The Advantage of Small Class Size

Public schools are limited by budget and cannot offer lower teacher/student ratios. When choosing a private school, parents can capitalize on one thing; Smaller class sizes equate to higher levels of cognition and true learning.  From the Economics and Education Review, the most influential and credible study in this area, is the Student Teacher Achievement Ratio, or STAR, study which was conducted in Tennessee during the late 1980s.  In this study, students and teachers were randomly assigned to a small class, with an average of 15 students, or a regular class, with an average of 22 students.  This large reduction in class size (7 students, or 32 percent) was found to increase student achievement by an amount equivalent to about 3 additional months of schooling (Sims, 2009).  Public schools are not controlled or intended to serve any individual parent’s choices and small class size isn’t feasible in public schools due to budgeting. Beacon Hill School controls class sizes and parents often note that this is one reason that they chose the school.  If small class size is high on your list, you can trust Beacon Hill School as the private school that best meets your criteria.

Beacon Hill School promises to keep the student teacher ratios low. We know that small class sizes help greatly with student academic and social development. Our students are not just another number, but yet a viable piece of our mission statement, “The future belongs to those who prepare”.  By keeping smaller class-sizes, we believe these students are better prepared.

 

From a recent survey, 21 reasons for choosing a private school were given by parents.  These parents were asked to select one or more.  In the group of top responses, “smaller class sizes” (80.5 percent) and “more individual attention for my child” (76.4 percent) were selected high in the survey (GOAL, 2013).

 

Parent comment while doing this GOAL survey:  “My child was robbed of his opportunity to learn on a daily basis by children who were out of control and disruptive. Learning is challenging for him and he needs structure and a controlled environment. It is unfortunate that we had to sacrifice financially to remove him from public school mainly because of this reason.” —GOAL   Survey Parent. Smaller class size is the answer!

Benefits of smaller class sizes:

  • Better academic performance
  • Teacher to student engagement
  • More one on one attention leads to long-term success
  • Smaller class sizes lead to teacher retention

Class sizes that are small bring more one-on-one attention from the teacher. With smaller class sizes, teacher  and student relationships are stronger (NCTE.org) Your child’s strengths can be enhanced and deficits in learning can be improved.  At Beacon Hill School we have multiple success stories of students who come to us 2 or 3 grade levels behind.  With smaller class sizes, and this one on one attention, these students make tremendous progress, often 2 grade levels in one school year!

Contact Beacon Hill School now to set up a tour! (954) 963-2600. We are here to listen and develop an educational plan for your child.

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What Parents are Saying

This school is wonderful. My son has been behind in everything due to his previous school, but is catching up tremendously thanks to Beacon Hill Hollywood. THE STAFF IS WONDERFUL...”
- Parent
“I absolutely love this Beacon Hill School!!!
My son has been attending since he was 2yrs turning 3yrs, now he is 4yrs old and in his second year at Beacon Hill School!
My son is thriving...”
- Parent
“My son came from public school where he wasn't doing so well academically and socially. I took him out of public school and enrolled him in BH.
He's doing so much better in his academics he has made the Honor Roll for Q1 and Q2...”

- Parent

“Beacon Hill is an amazing school. The Principal is a consummate professional who has committed herself to the relationship she has with students, parents and faculty. The programs are far advanced...”

- Parent

“My daughter has completed her second year at Beacon Hill School. She
will be starting the 1st grade on Aug. 5th this year. She has completed
the national based exam SAT for kinder-gardeners and scored a perfect
score...”

- Parent

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Beacon Hill School have Pre-Kindergarten?

Yes, the Early Childhood Department consists of programs for children of 1 year , twos, threes, and Junior Kindergarten.

Public schools and many Kindergartens have usually around 180 days or so for attendance. How many days does Beacon Hill School Pre-Kindergarten have?

Our Early Childhood Department and grades are in session for 212 days.

Are classes full with many students?

We believe in keeping our classes small so that the needs of each individual can be met. We cap classes at 14 for Early childhood and 22 for grades.

Does the school teach on or with computers?

We are extremely proud of our state-of-the-art computer lab. We have 20 Pentium processors that are networked together and are connected to the Internet at 1 G speed.  We utilize a filtered platform from a web company. Our computer classes are taught by a computer systems analyst and includes developing keyboarding skills, understanding how to use the word processor, setting up databases, and working with spreadsheets.

Do students at Beacon Hill School do standard testing and do well?

Our student body has traditionally scored better than the local public schools and above the national average on the standardized tests.

How does the school deal with standards?

Students who attend Beacon Hill School are expected to maintain very high standards, both academically and socially. The Parent-Student Handbook outlines in detail policies concerning homework, tests, grading, honor roll, student behavior and disciplinary procedures.

What options are available in the summer time at Beacon Hill School?

Beacon Hill School has Summer Camp in July. This program has been in place for more than 60 years. We have a robust active Summer Camp. Besides all types of learning we also have acres of fun featuring swimming, sports, field trips and special events for an unforgettable experience! We open at 6:30am to 6pm from the start of July to the end of July for our Hollywood area Summer Camp.

How long has Beacon Hill School been established and is it a family owned or a corporate school franchise?

Founded by Irving and Cherie Liss in 1959, Beacon Hill School continues to be run by the Liss family under the leadership of Executive Director Andrew Liss. Beacon Hill School is an independent, traditional, all-faith, coeducational school incorporating preschool through grade eight in Hollywood, Florida.

Private schools can be very good but can lack some standard accreditations and school memberships, how does Beacon Hill School fair with this?

Beacon Hill School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Independent Schools of Florida, and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, Middle States and is a member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation and the Broward County Non Public School Association. We also have many awards and achievements.

Does the school have science classes and any special subjects for children?

We have a fully equipped Science Laboratory. Our academic program consists of English, reading, social studies, science, and mathematics as well as the special subjects of computers, Spanish, art, physical education, and music/dance/drama. Our curriculum meets and exceeds all requirements of both the State of Florida and Broward County.