Jefferson Christian Academy

School Profile
2011-2012

Introduction

Jefferson Christian Academy’s School Profile includes school description, mission and vision statements, school history and philosophy, traditions, community demographics, student demographics, and student performance data.

School Description

Jefferson Christian Academy is a private independent school serving K4-12th grade with an Early Childhood Learning Center which serves ages 6 weeks – 3 years. JCA serves the children of Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Blount counties. The majority of Jefferson Christian’s 214 families come from Jefferson and St. Clair Counties.

JCA is overseen by a Board of Trustees, six in number, who are dedicated Christian men and women. The school is affiliated with the Church of Christ, but is not governed by one church or organization other than the Board of Trustees. Board members are required to be active members of a Church of Christ congregation. Some of them are graduates of Jefferson Christian Academy. Dr. Mona Jenkins is currently serving as Chairperson of the Board. Dr. Jenkins served as a professor at UAB in the Education Department many years before her retirement. The Board meets monthly and provides excellent leadership in policy development.

While Jefferson Christian Academy exists as a mission of the Churches of Christ, the school draws students from various denominations of the Christian faith. The school practices open admission and approximately 78% of the enrollment is from other religious fellowships. The school has experienced considerable support because of its emphasis on character development and traditional values. In addition to daily chapel services, each student studies the Bible as a text one class period each day.

Jefferson Christian Academy is a 501(C)-3 institution supported through a financial base combining tuition and private donations. The school has never accepted federal funds and protects its independent status.

In 2011, JCA has 265 students enrolled in K4 – 12th grade with an average class size of 16. JCA employs 17 full time classroom teachers, three administrators, one athletic director, one school counselor, one librarian, one custodian, one maintiance man, two kitchen workers, one teacher’s aide, one registrar, and one business manager.

Jefferson Christian Academy has implemented a comprehensive drug screening policy which is both preventive and non-punitive. Every student in grades 7-12 (current and transfer) must pass a drug test before their registration is complete. In the past two school years every student in grades 7-12 and teachers have passed the drug screening.

Parents are very active at Jefferson Christian Academy. The parent-teacher organization, (Parents, Teachers, and Friends), plans many fundraising activities throughout the year. The parental expectations at JCA are very high for students, teachers and administrators. Parents pay around $5,000 per child each year. Over half (67%) of the staff at JCA either had a child graduate from the school or are currently attending the school. This unique aspect of a small private school helps to give JCA a family type atmosphere.

Vision Statement

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Jefferson Christian Academy exists to provide a quality education in a Christian environment.

According to Luke 2:52,  “… Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Our goal is to help each student develop spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially in accordance with this Biblical pattern.

Mission Statement

With God’s guidance, Jefferson Christian Academy will cultivate and maintain an environment where the student is nurtured and challenged to realize his/her potential in spiritual maturity, academic attainment, athletic achievement and social and emotional development. 

History and Philosophy

In the spring of 1970, several interested individuals, all members of the church of Christ, began formulating plans to fund and develop a great school to provide quality education in a Christian environment for the young people of the Birmingham area.  In the fall of 1971, operation of Jefferson Christian Academy began with thirty students in kindergarten through the fourth grade, meeting in the old building of the Homewood Church of Christ. Enrollment grew to sixty students the following year, necessitating a move to larger facilities, which were provided by what was then the Woodlawn Church of Christ (now Roebuck Parkway Church of Christ).  The academy continued to expand there until it moved to the campus of the former Birmingham University School in 1975. In February of 1985, JCA moved to its present facilities on a 15-acre campus on the eastern edge of Irondale.  Jefferson Christian Academy is founded on the belief that a true education is an enterprise in which the whole person, body, mind, and spirit is developed in the light of the Holy Scriptures. Academically, Jefferson Christian Academy is a college preparatory school. Through the academic training of its students, the academy aims for a more effective participation in the contribution to the community. An integral part of the academic aim is an emphasis on the acquisition and cultivation of spiritual values; those values through which God works in man to lift the human condition through compassion, sacrifice, and endurance.  The environment is one in which great friendships can be formed between those who share many ideals. It is also an environment that recognizes a student as an individual and that seeks to help each student reach his or her potential in constructive ways.  Each student is taught to respect such individuality in every other person and to foster an acceptance of each other in order to achieve the ultimate individual accomplishments.

Traditions

There are several events in both elementary and secondary school at JCA which are of special importance to our student body.  Homecoming is a memorable occasion each year.  A home game near the end of the football season is selected for this special event. High school students select a queen from the senior class.  Each high school class selects a representative for the homecoming court.

The Thanksgiving Feast is an elementary school tradition. The elementary students perform for their parents prior to Thanksgiving, and a special lunch is served. 

The Elementary Christmas program is an annual winter event for our elementary school.  The elementary classes perform for their family and friends each December.

The Junior-Senior Banquet provides the junior class with an opportunity to honor the seniors. The juniors provide the food and entertainment for this formal affair. The Junior-Senior Banquet takes place each spring. 

The Grandparent’s Day celebration gives our elementary students a chance to honor their grandparents each year.  Students perform for their grandparents and parents each spring.

The Eighth Grade Tea signifies the successful completion of middle school and the passage of the students into high school. The tea takes place on a Sunday afternoon in the spring and consists of a graduation exercise with a guest speaker followed by a reception. 

The High School Graduation ceremony is a special school function to mark the end of the academic year. Every effort is put forth to make the receiving of diplomas a time for fond memories. Graduation provides a time to express appreciation and honor to those who serve the students at Jefferson Christian Academy. The seniors, with the cooperation of the administration, develop the graduation program.

Community Information

Jefferson Christian Academy is located in Irondale, Alabama on the eastern edge of Jefferson County.  Our students come from four counties in the Birmingham metro area: Jefferson County, Saint Clair, Shelby, and Blount.  Jefferson County is Alabama’s most populated county with approximately 662,000 residents; it is also a racially diverse area of Alabama.  (See Table 1)

Table 1:  Racial Demographics of Jefferson County

The city of Irondale is a small community of just over 10,000 residents.  The city has a small town feel while being close to Birmingham, giving the residents of Irondale easy access to the many advantages of the Birmingham metro area.  Irondale’s median income per family is $55,365. The city of Irondale is also a racially diverse area. (See Table 2)

Table 2: Racial Demographics of Irondale

Student Demographics

Jefferson Christian Academy strives to represent the community in which we live.  Table 3 shows a three year study on the racial demographics of JCA.

Table 3: Racial Demographics of Jefferson Christian

The school draws students from various denominations of the Christian faith including: Church of Christ, Baptist,  Non-Denominational/Community Churches, Methodist, Christian Church, Assembly of God, and Greek Orthodox.

Table 5: Jefferson Christian Academy Religious Demographics

Student Performance Data

Graduation Information

Jefferson Christian Academy is very proud of our graduation rates.  As seen in Table 6, we have graduated 100% of our students the past two years.

Table 6: Jefferson Christian Academy Graduation Rates

The majority of JCA graduates go on to a 4-year college.  Table 7 displays the number and percentage of JCA graduates who attend 4-year colleges, 2-year colleges, join the military or the workforce.

Table 7: JCA Post Graduation Destination

National Measures:

National student performance data was collected from the ACT, PSAT, PLAN and the Stanford Achievement Tests (SAT-10). 

ACT

The ACT college entrance exam is an optional test that measures the students in four areas: math, reading, language, and science reasoning. 

Graph 1 is a comparison of Jefferson Christian Academy’s ACT scores for the last four years.

Graph 2 is a comparions of average ACT scores for the graduating class or 2011.  JCA graduates of 2011 are compared to graduates from the state of Alabama and the nation.

PSAT

The PSAT is an optional test that is primarily taken by our 10th and 11^th grade students.  Student performance is measured in three areas: reading, math, and writing.

Graph 3 is a three year comparison of Jefferson Christian Academy’s PSAT scores for sophomores and juniors.

PLAN 

The PLAN is a “pre-ACT” test that helps students predict their future success on the ACT.  PLAN helps students in career preparation and improving academic achievement. The PLAN is an optional test given to 10^th grade students.  The  PLAN measures the students in four areas: math, reading, language, and science reasoning.

Graph 4 is a comparison of Jefferson Christian Academy's PLAN scores for the last four years.

Graph 5 compares JCA's average PLAN score with the national average for 2010-2011 school year.

Stanford Achievement Tests

In addition to the optional tests offered to upper classmen, the Stanford Achievement Tests are administered each year to students 1^st – 9^th grade levels.  Along with the SAT-10, the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) is also administered annually.  As indicated by the scores below, students consistently outperform their OLSAT ranking.

Graph 6 shows a four year grade-level comparison of JCA's National Individual Percentile Rank for Total Reading on the SAT.

Graph 7 shows a four year grade-level comparison of JCA’s National Individual Percentile Rank for Total Math on the SAT.

Graph 8 shows a four year grade-level comparison of JCA’s National Individual Percentile Rank for Complete Battery on the SAT.

Graph 9 shows a four-year study on SAT Complete Battery Grade Equivalency of Jefferson Christian Academy students.

Graph 12 compares JCA student’s average SAT Complete Battery with JCA student’s average OLSAT Total Score.  This comparison allows administrators to see if students are performing above or below their ability levels.

Additional Indicators of Student Success:

Our faculty takes great pride in the many accomplishments of our students.  Our well-rounded student body is active and has won many awards in the sports and academic arenas.

• The Scholar’s Bowl team practices on a regular basis and competes in several competitions where they place consistently.
• In 2009-2010 our inaugural Science Olympiad Team made of 3^rd – 6^th graders placed 12^th out of 33 schools, and won metals in six categories.
• In 2011, we began a dual enrollment partnership with Faulkner University.  We currently have fifteen students enrolled in Composition I and Composition II.
• Our students work year-round to create a yearbook called the “Aerie”.  Past productions have included “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Dearly Departed,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and “Steel Magnolias.”
• We have an active Student Government Association that is involved with many service projects and competes and places at Boys and Girls State.
• Each grade also participate in service projects, such as Operation Christmas Child, clothing drives, providing animals to needy 3^rd world farmers, and shoe drives.
• Our school participates in the National Honor Society and the Junior National Honor Society.
• Each year we have several students who are chosen to participate in the Duke TIP program.
• Our students annually participate in the Spelling Bee and have consistently placed.
• Our students annually receive scholarships to a wide array of schools.  Yearly scholarship amounts usually average $300,000 or greater.

The faculty of Jefferson Christian Academy is extremely proud of the achievements of our students not only in standardized testing measurements but also in their extra-curricular activities.