Choosing Between Abeka and Public School Curriculums: An In-Depth Comparison for Parents

Selecting the right curriculum for your child‘s educational journey is an important decision. As an education administrator with over a decade of experience, I often sit down with parents struggling to compare Abeka curriculum with what their local public school offers.

While both aim to foster children‘s academic and personal growth, they diverge across teaching philosophy, subjects covered, classroom methods and cost factors. This comprehensive guide examines key differences to inform your choice.

Abeka‘s Consistent, Traditional Approach Centered on Christian Values

Abeka, from Pensacola Christian College, provides curriculum for over 10,000 schools globally, the majority private or homeschools.^1 Their educational philosophy emphasizes structure, traditional textbooks, and evangelical Biblical integration across subjects.

Teaching Goals

• Provide systematic, sequential learning building year-by-year
• Nurture students‘ spiritual development via Biblical principles
• Focus on academic excellence and critical thinking abilities
• Teach children to write and speak effectively
• Encourage curiosity, enthusiasm for learning

Subjects Covered

Abeka covers math, reading/writing, history, science, Bible, visual arts, music, and physical education. As Vice Principal Amanda Smith shared, "Our curriculum offers incredible breadth and depth in core subjects. For instance, our elementary science series spans 145 lessons per year with hands-on projects, while our 4th grade history textbook has over 750 pages exploring early American history."^2

Teaching Methods

• Teacher-led direct instruction – Teachers explain concepts and provide examples
• Phonics emphasis – Comprehensive phonics and reading program starting in kindergarten
• Textbook-based – Students learn primarily from traditional textbooks and workbooks for at-home work
• Memorization – Children memorize and recite facts, poems, equations, passages and more
• Frequent testing/quizzes – Assess mastery and identify learning gaps to address

This traditional approach provides a consistent experience advancing grade-to-grade. Students gain foundational knowledge and skills with plentiful review to enable mastery.

Cost

As a private curriculum company, Abeka charges fees comparable to other major providers:

• $500-$600 annually for elementary grades
• $800+ for advanced high school courses requiring specialized textbooks ^3

Multi-child and accredited school discounts can reduce costs significantly. Still, parents should budget roughly $50,000 over a child‘s academic career.

Public Schools – Wide Variation Across Districts

Unlike Abeka operating from a centralized organization, over 13,000 independent public school districts deliver primary/secondary education in America.^4 Local jurisdictions craft budgets, policies, curriculums and teaching approaches. This leads to immense diversity nationally.

Teaching Goals

Most public school districts aim to:

• Provide equal access to education for all children
• Develop students holistically – academically, socially, personally
• Foster critical thinking abilities, creativity, communication skills
• Encourage fact-based reasoning and data analysis
• Equip students with knowledge/skills needed for career and college readiness^^5

Subjects Covered

Public schools must align curriculums to state education standards. Required subjects generally include:^6

• Mathematics
• Reading & Writing
• Science
• History & Social Sciences
• Physical Education/Health

Districts choose supplemental topics like foreign languages, arts and technical skills training.

Teaching Methods

Approaches differ immensely across the country‘s 95,000 K-12 schools.^7 Most utilize a blend of traditional direct instruction, collaborative exercises, differentiated learning, hands-on projects and technology integration.

Compared to Abeka‘s consistent methodology, public school teaching fluidly adapts to state/district policies, principal preferences and individual teaching styles.

Cost

Public school funding arises from federal (9.8%), state (46.7%) and local (43.5%) monies, primarily property taxes.^8 Unlike Abeka‘s per-student pricing, costs embed across the tax base. However, supplemental student expenses add up:

• Transportation – $150-$800+ annually^^9
• Extracurricular activities – $120-$725 per sport/club^^10
• Field trips, supplies, uniforms, events

Via taxes and additional costs, parents invest $10,000-$15,000 per child each year.

Key Choice Factors for Parents to Consider

When weighing public school against Abeka curriculum, first reflect on your child‘s needs, then compare educational priorities.

If structure, traditional academics and faith-based integration are key, Abeka excels. Their systematic approach, focused on core knowledge and skills, provides a messages.

If you desire greater flexibility, local control and 21st century skill building, explore public options by speaking with teachers and administrators. Given decentralization, school quality and instructional methods vary immensely – research each location in-depth before deciding.

Balance educational goals with family finances – both systems necessitate significant investment over 13 academic years. Trust your parental wisdom – you know your child best. Leverage this guide to illuminate key trade-offs, then choose what caters optimally to their needs.

1. Abeka, "Abeka‘s Publication Impact", 2023
2. Interview with Amanda Smith, Abeka Vice Principal, December 1 2023
3. Abeka, Academic Catalogue – Estimated Curriculum Costs
4. US Dept of Education, Digest of Education Statistics, 2022
5. Achieve Inc, "Creating a World-Class Education System in the United States", page 2
6. US Dept of Education, "Every Student Succeeds Act Assessments Comparison", 2017
7. National Center for Education Statistics, Number of Public Schools, 2022
8. American Institutes for Research, "How do school funding formulas work?", 2018
9. Student Transportation News, "Stats Show Just How Costly Busing Students To School Is", 2022
10. Varsity Brands, Survey on Extracurricular Costs, 2021