In the familiar verse we find in 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul charges Timothy in this way: "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." This powerful verse has been widely and correctly understood to describe multiple generations of involvement in the transmission and propagation of the Gospel message. It is because of the work of the Holy Spirit through these faithful men that we have received the Bible into our hands today.
There is another important observation that can be made from this passage and we take this very seriously at Ignite Christian Academy. The latter part of the verse says, "…who shall be able to teach others also." The verse recognizes that not only must the Bible be received by successive generations, but it must be taught also. Properly teaching the truth of Scripture demands a strong background not only in language and history, but also in mathematics and science. While skill in language and familiarity with history may be an obvious need, mathematics allows the Bible student to see patterns in Scripture and calculate dates and measurements. A scientific background aids in understanding the many types and varieties of biological species, celestial observations, military and medical technologies that are described in the Bible.
Perhaps even more significant to the average Christian is that we likewise need a good understanding of the language, history, mathematics, and science of our modern world so that we can relate these to what we read in the Bible in order to make proper contemporary applications. An often overlooked word in 2 Timothy 2:2 is that small word able which carries the sense of "competency." When we recognize what God is commanding here through the apostle Paul, the application is rich for those of us who are involved in schools, whether as students, parents, teachers, staff, or administration. God is looking for competent servants who will carry forward His work by representing Him accurately in the world. It should be clear then that Christians have an obligation to do our best to study and learn in the areas of language, history, mathematics, arts, and science, and others so that we are well equipped to the task that God has called us to.
At Ignite Christian Academy, we use testing as one way to prove the competency of our students. Though not everyone enjoys testing, it is important for us to see how far we have come in each area of our studies.
An excellent way to accomplish this measuring of student growth and progress over time in various subjects is through the use of MAP testing which is available through Ignite Christian Academy. MAP is an acronym which stands for Measures of Academic Progress, a test which is produced by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) and delivered to about 3 million students each year around the world.
Ignite Christian Academy offers the MAP test in the areas of reading, mathematics, and language arts. All MAP tests are aligned with national and state curricula and standards. Unlike other standardized tests, MAP is unique in that it is computer-based and adaptive. This means that MAP dynamically adapts to a student's responses as they take the test, starting with a grade-appropriate question and then sequentially delivering a harder or easier question depending on the student's answers. In this way, the test narrows in on a student's learning level while engaging them with content that allows them to succeed. Ideally, students should get about 50% of questions correct.
While students report that MAP seems easier than other types of standardized tests because the questions are adapting to each student's answers, MAP provides rich results such as percentile (comparison with a group), achievement (degree of topic mastery), and growth scores (improvement over last test) to the student, parent, and school. Each year Ignite Christian Academy provides the test to our students as part of the service to our enrolled students. (Non-academy students can also take the test for a fee.)
Many parents appreciate that MAP clearly shows how their child is growing academically from the beginning of the school year through the end, or from one year to the next. MAP also carefully pinpoints areas of strength and areas for academic improvement in each child, which helps guide future needs. In addition, students tend to like MAP because it is completed more quickly than other standardized tests and is the educational equivalent of a growth chart!
It should be clear that Christians have an obligation to do our best to study and learn in the areas of language, history, mathematics, arts, and science, and other subjects so that we are well equipped to the task that God has called us to. Though each course in Ignite Christian Academy contains its own integrated tests and quizzes, we use MAP as an external assessment of student competency. Interestingly, in the discussion of qualifications for Christian leadership as found in 1 Timothy 3:7 and 10, we find that God expects that His leaders have external approval as part of their preparation for service. Our desire is that many more servant leaders would be educated through studies at Ignite Christian Academy, and we encourage our students to fully participate in this assessment aspect of their growth and learning.
This spring we are again making the MAP test available to Ignite Christian Academy families, and we invite your participation in this important measure of growth and competency in each area of learning as well as in our students' spiritual journeys. Our goal: developing competent students who are fully capable of serving our Lord as He directs!