The Cardus survey: Does Christian education make a difference?

Have you heard of the Cardus Survey?  As I travel for CSI, I’ve been met with some blank looks in response. Consequently, I’d like to make you aware of this important research survey that is going on through the work of Cardus, in Ontario, Canada.

The work of the study is described in a June 2009 Cardus email: “A representative sample of over 24,000 K-12 Christian education alumni from over 300 elementary, secondary and homeschooled settings across Canada and the United States will be surveyed. The objective of the study is to measure the alignment between motivations and outcomes for Christian education. The study will focus particularly on academic, spiritual, and cultural outcomes. An interview with the principal and teachers of each participating school will also be conducted.” And from a later email: “It is expected that the reports that come from this data will serve as a catalyst for a broader conversation both how Christian schools might improve as well as on the contribution of Christian education in the broader culture.” The results will be “the largest dataset of Christian school alumni ever compiled.”

On December 3-4, 2009, I was honored to be a part of a gathering of fifty leaders, representing the cross-section of Christian education organizations, who met in California to be updated on the Cardus Education Survey. Our task was also to provide input on the analytical framework underlying the project. (See the Cardus website for more information.)

This $1.1 million dollar, three-year study will also involve four major qualitative research projects through Trinity Western University, Southeastern University, Boston University, and Covenant College. You can read more about these projects on the Cardus Study website.

Your school may have been randomly selected to take the survey, but it is not too late to get involved.  If you are an alumnus of Christian schools, you can take an individual survey and encourage other alumni to take it. Taking this survey will assist the researchers in their data gathering activity. You can also sign up to get a free newsletter that will seek to inform you of the ongoing progress with the project.