Sacred Heart Elementary has two reasons this spring to celebrate - its ISTEP scores and its accreditation.

In total battery scores for ISTEP, the statewide testing program for third- and sixth-graders, Sacred Heart ranked No. 1 in the Warsaw area for the 1997-98 school year.

Why did a private school do better than public schools on the standardized tests? Sacred Heart principal Cheryl Zale believes it is the degree of parental involvement.

"I personally attribute it just to students having good parental support," she said. "We have an excellent teaching program too, ... but you get a bigger percentage of (parent) backing in a private school than in a public school."

Sacred Heart has an enrollment of 215 in preschool through grade six; Zale said class size averages about 23 students per class, which is close to the average in public schools.

Tuition is $1,100 per year per student for a family that belongs to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and $2,400 without church membership, Zale said. The school does not receive state funding for tuition, books or salaries, and only minimal federal funding for special programs, such as those involving drug awareness.

Zale said parents of Sacred Heart students not only support their children but also the teachers, and reinforce some of the skills - such as study and organizational skills - that are taught at the school.

"All students can't be straight-A students, but the secret to success is self-discipline," she said.

She said Sacred Heart students traditionally go on to do well in middle school in academics, sports and leadership roles.

The school also received a five-year accreditation from the Indiana Department of Education, which is the highest accreditation status a school can receive. [[In-content Ad]]