Mondays with Mike: Growth and Excellence
PCA Students’ Remarkable Fall Benchmark Results
Dear PCA Community,
We just wrapped up a joyful Homecoming week—students in cute costumes and PCA colors, laughter echoing across campus. The sounds of construction still hum in the background as our new K–5 playground takes shape—a fitting reminder that growth at PCA is both visible and ongoing.
Amid all that joy, there is something even more meaningful to share. Our Fall Benchmark results show that PCA students grew at levels placing them in the top 5% nationwide for academic growth and achievement. Across every grade—Lower, Middle, and Upper School—our children met or exceeded PCA’s reach goals in reading, language, and math.
For the first time, we also reviewed and reported growth data from last year’s first-year PCA students (the 2024–25 cohort)—and their results were exceptional, especially in math. Many gained more than a year’s growth in a single academic cycle, showing how quickly children thrive when they enter an environment marked by faith, care, and academic challenge.
Our benchmarks come from the NWEA MAP Growth assessment, a nationally normed, standards-based test used in both public and private schools across the country. Unlike New Hampshire’s state assessments—which measure only grade-level mastery—this adaptive test adjusts to each child’s responses, allowing them to demonstrate learning beyond grade level—often one to two years ahead of national averages. Because of this, we have high confidence in both the accuracy and depth of these results.
This kind of growth means your child isn’t just meeting grade-level expectations—they’re building the skills and confidence that prepare them to thrive at the next level. These results aren’t just encouraging; they affirm that a Christ-centered education forms both mind and heart.
Fall benchmarking marks the start of our growth season, setting the trajectory for spring 2026, when we expect to see this growth expressed again in excellence and achievement. At PCA, we define excellence not as perfection but as faithful growth over time—growth that reflects the joy, perseverance, and wisdom God calls us to cultivate in our children.
In this week’s Mondays with Mike episode, I focus on mental growth—how students develop focus, resilience, and curiosity as they begin the year. In the coming weeks, after the first quarter concludes, our principals and I will share more about other dimensions of growth—how your children are stepping into challenge through honors, dual enrollment, and leadership opportunities, and how new doors are opening for them across the school and beyond.
With gratitude,
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” –Proverbs 1:5
“These results aren’t just encouraging; they affirm that a Christ-centered education forms both mind and heart.”
Key Takeaways from Fall Benchmark Results
- Top 5% Nationwide: PCA students–your children– achieved growth that keeps them above 95th percentile nationally in achievement, learning faster than other peers across the U.S.
- Typically 1–2 Grade Levels Ahead: Based on national NWEA norms, PCA students are working about one to two grade levels ahead of typical expectations in reading, language, and math.
- Nationally Normed & Standards-Based: The adaptive NWEA MAP Growth test is used in both public and private schools, offering reliable, comparable insight into true student progress.
- Strong Start to the Growth Season: This fall’s results set the trajectory for spring 2026, when growth in skill becomes visible excellence and readiness for next-level opportunity.
- Outstanding First-Year Results: Analysis of last year’s new PCA students showed exceptional growth—especially in math—reflecting how quickly children thrive in a Christ-centered environment focused on growth.
- Sustained Excellence Over Time: For four consecutive years, PCA students have accelerated their growth, surpassing the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon benchmarks in every grade, every subject.
“We define excellence not as perfection but as faithful growth over time—growth that reflects the joy, perseverance, and wisdom God calls us to cultivate in our children.”
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