Why Classical Christian Education?
We believe Classical Christian Education gives students the best opportunity to succeed academically, therefore Veritas uses this time-tested, proven method to instruct, train, and educate students to thrive in the 21st century.
Life Long Learners
The goal of this classical form is not only to teach students specific subject matter, but also to train them in how to think and how to learn, enabling them to become lifetime learners long after their academic careers have ended. In the United States today there is a growing movement in private schools to return to the classical form of education which once pervaded schools but which has been largely lost in the past half-century. It is a style of learning that dates to antiquity; it is the form in which great minds of history have been educated, including those of America’s Founding Fathers. In our own time, it has fused with the philosophy of Christian education to produce the Classical Christian school.
Dorothy Sayers, an English author and educator of the mid-twentieth century, was among the first to tie the decline in modern educational results to the abandonment of classical teaching methods. Her 1947 essay, “The Lost Tools of Learning,” detailed the classical model of the Trivium, a three-phase approach to education. Linked by design to the intellectual development of children, the Trivium consists of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric aspects of every academic subject.
The Grammar phase corresponds to elementary (grammar) school levels, and is a time when the fundamental data of subjects is taught to young minds adept at memorization and recitation. Examples of this are mathematic tables, language and spelling rules, and historical dates.
The Logic phase parallels the middle school years, capitalizing on the natural tendency of children this age to question and debate what they are taught. It focuses on relationships between various subject areas and teaches basics of reason, argument, and logical thought. Meanwhile, students continue to acquire factual knowledge.
The Rhetoric phase emphasizes the ability to articulate clearly the grammar and logic components of a subject. By the time a student has reached the high school level, he is ready for the rhetoric stage, a time when Intelligent, well-crafted expressions of argument and persuasion are the hallmark of the classically educated student. In other words, he has acquired the tools of learning, the elements of his education have come together, and the student has learned how to think for himself.
The Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS)—with which Veritas Christian School is affiliated—is an organization committed to advancing the theories of Classical Christian education. With member schools across the U.S. and around the world, ACCS is at the forefront of this exciting development in educating tomorrow’s Christian leaders.
Results… our standard tests and ACT scores are excellent!
Each year Veritas students take the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT). Veritas student test results reflect that they are 3 grade levels above the national average! Our 10th – 12th graders score at post high school levels (PHS).
Our average ACT scores are 25.8 for the past 5 years. In 2015-2017, Veritas was ranked in the top 10 among all private and public high schools in the greater KC area by Ingram’s Magazine, based on ACT scores, student-teacher ratios, and academic excellence, outperforming all Lawrence high schools.
As an institution, we would point out that we enroll typical students from typical Christian families. Rather than attributing our outstanding test scores to students that would be high-achievers under any circumstances, we credit our classical curriculum, our outstanding faculty and the active partnership of Veritas parents in the Christ-centered education of their children.