Moving to the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex? Get your answers and make your buying decisions easy by using our resource guide.
| Education |
Richardson ISD (RISD) is located in northern Dallas County and covers 38.5 square miles. Sixty percent of the district is located in Dallas, 35 percent is in Richardson and 5 percent is in Garland. Four high schools, eight junior high schools, one freshman center, 41 elementary schools and one alternative-learning center serve more than 34,000 students. Student test scores show that the RISD’s overall performance is above state levels for all grade levels in math, reading and writing. Continuing the trend of increasing numbers of high performing schools, 27 RISD schools were rated in the top two categories and more RISD seniors are named as National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists than in most districts in Texas. In the last 25 years, more state honor bands, choirs, and orchestras have been selected from RISD than from any of the remaining 1,050 school districts in Texas.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
In a June 2002 report, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that private school students scored higher on standardized tests, had more demanding graduation requirements and sent more graduates to college than public schools. The report said that students who had completed at least the eighth grade in a private school were twice as likely as other students to graduate from college as a young adult.
NCES statistics also showed that students in private schools are much more likely than others to take advanced-level high school courses. Students thrive when allowed to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Joint reports by the NCES and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and a private study by the Horatio Alger Association have found that private school students are significantly more likely than others to feel safe and be safe in their schools. Visit, www.RelocatingToDFW.org for a complete list of Metroplex private schools.
One notable private institution is the Winston School that admits bright students who learn differently in grades 1 through 12. The process is selective and based on diagnostic testing, a full three-day visit in the classroom or personal interview, and additional information pertaining to a child's academic history. Among high-achieving Catholic schools are Jesuit Preparatory School of Dallas, which is a U.S. Department of Education Recognized School of Excellence and Ursuline Academy, an independent Catholic college preparatory school for young women in grades 9 to 12 and the oldest continuously operating school in Dallas.
Good for Families
Choosing a school for their children is one of the most important decisions parents must make. Whether they move into a school district, apply to a private school, or adjust family duties to make home schooling possible, most families want school choice.
For the parents of more than six million children, the choice is private education. They choose a private education for many reasons, with quality academics, a safe and orderly environment, and moral and ethical values the common reasons cited. And choice makes them satisfied consumers.
The NCES reports that more than three-quarters of private school parents are “very satisfied” with their child’s school compared with less than half of parents whose children were assigned to a public school. Parents often look to private schools as an extension of the home in promoting the values they embrace, and private schools respond. A recent NCES survey found that promoting religious/spiritual life was second only to academic excellence in the goals of private school principals.
Montessori Schools
Montessori is a type of private school which emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching or reading. More and more educators are turning to the child-centered Montessori approach of learning and schools to support this type of learning are popping-up around the country. In the Dallas-Fort Worth region, there are more than 40 Montessori schools to select from. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3 to 6 and 6 to 9, for example), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. According to the Montessori Foundation “Montessori classrooms incorporate art, music, dance, and creative drama throughout the curriculum” and “many are focused on meeting the needs of the working family and others describe themselves as college-preparatory programs.”
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
According to Economy.com, the Dallas-Fort Worth region claims 26 percent of the state’s population, 27 percent of the labor force, 28 percent of all wage and salary jobs and produces 33 percent of the state’s total product as measured by GDP. As a result, the region plays a significant role in educating and training the future workforce. Leading industries in the region benefit from an educated workforce, including those specializing in technology and life-sciences; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; and government. Among the specialty programs students can select are Engineering/Math, Medical/Dental, MIS-Computer Science, Business, Chemistry, Biology/Botany and Physics among others. Currently, there are more than 260,000 full- and part-time students enrolled in local institutions.
— Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University (DBU) was originally founded as Decatur Baptist College in 1898 and was the first two-year institution of higher education in Texas. After moving to Dallas in 1965, DBU has maintained its roots to Decatur and its commitment to a Baptist heritage. Dallas Baptist University sits atop 293 acres on the hills of Southwest Dallas overlooking Mountain Creek Lake. The average class size has 13 students and as of Fall 2009, total University enrollment stood at 5,400 students.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
In a June 2002 report, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that private school students scored higher on standardized tests, had more demanding graduation requirements and sent more graduates to college than public schools. The report said that students who had completed at least the eighth grade in a private school were twice as likely as other students to graduate from college as a young adult.
NCES statistics also showed that students in private schools are much more likely than others to take advanced-level high school courses. Students thrive when allowed to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Joint reports by the NCES and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and a private study by the Horatio Alger Association have found that private school students are significantly more likely than others to feel safe and be safe in their schools. Visit, www.RelocatingToDFW.org for a complete list of Metroplex private schools.
One notable private institution is the Winston School that admits bright students who learn differently in grades 1 through 12. The process is selective and based on diagnostic testing, a full three-day visit in the classroom or personal interview, and additional information pertaining to a child's academic history. Among high-achieving Catholic schools are Jesuit Preparatory School of Dallas, which is a U.S. Department of Education Recognized School of Excellence and Ursuline Academy, an independent Catholic college preparatory school for young women in grades 9 to 12 and the oldest continuously operating school in Dallas.
Good for Families
Choosing a school for their children is one of the most important decisions parents must make. Whether they move into a school district, apply to a private school, or adjust family duties to make home schooling possible, most families want school choice.
For the parents of more than six million children, the choice is private education. They choose a private education for many reasons, with quality academics, a safe and orderly environment, and moral and ethical values the common reasons cited. And choice makes them satisfied consumers.
The NCES reports that more than three-quarters of private school parents are “very satisfied” with their child’s school compared with less than half of parents whose children were assigned to a public school. Parents often look to private schools as an extension of the home in promoting the values they embrace, and private schools respond. A recent NCES survey found that promoting religious/spiritual life was second only to academic excellence in the goals of private school principals.
Montessori Schools
Montessori is a type of private school which emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching or reading. More and more educators are turning to the child-centered Montessori approach of learning and schools to support this type of learning are popping-up around the country. In the Dallas-Fort Worth region, there are more than 40 Montessori schools to select from. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3 to 6 and 6 to 9, for example), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. According to the Montessori Foundation “Montessori classrooms incorporate art, music, dance, and creative drama throughout the curriculum” and “many are focused on meeting the needs of the working family and others describe themselves as college-preparatory programs.”
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
According to Economy.com, the Dallas-Fort Worth region claims 26 percent of the state’s population, 27 percent of the labor force, 28 percent of all wage and salary jobs and produces 33 percent of the state’s total product as measured by GDP. As a result, the region plays a significant role in educating and training the future workforce. Leading industries in the region benefit from an educated workforce, including those specializing in technology and life-sciences; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; and government. Among the specialty programs students can select are Engineering/Math, Medical/Dental, MIS-Computer Science, Business, Chemistry, Biology/Botany and Physics among others. Currently, there are more than 260,000 full- and part-time students enrolled in local institutions.
— Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University (DBU) was originally founded as Decatur Baptist College in 1898 and was the first two-year institution of higher education in Texas. After moving to Dallas in 1965, DBU has maintained its roots to Decatur and its commitment to a Baptist heritage. Dallas Baptist University sits atop 293 acres on the hills of Southwest Dallas overlooking Mountain Creek Lake. The average class size has 13 students and as of Fall 2009, total University enrollment stood at 5,400 students.
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