— Jewish communal high schools surpass those under congregational auspices in student enrollment and retention, diversity of curriculum, frequency of days of instruction and qualifications of teachers and principals, according to a study released by the American Association for Jewish Education (AAJE).
Arthur Brody, president of the AAJE, said the study– which surveyed 163 Jewish supplementary (non-day) high schools in 105 American and Canadian cities– “demonstrates conclusively that the average communal high school is capable of providing a better and more cost-effective Jewish education that its congregational counterpart.”
Moreover, Brody said the study “reinforces the AAJE’s long-held contention that many small or financially pressed congregational high schools can improve the quality and efficiency of their operations by merging into larger intercongregational units or into communitywide and communally sponsored institutions.”
OUTLINE OF SOME OF THE FINDINGS
Among its findings are:
Enrollment: Averoge enrollment in responding communal high schools was 130 students, nearly 78% higher than the average enrollment of 73 students in congregational high schools.
Retention: Eleventh and 12th grade students in communal high schools comprised 29.6% of those schools’ total enrollment, more than two and one-half times their representation of 11.8% in congregational high schools.
Curriculum: A higher proportion of communal than congregational high schools offered courses in Hebrew (90.5% to 38.1%), Jewish history (90.5% to 47.1%), Bible (95.2% to 65.3%), Israel (61.9% to 24.8%), Jewish life and observances (66.7% to 40.5%), Talmud (45.2% to 10.7%), Jewish literature (45.2% to 11.6%), philosophy (50.0% to 20.7%), the Holocaust (42.9% to 31.4%) and contemporary Jewish problems and social issues (100% to 46.3%).
Days of Instruction: Nearly 71% of the students in communal high schools attended classes two or three days a week, compared to 28.6% of the students in congregational high schools.
Qualifications of Teachers: Teachers in communal high schools exceeded those in congregational high schools in the attainment of diplomas in Jewish education (39.3% to 26.8%), diplomas in general education (39.3% to 31.6%), degrees in Jewish education (53.2% to 28.5%) degrees in general education (67.1% to 63.9%) and licensees as Hebrew school teachers (37.7% to 27.5%).
Qualifications of Principals: Principals in communal high schools exceeded those in congregational high schools in the attainment of licenses as Hebrew school principals (36.6% to 21.0%), licenses as Hebrew school teachers (56.1% to 24.6%), master’s degrees in general education (75.6% to 62.2%) and doctoral degrees in general education (34.1% to 15.1%).
The study was conducted by Dr. George Pollak, director of the AAJE’s Department of Community Services, Information and Studies, and Dr. Gerhard Lang, consultant to the Department.
Tomorrow: Part Two
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
