The Need for Program Certification

The Certified College Program initiative provides a degree of assurance to students and offers colleges a pipeline for well qualified students to matriculate.

Students graduating from ACCS schools, and their parents who are considering a Christian tertiary education, typically evaluate academic programs in terms of their fidelity to the Christian faith, and their unequivocal commitment to Christian social values.

ACCS is actively upholding the traditions of the Western Christian Paideia, facing the challenges posed by the progressive ideologies that seek to subtly influence and reshape Classical Christian Education. While these changes might seem appealing, we are concerned that they will fundamentally undermine the core values and current growth of Classical Christian Education, and threaten to reshape the landscape of our familial, theological, academic, and civic life.

Consequently, ACCS graduates and their parents are increasingly taking into account a prospective college’s adoption of classical Christian education in their curricular and pedagogical standards, as well as the strength of its resolve to stand against the tide of secularism and cultural compromise that is carrying with it DEI, CRT, and like initiatives.

This scrutiny will increasingly place a premium on certification by a trusted body as a marker of quality and commitment to excellence. For institutions that embrace CCE, certification tailored to their unique pedagogical and philosophical commitments is not just beneficial but, we believe, will become increasingly essential. The ACCS Certified College Program addresses this need by offering a framework that aligns specifically with the tenets of classical Christian education, ensuring that programs not only meet general standards of academic quality but also faithfully embody the principles of CCE embraced by ACCS.

Benefits

Benefits to Students and Parents:

• Quality Assurance: Affirms that institutions adhere to high standards of classical Christian education, providing students with a robust and reliable educational experience.
• Enhanced Credibility and Attraction: Enhances institutional credibility, making the college a more attractive option for students seeking a rigorous, CCE, Christian faith-integrated and socially conservative learning environment.
• Clear Pathways: Highlights the alignment between K-12 ACCS accredited schooling and post-secondary education, fulfilling the demand for coherent educational trajectories in classical Christian education.
• Signal to Prospective Employers: Assures a prospective CCE school that a student’s educational program has met accepted standards, and that the college graduate is well prepared to enter the teaching profession.

Benefits to the College:

• Market Differentiation and Recruitment: Marks the college as a preferred choice for ACCS graduates seeking classical Christian education, enhancing its attractiveness and competitiveness.
• Credibility and Strategic Enhancement: Elevates the institution’s reputation within academic and religious communities, affirming its commitment to Christ-centered classical Christian education and strengthening its educational ecosystem.

Summary benefits for both students and the colleges are clear:

• For students: Assurance of high-quality education that integrates their Christian faith and practice with academic rigor, enhancing their employability, and preparing them for familial and societal leadership.
• For colleges: Gains a competitive edge in recruiting ACCS graduates and bolsters its academic and religious reputation, affirming its dedication to Christ-centered classical Christian education and enhancing its educational ecosystem.