Educated Citizens with Moral Compass

Derek Keenan, Vice President, Academic Affairs, ACSI

One of the significant stories, though often untold and unreported, about Christian school education is the contribution that it provides to the greater public good. Every society that intends to be characterized by freedom, justice, and a widespread common weal values an educated citizenry. It is in this arena that Christian schools contribute much to the societies in which they operate. In many places in the world, the only education system for many families is Christian school education. ACSI schools, families, teachers, and individual classes sponsor Christian education for students in the third world who would otherwise have no opportunity for any formal education whatsoever.

Christian schools in the United States and Canada enroll 750,000 students, and each of these students represents a commitment by a family to invest in the lives of their children for a distinctive, faith-integrated education. In the main, these families are hardworking middle class parents who pay tuition in addition to their taxes for public schools. In the United States, the government-funded schools allocate, on average, $8,323 for every student enrolled. This figure does not include the twenty-six billion dollars spent on new facilities for these students (National School Boards Association 2003). Christian schooling and the families who support it contribute to the public good by removing from the government education system the multiplied billions that it would cost to provide facilities, teachers, and educational materials for these three quarter of a million students who attend Christian schools.

A legitimate question is whether Christian schools do in fact provide educated citizens to the society. Do Christian schools educate in a way that has a positive impact on society and the culture? One significant measure of achievement that provides a ready comparison with education at large in America is the standardized achievement test. In ACSI member schools, about 300,000 students participate annually in taking Harcourt Assessment Incorporated’s Stanford 10 achievement tests. For over 15 years, this cooperative program has been providing data on the performance of students in Christian schools.

One reasonable question that Christian schools often face about their academic performance is whether it is reflective of a selective admissions policy or whether these schools take average students and accomplish above-average achievement. It would appear that ACSI students are in the slightly above-average category in ability. About 150,000 ACSI students take the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) in addition to the Stanford 10. The OLSAT assesses the ability of students in regard to academic work, and the resulting score is the School Ability Index (SAI). The average national SAI is 100 with a standard deviation of 16, meaning that scores from 84 to 116 are considered in the normal range. Figure 1 on page 27 notes the SAI levels in various grades.

*This same group in 2003 had an SAI of 110, and grade 11 includes a significantly smaller population of students taking the OLSAT. The smaller the group, the more vulnerable the statistics are to being skewed.

The SAI can be compared with the actual achievement of each student or group of students. More significant than a particular SAI is the determination of whether students are in fact achieving below, at level, or above what other students of the same ability are achieving on the various subtests. This score is called the Achievement Ability Comparison (AAC). For example, in the 9th grade, 57 percent of the students are in the middle level on total reading, and 33 percent are in the high level.

In the critical area of reading, Christian schools continue to provide a high degree of literacy to their students. This skill, which is foundational to all future education and vocation, is being well taught and learned in Christian schools. A high degree of literacy is the expectation that every school—public or private—should have for its students.

*Stanine means standard of nine, with 5 being the midpoint. Stanines of 4, 5, and 6 are considered average.
**National standardized tests are always normed to have a national standard of 50th percentile and a stanine of 5.

Christian school educators should not only be encouraged about most of our reading results but also see the results as the reasonable expectation of every tuition-paying parent. But to a larger degree, this success in teaching students to read means that Christian schools are preparing students for a life of contribution to society.

In the outline that ACSI uses called the Essential Elements of a Christian School, one of the elements is called Potential in Christ. It speaks to the importance of preparing students for the full expression of their personhood in Christ, and that preparation includes developing them to be thoughtful and academically skilled people. Reading is crucial to the development of this potential. The critical skill within reading is reading comprehension. ACSI schools have a very small percentage of below-average readers across the grade levels. While we do not have data at this time on the number of years that these students have been attending Christian schools, the 2004 test cluster report indicates that becoming part of the above-average category in reading comprehension happens over time.

Again, while this report is encouraging, within the category there are areas in which there is a greater percentage of students in the below-average category. The three areas are critical thinking and initial understanding, which are process skills, and informational reading, which is a content skill.

One of the most important contributions that Christian schools can make to society is not only an educated citizen but one with a moral compass. As biblical theists, we have a moral and an ethical foundation that is based on and framed by the Scriptures. It is the task of the Christian school to ground, frame, mold, and shape students to have a biblical worldview. The accomplishment of this task is what prepares students for living as a person of faith beyond the school grounds and after graduation. The Stanford 10 with the Bible Subtest (Form C), which is unique to ACSI, has indicated the achievement of students in the subject area of Bible. For each area of success, there were some noted subcategories of weakness. These results should stir a dialogue in schools and across the Christian school movement about this important subject and its implications for developing students whose worldview and pattern of conduct reflect a person of faith.

* Performance standards are criterion-referenced scores. Bible educators evaluated each question and assigned cut scores to determine the performance level of the students. (Norm-referenced scores compare a student with another group [norm group] of students.)

Christian schools make significant contributions to the public good. They clearly provide a great economic benefit to the taxpayers by alleviating space and staffing pressures on government education. Christian schools also provide well-educated citizens who enter the public arena with sound academic skills and a framework for moral living. We recognize that many of these students in schools from preschool to higher education have not borne the full fruit of the investment that parents and schools have made in their Christian education. This is the hard part of being an educator—it takes time for many students to accept and build on the foundations of their belief structure.

Christian schools can become increasingly noted for preparing students to take on the realities of postmodernism with a thoughtful and studied approach and for equipping students to live out a winsome and passionate faith.

When we contemplate the challenges of the twentyfirst century, we as Christian educators can see that we have a strong heritage of making a significant contribution and we have a monumental opportunity before us. From the data, we have discovered areas of accomplishment and success, but we have much room for making a greater contribution to society and the kingdom. In order to make the most of what is before us, each Christian school must become characterized as a fully formed model of high-functioning effectiveness. Christian schools can become increasingly noted for preparing students to take on the realities of postmodernism with a thoughtful and studied approach and for equipping students to live out a winsome and passionate faith. In accepting the responsibility to be this kind of school, we will contribute to our rich heritage and add an exciting chapter to the great story of Christian schooling.

Reference

National School Boards Association. 2003. Education vital signs: U.S. schools in facts and figures. Special report, American School Board Journal (February): 27–31.

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