What do you know about Brentwood Christian School? (Austin, Abilene: upper-class, 2013)

[thegreatone1]

They claim to have Iowa test scores in the top 3% of the nation. 95% of their students go on to college. How does this compare to the other private schools in Austin? Is it in the top 5?

[GreenPlastic]

I think the top schools, such as St Stephens and St Andrews, have college rates of 100%. Not sure about Iowa tests. I think Brentwood has a pretty good reputation but not sure it would be top 5.

[centralaustinite]

I am impressed that they do Iowa Basic Skills testing. It is great to have nationally normed tests to use as a benchmark. It is a sign of seriousness towards the academic mission. So plus one!

But, to really judge how well they educate kids, you need to know what their raw material is like! In other words, what kinds of kids do they start with?

Do they require an admissions test? Do they accept kids with learning issues like dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, austism, etc.?

How diverse are the students economically?

If they have a uniform, upper-class, upper-middle class student body, then be less awed by the test scores, particularly if they keep out kids with less traditional learning styles.

My sense of Brentwood Christian School has always been that they put their religious mission a head of the educational one. But I could be wrong.

Episcopal schools do usually rely on some sort of admissions test and they vary widely in how accommodating they are to students with learning differences BUT most value diversity (economic, ethnic, and religious). Jewish, Hindu, atheist, and Buddhist families can be found in Austin Episcopal schools because the quality of education is judged to be so high. I always assumed that BCS does not attract these students.

Check greatschools to see what they say, visit, and trust your gut feelings. Ask to see what colleges have admitted their students over the past 5 years.

It is possible to have entire classes that score above the 90th percentile on the Iowa Basic Skills test, this happens at my kids school fairly regularly. (Not an Episcopal school, either).

[gdu]

I don't know much about them. I know two kids who went there. One went to UNT and the other didn't go to college.

[wpmeads]

haha! I can't believe there is a forum about Brentwood Christian! I went to elementry school there in the 90's. The elementary school there is very very good. The test scores sound about right. It was about the same when I went there I think (although that was a long time ago). As for universities, most of the students go to UT, Texas A&M or christian school (ACU and Pepperdine are Church of Christ universities by the way, and they tend to really like students from quality Church of Christ private schools). I believe a few go to Rice and TCU as well. I went to college at Abilene Christian Univ for two years and met several of my old class mates. They tended to strait A or A and B students. I thought I would try my best to answer a few of these questions.

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I am impressed that they do Iowa Basic Skills testing. It is great to have nationally normed tests to use as a benchmark. It is a sign of seriousness towards the academic mission. So plus one!

But, to really judge how well they educate kids, you need to know what their raw material is like! In other words, what kinds of kids do they start with?

Most people start out at Brentwood in elementary. They usually come from public schools in the area if they transfer. At least when I was there, the high school was much smaller than the elementary. They public high schools in the area are fairly good so it is pretty common for students to just go elementary and junior and go to public school for high school.

Do they require an admissions test? Do they accept kids with learning issues like dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, austism, etc.?

For the most part, yes they do. There are test required for admission and they do take into account learning disabilities. I'm not sure about austism, but I'm dyslexic and was able to get in and receive the type of help that I needed.

How diverse are the students economically?

It's mostly middle to upper class. You have a lot of ministers kids in the Austin area that will go there because the school gives big discounts to minister families.

If they have a uniform, upper-class, upper-middle class student body, then be less awed by the test scores, particularly if they keep out kids with less traditional learning styles.

I'm not sure. I'm dyslexic and I got in and got my accommodations if that means anything.

My sense of Brentwood Christian School has always been that they put their religious mission a head of the educational one. But I could be wrong.

Oh they do put their religious mission a head of their education, but from what I've seen, it doesn't affect the quality of education. However, they do impose their religious values, so if you where to have a problem with this, I wouldn't recommend Brentwood.

Episcopal schools do usually rely on some sort of admissions test and they vary widely in how accommodating they are to students with learning differences BUT most value diversity (economic, ethnic, and religious). Jewish, Hindu, atheist, and Buddhist families can be found in Austin Episcopal schools because the quality of education is judged to be so high. I always assumed that BCS does not attract these students.

I remember we had a Jewish and a Catholic kid in our class, but that was about as diverse as it got religiously. Granted, that was back in the 90's and Austin itself has gotten much more diverse.

Check greatschools to see what they say, visit, and trust your gut feelings. Ask to see what colleges have admitted their students over the past 5 years.

It is possible to have entire classes that score above the 90th percentile on the Iowa Basic Skills test, this happens at my kids school fairly regularly. (Not an Episcopal school, either).

Anyway, I hope that helps!

[miniwheat]

We are friends with a number of families with kids who are/graduated from there. I don't have stats as you requested, and as centralaustinite pointed out the differences in stats among very good private schools probably don't really tell you a lot.

I have been impressed with the young people who have come out of Brentwood - bright, grounded, and good citizens. Several went to very prestigious schools, big state schools, small liberal arts schools back east, each according to each's ability and interest.

My impression has been that they do put effort into building students spiritually and character-wise. Of course, no school is going to be able to supplant good parenting, but it seemed to me that at the end of the day they did believe that your character was the most important thing. That made a pretty big impression on me.

It's pretty small, with all the positives and negatives that go along with that. It is religiously affiliated - I believe their denomination frowns on dancing, so there are no high school dances. The students I knew were Christian but a different flavor, but they were strong enough in their own beliefs to understand how to keep their own beliefs but learn what they could from others. The students do go on retreats and have chapel services.

[jedandamanda]

We paid $700 in February, 2013 for our two children to apply to BCS. There is a $125 application fee per child and a $225 enrollment fee per child. When we applied we asked about the application process and were never given a clear answer as to when we would know if we got in and what our chances of getting in were. We were very concerned that no one could give us a straight answer about our chances of getting in. In April, I contacted BCS and was told there were no spots for my children. We knew when we applied that the $125 application fee was non-refundable and the $225 enrollment fee is only refunded if your child is not offered a spot. However, they have until the first day of school to offer you a spot and if you turn it down they can keep the entire enrollment fee. I contacted BCS in June and was again told there were no spots available so I let them know I would need to enroll my kids in a different school. In July, they called and said they had created spots for my children and would now be keeping the enrollment fee for both kids (again, this is after they knew that we had enrolled them in another school).

Our experience with the private, Christian school our kids are now enrolled in was completely different. Everything was very above board and transparent and we were only charged the application fee until our children were actually enrolled in the school.

BCS did not have to do a single thing with our applications (no checking references, no ordering school records) and yet they get to keep $700? The entire process left a bad taste in our mouths. At this point I feel like we are lucky we did not entrust them to educate our children. I advise future families to use great caution when applying to this school.