North Pacific Union educators and administrators were recently given a preliminary report on a major study of 30,000 students in Adventist schools across North America. As a part of a three-year study of grades 3 through 9 and 11, the students were tested in the fall of 2006. The study was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Robert Cruise, La Sierra University statistician.
The results of the study are impressive.
The students ranked 1/4 to 3/4 grade above expected levels across the North American Division*
Science and reading were the highest areas
All areas were over the 50 percent level including math computation
The average was 60 to 65 percentile rank
Achievement was very similar despite the size of school, number of students per teacher or per grade
Preliminary findings indicate NPUC students rank very high
These results contradict the fallacy that Adventist education is academically inferior to the often larger or better-funded public schools. Truly this is a testament to the dedication and ability of our Adventist educators.
But There Is So Much More ...
These dramatic findings can be added to what we have already known.
Students in Adventist schools are generally safer physically
Adventist schools are more free of drugs
Curriculums are Bible-based with a distinctly Adventist Great Controversy perspective, particularly in the area of science and creation
The more years a student attends an Adventist school the more likely he is to stay active in the church
Virtually all church leaders were educated in the Adventist school system
When you add up all of the above factors, having our young people in Adventist schools seems like an obvious choice.
We do know that even the best of Adventist education is not a guarantee that all of our young people will be successful or will decide to follow the Lord. They have the free choice to choose redemption or eternal loss. But as a parent I wanted to give our children the best chance at success, academically, socially and most importantly, spiritually.
Ellen G. White, inspired by God, was a great motivator behind the establishment of our philosophy of Adventist education. This vision has grown to be the largest Protestant educational system in the world. She wrote in the classic book Education, "In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one…."
That is the goal of Adventist education. It sounds like we have just received additional proof that we are at least partially making this a reality.
*Based on ITBS, ITED Achievement and CoGat Ability tests
