performing arts course options • • 25 varsity sports, state of the art facilities • • Financial aid and merit aid available • • 240 acre campus • C O N TA C T A D M I S S I O N @ G E O R G E S C H O O L . O R G W W W. G E O R G E S C H O O L . O R G

George School

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global school with local roots, George School is a Quaker, co-ed boarding and day high school in Newtown, PA. Convenient to New York City and Philadelphia, the school is located on a picturesque campus of open lawns and beautiful woods. George School is an experienced leader in education, offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program and nearly 20 Advanced Placement courses. Students are immersed in learning across all disciplines in a rigorous yet personalized curriculum. Students participate in 25 different team sports and take physical wellness classes in state of the art facilities. The arts and STEM are also signature elements of a George School education and allow students to pursue their passions and discover new talents across a wide range of subject areas.George School graduates attend the most selective colleges and universities worldwide, and become confident and capable leaders rooted in self-awareness, self-sufficiency, and the ability to listen deeply to others.

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1690 Newtown Langhorne Road, Newtown, PA 18940 215.579.6547 • www.georgeschool.org S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 95

A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

What Makes Us Huskies Makes All The Difference

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rit. Ambition. Hustle. These traits don’t show up on a transcript, but at Bloomsburg University, they’re at the heart of every Husky. Our top-ranked, accredited academic programs help you prepare for in-demand careers in fields ranging from supply chain management to communications, education to digital forensics, and dozens more. Unsure of your major? At BU, you’ll get personalized attention to help you explore options and plan your path upward while staying on-track to graduation. You’ll also get a high-quality, financially responsible degree for a faster route to independence. With tuition already among the lowest in Pennsylvania, 88% of undergraduate students receive financial aid, and we invest in your success with $4.2 million in institutional scholarships awarded annually. With 99% of recent alumni employed or in grad school within a year of earning their Bloom degree, there’s never been a better time to be a Husky! Visit admissions.bloomu.edu to learn more, plan your in-person visit, or apply today.

O 400 E. Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 570.389.4000 • www.bloomu.edu/admissions-visit

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A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

Nazareth Academy High School

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estled on a beautiful campus in suburban Northeast Philadelphia, Nazareth Academy High School is the only private, Catholic high school for girls in Philadelphia. At Nazareth, we embrace faith, family, and education, challenging our students to attain their full potential academically, spiritually, and personally. While focusing on service to God and community, Nazareth provides a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum and varied extracurricular activities that inspire each student to achieve academic excellence and become a life-long learner in a global society. Our students come from Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery Counties and New Jersey. With more than 80 courses, 40+ clubs and activities, 12 athletic teams, 10 performing arts groups, and a state-of-the-art STREAM Innovation Center, Nazareth Academy High School has something to offer every young woman! Learn more about why everyone at Nazareth “loves their school a million” by visiting NazarethAcademyHS.org/Admissions!

O 4001 Grant Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114 215.637.7676 • www.nazarethacademyhs.org

S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 97

A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

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Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) Whether you want to attend professional school (such as medical, GHQWDO RU RSWRPHWU\ HQWHU D KHDOWK UHODWHG ĆHOG DGYDQFH ZLWKLQ \RXU organization or do further graduate study, Geisinger Commonwealth’s online MBS program prepares you to succeed. Yo You’ll be guided WKURXJK WKH 0%6 FXUULFXOXP E\ KLJKO\ TXDOLĆHG HGXFDWRUV DQG research scholars, including experts from Geisinger Commonwealth and Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County.

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A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

Earn your Master of Biomedical Sciences in Doylestown

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ne degree, many paths to success: Strengthen your resume or burnish your professional school application with a Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) degree.

Earn your MBS anywhere through this interactive online program. Enroll full- or part-time. Finish your degree in just 10 months. No test scores are required.Powerful partners in science and medicine: The University of the Sciences and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine offer online master’s degrees and graduate certificate programs.

• Informatics is in demand. Health informatics is about collection and use of clinical data to improve health. Through AI, informatics is used in how we schedule patients, decide what testing they require, select the best care and track medicines.

• Personalized medicine offers a cure years before disease presents. Genomics helps us understand the biology of disease, to differentiate ways diseases affect individuals, so they live longer and stay healthier.

• Be a healthcare leader. Health administration requires communication and relationship management, leadership and knowledge of the healthcare environment.

Villa Joseph Marie

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illa Joseph Marie is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for young women located on 72 scenic acres in Holland, Bucks County. The Villa experience is fully focused on the needs and strengths of girls, empowering students through exceptional expectations and support. With a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, Villa delivers a global education on a personal scale, developing women with character, confidence, and a passion for learning. Life at Villa is filled with friendship and fun, enriching extracurricular activities, local and international travel, and opportunities to serve. Whatever the challenge, Villa girls work together to exemplify the Villa mission— Always more, Always better, Always with love.

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3805 Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902 570.504.9068 • www. geisinger.edu/gcsom

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A GUIDE TO EDUCATION

Mount Saint Joseph Academy

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For information on ap pplying and fall admissions events, e visit msjacad.org/apply

cademic excellence is fostered at the Mount through the fusion of a challenging and supportive academic program and an extensive extracurricular program which extends beyond the parameters of school life. Students are immersed in high impact educational practices that promote learning on a significantly deeper level through diverse and well-rounded experiences, with an emphasis on social responsibility. Our signature block scheduling model promotes collaborative learning across all disciplines, as students take only three or four subjects at a time. As a college preparatory school, the Mount prepares young women to realize their fullest potential spiritually, academically and socially .Information on fall admission events is also available on our website.

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120 W. Wissahickon Avenue, Flourtown, PA 215.233.3177 • www.msjacad.org degree. Private school attendance even seems to overcome a parent’s lowexpectations for a child. “For students whose mother’s expectation (in 8th grade) was for them to attain an associates degree or less, those who had attended private school completed a bachelor’s or higher degree at a rate about our times that of public school students (30 versus 7 percent).”

The report explains that students from a low SES family who had “completed a calculus course in high school were much more likely than those who had not studied calculus to earn a degree by their mid-20s.” It also notes that students in private schools “are more likely than those in public schools to take challenging courses like calculus, and private schools are more likely to require them.” Specifically, private high schools require more courses for graduation than public high schools in math, science, social studies, foreign language, and computer science, and the coursework is more likely to include advanced courses in science (chemistry, physic, advanced biology), mathematics (trigonometry, precalculus, calculus), and foreign language (a third year or more).

Demanding coursework and high expectations are good for students. As the report states it, “Applying high academic standards--both requiring students to complete high-level, challenging courses and pushing students to strive and excel in their work—is a central schooling component that many experts recommend.”According to NCES data, 88 percent of private high school students apply to college, compared to 57 percent of pub100 B U C K S C O U N T Y M A G . C O M

lic high school students. And reports from the College Board indicate that SAT scores for private school students are well above the national average.

When it comes to challenging students to stretch their capacity, private schools do an exceptional job. Statistics from the College Board and NCES show that for high school seniors, 24.2 percent of private school students took AP exams in 1998, while 9.4 percent of public school students did so. Private schools, which account for only 7.5 percent of all high school students, produced 20 percent of 12th graders who took AP exams in 1998 and 22 percent of those who scored high enough to have the advanced courses count for college credit.

The National Center for Education Statistics periodically administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to test the knowledge and skills of the nation’s students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Students in private schools consistently score well above the national average. At all three grades a significantly higher percentage of private school students score at or above the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels than public school students. Below are the results from the most recent NAEP report cards in reading. NAEP report cards in other subjects. *CAPE (Council For American www.capenet.org. Used by permission.

Private

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