at one or more grade levels above the same aged peers in either public or private school.
In addition, Rudner (1999) observed that the achievement tests of these students were typically in the 70th to 80th percentile. No achievement differences were found for gender but there were a number of differences among these students in terms of amount of money spent on education, family income, and parent education. This study appears to establish that home-schooling produces greater achievement than public school.
However, Rudner (1999) does warn that there are limitations associated with his findings. First, the study lacked random assignment to conditions (public school vs. home school). Second, there are a host of variables that distinguish public education from home-schooling, any one of which may be responsible for the findings, e.g., class size, the fact that parents who home-school tend to be more heavily involved with their children than most parents, the ease with which home-schoolers can adapt the curriculum, etc.
The Waldorf School System is yet another alternative education option. Edmunds (1996) states that The Waldorf School System was the outgrowth of the work of Rudolf Steiner who, in 1919, developed a school
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