Overview

A report presented by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) during the fall of 2006 revealed startling statistics regarding the academic performance of American high school students during the ten-year period beginning with their entrance into the 9^th grade. The report, which is based on demographic studies completed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Statistics (NCHEMS), indicates that only 67% of all ninth graders graduated from high school four years later, and only 18% earned a college degree six years after their high school graduation date. This data tells us that we can expect that less than 20% of the young people in ninth grade in all United States schools today will have earned a college degree ten years from now.  This low number of college graduates is especially alarming in the face of a culture and society that will require a more highly skilled and educated workforce during the lifetime of these students. How will the 82 students out of one hundred acquire the technical and personal skills that will equip them for productive lives during the 21^st century without a college degree?

Note from NAIS report: The NCHEMS study, cited by Education Week in its March 22 issue, showed that slightly more than two-thirds of all ninth-graders graduated from high school. Of that original group, less that one-fifth — only 18 of 100 students — graduated from college (with an associate or bachelor’s degree) six years after entering. We know from the NELS study that more than three-quarters of students who attended private schools in the eighth grade went on to attain bachelor’s degrees or higher by their mid-twenties. Almost all private school students had attained some post-secondary education. Why? Independent school students are well-prepared to thrive in rigorous academic environments. They have been immersed in the achievement-oriented culture of independent schools and acquired the value of persistence.

The NAIS report raised important questions about Westminster Christian Academy graduates: How many of our graduates have earned a college degree six years after graduating from Westminster? What career opportunities do our graduates pursue? Do the personal lives of alumni reflect a commitment to the mission and core values of our school? Although we have many examples of Westminster alumni who have completed college and gone on to successful and productive careers, we did not have hard data to support our assumption that Westminster graduates perform at a level well ahead of the national norms. These important questions prompted us to complete a report in February 2007 that provided crucial information about the lives of graduates of the Class of 2000 six years after graduation. The Report, “Westminster Class of 2000: Where Are They Now,” provided important, encouraging information and insights that relate to the mission and vision of our school. A second report was completed in February 2008 providing the same information about the lives of graduates of the Class of 2001 six years after their graduation.  Subsequent reports were completed in October 2008 with information about the graduates of the Class of 2002 and in September 2009 with information about the graduates of the Class of 2003.

We believe strongly that an ongoing assessment of Westminster graduates in areas relating to the mission and vision of our school must play a vital role in helping us to evaluate institutional performance in achieving our stated mission and pursuing our stated vision. Therefore, Becky Van Valkenburg, Executive Assistant to the Head of School, surveyed the Westminster Class of 2004 to collect the following information about each of the 127 graduates: earned a college degree six years after graduation; current occupation; marital status; church attendance; and involvement in ministry or community service. Becky used e-mail and telephone contacts with alums and/or conversations with their parents to collect data for 122 of the 127 graduates from the Class of 2004, which provides a comprehensive picture of Westminster students six years after graduation. This information will also be compared to the surveys of the Classes of 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 to enable us to determine where strengths, areas of concern, and patterns exist. We trust that this information over time will help us gain important insights that will lead to growth and improvement in fulfilling our mission and vision.

Survey Results

Survey includes data for 122 of the 127 graduates (no information for five graduates); 63 (49.6%) female and 64 (50.4%) male.

College Graduation Information (percentages based on data from 122 graduates):

• 96 (79%) graduated from college (bachelor’s degree).
• 4 (3%) have earned an associate degree; 1 (1%) is pursuing an associate degree.
• Of the 21% who have not earned a college degree (bachelor’s or associate), 14 (11%) are working on a degree and expect to graduate.
• 30 (31% of college graduates) graduated from a Christian college.
• Gender breakdown of the 96 college graduates who earned a bachelor’s degree:       54 female (56% of college graduates) and 42 male (44% of college graduates).
• 30 (31%) college graduates have either earned or are pursuing a graduate degree.

7 graduates are serving or have served in the military.

15 are or have been teachers.

55 have been or are currently in the service industry (e.g., teachers, ministry, social services, etc.).

63 are in the business field.

82 (67%) list a church home.

27 (33% of those who list a church home) attend Reformed churches.

44 (36%) are married.

11 (9% of total, 25% of marrieds) are married to Westminster alums.

73 (60%) are living in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

2 are living abroad (3 others have lived abroad sometime during the past 6 years).

47 (39%) list ministry or community service involvement (e.g., children’s ministry, youth group leader, Sunday School teacher, music ministry, etc.).

Observations and Implications

• With 79% of the Class of 2004 having earned a bachelor’s degree, Westminster students far exceed the national average of students who earn a college degree six years after high school and compare favorably with schools who are members of NAIS, which includes the finest independent schools in the United States.
• 67% give evidence of a connection with a church home (77% for the Class of 2003). Of those listing a church home, 33% attend a Reformed church. This report is encouraging in light of the PEW Foundation’s study that determined that 42% of college graduates attend church at least one time per month.
• A significant number of graduates (39%) indicate ministry involvement (44% for the Class of 2003).
• A large number (31%) are pursuing a graduate degree.
• After four years of data, we find that over half of our graduates live in the St. Louis region and four in ten are married.
• The large percentage of Westminster college graduates when compared to all students indicates that our alumni will have significant and increasing leadership opportunities during the 21^st century.