Veritas Preparatory School – Classical and Christian, Veritas Students Outpace Grade Levels in National Testing

Each year, students at Veritas Preparatory School participate in the Iowa Assessments standardized test. While frequent standardized testing has become commonplace in many schools, Veritas takes a different approach—administering just one standardized test annually. This allows more time to focus on building the foundational skills and knowledge that ultimately lead to strong test performance.

A key advantage of Veritas’ smaller class sizes is the ability for teachers to closely monitor each student’s progress. Rather than relying on frequent testing to gather data, instructors are able to identify areas needing targeted instruction and provide personalized support throughout the year.

The 2024–2025 test results were exceptional. On average, Veritas students scored more than two grade levels above their current grade. For example, a typical fifth-grade student tested at a seventh-grade level.

One of the most striking areas of performance was in middle school math. Among eighth graders, 80% scored at a high school graduate level in math. In seventh grade, 60% of students achieved the same. This reflects the school’s rigorous math curriculum, which is taught one year ahead of the standard timeline. Overall, Veritas classes averaged between 1.0 and 4.1 grade levels ahead in math.

Reading and English language arts scores were similarly strong, ranging from 0.7 to 4.1 years above grade level. Elementary students typically scored one to two years ahead, but it was in the middle school grades—beginning in sixth—where academic performance truly soared.

Veritas’ classical Christian approach to education plays a significant role in these outcomes. Rooted in the trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—this model emphasizes mastery at each stage of cognitive development. Early grades focus on memorization and knowledge-building; the logic stage emphasizes critical thinking and analysis; and the rhetoric stage hones students’ ability to craft arguments and communicate persuasively. It is during these logic and rhetoric stages that the classical Christian model delivers its greatest academic advantages—and the Veritas test scores clearly reflect this success.