COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Association of Christian Schools International’s (ACSI) Research and Thought Leadership Department has released new, evidence-based research intended to inform Christian school leadership.
Dr. Rian Djita, ACSI Director of Research, reported that ACSI’s 2025 research portfolio demonstrates significant connections between school culture, service offerings, and graduates’ long-term outcomes.
“Our goal is to provide Christian school leaders with evidence-based insights that support effective mission fulfillment,” stated Djita. He further noted that 2025 represents a significant year for research in faith-based education. The following summarizes key reports published by the ACSI Research Department in 2025.
1. The Inclusion Imperative: SPED Services as a Mark of School Health
The most notable findings of the year focus on special education (SPED) services, indicating that inclusion has become a central indicator of school health and alignment with institutional mission.
Two interconnected quantitative studies—one focusing on parents and students, the other on educators—showed that offering SPED services is linked to a better overall school environment.
• Parent and Student Satisfaction: The study Special education in Christian schools: Parents and students’ perspectives (Djita, Baretto & Lee, 2025), which surveyed more than 7,500 respondents, found that SPED services significantly predicted higher satisfaction with school quality and perceived tuition value. Students in inclusive settings also reported increased peer encouragement and greater protection from bullying.
• A Shift in Educator Worldview: The companion study involving teachers and leaders identified a substantial theological impact. Educators in schools providing SPED services were significantly more likely to affirm the theological principle that all students are “image bearers,” and to perceive students with disabilities as welcome members of the school community.
Despite these positive links, the research identified a crucial gap: “While the availability of services clearly improves perceived value, our data indicates that gaps remain in how parents perceive their child’s value within the school culture,” noted Djita. “This suggests that the availability of a program alone does not always guarantee an inclusive ethos; intentional culture-building is still necessary”.
2. Academic Rigor and College Choice
Beyond inclusion, ACSI research addressed two other critical aspects of institutional effectiveness:
The Accreditation Advantage
The study, “Students’ academic achievement between ACSI-accredited schools and non-accredited schools” (Djita, Price & Deck, 2025), provided empirical evidence supporting the value of the ACSI accreditation process. Utilizing Iowa assessment data, researchers found that students in ACSI-accredited schools tend to outperform students in non-accredited schools, especially in math and reading.
What Graduates Prioritize
Shedding light on post-secondary planning, the paper, “College/University characteristics that Christian school graduates value for college-going decisions” (Lee & Djita, 2025) used a conjoint experiment to identify the most valued institutional factors. For these K-12 private Christian school graduates, religious affiliation and academic reputation mattered most in their college choice, while factors such as size or location were less influential.
The Path Forward
Collectively, the 2025 ACSI research—which also included a study on the education, work experience, and leadership of Christian school administrators—provides a clear and actionable mandate for leaders: a commitment to faith, academic excellence, and intentional inclusion are the powerful co-predictors of a truly flourishing Christian educational environment. For further resources about research projects from the ACSI’s Research Department, you can visit the website.
If you’d like to learn more about any of ACSI’s research, please contact media_inquiries@acsi.org
About ACSI:
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. ACSI advances excellence in Christian schools by enhancing the professional and personal development of Christian educators and providing vital support functions for Christian schools through multiple services including teacher and administrator certification, school accreditation, legal/legislative assistance, and curriculum publishing. ACSI is advancing Christ-centered education strengthening more than 25,000 schools in 108 countries educating more than 5.5 million students worldwide