Academics
Faith-Based Education
We come alongside parents to offer education that is shaped by Christian faith. We believe that creation is the work of God, that our world has fallen into sin, and that redemption is possible only through the gracious work of Christ. The world rightfully belongs to God, and he calls Christian people to the privilege and responsibility of redeeming all of life for him.
Because of these foundational beliefs, Pella Christian High School affirms that every aspect of education belongs to God. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord over all of life. That's why we are committed to weaving Biblical truth into the fabric of all academic courses and extracurricular activities.
In keeping with Jesus' teaching (John 17:13-19), we are called to be active in this world, and yet not completely at home in it. That's why we want our children to question current culture and values. We want to do more than prepare our students to make a difference-we want to prepare them to go out and change the world for Christ.
This lofty goal is one we share with the community of Christian believers. Christian parents entrust their children to Christian educators who, in turn, work closely with Christian congregations and other Christian supporters. None of us stands alone-God works in and through the church, the home, and the school.
Courses
Test Scores
Academic excellence is an integral part of Christian education. Excellence in our work is required since students and teachers are ultimately called by God to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to His glory. The standardized test scores of our students attest to academic excellence.
ACT
Here the average ACT scores for the past few years. These are composite score averages for all of the students from PCHS that took the ACT in that year.
| PC | Iowa | National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | 24.7 | 23 | 22 |
| 2000-01 | 24.8 | 22.9 | 21.9 |
| 2001-02 | 23.9 | 19.9 | 19.2 |
| 2002-03 | 25.0 | 22 | 20.9 |
| 2003-04 | 24.5 | 22 | 20.9 |
| 2004-05 | 24.2 | 22 | 20.9 |
Iowa Tests of Educational Development(ITED)
State and National Comparison
Comparison of the percentage of 11th grade students at Pella Christian High School who are proficient in reading, math, and science with state and national data for the 2003-04 school year:
| Reading | Math | Science | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pella Christian High School | 96.2% | 96.2% | 93.6% |
| Iowa | 76.8% | 78.5% | 79.0% |
| National | 60.0% | 60.0% | 60.0% |
ITED Trend Data
Percentage of 11th grade students proficient in Reading, Math, and Science over the past four years, and disaggregated by gender.
| Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-2002 (n=70) | |||
| Reading Math Science |
92.9% 97.1% 97.1% |
93.8% 93.7% 96.9% |
92.1% 100% 97.4% |
| 2002-2003 (n-68) | |||
| Reading Math Science |
95.5% 92.7% 95.6% |
92.5% 92.5% 92.5% |
97.6% 92.8% 97.5% |
| 2003-2004 (n=72) | |||
| Reading Math Science |
95.9% 98.6% 95.8% |
94.8% 97.4% 92.3% |
97.0% 100% 100% |
| 2004-2005 (n=76) | |||
| Reading Math Science |
96.2% 96.2% 93.6% |
94.5% 97.2% 89.1% |
97.5% 95.0% 97.5% |
GRADE 9 to 11 ITEDs COMPARISON
Last year's junior class was the first class that took the ITEDs as freshmen (fall of 02) and then again as juniors (fall of 04). Our purpose in that was to determine if there was growth or improvement in their scores (as a class) between those two years as a result of our curriculum and instruction. We deemed this to be more valuable to us as a school than comparing one junior class with the next.
Here are the results for the class of 2006, this year's seniors:
| Low | Med. | High | Proficient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade Reading: 11th grade Reading: |
1.3% 3.9% |
73.3% 68.9% |
25.3% 27.3% |
98.6% 96.2% |
| 9th grade Math: 11th grade Math: |
5.3% 3.9% |
58.6% 59.8% |
36.1% 36.4% |
94.7% 96.2% |
| 9th grade Science: 11th grade Science: |
6.6% 6.5% |
72.1% 45.5% |
21.3% 48.1% |
93.4% 93.6% |
All three areas saw an increase in the percentage of students in the High category, particularly science. Keep in mind that some scores may be slightly affected by transfer students, those who were here as juniors but not as freshmen.
Students at Pella Christian are offered any kind of assistance needed, from academics to finding the right college in the Resource Room.