1. Why Should I Choose Champion Christian School?
Many people wonder what is behind the Christian school movement. They are under the mistaken impression that having a Christian family and sending students to a good secular government school will be just fine. We now know from research that is not true. We believe parents who are ready to re-think their old assumptions about education, or parents who have a good understanding about Christian education should have answers to be able to make important decisions about the education of their children. At CCS we want to provide those resources that help people think about what is important about their children's education. The links and information below are an attempt to look candidly at some of the heart and soul of why Champion Christian School exists and some common questions parents ask about education. Please click on any of the following links to find helpful resources involved in enrolling children in Champion Christian School.
We also love to talk to people about these kinds of questions! Call us (724-593-9200 or 724-455-212), or email us at info@champion.org with CCS in the subject heading. There are many complex and confusing issues for parents in today's culture. Let us interact with you in ways that are helpful to you!
D. Merle Skinner, Administrator
2. Do your teachers have appropriate credentials?
At CCS, our teachers are required to not only have at least a bachelor's degree, but they all are required to have either a public or private academic teaching certificate in the state of PA. We also require our faculty members to obtain ACSI certification which requires additional continuing education in both professional and biblical studies. All of our staff are practicing lifelong learners! They are not just "allowed" to bring God into the classroom, but they actively integrate and challenge themselves and the students to understand God's perspective on current issues, relevant topics, and much more. We are actively engaged in understanding spiritual formation as well as education!
Christian School Comment: Spiritual Formation, Parenting, and Christian Schools by ACSI
3. Are the kids at CCS all "preppy" kids or kids that couldn't make it in other schools?
It is interesting how people perceive Christian school students. For the most part, our population at CCS reflects a similar socioeconomic background of the communities we serve. We have families that are affluent and those that qualify for the Federal free and reduced lunch program. There are students at CCS with learning disabilities, students who just like all of us have things they are great at and things they are working on, and students who are gifted. Our goals are that Champion Christian School would be a place where God can work on every student, and that each of the students would be trained to become everything that God has designed and desired them to be.
4. How do students achieve academically at CCS?
Student achievement is a complicated thing, but the short answer is in two important parts. When we measure our overall student achievement, our students achievement scores are significantly above national norms. That is really not the most important part of the picture however. We also measure our students' achievement in comparison to other students of their same ability. When we do that, we find something we are very proud of; that two-thirds of our students score in the upper third achievement tier for students of their same ability! That means that they are learning well. That is important for us to examine. We also need to recognize that schools have a great deal of impact on students performance, but so do things like families, environment, etc. When we look at all of those issues, we are very excited about how our students are turning out in terms of being ready to face the academic challenges of post high school education and life. Finally, we hear from our alumni all of the time that when they find themselves in college and training situations they are surprised at how their school experiences from CCS have prepared them for what they are doing. They are our biggest compliment about what God is doing here!
5. If my local pubic school is a good school, why should I send my child to CCS?
There are lots of reasons to follow up with asking that question, but the most significant has to do with World View. In the links below you will find more detailed information regarding this question, but we have to remember a couple overarching principles:
a. The Secular world is not the real world if you believe there is a God who is directing your life. Read more in these links. ~ Why Christian Education? written by Dr. Skinner ~ Why Christian Education? What are the Issues with Secular Education? ~ Christian Education and the Postmodern Society ~ Why is the Christian in Christian Education so Important?
b. Christian students and Christian teachers cannot BE Christian in a secular school. Christian students and Christian teachers in secular schools now operate in a hostile environment that -- at best -- ignores God's existence and His ongoing work in the world. Champion Christian School provides an opportunity to teach and learn in a Christ-centered community Integration is a huge part of learning to live out our Christian faith. If our only goal is to try to keep from losing our faith, or hoping that we might get a small chance to witness to someone, that is not growing in our understanding of the complex and wonderful truths about science, history, religion, sociology, math, and the rest of the subjects that students need to learn about. You become what you experience in many ways. Our staff and faculty struggle to integrate Christian principles in everyday learning 30 + hours a week, and we are always saying we don't have enough time. Settling for secular education is a little like saying I don't need to go to church to be a Christian. It is true, but it is a constant challenge to figure out what is being left out. Learning about an unimaginably immense God designed world that includes information from nanoseconds to Triceratops is hard enough with every Christian resource at your fingertips, let alone handicapping ourselves by saying we can't talk about the Designer in the process.
~ What is the problem with Christian children involved in Secular Education? ~ Christian School Comments: Does Worldview Matter?
6. What is the overall Educational Quality of CCS and private schools? ~ Private School? Public School? Students Do Better in Private Schools, Researchers Find ~ What about a Quality Education? ** Check out question #4 about student achievement at CCS, and look at some of those interesting articles to find out more.
7. Why should I pay tuition for Christian schools when public schools are free? It is an interesting thing, but I have NEVER heard a parent come back at the end of an education and say they wished they had not spent the money. The reverse has definitely been true. Finances are a great way to invest in Kingdom principles. See more by reading the article below:
Is it Worth It? An article by ACSI Past President, Ken Smitherman
8. How do Christian school students compare to students in Catholic, public, and home schools? Notre Dame has been conducting ongoing research (Cardus Education Survey) that procides in depth comparisons on students in these schools. "The Cardus Education Servey was launched believeing that once we've measured the results of Christian education, we'll be able to both improve it, for those who come down this road after us; AND we'll be able to defend it, to a general public that may become less and less convinced of the worth of what we're doing." "Through its ongoing research, consolidation of religion school research data, development of practical tools for individual schools, and its focus on making sound, research-driven policy arguments, Cardus will build on the success of the Cardus Education Surveys with this innovative continuing project."
~ Cardus Education Survey results ~ How ACSI responded to Cardus ~ Purchase the entire study by visiting the CES website