outcomes of christian education dr. patty leblanc southeastern university

Outcomes of Christian Education

Dr. Patty LeBlanc

Southeastern University

Agenda

• Overview of Cardus Research and Findings

• Exploration of Implications of Findings for Christian School Educators

Funding • Cardus, a Christian think tank [ www.cardus.ca ] in Canada• Part of a larger study of outcomes of Christian education

– Redeemer College> coordination – Notre Dame University> stakeholder survey– Boston University> social outcomes, especially race

relations– Trinity Western University> cultural engagement

outcomes– Covenant College > Christian school leaders– SEU > spiritual formation outcomes

http://www.cardus.ca/

Research Focus

• Spiritual Formation– faith that shapes life’s decisions

• Cultural and Community Engagement– public participation that influences culture

• Academic Development – academic excellence that empowers

leadership

National Survey Findings• University of Notre

Dame survey of teachers, administrators, parents, alumni, and students of public and private Christian schools in the US and Canada.

• Report can be downloaded free at http://www.cardus.ca/research/education/

http://www.cardus.ca/research/education/



CES: General Findings• Christian school graduates are ideal church

members, who…– Form stable families– Give generously– Serve actively as volunteers in and through their

churches– In other words, solid ‘salt of the earth’ citizens

• However… they are NOT ‘world changers’– Most are not politically or culturally engaged, nor are

they‘at war with culture’

• Two key questions worth considering…– Is our focus on the family skewing our message and

undermining our active engagement outside our own walls?

– Are we actually teaching compliance with a certain set of rules based on avoiding misbehavior?

Copyright 2011 by Cardus – used with permission

More General Findings…• Christian school graduates…

– Are hopeful and optimistic about their lives and their futures

– Have the tools to engage in relationships and for problem-solving

– Are more thankful than their public school peers– Have a greater sense of direction in their lives

• However, there are other findings worth exploring…– Catholic and non-religious school graduates complete

more years of education, and are more likely to attend ‘elite’ colleges

• Should Christian schools be aiming higher?– How can we nurture both faith and intellect?– How can we both contribute to, and shape, culture?


Academic Development –

National Results• Christian school graduates…• Feel better prepared for college than graduates of

other schools• Are four times as likely to attend a Protestant

Christian university than a non-religious university

• On the other hand, they…• Have fewer Advanced Placement courses available

to them• Achieve lower SAT scores• Are less likely to gain admission to high-ranking

colleges• Attend less selective (and perhaps less demanding)

colleges• Complete fewer years of education and advanced

degreesCopyright 2011 by Cardus – used with permission

Academic Development – National Results (cont’d)

• This raises important questions…– Do parents choose Christian schools more for their

focus on faith development than academic excellence?– Are Christian schools watering down their academic

programs in order to focus more on faith development?

– Are Christian schools offering a rigorous enough curriculum, particularly in terms of preparing graduates for college?

– Should Christian schools be promoting selective, high-ranking colleges outside the religious sphere?

– Realistically, can Christian schools achieve excellence in all three domains: spiritual formation, cultural engagement and academic development, and do so in an integrated way?


Spiritual Formation – National Results• Christian school graduates…

– Are more committed to the church– Practice spiritual disciplines more frequently– Give generously and feel obligated to tithe– Volunteer actively within the church– Follow the teachings of the church to a greater

extent– Revere the church and its authority– Attend church more regularly– Believe that morality is unchanging and absolute– Believe the Bible is infallible– Believe that Jesus Christ if the only way to salvation– Rarely doubt their faith


Cultural Engagement – National Results• Christian school graduates…

– See themselves as well prepared to ‘meet the world’• Having a strong sense of direction in their lives• Confident in their ability to navigate life’s challenges• Hopeful of the future• Able to turn to God and Scripture to make decisions• Grateful for what they have (even when having lower

income)• Prepared well to engage in meaningful relationships• Willing and able to develop interracial relationships

– Stabilize communities through commitment to family– Serve as volunteers (in and through their churches,

primarily)– Respect and comply with authority


Cultural Engagement – National Results (cont’d)• On the other hand, Christian school graduates…

– Are generally not culturally engaged in ways that would support the ‘world changers’ claim often made by their schools

• Not actively involved in the political sphere• Not in relationships with people of power and influence• Not intellectually engaged with the arts• Not in relationships with more highly-educated people

• This raises important questions…– Are Christian school graduates too compliant and non-

confrontational to be the kind of community leaders who can influence culture or stimulate change?

– Are Christian schools too narrowly focused in this area, and/or ineffective in integrating practical engagement into the curriculum?


How are WE doing?

• If our school completed the survey, what do our results show?

• If our school has not completed the survey, what would we expect the results to show? How do we know this to be true?

• In either case, what does this tell us about how our school is doing in this area?

• http://www.cardus.ca/research/education/compare/


http://www.cardus.ca/research/education/compare/



Canadian Results Summary

(2012)• Stronger families: Graduates of non-government schools are less likely to be divorced or separated. Evangelical Protestant school graduates and religious home school graduates are more likely to have more children.

• More engaged: Graduates of non-government schools participate in more neighbourhood and community groups as well as in arts and culture initiatives. Graduates of independent non-religious schools, especially,

• vote more, volunteer more, and participate in a wider variety of organizations. Non-government graduates are notably more committed to smaller, grassroots movements than they are to larger, more mainstream

• institutions in, for example, politics and the environment.• More generous: Graduates of non-government schools volunteer more

than their public school counterparts, for a variety of causes. Evangelical protestant school graduates, for example, focus more on volunteer opportunities involving faith, family, and neighbour.



Canadian Results [cont.]• More focused on neighbour: Evangelical Protestant school graduates, in

particular, are seeking to contribute to the common good in a culture which makes them feel unwelcome. Although showing comparatively high results in measures relating to life satisfaction, graduates of evangelical Protestant schools and of religious home education report that the dominant culture is hostile to their beliefs and values. Nonetheless, they continue to be engaged with the culture and contribute to it.

• Express their identity through their work: Graduates of independent non-religious schools are more likely to hold higher-status employment positions and they have a wide variety of fulfillment expectations of their job such as for being helpful, creative, worthwhile, and relational. Graduates of Evangelical Protestant schools and of religious homeschooling have a strong sense of vocational calling, seek jobs that fulfill that calling and pay well, but are less rooted occupationally than their non-religious school counterparts.

Canadian Results [cont.]• Educating for employment rather than influence: The post-secondary education results are

bi-modal. For example, the evangelical Protestant school graduate seems more likely to attain only a secondary school or college diploma or, alternatively, to attain a master degree, and the religious home education graduate to attain a secondary school or a college diploma or alternatively to attain a PhD. This suggests that if students in these two sectors do decide to go to university, they pursue education vigorously. It is quite possible that they are concerned about the utility of their degree and only leave when they have attained sufficient employment credentialing. The independent non-religious graduate gives solid evidence of attaining at least a university degree, but also of being more likely to attain the highest levels of degrees as well.

• Non-government schools are, in the perspective of their graduates, a “good brand.” In general, even with fifteen or so years of hindsight, graduates of non-government schools evaluate their school cultures positively, claiming them to be close-knit and expressing a positive regard for teachers, students, and administrators, and reflect that they offered good preparation for post-secondary education as well as for later life. If we would view the graduates as “clients” of non-government schools, the results of the customer satisfaction survey could only be viewed as encouraging to those who are responsible for this sector.

Canadian Results [cont.]• Catholic Schools, for almost every measure including religious, produce

similar results to graduates of public schools. Whereas evangelical Protestant schools and religious home education graduates reflect attributes of religious conviction, spiritual formation, and practices that one would expect of those who are religiously motivated (with schooling effects having contributed positively to those results), graduates of separate Catholic schools appear almost identical to those of public schools in every measure.

• Independent non-religious schools may provide “best practice” models for producing civically engaged graduates. Although all of the non-government schooling models match or exceed the government school graduates in the various measures of civic engagement, many of which are included in the provincially defined purposes of education, the independent non-religious schools stand out in several of these measures and may provide opportunity for best-practice learning.

Southeastern University • Lakeland, Florida • ~3000 undergraduate and

graduate students in fall 2009• Christian, Pentecostal university

affiliated with the Assemblies of God

• Approximately half of the students come from Christian high schools or home schools, primarily in Florida, but also world-wide

• 25% of student population is minority

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research study was to – examine the role that private Christian education

at the K-12 level plays in furthering the academic and spiritual formation of its graduates;

– provide a better understanding of how Christian education influences its graduates’ academic achievement and spiritual formation;

– Inform Christian educators as to ways they can better prepare young people to live out God’s call on their lives and to serve Christ with distinction.

Research Phases

I. Online student survey of recent high school graduates [within 4 years] from both public and private Christian schools n=183

II. Face to face interviews with recent high school graduates from both public and private Christian schools n=127

SEU Findings—Phase I Survey--

Academics• Most students graduated from high schools with college

preparatory curricula• Most students felt that they were adequately prepared for

college level work by their high schools, with the exception of preparation for amount of reading required– However, the faculty feel that most undergraduates are

overestimating their preparation, especially with regard to quality writing, mathematics, and critical thinking.

• Ninety-two percent of the students responded very true or mostly true to the statement that they take their studies seriously and make classes a priority.

Public Schools• More frequent physical and verbal bullying

– However, 50% of Christian school grads reported occasional verbal bullying

• More frequent incidences of cheating and plagiarism, as well as students disrespecting teachers and students disrespecting students

• More frequent incidences of alcohol and drug use and teen pregnancy

• Differences in school problems at public schools compared to Christian schools were statistically significant (p<.001) except for plagiarism.

Influence of High School on Academics

• One third of the students, regardless of school type, reported that their high school experiences were very influential when asked to rate whether or not they take academics and class work seriously; 31% responded that high school was moderately influential on this same statement.

Engaging Culture

• Among all students, 70% responded “very true” to the item related to appreciating the multicultural nature of the university.

• Ninety-four percent of the students indicated that respecting the beliefs of others was very true or mostly true for them.

• Ninety-five percent of the respondents reported very true or mostly true to the statement related to being able to think critically regarding critical social issues.

Spiritual Formation• Regardless of school type, the majority of this sample of

recent high school graduates report that they:– Are able to worship God in a variety of ways; – regularly express gratitude to God;– feel loved by God; – have a strong desire to know God; – enjoy helping others.

• Ninety percent of the students responded very true or mostly true when asked if they were able to help people in need without judging them.

• Seventy-six percent of the students

responded very true or mostly true to the statement that they regularly spend time in God’s Word and in prayer.

• Eighty-one percent of the students reported that they were able to share their faith with others.

• 96% reported that they were able to defend their faith respectfully.

Influence of High School on Spiritual

Formation• Fifty-three percent of the respondents indicated that their high school experience had NO influence on their ability to consistently integrate their faith with their education.

• Thinking critically about important social issues was reported as moderately or somewhat influenced by high school for 65% of the respondents.

Survey Comments

• Contrary to the researcher’s predictions, public school graduates reported that high school forced them to learn to defend their faith and to be prepared to address the questions posed by fellow students and teachers who were openly hostile to their faith.

• These results were corroborated by interviews.

Phase II Interviewsn=127

• 80% of the public school grads reported coming from large high schools [more than 1000 students]

• All of the Christian school grads reported coming from small schools [500 students or less]

What did your high school

do well? Public School Private Christian School

Sports 11 % 4 %Extra Curricular Activities 12 % 8 %Academics 24 % 27 %Good Faculty 13 % 21 %Safety 6 %Respect for Others 2 % 2 %Class size 3 % 4 %Administration & Staff 3 %College Prep 13 % 6 %Music/Theatre 10 % 4 %Technology 4 %Spirituality 23 %School Spirit 1 %

What did your high school

do poorly?

Public School

Private Christian School

Sports 16 % 4 %Extra Curricular Activities 4 % 9 %Academics 13 % 11 %Good Faculty 4 % 11 %Safety 6 %

Respect for Others’ Views 10 % 31 %

Class size 3 %

Administration& Staff 11 % 2 %

Cliques 5 % 7 %College Prep 3 % 2 %Music/Theatre 4 %Technology 2 %Involvement with Community 6 % 2 %Facilities 3 % 2 %Discipline 15 % 4 %Real-world exposure 4 %Diversity 2 %

What could schools do to improve?

Public School Private Christian School

Academics 12 % 8 %Better Administration 37 % 25 %Promote Religious Freedom 7 % 28 %Sports 5 % 3 %Safety 4 %More money 2 % 6 %Provide a mentor 8 %Build Community within School 16 % 8 %Improve Technology 3 %Greater emphasis on College Prep 1 %Promote Music/Theatre 6 %Improve Facilities 4 % 3 %Focus on vision 2 % 6 %Listen to the Students 3 %Diversify faculty and students 3 %Real-world exposure 4 %Reduce class size 3 %

How did high school prepare you to live out

your Christian walk? Public School Private Christian School

It Hasn’t 30 % 13 %

Taught me how to share faith with others 14 % 9 %

Taught me how to stand up for my beliefs and values 56 % 9 %

Strengthened my faith 8 % 22 %Prepared me to influence others 7 % 13 %Bible classes 19 %Helped me to interact with different people 12 % 16 %Taught me to resist peer pressure 4 %

Other Findings

• Students who graduated from private Christian schools were significantly better prepared to intellectually defend their faith than students from public schools (p<.01).

• Students in this sample who graduated from public schools reported being significantly better prepared to function in a diverse world than the private Christian school respondents (p<.01).

• Twenty-three percent of the public school interviewees said that their high school helped them discover their spiritual gifts. Forty-two percent of private Christian school students responded “yes” to this item, and 58% responded “no”.

• There were no differences between public and Christian school grads when responding to the question related to high school’s helping them to discover their calling: 53% of Christian school students said “no”.

How did high school influence your spiritual

growth?

Public School

Private Christian School

It Didn’t 17 % 24 %

Taught me how to share faith with others 23 % 18 %

Taught me how to stand up for my beliefs and values 13 % 5 %Taught me to love others regardless of background 9 % 5 %Taught me to understand my own beliefs and those of others 26 % 29 %

Showed me the importance of getting involved 8 % 10 %Reinforced that God is constant 3 % 3 %Taught me to make my own spiritual decisions 1 %Provided a Biblical foundation 5 %

• Both public and private Christian school graduates reported that their high school experience was not the major influence on their spiritual formation, but rather their families, homes, churches, mission opportunities, and youth groups.

• The results of interviews point to the absolutely critical need for strong youth groups to adolescents’ overall spiritual growth, especially those who attend public schools.

• Students who reported strong youth groups described them as those that: – 1) provide Christ-centered teaching vs doctrinal instruction, – 2) give direct instruction in evangelizing, – 3) are action oriented, as defined by direct involvement in real-world

contexts such as missions and social justice issues. • These findings corroborate those of Smith and Denton (2005) in the

National Study of Youth and Religion (p. 265-271).

How can Christian education better support your academic and spiritual

development?

Public Schooln=78

Private Christian Schooln= 26

Apply knowledge to the real world 25 % 12 %Exposure to other belief systems 8 % 15 %Exposure to individuals with different lifestyles 5 % 2 %

More challenging academics 5 %Apply academics to spirituality 5 % 5 %Challenge students to grow spiritually 16 % 10 %Teach how to apply faith 15 % 17 %Devotions/prayer in class 6 % 2 %Not push agendas 2 %Be supportive of all students 1 % 5 %Help students learn how to defend faith 1 %Promote servant leadership 1 %

Summary• As anticipated, students from public high schools reported significantly

higher incidences of school problems; all the school problems studied were significantly different for the two high school types except plagiarism and teachers disrespecting students.

• Parents of private Christian school students will probably be encouraged by significantly fewer problems at Christian schools in this sample, especially for alcohol/drug use, bullying, and teen pregnancy, perennial concerns for most parents.

• However, the non-significant differences found in cheating/plagiarism should promote parent/student discussions about these moral issues.

• Parents of public school students should practice eternal vigilance of their children’s social and emotional welfare as they progress through high school.

Summary [con’t.]• Facilities, sports, school finances, technology, class size, and

extracurricular activities are not high on this group’s list of priorities for improving high school education.

• These are exactly the items that ARE high on the list of most parents, educators, school boards, and legislators.

• Thirty-one percent of private Christian school graduates reported that their schools did a poor job of respecting their views. This finding needs to be probed further through narrative or ethnographic studies.

Resources

• Cardus Phase I Report • Link to LeBlanc and Slaught

er report• [email protected]• pslaughter@andersonunive

rsity.edu


http://leblancspace.wikispaces.com/ACSI+Presentation+on+Outcomes+of+Christian+Education


mailto:[email protected]



References

• Smith, C. & Denton, M.L. (2005). Soul searching: The religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers. NY: Oxford University Press.

Discussion

•How might you use the results of these studies to inform what you do at your school?

Telling the Story of Our Success…• We’re attending the 20-year reunion of our high-school graduating class and telling our collective story…

• Where are we in our faith journey?• Growing spiritually and living out our faith day-by-day…

• How are we engaged in culture and community?• Serving, participating, and addressing important issues…

• What have we achieved academically and vocationally?

• Excelling in learning, working, and leading…


What difference will our graduates make?• Spiritual Formation

• Faith that shapes life decisions…

• Cultural and Community Engagement• Public participation that influences culture…

• Academic Development• Academic excellence that empowers leadership…


A Positive Dialogue About the Future of Our School

Correcting what’s

going wrong

Helping things

go right


Four Stages of Appreciative Inquiry

Discovery“What gives life?”

(The best of what is)Appreciating

Discovery“What gives life?”

(The best of what is)Appreciating

Dream“What might be?”

(What is the world calling for?)Envisioning Results

Dream“What might be?”

(What is the world calling for?)Envisioning Results

Design

“What should be – the ideal?”Co-constructing

Design

“What should be – the ideal?”Co-constructing

Destiny

“How to empower, learn,and adjust/improvise?”

Sustaining

Destiny

“How to empower, learn,and adjust/improvise?”

Sustaining

David Cooperrider 2002Copyright 2011 by Cardus – used with permission

Discovery – Who We Are at Our Best• Where have we come from – what are our roots?

• Why are we here – what difference do we make?

• What about our school is worth celebrating – what makes us most proud?

• What enables us to be effective in fulfilling our mission?

• What most excites us about our future?


Redefining Our Core – Who We Will Become• Spiritual formation priorities…

• Cultural and community engagement priorities…

• Academic development priorities…

• Integration priorities…


Designing for Spiritual Formation in Our School’s Future• What success indicators matter most for our school?

• What can we build on to achieve these objectives?

• How will we know that we are making progress?

• What can we do to help make this a reality?


Delivering on Our Promise: How We Will Move Forward Together

• Who are our key stakeholders and what do they expect, and have to offer?

• Who needs to be at what ‘tables’ for planning and decision-making?

• Who will take the lead in turning our priorities into effective action plans?

• What needs to change? What should we start, stop, continue, or improve?

• What opportunities are there for our key stakeholders to help turn our dreams into reality?

• How will we monitor our progress?


Questions?

Thank You!!!

• http://leblancspace.wikispaces.com/ACSI+Presentation+on+Outcomes+of+Christian+Education





outcomes of christian education dr. patty leblanc southeastern university

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