RCS Five R's

Relationships

The Bible’s message from the beginning is God created individuals to be in relationship. The New Testament speaks to the relationship of the Holy Spirit residing within believers, and believers belong to one another in Christ. The ministry and teaching of Jesus was notably immersed in relationships with the twelve disciples and his followers. Christian educators aim to model the Biblical patterns of productive relationships to make a positive impact on student’s lives and learning.
Jn. 17:21, 1Cor. 3:16, Rom. 12:5, 1 Jn. 4:7

Relevance

A Christian context for learning offers an unequalled platform to understand a Biblical worldview. Linking a Biblical worldview to content or process standards, career or college readiness goals, and authentic or novel applications increases students’ intrinsic motivation to learn, and their abilities to make meaningful connections.
2 Tim. 2:21, 2 Tim. 3:16

Rigor

In the parlance of cognitive taxonomies, rigor is best understood when students engage with opportunities to evaluate, apply, analyze, compare, design, create, or invent. Rote memorization and recall are useful for the basics of any subject but cannot be the exclusive cognitive demands when designing assignments and assessments.
Eccl. 1:13, 2 Tim. 2:15

Research

All truth is God’s truth. Christian education must borrow from best practices found within educational research. High-quality research that addresses the domains of teaching, learning, assessment, innovation, technology, special needs, and school culture should inform practitioner’s efforts to indelibly impact students’ lives and learning. Action research and inquiry cycles can be considered effective tools to spur professional growth and confirm or challenge empirical findings.
Dan. 1:12-16

Response

In response to God’s love, and learning in a Christ-centered context, Christian School communities share a calling to become creative force agents of change—inside and outside of the classroom. Community service, lavish giving, and extending common grace to all people characterize the mint marks of a responsive Christian education.
Gal 6:10, Eph. 2:10