+2.32
Students with high church involvement had a 2.32-point advantage in math/reading scores compared with students without high involvement.
Ilana M. Horwitz, Review of Religious Research, 2020
Philosophy
We combine four evidence-backed strategies into one residential model — and hold every piece accountable to outcomes.
The research is clear: faith-based environments, small single-sex cohorts, residential stability, and trauma-informed adult mentorship each independently improve outcomes for at-risk youth. Joshua Academy is designed around the premise that combining all four produces something greater than the sum of its parts.
We are not proposing an experiment. We are building around decades of peer-reviewed evidence in a single, purpose-built community — and we intend to measure every outcome along the way.
The Research
What the evidence shows.
+4%
Single-sex cohorts scored higher on national exams and were 4% points more likely to complete secondary school.
C. Kirabo Jackson, NBER, 2016/2017
43%
43% lower odds of recidivism when schools combine early-warning data, personalized adult support, career-connected coursework, and smaller communities where at-risk students are known and monitored.
Rands Medical Analysis, 2013
†
Religious schooling is associated with STRONGER academic performance.
William H. Jeynes, Peabody Journal of Education, 2012
What Sets Us Apart
Four proven strategies. One integrated model. Zero shortcuts.
Most programs address one piece. Joshua Academy is designed to integrate faith formation, academic rigor, residential stability, and trauma-informed mentorship into a single, unified experience — from sixth grade through college.