Central Kansas Christian Academy (CKCA), a Christian school in Great Bend, recently worked through an eight-component verification to receive accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). The school was established in 2002 through the combination of two Christian schools and for a number of years has been working towards this designation. The massive undertaking was led by the staff and Board of Directors, but also required the engagement of more than 40 volunteers consisting of parents, alumni and community members.
“Like the public schools, our school has predetermined standards for student education. Our staff has been providing high-quality education for our students for decades now, and it’s evidenced by the caliber of students we’re graduating out, who are going on to college and impressive careers later in life,” said Dottie Dozier, CKCA principal. “The school has always been operating at an accreditation level, but this year we were able to complete the rigorous, multi-year process of proving that fact with the help of so many wonderful staff and volunteers.”
ACSI looks at eight standards required for their accreditation:
Philosophy and Foundations
Governance and Executive Leadership
Home and Community Relations and Student Services
Personnel
Instructional Program and Resources
Student Care
Character, Values, and Spiritual Formation of Students
Continuous School Improvement Plan
To obtain accreditation, the school not only has to operate with all eight standards in mind, but the teams of volunteers assigned to each of these standards also had to provide documentation and evidences that could be reviewed by the ACSI. These evidences had to show that the school had been meeting or exceeding these standards for several years.
“At the end of the review process, numerous representatives of ACSI came to CKCA for a site visit and spent several days reviewing the documentation, meeting with staff and volunteers and ensuring that we follow the policies and procedures we say we do,” Dozier said. “Our staff has always been focused on the solid education of our students, both spiritually and academically. Our teachers all hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education, and some have master’s degrees. Through this accreditation, we’re now able to be a continuing education unit (CEU) provider for our teachers and others. We will also be able to apply for grants and programs for the school to continue building Christian education in Great Bend. It’s very exciting!”
Moving into the future, the school will be on a six-year cycle that will require similar documentation, site visits, and recording evidences to ensure that the school continues to operate at the high standards set by ACSI.
Central Kansas Christian Academy is a nondenominational community Christian school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade with a positive environment that combines Christian character training with a rigorous academic curriculum. The core classroom studies are supplemented with a variety of enrichment courses, including physical education, music, band, art, library and computer applications. Students also have opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities and athletics, such as basketball, cheerleading and Student Council.
Anyone interested in learning more about CKCA or enrolling their child (K-8) for the 2023/2024 school year can visit www.ckcacademy.com to learn more, or they may contact the school office weekdays when school is in session: 620-792-3477 or office@ckcacademy.com. During the summer, callers may leave a message and their call will be returned. Central Kansas Christian Academy also has a Facebook page for followers to keep up with school news and events.