As most of you are probably aware, there seems to be a lot of discussion right now in the world of education, and the relative balance with the current economy.  I find myself trying to find good resources that help me to keep up with the ever changing dialogue regarding budgets and stimulus funds and how they are going to affect the upcoming year.

Education Week, at edweek.org, has a “Schools and the Stimulus” site which is a good resource for articles and commentary of what is going on with these very topics.  Enjoy!

http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/schools-stimulus/index.html

Parental involvement is a pretty strong influence in the quality of a child’s education. No matter what level of education a child is in, studies have shown that the more involved and aware the parents are, the more successful the child is.

There are many sources available online that provide ideas, such as Education World’s Parent Involvement in Schools article. Providing parents with an opportunity to share ideas for fundraising and school events, or a forum to meet other parents and discuss concerns can make them feel like they are actively participating in their child’s future and education.

4imprint has published a newsletter on this very topic, with some practical ideas on involving parents in school activities.

NOTE: Originally I was going to do 12 ’mini-case studies’ about some of our customers, but we’ve got many more than 12 so I’ll just continue to post them over time. Love the ‘we set our standards and stick to them’ quote in this one. It’s a very simple statement, but incredibly powerful if you actually operate that way!

Growing Minds, Preparing Youth
Trinity Christian Academy, Dr. Marsha Barber

Trinity Christian Academy of Willow Park, Texas, isn’t your ordinary college preparatory school. Because, instead of preparing high school students only, TCA starts as young as possible – with Pre-kindergarten youth.

In fact, its approach has become so popular that every year the school has begun to add another class to each grade to accommodate such tremendous growth.

“We have waiting lists for some grades because we simply don’t have the space,” said Dr. Marsha Barber, chief administrator for Trinity Christian Academy. TCA plans to accommodate such growth through building another facility to house middle and high school students, fueled by an ongoing capital campaign.

But, TCA wasn’t always home to more than 400 students. When the school first opened in 1993, it had only 10 elementary students on its school roster, taught by two teachers.

Dr. Barber credits Trinity Christian Academy’s growth to its small class sizes, strong academics, character training and Bible-based curriculum. In 2008, TCA celebrated its 15-year anniversary.

“We put a good product on the market and do what we say we do,” said Dr. Barber. “We set our standards and stick to them!”

And, it’s paying off, as 100 percent of TCA’s last three graduating classes are currently attending colleges around the country.

Trinity Christian Academy also witnesses growth as a result of using promotional products as a way to spread awareness throughout the community, and as tokens of appreciation to grandparent organizations as well.

“Word of mouth has been the best form of advertising in establishing a good reputation in the community. Promotional items are great ‘thank yous’ and ‘leave behinds’ at community organizations,” expressed Dr. Barber.

Spreading the word leads to growth
Traders Point Christian Academy

Traders Point Christian Academy has a 33-year history of helping develop well-rounded and spiritually mature adults.

Started in 1976 as a pre-school, the non-denominational Christian School was originally located adjacent to its namesake church.  But, after years of growth, the K-9 school needed its own, state-of-the-art facility.

“We’ve just continued to grow,” said Linda Becker, registrar, Traders Point Christian Academy.  “Our staff are seasoned and experienced.  Our first headmaster was with us for 21 years. Our new superintendent also has over 25 years of experience in the Christian high school and college areas. It’s that history and future that make us different.”

As a small, private, accredited school of 550 students, Traders Point Christian Academy uses print advertisements, open houses, word-of-mouth marketing and a Web site to build awareness.

Promotional products are an important part of the mix.

When a family is considering enrolling their student at Traders Point Christian Academy, the school invites the student to be a guest for a day, shadowing another student and learning what school life is like.  At the end of the day, each student guest receives a water bottle, imprinted with the school’s logo, as a remembrance of their visit.

At public events, like the county fair or street fairs, the school hands out imprinted items, to build awareness of their programs.

Leaders say the reputation the school has built over the last 30 years is key in recruitment efforts.

“We have families who leave us because they are relocated to another city or state,” Becker said.  “They often tell us that they couldn’t find another Traders Point in their new location.”

The school is now planning another expansion-to offer 10th, 11th and 12th grade coursework in the next three years.  The expansion provides the school another opportunity to build on the reputation that began with a small pre-school in 1976.