T I D I N G S OCTOBER 2019
LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY www.lexingtonchristian.org
BRIEF HISTORY OF Oddball Imaging Studio OF SCHOOL HEAD LETTER FROM
MARK D. SISK Greetings LCA Friends & Family, It is a joy to share with you this edition of Tidings. Lexington Christian Academy has continued to progress in the high-quality academics we desire for our students. By most standards of measurement and across nearly every grade level, we have continued ‘raising the bar’ in scholastic achievement. As a covenant school, we will never deviate from our mission to equip and nurture students to fulfill God’s calling on their lives through Christ-centered education. That mandate necessitates that we strive for excellence in every area (including cocurricular activities like arts and athletics). The Lord has faithfully blessed these efforts, especially in the realm of academics.
This summer saw LCA bring on three new leaders in our educational domain: Lisa Bacon, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Dr. Scott Wells, High School Principal, and Terri White, Elementary Principal. God’s hand of providence on our school is once again evident in adding these talented professionals to our team. They have each been groomed with training and experiences that ideally suit them ‘for such a time as this’ at Lexington Christian Academy! The culture of entitlement so pervasive today calls for us to counter that with gratitude. As you read this issue and see the great results God has given us, be sure to thank Him for the difference we are making in this next generation. Grace & Peace!
Mark
Mr. Mark D. Sisk, Head of School
Left to right: Dr. Scott Wells, High School Principal; Lisa Bacon, Director of Curriculum & Instruction; Terri White, Elementary Principal; and Mark Sisk, Head of School Page 02
INTERVIEW WITH
LISA BACON
LCA'S NEW DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION This is the first time Lexington Christian Academy has employed a Director of Curriculum and Instruction (DCI). For those who are not familiar with this role, could you describe the scope and responsibilities of a DCI? The role of DCI encompasses several areas. I provide leadership and vision to the ongoing planning, implementation, direction, review, and evaluation of LCA’s curriculum and instructional practices. It is my responsibility to ensure that the academic objectives in our classrooms are aligned to state and national academic standards to ensure student achievement and instructional excellence. I also oversee Professional Development for faculty and staff, as well as manage the Accreditation process. How does the DCI collaborate with our principals and senior staff? I meet with the three divisional principals on a weekly basis. We work closely together looking at the academic programs in each of their divisions, ensuring there is continuity between the grades and content areas. I am in classrooms and assisting each division with the implementation of curriculum. The Senior staff works closely together on the overall vision and mission of the school. Since joining the school, you updated the school’s curriculum guide. Why is the guide an important resource for families? The Curriculum Guide allows students and families to view the depth and breadth of the full academic, athletic, and fine arts offerings at LCA. It also shows if a course has pre-requisites and it demonstrates the many offerings within each content area. We are rich in class offerings. This is a great resource to highlight this fact.
As DCI, you will collaborate with our principals to develop and facilitate our teachers’ professional development. In what areas do you plan to focus for the 2019-2020 school year? For the 2019-2020 school year, I have two main focus points. The first is the effective and efficient implementation and continuation of Christ Centered Instruction in each of our classrooms. Our teachers are amazingly gifted educators and they love the Lord, first and foremost. This process has strengthened their ability to train the next generation to view everything through the lens of scripture. The second focus is assisting the teachers with instructional practices and implementation of our curriculum. This edition of “LCA Tidings” focuses on our 20182019 academic report card. What should parents take away from the assessment of our academics? Our students are being challenged to think critically and process how to think through problems, to collaborate, and problem solve. Their success on the academic playing field exemplifies this. We have high achieving diligent students being taught by exceptionally gifted and highly educated teachers. This combination results in students being able to achieve academic success and growth. And finally, what are you most excited to work on this year? I am excited to work within the classrooms with the teachers and support what they are already doing with excellence. This includes looking at each content area and assisting teachers as they continually seek to improve their effectiveness in the classroom.
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2018-19
ELEMENTARY REPORT
MEASURES OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS (MAP) (GRADES K-5) For 2018-2019, LCA administered the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for grades kindergarten through fifth. These assessments provided essential information about our students’ learning and growth trajectory. As a reminder, the MAP testing is not timed, and questions are adjusted to each student’s response. MAP is a good indicator of student progress because it measures a student’s academic growth from year to year. It also provides information on what a student is ready to learn next. This gives teachers the tools and insight they need to provide differentiation for their students. MAP uses data from more than 10.2 million students, which allows us to compare our students to national norms. For the 2018-2019 school year, we administered the MAP test three times during the year – fall, winter, and spring. (Below you will find our year-end results.) The MAP test provided immediate feedback to our teachers who could then address any potential areas of weakness. For the scores listed below, note the kindergarten score of 99%. This means that 99% of LCA’s kindergarten students scored at or above the national average in math.
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
Math - 99%
Math - 98%
Math - 82%
Reading - 98%
Reading - 98%
Reading - 96%
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
Math - 73%
Math - 90%
Math - 86%
Reading - 89%
Reading - 95%
Reading - 94%
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TERRI WHITE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL
“We are intentional with our MAP scores. As a team of Administrators, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Guidance Counselor, Intervention Team, and Teachers we critically analyze our scores by grade and individuals. Through our collaborative efforts, we determine how we can provide researched-based best practices into our instruction and curriculum in order to promote student success. Our students’ scores are indicative of our process and partnership with parents.”
LISA BACON DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
“In Kindergarten through 5th grade we have begun the implementation of our new math curriculum, 'Bridges.' This curriculum focuses on developing students' deep understandings of mathematical concepts, proficiency with key skills, and the ability to solve complex problems. 'Bridges' is a blending of direct instruction, structured student investigation of concepts, and open exploration using mathematical strategies. It taps into the strengths of each student by presenting material that is as linguistically, visually, and kinesthetically rich as it is mathematically powerful.”
LEANNA HENSLEY ELEMENTARY GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
"MAP allows immediate feedback to our teachers and students. Last winter our teachers met with students to review their scores and set personal goals for the spring assessment. Seeing the excitement of our students as they met their goals, helped to reiterate to us as educators, that MAP has a positive impact on our students and their learning.”
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Tidings - Fall 2019
2018-19
6TH - 8TH GRADE REPORT
ASPIRE For the 2018-2019 school year, LCA administered the ACT Aspire test to our 6th-8th grade students. Aspire is a timed test with standardized questions for each grade level. The ACT Aspire is an aligned, longitudinal college and career readiness assessment system for students in grades 3 through 10 that provides insights into student performance in English, reading, mathematics, science in the context of college and career readiness. In order to help you understand the information below, note the 6th grade English score of 80%. This means 80% of LCA’s 6th grade students scored at or above the national average in English.
6th Grade
7th Grade
English - 80%
English - 82%
English - 73%
Reading - 79%
Reading - 76%
Reading - 81%
Math - 59%
Math - 68%
Math - 74%
Science - 73%
Science - 79%
Science - 80%
8th Grade
COLEMAN MARSHALL JUNIOR HIGH PRINCIPAL
“Last year we specifically targeted our reading scores through adopting different literacy practices across all content areas. The implementation of these practices were beneficial in raising our scores from the previous year. We have moved to MAP assessment, which provides real time data for our teachers, therefore, we can identify strengths and areas of growth for each student. We believe this tool will be especially helpful in the area of math as well as reading. Grade This will help us provide individualized learning for our students, and enhance our7th ability to keep them growing.”
English - 72% Reading - 59% Math - 69% Science - 74% Writing - *
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ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS THE DUKE UNIVERSITY TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM (TIP) For the 2018-2019 school year, LCA administered the ACT Aspire test to our 6th-8th grade students. Aspire is a timed test with standardized questions for each grade level. The ACT Aspire is an aligned, longitudinal college and career readiness assessment system for students in grades 3 through 10 that provides insights into student performance in English, reading, mathematics, science in the context of college and career readiness. In order to help you understand the information below, note the 6th grade English score of 80%. This means 80% of LCA’s 6th grade students scored at or above the national average in English.
SCIENCE FAIR Several of LCA’s Junior High students experienced success at the 2018-2019 science fair competitions.
State Science Fair Jenna Johnson, 7th Grade – Energy: Physical – 3rd Place Page 7
JUNIOROddball HIGH EXPO ImagingDAY Studio In the spring 2019, our teachers assigned their students collaborate, cross-curricular projects that fostered student engagement, critical thinking, communication, and creativity. The 7th grade students’ projects included components from all of their core subjects. In Geography, we challenged our students to create a country, which included a map with cities, landforms, industries, and a compass rose. In English, the students designed a travel brochure to promote their country. In Bible, the students had to develop a moral code for the citizens of the country to follow. In Science, the students identified the biome that would be represented in their country, including both abiotic and biotic factors. In math, the students created different styles of graphs to represent average temperature, precipitation, and population. Our 8th grade students evaluated the fabric of the American identity by exploring government, civic, and historic sites in Virginia and Washington D.C. Throughout their exploration, students had to identify five traits, backed up with evidence, that they believed would help them answer three Big Questions. 1. What does being a citizen of the United States truly mean? 2. What trait do I exemplify the most? 3. What trait do I feel like I could work on to develop into a better citizen? At the conclusion of their projects, our students presented their findings to classmates, faculty, family and guests. The Junior High Expo provided our students with a wonderful opportunity to collaborate, investigate, and then utilize their public speaking skills when presenting their findings.
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2019 ACT COMPOSITE SCORES 2018-19
National - 20.8 Kentucky - 20.2
HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
ACADEMIC PROGRAM (GRADES 9-12) As students transition to high school, their academic programs and paths may vary considerably. Students have the ability to select different electives as well as courses at different levels of challenge (regular college prep, Honors, or Advanced Placement.) Academic achievement at the high school is evaluated by means of various nationally standardized tests. This includes the American College Test (ACT) and the Advanced Placement (AP) exam. The ACT measures students’ skills in English, reading, mathematics, and science reasoning. Students are scored on each subtest; scores range from one (1) to thirty-six (36.) An average is then taken to arrive at a composite score. Although sophomores can take the ACT, it is typically taken by juniors and seniors. Last year, one LCA student received a perfect score on the ACT. What a wonderful accomplishment for our student.
DR. SCOTT WELLS HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
"“At LCA, our academic programs are rigorous and extensive. We offer a wide array of college-bound courses to meet all students’ needs, interests, and graduation requirements. Our students continue to outscore their public and private school peers on a variety of assessments including the ACT, PSAT, SAT, A. P., and in college-based dual credit courses. Most of our graduates leave LCA earning many college credit hours, and because of LCA’s vast A. P. and dual credit options, many graduates are classified as college sophomores when they arrive at the university of their choice! Our students are also well-represented in prestigious summer activities such as the Governor’s Scholar and Governor’s School of the Arts programs. The bottom line is when our students graduate from LCA, they are completely prepared to attend the university of their choice or to tackle whatever post-secondary goals they have for the future!”
As we start the 2019-2020 school year, we have already received wonderful news regarding the Class of 2020. CLASS OF 2020 GOVERNOR'S SCHOLAR PROGRAM Jackson Broyles Brennan Graham Nathan Maggard Will Ransdell
CLASS OF 2020 GOVERNOR'S SCHOLAR FOR THE ARTS Laika Park Emily Sparks
LCA - 25.6 2018 State Results – October 1st publication date
Average ACT Scores Fayette County - 19.9 Paul Laurence Dunbar - 22.2 Lafayette - 21.5 Henry Clay - 21.1 Frederick Douglass - 18.7 Tates Creek - 18.7 Bryan Station - 16.8 Private Schools *Lexington Catholic *Lexington Latin School *Sayre *Trinity Jessamine County - 19.1 West Jessamine - 19.8 East Jessamine - 18.9 *Scores have been requested but not available at time of publication.
CLASS OF 2020 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR'S PROGRAM National Semi-Finalists Delia Gibbs Brennan Graham Trey Hood Commended Students Andrew Huff Nathan Maggard
2018-19
HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
LCA currently offers 16 AP courses. At the conclusion of each school year, students have the opportunity to sit for AP exams. Scored on a scale of 1 to 5, students who achieve a qualifying score (3 or higher) are eligible for college credit or advanced placement at more than 90% of American colleges and universities.Â
2019 ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM RESULTS
112
274
STUDENTS TOOK AP EXAMS IN MAY 2019
EXAMS TAKEN IN 16 SUBJECTS
67%
OF THE AP EXAMS RECEIVED SCORES OF A 3 OR HIGHER
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104 TOTAL FACULTY
3
PhD
15 YEARS
38
Bachelor's
63
Master's
Average Years of Experience Overall as well as at LCA
10 YEARS
Average Tenure at LCA
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