Our Academics

We believe that each student is of infinite value as an exclusively created child of God with strengths to be developed for their designed purpose.

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The overarching ideal is personalized education where students enjoy “voice and choice” in their academic lives and where the teacher focuses the learning on the student’s strengths, needs, and interests. Standards-based teaching and learning provides the framework or structure to guide this focus, and works well with other conference initiatives such as PBL and STEM.

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Standards-based Education

What is standards-based teaching, learning, & grading?
Standards-based education is outcome-based, meaning that instructional efforts are focused on specific and clearly defined measurable, observable outcomes or goals that the student must know and be able to do. The use of standards is more rigorous, consistent, and transparent.

While the teacher does engage in direct instruction, more often a standards-based classroom is immersed in learning strategies that help students engage in critical thinking and are self-directed opportunities for learning. A standards-based classroom collects formative assessments, quick peeks into learning that guide both the teacher and the student. The focus is what the student knows and is able to do, and there are multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning.  

A proficiency scale is a table used by teachers and students that helps determine a student’s level of progress on a particular standard. Each scale carefully outlines everything students need to know from foundational to advanced skills and uses a 4.0-point system where a score of 3.0 indicates proficiency. Teachers will use a proficiency scale for every learning goal/standard. Proficiency scales help students become active participants in their learning by allowing them to have a deeper understanding of what it is they should know and be able to do and providing the clarity that allows students to take ownership of their learning.

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Multi-Grade Classrooms

Our JCS teachers have many years of experience and we believe that they are capable of teaching in this manner.  There has been doctorate work done with scientific research on the positive aspects of two grade levels within a classroom.  Here are some of the benefits of a multi-grade classroom:

• Pedagogical tool for promoting independence

• Needs of students often more individualized

• Better learning outcomes for students

• Students are able to move at their own pace in some circumstances

• No significant differences in cognitive or achievement effects for students in single or multi-grade classrooms

• Positive effects of peer learning and peer tutoring assists in embedding their own knowledge

• Some research has shown that children in multi-grades tend to be more positive

• Students develop a higher sense of self-esteem about their academics

• Students have greater opportunity to take leadership roles

JCS is a great place for children to learn, play, enjoy nature and grow in Christ. You are invited to come tour our facility and meet our staff.