Why Choose CCA's

Age 3-5 Program?

Why Choose CCA

for Grades 1-12?

The Facts Regarding

Christian School Versus Public

Why Choose Carolina Christian Academy’s

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten

The preschool years are in many respects the most important years of a child’s life.  Here are a few of the reasons:

1.         Personality is being formed.   By the time a child reaches age six his personality is almost fixed.  Few personality changes occur after this age.

Social skills are developed, especially during the years of three, four, and five.  The disposition to share, cooperate, put others first, be friendly and courteous, be helpful, happy and cheerful, etc. are developed during these formative years.

Our instructional and fun time in the classrooms; our structure; break and lunch times; and our supervised playground time have been purposefully devised in such a manner as to encourage good personality development.

2.         Intelligence can be increased during these years.  There are two primary ways Carolina Christian Academy’s preschool can impact your child’s intelligence.

First, the intellectual boundaries that you pass on to your children can be shifted upward or downward.  Academic preschool programs like CCA’s have been shown to significantly raise I.Q.’s.

More important than high I.Q., however, is the industriousness and resourcefulness of a child’s mind.  Regardless the I.Q., a child that is not intellectually challenged during the formative years will usually be an underachiever.

The academic program of CCA’s 3, 4, or 5-year-old program will provide your child the intellectual challenge to develop great mental prowess.  

3.         Values are being molded during these formative years.  In general, our entire school is saturated with Christian values.  Our program is designed to teach obedience, respect for authority, love for one’s country and others.  Additionally, children learn how to accept responsibility and follow through on instructions.  Your child will develop a good work ethic and learn how to persevere in the face of difficulty.  These values are indispensable to success in life.

Students who attend a five day a week, structured, and academically oriented pre-k and kindergarten programs such as CCA’s, on average will make better grades throughout school, have fewer discipline problems in school, graduate in higher percentages, are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol, use illegal drugs, or be arrested during their high school years.

Each child is taught the importance of being committed to Jesus Christ and that the only truly rewarding life is the one lived for His glory.

4.         The A-Beka Curriculum.  CCA uses the world-renowned A-Beka curriculum.  This curriculum is not only the most highly regarded among Christian schools; it is recognized as a leader in its field.

Your child will learn to read in a relatively short time through intensive phonics.  Your child will learn cursive writing first, because it is more natural.  The incident rate of dyslexia among those who get intensive phonics and cursive instruction in preschools is minuscule.  This is an important safeguard for your child.

5.         CCA’s Pre-K and Kindergarteners Learn a Foreign Language.  The values of kindergartners beginning to learn a foreign language are many.  Here are a few:

a.      Easier:  Studies show young children learn a foreign language easier than  older children.

b.      Raises Creativity:  Students who study a foreign language early become more creative.

c.      Higher SAT Scores:  Students who study foreign language four or more years score higher on the SAT. 

d.      Enhances Problem-Solving Skills:  Students who study a foreign language early develop better complex problem-solving skills.

e.      Greater Cognitive Skills:  Studying a foreign language improves students’ overall school performance, raising cognitive skills.

f.        Cross Cultural Communication:  Students learn how to communicate with more people and social skills are enhanced.

g.      Life Long Benefits:  Ultimately, students who know a second language have competitive advantage in the job market.

6.         Your peace of mind.  CCA’s preschool program is not day care with teaching tacked on.  We do not operate a day care.  We are a college oriented educational institution that takes 3, 4, and 5-year-olds and starts them on an educational track that will have many reading on a second to third grade level when they enter first grade.  Moreover, by the tenth grade, most will test post-high school on the Stanford.  CCA offers AP courses which can be taken for college credit.

When you enroll your child in CCA’s kindergarten you have the peace of mind knowing you are giving your child the very best preschool education and development that Lancaster County has to offer.

If you think CCA’s kindergarten is right for you and your child, I urge you to apply soon.  Space is limited and we will turn many away.

Back to Top

Back to Top

The Facts Regarding

Christian School Versus Public

Christian Education Is Not Just the Best Choice

Carolina Christian Academy Is Not Just a Choice.

Both Are the Only Logical Choice!

 Christian School Students Receive a Better

Education and Experience Greater Success in College

According to the U.S. Department of Education there are 27,000 private schools.  One in ten of all students attend one of these. Seventy-nine percent of the private schools are religious schools.

 According to the U.S. Department of Education, compared to public schools: 

1.         Eighth grade private school students were twice as likely to have a four year college degree by their mid-twenties as compared to eighth grade public school students (52 percent versus 26 percent).

2.         Among students in poverty, those who attended a private high school were nearly four times more likely to earn a four year college degree than their public school counterparts (24 percent versus 7 percent).  While private schools enrolled 10 percent of the students, they turned out nearly 40 percent of the top college freshmen.

3.         Private schools required more coursework in social studies, mathematics, science, foreign language and computer science. (CCA requires World History which is optional with state; requires four units of science vs. three by state; two years of foreign language vs. 0 to 1 by state, and; two years of computer science vs. one by state)

4.         Private school graduates took more advanced courses in math, science and foreign language than public school graduates (CCA uses the A-Beka curricula, all of which are either Honors or AP level courses).

5.         Private school students had more demanding graduation requirements than public school students.  (In addition to the more rigorous core curriculum subjects required, all CCA students are required to take four years of Bible, attend a weekly chapel, and attend a Biblical worldview camp at the Wilds their senior year, etc).

6.         Private school students were more likely to take fine arts courses (art and music) and more likely to be involved in athletics than their public school counterparts.

7.         Private schools outperformed public schools on standardized achievement tests, the ACT and SAT. (CCA students outperformed the state and county on the Stanford by two grades and on the SAT by 200 points).

(For more information go to  http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002013.pdf  and read pages 21-26.)          

Christian School Graduates Are Three

Times More Likely To Faithfully Serve Christ

 The matter of active Christian service is one of great importance to many parents. The latest research reveals that the percentage of high school students who remain active in church after graduation is more than three times greater if they graduated from a Christian school. 

Twenty To Forty Percent of All Public School Teachers

Send Their Children to a Private or Religious School 

It says a lot that the parents who know public schools the best - public school teachers - choose private schools for their own children in substantial numbers.  In fact, of all professions, public school teachers are the number one group of professionals to choose private schools for their own children.  In larger cities, the percentage is about forty percent. Nationwide, more than one in five public school teachers said their children attend private schools. 

South Carolina’s Christian Schools

Outperform Public and Nonreligious Private Schools 

South Carolina SAT scores reveal that from 1998 through 2004, the independent schools outperformed South Carolina’s public schools by an annual average of 36 points and the religious schools outperformed South Carolina’s public schools by an annual average of 66 points. 

Both independent and religious schools in South Carolina annually administer standardized tests and make the results available to the public.  This is true of the Association of Christian Schools International and the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools (SCACS) whose membership together includes over 130 religious schools in South Carolina.  SCACS schools (80 schools statewide with 14,000 students) annually average about one and one half grades ahead of the nation on the Stanford Achievement Test.   

Carolina Christian Academy Outperforms the Nation’s Schools 

CCA students outperformed the nation by nearly 30 percentile points on the Stanford.

Grade  Average Grade Equivalency                   Highest Grade Equivalency

K5        First Grade, Seventh Month                            Third Grade, First Month

G2       Fourth Grade, Third Month                              Sixth Grade, Fifth Month

G4       Sixth Grade, Fifth Month                                 Ninth Grade, First Month

G6       Ninth Grade, Ninth Month                                Post High School-College Level

G8       Ninth Grade, Sixth Month                                Post High School-College Level

G10     Eleventh Grade, Sixth Month                          Post High School-College Level

G12     Post High School-College Level                     Post High School-College Level

Carolina Christian Academy Students Outperform Area Schools 

A comparison of the county’s BSAP scores and CCA’s Stanford scores reveal the following for grade 3 through grade 8: 

(Terms explained: Below Basic: Did not meet standards; must have an academic assistance plan; the local board policy determines progress to the next grade level. Basic: Met standards; minimally prepared, can go to next grade level. Proficient: Well prepared to work at next grade level; met expectations. Advanced: Very high score; very well prepared to work at next grade level; exceeded expectations.) 

For a comparison to a specific area school, please go to:                                                                           http://www.myscschools.com/reportcard/2004/show_district_reportcard2901.cfm  

Carolina Christian Academy Provides a

Safe, Gun and Drug Free Environment 

If one of every seventy-five customers at a local business were arrested or made to leave because of his violent or criminal behavior while in that business, would you feel safe sending your child into that establishment? If the aisles of that establishment were so violent that it had to hire police officers to patrol the aisles to protect the customers from violent assault or rape, would you send your child into that establishment?  Would you consider yourself responsible if you did? 

State wide, in 2004, about one in seventy-five public school students were arrested, suspended, or expelled from school for “violent and/or criminal offenses”.  The offenses included rape, violent assault, theft, harassment and various other crimes. This ran as high as one in ten locally.  Nationwide, seventeen percent of high school girls were assaulted physically, twelve percent sexually. For all reasons combined, nationwide, the annual suspension rate is one in twelve.  However, many of these students are suspended multiple times. 

Nationally, seventy-four percent of the students say they do not feel safe at school.  Sixty-one percent say they know someone who brought a gun to school. In grades six through twelve about one in twenty-five (3.8%) public school students admitted bringing a gun to school. On average, one student in every classroom in grades six through twelve brought a gun to school, some repeatedly. Of these, 37% carried a gun to school once, 18% carried a gun two-to-five times and 45% carried a gun to school six or more times.  

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the nation’s students acknowledge being monthly users of drugs, led by 50% using alcohol, 32% using stimulants such as crystal methamphetamine, 31% using hallucinogens and 30% using cocaine.  The average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls.  The average age at which Americans begin drinking regularly is 15.9 years old.  Adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are fo