Students must be in a strong course to learn enough to pass the test. One in five New York students attends a nonpublic school. In the discussion about graduation requirements for public schools, we must not forget the perspective of this other vital part of the education system. For nonpublic schools, independence is the critical issue. If we remember that, watch for unintended consequences, and take care in recognizing the many subtle points of interaction between public and nonpublic schools, we will undoubtedly find that youngsters in these schools will rise to the same standards that Regents have defined for public schools.
Nonpublic schools are, like their public counterparts, intensely committed to accountability.
They are especially attentive to what parents think of school quality. Many of them are just as interested in higher level alternatives to Regents exams as certain high performing public school systems are. Comparisons between public and private schools have become commonplace in public discourse, but these comparisons make both sectors uneasy and raise misunderstandings among educators who have much in common. All of this requires continuous discussion with the nonpublic school community. I have agreed to a series of meetings with the nonpublic school community to show how raising standards can be best accomplished in those schools.