Academics

In order to graduate students who embody as fully as possible our portrait of a graduate, Detroit Christian School is committed to providing a Christ-centered and classical education. DCS partners with parents and churches in their responsibility to train up their children in the Lord by laying a strong foundation built on Biblical truths with the help of classical academics. 

Being both distinctly Christ-centered and intentionally classical informs the content taught, methods used, and disposition expected within our school. The charts below highlight what we believe to be some of the most important ways Detroit Christian School is distinct from other schools.

The main distinguishing factor of the educational experience that students receive at Detroit Christian School is that it is Christ-centered. This affects relationships school-wide as we relate to one another acknowledging that every student, parent, and staff member is made in the image of God and also entirely sinful and in need of a Savior. It affects how teachers relay content to their students. All academic content is God’s gracious revelation of His goodness and He can and should be worshipped for it: His sovereignty revealed through history, His order and faithfulness revealed through mathematics, and His love for communication revealed through language. He created the world full of beauty, goodness, and truth and the students at DCS will learn to gaze upon those things and humbly worship our Creator for them.

Christ-centered

Classical

Detroit Christian School is classical in methodology and content. This means that we rely on old, proven methods including memorization, recitation, imitation, and practice. It also emphasizes a study of the humanities and seeks to provide an interdisciplinary approach to learning rather than teaching subjects in an isolated fashion. God’s truth is not divided into subjects but rather given to us as a beautifully integrated and complicated whole. Additionally, it is not given for us simply to know with our minds but for us to experience and respond to with our lives. Developing virtues and character is a significant part of a truly classical education. Lastly, classical education relies heavily on the framework of stages for the educational journey that are outlined by the Trivium: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. You can read more about this below in our “Portrait of a School.”

Portrait of a School

At DCS being distinctly Christ-centered and classical determines many specifics regarding our content, methods, and overall disposition in education. Take a look at the Portrait of a School to read more about what this means.

Our academic program is structured around three days of in-class instruction on new content and concepts. The other two days of the week are Independent Study Days (ISDs). 

At the grammar school level, ISDs require parents to provide a literature rich environment, practice memory work in all content areas, reinforce math facts, help write rough drafts and final copies, and awaken wonder and curiosity in their children through nature study. This schedule also allows students to have time for constructive play, academic games, music practice (if applicable), long chunks of time for reading and listening to good books, outdoor play, and many extracurricular activities.

We realize not all households are able to accommodate this schedule. Parents can opt to have their student(s) complete their ISDs at school, during typical school hours, with a cohort teacher. The ISD cohort teachers will meet with students individually and in small groups to complete their ISD work and create a home-like environment to meet the goals stated above. Please contact us for more information on our 5-day option (in-school ISDs). Tuition will reflect how many days a week the child is in the school building.

The collaborative schedule of learning allows us to carry out our mission in many ways.

Collaborative Schedule

  • Parents get to participate in an influential and personal way in their child’s education. Sharing this responsibility with parents eliminates unnecessary wasted time in the classroom and allows students the opportunity to practice skills and recite memory work at their own pace.

  • Students benefit from the consistent one-on-one attention with people who know them best. Extra time for practice and regular, individualized attention for each student fosters a learning environment in which academic excellence and high expectations are a norm.

  • With more time as a family unit, parents are able to walk alongside their children as their hearts are being shaped. This often takes place through sibling relationships, implementation of home responsibilities, and carrying out purposeful family routines that point a child’s heart to Jesus. These discipleship opportunities reinforce the virtues and habits that are being introduced at school, forging a powerful partnership between the family and the school.

  • Regaining evenings and creating flexibility for two out of five school days makes it easier for students to participate in other extracurricular activities that contribute to their overall formation (church, sports, music, art, museums, serving neighbors, etc.)

  • More families are able to have access to a private, Christian, classical education because tuition costs are significantly lower.

Learn More about Christian Classical Education

Wondering if Detroit Christian School might be a good fit for your family? Contact us.