Study Finds Adventist School Students’ Performance Higher Than National Norm
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Adventist Education, the educational division of the North American Seventh-day Adventist Church, recently released a report showing that, according to standardized achievement and ability tests, students enrolled in Adventist schools in the U.S. and Bermuda score on average a full half a grade level higher than the national average and half a grade higher than their predicted ability.
The report is part of an ongoing four-year study, CognitiveGenesis, which is studying 30,000 students yearly, grades 3–9 and 11, enrolled in Adventist schools in North America. The study is being conducted at La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif., and is currently in its third year. Researchers are compiling the results of standardized tests as well as answers to survey questions on lifestyle and other factors related to academic achievement.
“Our purpose is not to defend the educational system as it is, but to find out how well we are doing and what we can do to improve the educational experience of our children,” said Dr. Elissa Kido, study project director.
The study has also found that the longer a student studies in an Adventist school, the more average achievement increases.
Adventist Education
Founded in 1872, Adventist Education is the second largest denominational educational system in the world, second only to Catholic schools. Adventist Education curriculum was developed to teach students not only to excel academically, but to develop healthy bodies and thriving spiritual lives. In Bermuda, Canada, and the U.S., 4,700 teachers instruct over 55,000 students in nearly 1,000 Adventist K–12 schools and 15 colleges and universities.
About Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist church grew in the mid 1840s during the Second Great Awakening, a time of religious revival in the United States. Its first members came from the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist congregations, but over the following decades the denomination has grown into a worldwide church with millions of members.
The church focuses on healthcare, education, and human service activities. There is at least one Adventist healthcare center in many major metropolitan areas in North America, including Florida Hospital, regarded the busiest hospital system in the U.S. Adventists are also active providing schools and hospitals where they are needed around the world.
Today the worldwide Adventist church has over 15 million members in more than 200 countries. Adventists operate 7200+ schools worldwide with nearly 1.5 million students. They also run 168 hospitals worldwide, 138 nursing homes and retirement centers, 442 clinics and dispensaries, and 34 orphanages and children's homes. In addition, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International, a disaster relief organization, funds over 2,400 projects in 112 countries.