Academic Overview

The academic program of MBA—goals, curriculum, teaching, guiding, assessing, and improving—is all based on MBA’s mission to partner with parents to cultivate Christ-like young people through the integration of Biblical principles in the classroom, the example of godly teachers, rigorous academics, and the positive peer pressure of other Christian students. It is the goal of MBA to graduate students who are firmly founded on the Word of God and who are prepared to serve the Lord in any capacity He has designed for them.

Most of our teaching is in the lecture/demonstration/guided practice/independent practice model. This is an efficient way to teach much in limited time. We do, however, deliberately take time to develop critical thinking skills as part of the classroom time, and many of the “independent practice” exercises are all about that. An elementary teacher might give half an hour to let students discuss and role play a moral choice situation from a story. Our upper level classes give plenty of opportunities for students to develop analytical thinking skills through discussion, writing exercises and papers, and interpreting literature. Higher level math teaches students problem-solving skills. ​
Through past efforts of dedicated Christians, the state government of Missouri has allowed Christian schools within the state to operate free from government intervention.  However, MBA has worked very hard to equal and often exceed state requirements, particularly in academic areas. Missouri’s Department of Education requires pupils to attend a minimum of 174 days or receive 1,044 hours of instruction. Although not required by state law to meet this expectation, MBA has and will continue to voluntarily meet this requirement. Missouri law requires a minimum of 24 credits to graduate high school. MBA graduates meet this requirement. 

Biblical Worldview

Assessment of Learning
Every class is intentionally taught with a biblical worldview.  Some of the biblical integration is written into our documents in the curriculum manual and student textbooks, but more of the integration comes as a result of teachers seizing opportunities, both planned and spontaneous, to reinforce biblical truths and values.  Teachers, exhibiting the natural outworking of biblical values from their own personal walks with the Lord and Bible study, are able to greatly aid in the development of students’ biblical world view. 
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​The teachers and administration of Maranatha Baptist Academy do not merely assume that learning is occurring; they use a variety of assessments to evaluate their curricula, methods, and their adaptation of teaching to meet the needs of each particular group of students. Parents are regularly informed of students’ progress and are welcomed and sometimes invited to meet with teachers about their students’ needs. Parent-teacher conferences with all parents who wish to attend are scheduled every year at the end of each of the first semester grading periods. These scheduled conferences are in addition to individually-scheduled conferences that may take place throughout the year. The school staff is committed to making the assessment process a practical help to students and families.  
Click to read more on assessment.

Curriculum
Curriculum choices at MBA purposefully reflect a Christian world view in addition to academic rigor. The curriculum at MBA is a combination of A Beka, Bob Jones, and Saxon Math.

Colleges and Universities Attended by our Graduates

​Appalachian Baptist Bible College
Bob Jones University
Crown Bible College
Drury University
Evangel University
Faith Baptist Bible College
Heartland Baptist College
John Brown University
Maranatha Baptist University
Missouri Southern University
Missouri University of Science & Technology 
Pensacola Christian College
Pensacola Graduate School
Saint Louis University
Truman State University
College of the Ozarks
Baylor University
University of Central Missouri
University of Northern Alabama
Baptist School for World Evangelism
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
University of West Florida
West Coast Baptist College
​Westminster College
West Point Military Academy

Check out our School's SAT Scores
from the last few years. We consistently rank much higher than national averages.

SAT Score Comparison