Covenant Christian Academy (CCA) surpassed both local and national averages on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) scores for 2006-2007. CCA administered the ITBS to students in grades K-7th in April. Effingham County public schools administered the test to students in grades 3, 5, and 8 in October 2006. Core subjects tested include reading, math and language arts. The summary of scores by grade level and average national percentile rank is as follows:
Grade: CCA rank
Kindergarten 93
1st grade 97
2nd grade 89
3rd grade 84
4th grade 94
5th grade 91
6th grade 80
7th grade 77
For example, fifth grade students at CCA scored equal to or better than 91 percent of all other fifth grade students who participated in the ITBS nationwide. By comparison, Effingham County Public School students scored equal to or better than 65 percent of fifth grade students who participated in the ITBS nationwide. Students at Covenant Christian Academy have consistently scored higher than their local and national counterparts since the school started two years ago.
Headmaster Martin Wilkins stated, “God has blessed us with an excellent staff, hard-working students and parents, and a great classical Christian curriculum. Our teachers do not ‘teach to the test’ during the year. We teach our curriculum throughout the year and add in some test-prep skill practice a couple of days before the test. This way we have a clear indication of our curriculum’s effectiveness. By using the classical Christian model that focuses on both academic and spiritual development, we can take average students and help them to become excellent students. In the same manner, we can take excellent students to a whole new level.”
Covenant Christian Academy is a growing, classical Christian school and has recently relocated to the campus of Life Baptist Church at 1541 Highway 21 South, Springfield, just four miles north of Rincon. CCA is now enrolling for pre-K through 8th grade with plans to add a grade each year through 12th grade. Student/teacher ratio is low, so space is limited. For more information, please call 754-1511 or visit the school Web site at www.ccaeffingham.com. Open house will be held Thursday at 7 p.m.
