"In the 21st century Adventist education must build on the strengths of the past to create a dynamic future. It must be about the work of innovative change, which will result in school improvement."

—Journey to Excellence, North American Division Office of Education

Excellence in Adventist education does not happen by chance. It comes as a result of an organizational culture which fosters continual, planned improvement. When all aspects of a school’s environment work together—visionary leaders, dedicated teachers, committed parents, supportive constituents, motivated students—quality schools emerge.

One indicator of the level of academics in Adventist schools is reflected in how our students score on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills by Riverside Publishing. On an annual basis, over ten million students across the United States participate in this standardized testing program. Norming samples for each grade level are based on the scores of over 300,000 students. The percentile rankings below reflect how our students have performed against all other students at a given grade level.

While our system continues to strive for excellence, the scores reflect that we are definitely heading in the right direction. Let's take a look at the GOOD NEWS!!!

Lake Union Summary of Iowa Test of Basic Skills: 2004

(Grades 3–9)

[Insert ITBS table of scores here.]

Garry Sudds is the Lake Union Conference associate director for education.