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Member Facts

The Minnesota Independent School Forum (MISF) is a consortium of 37 private high schools which educate racially, ethnically and economically diverse students across the state.

Data presented below are from the 2004 Statewide Census of Private Education, or SCOPE survey, administered and created by MISF.

Students: diverse, accomplished and college-bound.

• 13% of attendees are students of color.
• 3% of students in member schools have special education needs.
• Among the 17 member schools which collect this data, 13% of students are eligible for free or reduced price meals.
• 70% of students participate in interscholastic sports.
• 99% of students graduate from MISF high schools based on the formula used by the Minnesota Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics.
• 95% of graduates go on to post-secondary education (two- or four-year college, vocational-technical school or the military) with the majority (81%) going to a four-year college or university.
• Students of color who graduate from an MISF school continue their education at a slightly higher rate than their peers: 96% of graduates of color go on to post-secondary education with 85% going on to a four-year college or university.
• Nearly all students who enter a member high school will graduate from the same school (88% of the Class of 2004 began at the same high school in Grade 9). The top reasons that students transferred out were: family relocation (4%), student counseled out because of lack of academic progress (4%), inability of the family to pay tuition (3%), expulsion (1%) and <1% of students dropped out of high school.
• Of the graduates who took the ACT test, the average score is 23.7 with the highest average per school of 25.9. The overall average score for Minnesota (public and private) is 22.2.
• Of the graduates who took the SAT test, the average score is 603 for the Verbal portion and 601 for the Math portion. The highest average scores per school were 686 for Verbal and 680 for Math. This is compared to the Minnesota average of 588 for the Verbal portion and 594 for the Math portion.

Schools: educating students for life.

• Member schools offer a range of programs, including gifted and talented, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Post Secondary Enrollment Option and others that prepare students for college.
• Schools are committed to providing financial aid to students from limited financial means. Over $12,000,000 in financial aid was raised and distributed by member schools in 2004-2005.
• Tuition for 2004-2005 averaged $6,915 for grades 9-12 among member high schools.

Faculty and Staff: caring, dedicated and qualified.

• 1:14 is the teacher-to-student ratio in member schools.*
• 44% of teachers in member schools have a master’s degree or higher.
• Although not required of private or independent school teachers, the majority are licensed. 78% of teachers in member schools have valid Minnesota Teaching Licenses while another 4% are licensed by another state or education institution.
• 94% of teaching specialists in member schools have valid Minnesota Teaching Licenses.
• 86% of counselors in member schools have a master’s degree or higher.
• 79% of administrators in member schools have a master’s degree or higher.
• 57% of staff have been in education for over 10 years.

*National Center for Education Statistics data for 2002.