What makes Carden Conservatory so unique and special?
SMALL CLASS SIZES
Stanford University’s Roger Barker and Paul Gump found in their study regarding the relationship between school size and student behavior, that even though larger schools were more impressive on the outside, upon scrutiny, small schools provided a better quality of education. This finding is supported by numerous other studies performed by education experts.
Elementary and Junior High Schools with low student to teacher ratio such as Carden Conservatory can offer benefits for:
- Students
- Teachers
- Administration
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Personal Relationships
STUDENTS
Morale among students tends to be higher in small schools. At Carden Conservatory, all students are encouraged to participate in clubs, organizations, athletics and plays. Due to the small class sizes, all students are exposed to more opportunities to develop their leadership skills in a greater diversity of situations. As a result, students at small schools tend to have better attitudes toward learning and school and are less likely to create discipline problems.
Often at small schools such as Carden Conservatory, the participation of everyone is essential in the success of a project. This promotes among students a sense of belonging – of pride in their community, their school, and most of all, themselves.
For instance, after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Carden Conservatory students proposed to the administration that they collect change from family and friends for a week, designating a different coin denomination for each day. At the end of the week, the students collected enough change to purchase and send several much-needed wheelchairs to children in Haiti who were hurt during the quake.
TEACHERS
Due to the low student to teacher ratio at Carden Conservatory, teachers are more apt to know their students as individuals. This enables them to make special provisions for individual needs and talents and to receive better cooperation from parents in resolving problems that may arise.
Since relationships between teachers and administrators tend to be more personal and informal, there is a greater tendency for cooperation among the staff at Carden Conservatory than at larger Elementary and Junior High Schools.
ADMINISTRATION
Scheduling is much more flexible at Carden Conservatory than in a large Elementary and Junior High School. Because bureaucratic red tape is at a minimum, individual problems of both students and faculty are addressed and resolved quickly and effectively, leaving all parties involved satisfied with the outcome.
Unlike administrators at larger Elementary and Junior High Schools, Carden Conservatory’s Director is frequently seen outside her office interacting with students and teachers on a regular basis. She knows each student by name, and welcomes parental input and recommendations.
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
Due to low student to teacher ratios, Carden Conservatory is learner-centered with strong emphasis placed on individualized and small group instruction. This increases the student’s self-confidence, class participation, and self-expression.
In addition, the low student to teacher ratio allows for the relative ease in changes in curricula and organization of instructional materials. Carden Conservatory teachers are able to make adjustments to accommodate each student’s learning level ensuring that each child is given material that is challenging yet not discouraging.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
The small size of Carden Conservatory does not inhibit personal interaction. Rather, it ENCOURAGES it. The strong support from parents and the closer working relationships among the school’s staff leads to easy acceptance of new ideas as well as foster a strong sense of identification and belonging.
Students are at the center of Carden Conservatory’s world. Since any potential problem with the student is addressed before it becomes a disciplinary issue, most of the school day is spent learning.
