Lenawee Christian School is and has been a school committed to academic excellence. Part of this excellence comes from our desire for continued commitment to school improvement. Our affiliation with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and North Central Association (NCA) helps us with the accountability of maintaining our high standard of excellence.

Part of continuing our accreditation with these organizations involves the completion of various school improvement projects. Our current project, entitled the Accreditation by School Progress (ASP), focuses on improving student writing. Since an excellent education demands that students demonstrate a high level of proficiency in all modes of writing, our goal is that every student achieves his or her maximum writing potential. We are working diligently to help our students develop such competence.

One outcome of this project has resulted in the development of a writing assessment tool. Now, once a year, students in grades 4th-12th take part in the School-Wide Writing Sample (SWWS). Students write an essay in response to a given prompt; then the essays are scored by the teachers. Scores are tabulated based on a writing rubric, which focuses on the “Six Traits of Effective Writing” (ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions). Data collected from this writing sample shows what students have achieved and what areas still need to be mastered. Based on this data, interventions and strategies are developed to improve these areas in the classroom setting.

At Lenawee Christian School, we take seriously our responsibility to prepare our students for life beyond school, whether that be at college, in the work force, or wherever the Lord directs them. Focusing on improving student writing is yet another way we are striving to fulfill that responsibility.