Crook County Christian Is Changing the Education Landscape in Prineville

When we replanted Crook County Christian School 2.5 years ago, we made a commitment to three primary goals:

1. Return to the original vision and mission and vision of CCCS when it was first founded
2. To provide the best possible spiritual and academic education possible for the families of Crook County (and beyond)
3. To give students and families access to options, programs and opportunities that have never been available to Crook County

We’re pleased to report that 2.5 years in, we’re already meeting all 3 goals, and we’re just getting started! There is so much more to come as we continue to grow and add new programming options and see the fruit of our investments in our students. While public schools in the state of Oregon continue to struggle mightily post-covid, and many are trending in the wrong direction, Crook County Christian School is rapidly reshaping the narrative of what’s possible for Crook County students and families.

Raising the Bar, Not Lowering Standards

At Crook County Christian School we believe in raising the bar, not lowering standards. We’ve taken the approach that when students are challenged, and given the tools to succeed, they will rise and accomplish far more than many people realize. The answer to our nation’s educational woes is not lowering expectations, but raising them, and that starts with believing students are capable and setting goals and strategies to help facilitate their achievement. A loving culture of excellence is essential, nurturing, and encouraging!

A Quick Comparison to Local Elementary Schools

One of the key measures the state of Oregon uses to measure whether schools are on track is the % of students meeting state proficiency standards (which are also based off federal standards). For example, here are how local elementary schools are performing according to readily available public data from the ODE website:

• Barnes Butte Elementary: 36% ELA Proficiency
• Crooked River Elementary: 38% ELA Proficiency
• Steins Pillar Elementary: 44% ELA Proficiency

While it’s impossible to get a 100% apples-to-apples comparison because private schools are currently barred from OSAS testing to compare directly against public schools, our students are achieving remarkable results compared to their peers nationwide with our 1st-5th grade students achieving the 71st percentile nationally in reading compared to their peers and 70% proficiency in those measurable ELA skills of reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, spelling, etc. when mapped to state standards.

Taking COVID into account, and we are well on our way to meeting or internal goal of 80-90% proficiency while most Oregon public schools continue to flatten or trend in the wrong direction.

Quickly Moving Towards Even Higher Goals

Not only are our students outpacing the peers locally, they’re outpacing their Oregon and national peers as well! Oregon’s “long-term” goal of 80% proficiency is within reach for us in the next couple of years, and especially when we look at our up and coming pre-K through 2nd grade students. A quick snapshot of our students this year shows.

1. Ms. Haelee’s 2nd grade class has ALL of her students currently meeting at least one of their Accelerated Reader goals with almost all students at or above reading grade-level.
2. Our first batch of 1st grade Accelerated Reader students are almost all testing above grade-level, with several testing at 2nd-4th grade level already!
3. All of our Kindergarten students are excelling and meeting teacher expectations in phonics and reading development, and this is one of our strongest Kindergarten classes ever to date.
4. Most of our pre-K students heading into Kindergarten will be reading at some level by the end of the year if they aren’t already.

Keys to Success:

While the narrative has been to discuss Oregon’s public schooling results as a “Covid” problem, the reality is far more complicated. So, why are Crook County School students continuing to not only recover but trend upward post-covid?

1. Small Class Sizes – We intentionally keep classes smaller than our public schools, and when a class gets over 16 students we will typically split it
2. Individualized Student Focus – Because we have smaller class sizes, students receive a lot more individualized attention and have more access to their teachers when needed.
3. Culture of Excellence – We realize every student is capable of meeting significantly more than what our culture is expecting of them. We encourage them daily and celebrate both small and big successes on a regular basis.
4. Positive & Nurturing Environment – We love our students, many of them are our own kids, and we want every child to receive the advantages and opportunities we want for our students. We want families of Crook County to thrive!
5. Focus on Spiritual Development – We all know healthy students thrive more than unhealthy students. Nothing is better for student health than the Gospel. It is the center of everything we do, and it is a huge advantage over public education.
6. We’re Teaching Kids HOW to Think – It’s important teach kids what’s Truth. But, it’s also important to teach them critical thinking skills so they don’t just know “what” to think but HOW to think.

Students in public schools aren’t struggling because they’re incapable or because of Covid. Students in public schools are struggling because they aren’t building on a foundation of Truth, they aren’t able to provide spiritual development, and teachers are completely overwhelmed with factors outside their control. Instead of being able to teach core skills, they’re inundated with all kinds of other cultural distractions and things they’re now mandated to teach that many parents don’t even agree with. When the Bible isn’t the center, things go sideways quickly.

Teach Them To Read…

Strong, confident readers become more confident students and lifelong learners. When Sue Uptain-Gillham and First Assembly of God first planted Crook County Christian School in 1994, the mission was clear. When we replanted Crook County Christian School in 2022, we sat down with Sue and asked her what was the original mission. Without hesitation, she recited the mission that started it all.

“If you teach them to read, then they can read the Word and hide it in their heart to sustain them for the times ahead.”

-Sue Uptain-Gillham (Founding Principal)

Mission accomplished, Sue, thank you for being obedient to the heavenly vision and laying the right foundation! Not only have returned to this key mission, but we’re blazing a trail forward to accomplish new things and create opportunities that have never been available to families in Crook County. Our passion to be the best option for our families and region continue to drive every program, policy, and decision we make. The future is brighter than ever, and we’re just getting started!

More Info about CCCS

Are you interested in learning how your child could potentially thrive at Crook County Christian School? Reach out today and make a change that will benefit your student for a lifetime!

Admissions Info: https://crookcountychristian.com/admissions/

Schedule a Tour: https://crookcountychristian.com/tour

2025 Vision Night: https://crookcountychristian.com/events/preview-vision-night/

Call Us Today: 541-241-8855