Our eleventh grade students had the opportunity to increase their scores on the state AIMS exams this past fall. The results were very encouraging.
The AIMS is the state’s required exam for all high school students in public schools. While it is not required by the state of Arizona for private schools, it does provide the opportunity for our parents to compare apples-to-apples.
There are four possible scores on the AIMS high school exam for grades 10-12. They are: falls far below, approaching, meets, and exceeds. Students in the state schools are required to have at least a score of “meets” in reading, writing, and math to graduate from high school. If a student exceeds in those three areas and earns a grade of “B” in all of their core subjects, they are eligible for a scholarship to any of the three state universities.
Here are the statistics for our 11th and 12 grade students:
1. All of our juniors and seniors have scored at least at the “meets” expectation.
2. Out of eighteen possible scores for reading, writing, and math, twelve are “exceeds,” six are “meets.”
3. Three of our six students in 11th and 12th grades are eligible for the state scholarship: Austin, Jacob and Emily.
The 11th grade students have one more opportunity to “exceed” on the AIMS test this spring. Our tenth grade students have their first opportunity this spring to “exceed” on the AIMS.
Congratulations to the students, parents, and teachers for their accomplishments.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
PSAT Scores
Great news from the College Board concerning our sophomores and juniors and their PSAT scores.
The PSAT is a standardized test published by the College Board who also puts out the SAT college entrance exam. It is similar to the Iowa, CAT, Stanford Achievement Test which many of you have taken throughout your K-12 years.
Generally the PSAT is used to give an idea of how a student will score on the SAT. Somewhere around the top 2% may qualify for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. Our own senior, Austin Greene, was in the running for it last fall and received Commended Status.
Divided into three sections of Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing, students have two hours and ten minutes to complete sections on vocabulary, main idea, fact vs. opinion, basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, grammar, mechanics, and word choice.
So, how did we do on the PSAT’s? The average scores below are from the College Board site. The 2008 scores differed from the 2007 scores by not much. So the following should be close to 2009 averages. Scores range from 20 to 80. Score averages are different for 10th grade and 11th grade. In all three tests and both grades, we scored above the national average. While these scores aren’t the “real deal” (the SAT) they are a good reflection on the work our students, parents, and teachers have put in so far here at Bios.
Critical Reading
10th National: 42
10th Bios: 44
11th National: 47
11th Bios: 58
Math
10th National: 44
10th Bios: 47
11th National: 49
11th Bios: 53.7
Writing Skills
10th National: 41
10th Bios: 50
11th National: 46
11th Bios: 54.7
The PSAT is a standardized test published by the College Board who also puts out the SAT college entrance exam. It is similar to the Iowa, CAT, Stanford Achievement Test which many of you have taken throughout your K-12 years.
Generally the PSAT is used to give an idea of how a student will score on the SAT. Somewhere around the top 2% may qualify for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. Our own senior, Austin Greene, was in the running for it last fall and received Commended Status.
Divided into three sections of Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing, students have two hours and ten minutes to complete sections on vocabulary, main idea, fact vs. opinion, basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, grammar, mechanics, and word choice.
So, how did we do on the PSAT’s? The average scores below are from the College Board site. The 2008 scores differed from the 2007 scores by not much. So the following should be close to 2009 averages. Scores range from 20 to 80. Score averages are different for 10th grade and 11th grade. In all three tests and both grades, we scored above the national average. While these scores aren’t the “real deal” (the SAT) they are a good reflection on the work our students, parents, and teachers have put in so far here at Bios.
Critical Reading
10th National: 42
10th Bios: 44
11th National: 47
11th Bios: 58
Math
10th National: 44
10th Bios: 47
11th National: 49
11th Bios: 53.7
Writing Skills
10th National: 41
10th Bios: 50
11th National: 46
11th Bios: 54.7
A Blog from Ms. Z
Dear Bios families,
When sharing the name of our school with others, I am often met with an inquisitive look and asked to repeat the title. I am certain that some of you share my experience. After learning that “Bios” is the Greek word for “life”, the confusion turns to appreciation for the originality and the purpose behind the name.
This exchange continually reinforces the significance of our weekly study of Greek and Latin roots in our English language program at Bios Christian Academy. Along with our regular grammar lessons, literature study, and writing assignments, students are having fun, learning about the birth of words.
Did you know that 60 percent of the English language (that figure rises to over 90 percent in the vocabulary of sciences and technology) comes from Latin and Greek word origins? Understanding these origins helps to unlock a plethora of vocabulary. By learning the root and its derivation, students can decipher the meaning of new words, taking some of the guesswork out of unfamiliar terminology. Not only does this serve to expand their verbal skills, but also gives them a resource for understanding how the English language shapes our perceptions of God’s world around us.
Be mindful that words are the tools with which we think, learn, and communicate. The more words we know, the more we are able to explore thought, absorb knowledge, and get our points of view understood and expanded upon, regarding all things that are important to us.
So take a moment this week and ask your child to recite the Greek alphabet -in Greek!
Our very own school name reflects the necessity of learning our “roots”.
Bios brings “life” to learning, and learning to life!
Blessings,
Ms. Z
When sharing the name of our school with others, I am often met with an inquisitive look and asked to repeat the title. I am certain that some of you share my experience. After learning that “Bios” is the Greek word for “life”, the confusion turns to appreciation for the originality and the purpose behind the name.
This exchange continually reinforces the significance of our weekly study of Greek and Latin roots in our English language program at Bios Christian Academy. Along with our regular grammar lessons, literature study, and writing assignments, students are having fun, learning about the birth of words.
Did you know that 60 percent of the English language (that figure rises to over 90 percent in the vocabulary of sciences and technology) comes from Latin and Greek word origins? Understanding these origins helps to unlock a plethora of vocabulary. By learning the root and its derivation, students can decipher the meaning of new words, taking some of the guesswork out of unfamiliar terminology. Not only does this serve to expand their verbal skills, but also gives them a resource for understanding how the English language shapes our perceptions of God’s world around us.
Be mindful that words are the tools with which we think, learn, and communicate. The more words we know, the more we are able to explore thought, absorb knowledge, and get our points of view understood and expanded upon, regarding all things that are important to us.
So take a moment this week and ask your child to recite the Greek alphabet -in Greek!
Our very own school name reflects the necessity of learning our “roots”.
Bios brings “life” to learning, and learning to life!
Blessings,
Ms. Z
Why Bios is a Private Christian School
Why Bios is a Private Christian School
Bios is a Christian school foremost in that we have the primary purpose of proclaiming the gospel. Second, we educate our students out of the desire to support the parents in the training of their children, not to support the state’s goals or the state’s low academic standards. Next, our students are educated in a Christian worldview. And last, we provide a broad range of skills involving math, critical reading, writing, computers, and arts to allow our students to choose among many career options for their future.
Absolutely religion neutral is the stance that government (and charter) schools have to take by law. They are not allowed to favor or teach about a religion unless it is within the state’s goals of instructing their students about particular religions. Conversely we Christians do not want the state schools to teach about Christ. Five or six years ago our family took a summer trip to Great Britain. While visiting I had the opportunity of spending an afternoon with a principal of a public school in Wales who is a Christian. During the tour he explained that by British Law, Christianity is a required subject to be taught in the public schools in Wales. He further explained that he was one of the few Christians who taught about the Bible in the area schools. Instead, non-Christians daily taught students across Britain their erroneous versions of the Bible. It is wrong to have non-Christians teaching about the Bible. Distortions, misteachings, and unbelief are the consequences of non-Christians teaching the scriptures. The one true faith of Christianity should only be taught by those who serve the One who created the Bible.
Starting with the idea that nothing is by accident, all is going according to God’s plan to bring glory and honor to himself. A Christian worldview of a loving, forgiving God who expects justice for everyone and good for His people, provides a framework for living and understanding the world we live in. Science, history, math, music, and art are instructed with the view of discovering the secrets of the amazing world He created, while contradicting a world view of attaining knowledge for pride’s sake or just because.
With good intentions, our country’s schools label many, many students by their perceived ability to learn. The idea in the beginning was that if we provide a label then maybe a core or special method of teaching would be discovered, as though these kids had a bad disease to fix. Now, labels are there to give funding and segregate students out of the regular ed program. What we know about learning at Bios is labels have a negative effect. What is effective in student learning is a clearly focused, step-by-step educational program geared to the individual’s needs, taught by experienced teachers.
Writing additional reasons for not being a charter school would be repetitive. While charter schools serve a unique purpose in our culture and it would be far less expensive for our families to educate their children in a charter school model, our ability to educate our students in our quality manner and with our focus on our God, requires us to remain a private school for the future.
Bios is a Christian school foremost in that we have the primary purpose of proclaiming the gospel. Second, we educate our students out of the desire to support the parents in the training of their children, not to support the state’s goals or the state’s low academic standards. Next, our students are educated in a Christian worldview. And last, we provide a broad range of skills involving math, critical reading, writing, computers, and arts to allow our students to choose among many career options for their future.
Absolutely religion neutral is the stance that government (and charter) schools have to take by law. They are not allowed to favor or teach about a religion unless it is within the state’s goals of instructing their students about particular religions. Conversely we Christians do not want the state schools to teach about Christ. Five or six years ago our family took a summer trip to Great Britain. While visiting I had the opportunity of spending an afternoon with a principal of a public school in Wales who is a Christian. During the tour he explained that by British Law, Christianity is a required subject to be taught in the public schools in Wales. He further explained that he was one of the few Christians who taught about the Bible in the area schools. Instead, non-Christians daily taught students across Britain their erroneous versions of the Bible. It is wrong to have non-Christians teaching about the Bible. Distortions, misteachings, and unbelief are the consequences of non-Christians teaching the scriptures. The one true faith of Christianity should only be taught by those who serve the One who created the Bible.
Starting with the idea that nothing is by accident, all is going according to God’s plan to bring glory and honor to himself. A Christian worldview of a loving, forgiving God who expects justice for everyone and good for His people, provides a framework for living and understanding the world we live in. Science, history, math, music, and art are instructed with the view of discovering the secrets of the amazing world He created, while contradicting a world view of attaining knowledge for pride’s sake or just because.
With good intentions, our country’s schools label many, many students by their perceived ability to learn. The idea in the beginning was that if we provide a label then maybe a core or special method of teaching would be discovered, as though these kids had a bad disease to fix. Now, labels are there to give funding and segregate students out of the regular ed program. What we know about learning at Bios is labels have a negative effect. What is effective in student learning is a clearly focused, step-by-step educational program geared to the individual’s needs, taught by experienced teachers.
Writing additional reasons for not being a charter school would be repetitive. While charter schools serve a unique purpose in our culture and it would be far less expensive for our families to educate their children in a charter school model, our ability to educate our students in our quality manner and with our focus on our God, requires us to remain a private school for the future.
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