Overview
We Redefine Learning
Together with a worldwide network of millions of Lasallian students and educators, we are proud to bring Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s spirit of love, care, service, and whose reputation for excellence in education extends back to 1680, to the 21st century.
With our cutting-edge curriculum, we encourage our students to explore and innovate not only in the classroom, but beyond it, so that our next generation of lifelong learners leave a lasting, positive impact on their communities and the world around them.
We give students powerful mentorship and instruction that transforms wonder into excellence.
For more information, check out our 2023-2024 School Profile and our current Course Catalog.
Academic Rigor
We facilitate personalization of coursework within each discipline by offering students courses on campus which meet them where they are through on-level, Honors or Advanced Placement classes.
Quality Matters, a research journal which examines curriculum in higher education, collected the definitions of academic rigor from universities and colleges across the US to create the following unified definition:
“Intentionally crafted and sequenced learning activities and interactions that are supported by research and incorporating the following characteristics to support learning by including:
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As a college preparatory program we believe it is essential to use this definition to shape La Salle learning experiences so that all graduates are prepared to meet these standards of performance at any institution of higher learning.
That is why our curriculum is intentionally designed to support students at all levels.
We begin by developing foundations of knowledge in 9th and 10th grade. In 11th and 12th grade our academic requirements incentivize students to capitalize on opportunities to create their own pathways for learning.
To support students who want a deeper and more varied learning experience we also offer students opportunities to take specialized courses online and in-person at local community colleges and with our national and international education partnerships.
Graduate Learning Outcomes
As a college preparatory high school, La Salle endeavors to instill the following outcomes and expectations in graduates of its program.
Understand Catholic teaching and practices and are guided by the Lasallian five core principles and the ideals of Learn. Serve. Lead.
Respect individuals of different backgrounds, talents, cultures, and religions.
Practice Christian values by recognizing and responding with compassion to the needs of others, especially the poor and marginalized.
Interpret, analyze, synthesize, and communicate ideas.
Value lifelong physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
20% Mentoring and Religious Education
60% Core Academics
10% Arts
10% PE/Athletics
Curriculum
La Salle has eight departments of graduation coursework that meet and/or exceed the Cal State and UC eligibility requirements.
All students have flexibility in their schedules to explore electives in their areas of interest and are encouraged to challenge themselves across all disciplines.
English | Mathematics | Social Studies | Science |
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World Languages | Religious Studies | Art | Physical Education |
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La Salle College Preparatory’ s English Department is committed to developing each student’s appreciation of literature, depth of critical thinking, and mastery of the art of written communication and analysis. We offer a program dedicated to studying a broad range of themes, genres, and time periods, and employ a variety of teaching methodologies to accommodate the learning styles of all our students.
Our four-year curriculum encompasses World, British, and American Literature, culminating in the senior year with courses devoted to contemporary themes in canonical and contemporary texts.
- World Literature: English I
- British Literature: English II
- American Literature: English III, AP Language & Composition
- Critical Perspectives: English IV, AP Literature & Composition
In addition to our required courses our English Department provides several electives on campus and through hybrid instruction including: Creating Writing/Fiction into Film, Expository Reading & Writing, Classic Novels and Author Studies, Gothic Literature, Mythology & Folklore, and Journalism.
At La Salle our mathematics courses are designed by our teachers to be inclusive and supportive, while providing the necessary foundation for future application. All La Salle graduates will be independent problem solvers who can deploy mathematical thinking in whatever future position they hold.
Students at La Salle are required to complete:
- Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2.
- Upon successful completion of Algebra 2 students are encouraged to take electives in mathematics each year until they graduate.
Our electives include:
- Precalculus, Statistics, AP Statistics, Calculus AB, AP Calculus AB/BC, Abstract Algebra & Number Theory, Trigonometry, and AP Computer Science
At La Salle all students must complete at least one year of inquiry in the following social studies subject areas. However, to support student personalization of their coursework we provide numerous options for courses including:
- Global Studies: World History, AP Human Geography, AP European History
- U.S. History: AP US History, US History
- Economics & Civics: Economics, Civics, AP American Government & Politics, and AP Economics
We also offer numerous on-campus electives including: Introduction to Law, Introduction to Psychology, California History.
Through our hybrid instructional partnerships students can also take: Anthropology, African-American History, Sociology, and Philosophy, World Religions, AP World History: Modern, and AP Psychology.
In addition to our robust course offerings La Salle College Preparatory is proud to sponsor a chapter of Rho Kappa, the only nationally recognized Social Studies Honors Society. Students who are admitted to Rho Kappa will participate in Social Studies outreach activities in the local community, as well as attend monthly meetings to discuss current events related to the better understanding of social and historical issues.
La Salle College Preparatory’s Science Department is dedicated to fostering critical thinking, analysis and problem solving all while developing a foundation of scientific knowledge. Our goal is for all La Salle students to master the standards of performance required for advanced scientific study at the collegiate level.
Our science curriculum requires students to complete at least 2 years of lab science.
- Life Science: Biology
- Physical Science: Physics, Chemistry
At La Salle we have a number of elective science courses offered both on campus and through our hybrid program including: AP Biology, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Chemistry, Environmental Science, Genetics & Biotechnology, Human Anatomy, Ethics in Science & Medicine, Forensic Science, (Sports Medicine, Earth & Space Science, and AP Environmental Science.
The World Languages Department focuses on fostering language comprehension by developing fluency in speaking, reading, and writing. Our courses center the study of language on the appreciation of culture, customs, geography, history, and traditions of the peoples where the language is used today.
At La Salle students must take at least 2 years of a world language while enrolled at La Salle.
- Level I: Spanish 1, French 1, Chinese 1
- Level II: Spanish 2, French 2, Chinese 2
- Advanced Coursework: Spanish 3, Spanish 4, French 3, AP French Language & Culture, Chinese 2, Chinese IV, AP Chinese Language & Culture
All students who have previously studied a world language will be evaluated by a departmental placement test prior to course enrollment.
All La Salle students are required to take four years of religion and complete coursework in The Arts and Physical Education to graduate. For more information, please see The Arts, Religion and Athletics pages.
For more information on Course Offerings and required coursework at La Salle please download our current course catalog. If you have any questions, contact our Admissions team at admissions@lasallehs.org
Learning Center & STEAM Lab
As part of our STEAM Program, our students learn the skills that will prepare them for the jobs and economy of tomorrow - and they have fun while doing it!
Our project-based learning encourages students to explore and challenge the processes that are typically associated with classroom learning. Students learn by doing and participating in projects that prepare them for the career opportunities of tomorrow.
Whether creating games, building circuits, designing bridges, or flying drones, students participate in the multi-disciplinary curriculum of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.
Success in La Salle’s STEAM Program is oriented around growth. Students are assessed and provided feedback int he form of journals and reflections, measuring the day-to-day successes and tools that students are armed with as lifelong learners
Mentoring
At La Salle it is fundamental to our mission to develop individuals motivated to achieve their goals in the future.
We approach student development with a structured Mentor Program carefully planned over a student’s four years at La Salle.
In 9th grade the focus is on helping students develop the skills they need to be successful in our diverse educational environment.
Our mentoring program focuses on providing students with the tools they need to help adjust to the rigorous work of the high school classroom, develop the skills to collaborate effectively with an entirely new group of peers, and provide students with the foundation to develop independent financial management skills with instruction in basic financial literacy.
Mentor Program
- Planning & Organization for High School
- Conflict Resolution Skills
- Financial Literacy: Introduction to Banking
- Introduction to College & Career Planning
In a student’s 10th grade year, the focus moves on from addressing the transition to high school to starting to identify opportunities for personal growth.
In the mentoring program students spend the year examining their own interactions with peers, with their devices, and how effectively they develop as individuals. A highlight of the year is the Career Exploration Road Trip where students begin examining their interests and identifying the academic pathways required for a variety of career options. Significant emphasis is placed on helping students develop the skills and portfolio of work required to secure opportunities for employment, internships or volunteer positions in the community.
Mentor Program
- Social Connections, Individual Motivation & the Pitfalls of Screentime
- I-Statements
- Building Your Extra-Curricular Resume
- Career Exploration Road Trip
The 11th grade year is a turning point, students are more than halfway through their high school experience and must begin to plan for the next phase in their journey to adulthood.
With that in mind the mentoring program is designed to support student decision-making and stress management. In this year students will be taking SAT/ACTs, identifying good-fit colleges, and working hard to produce their best work for the Junior Year transcript. It is important that students learn how to prioritize competing and conflicting demands on their time all while trying to figure out what they plan to do after they graduate.
Mentor Program
- Anxiety & Stress Management
- Comfort with Conflict
- Financial Aid & Paying for College
- Guest Speakers, College Visits, & Career Day
To end their years at La Salle our students, mentors and teachers focus on developing the skills they need to enter the world as independent adults.
The first half of the senior year mentoring program is designed to support students with the college application and career planning process. From there, most students enter a period of waiting and our mentoring program pivots to begin the process of providing students with strategies for addressing moments of failure as an adult. We end the year with robust financial literacy and debt management instruction as students prepare for graduation.
Mentor Program
- Coping with Failure
- Credit Cards & Debt
- College Applications Workshops-The UC & Common App Processes
- Preparing for Graduation
Religious Education
At La Salle it is fundamental to our mission to develop individuals motivated to achieve their goals in the future.
We approach student development with a structured Religious Program carefully planned over a student’s four years at La Salle.
In 9th grade the focus is on helping students develop the skills they need to be successful in our diverse educational environment.
Religious education is a cornerstone of the La Salle experience. In their first-year students will spend the first semester learning about the Lasallian heritage and its place in the Catholic tradition. Second semester focuses on the scripture with specific emphasis on helping students understand the Old Testament call to justice.
Religious Education
- Introduction to Catholicism
- Scripture
In a student’s 10th grade year, the focus moves on from addressing the transition to high school to starting to identify opportunities for personal growth.
Our religious education at the sophomore level follows the study of the Old Testament with an examination of the Life of Christ and the literary form presented in the New Testament. In the second term students learn about the transformation of the church from its early foundations under St. Paul to its present leader’s Pope Francis.
Religious Education
- New Testament
- Church History
The 11th grade year is a turning point, students are more than halfway through their high school experience and must begin to plan for the next phase in their journey to adulthood.
Our religious education reinforces this transition to adulthood with coursework on the moral laws established by the Old Testament and reaffirmed through the teachings of Jesus Christ and the church. In the second half of the year students focus on the rituals and the church and how they, as individuals, can experience worship, the Presence of God and bring prayer into their lives in a meaningful way.
Religious Education
- Morality and Justice
- Sacraments and Prayer
To end their years at La Salle our students, mentors and teachers focus on developing the skills they need to enter the world as independent adults.
In a student’s final year our religious education is centered on our Lasallian core principles by working in the community in service to others. The two final courses in this department are all about helping students understand their own unique spiritual journey through peer & community collaboration and personal reflection.
Religious Education
- Christian Life & Service
- Vocation & Mission
College Partnership
Pasadena City College Dual-Enrollment Partnership Announcement
Dear La Salle Families,
Foremost, thank you for your support and welcome over the past few months as I began my tenure as La Salle College Preparatory’s new principal. I continue to be impressed and amazed by the outstanding community I now belong to, and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to serve you and your children.
As mentioned in our recent Parent Association meeting, we have entered into a Strategic Planning phase here at La Salle that will engage all of our stakeholders. One of the identified outcomes of the preliminary work has been to have a keen eye towards providing innovative educational opportunities for our students. I am excited to announce the beginning of La Salle’s Dual-Enrollment Program in partnership with Pasadena City College (PCC). This exciting new partnership will provide our students with the opportunity for tuition-free college credits while also earning high school elective credits. We expect this new partnership to offer our students first-hand experience of the scope, sequence, and rigor of a college course while still in the comfort of the cohort of their high school peers and the nurturing La Salle community.
The launch of our new partnership with Pasadena City College also allows us the opportunity to begin defining our Academic Pathways Programs at La Salle. Academic pathways will allow students to choose courses that are aligned with their passions and allow them to explore meaningful academic and career discernment while in high school. The first pathway we plan to offer is our Medical Innovations Pathway Program. This pathway will expose students to different courses and experiences, centered around the medical field of study and professional options.
As a part of our Dual-Enrollment Program, we are working with PCC to offer our students the ability to enroll in the college’s Medical Terminology course. We anticipate this course being held in the spring semester of 2022 (starting in January 2022). The course will also be held on La Salle’s campus and taught by a member of the PCC faculty on two weekday afternoons, each lasting 90 minutes, after La Salle’s regular school day has ended. Per our agreement with PCC, at least ten La Salle students must be enrolled in the course for our program to launch in Spring 2022.
Our academic team, in collaboration with PCC’s Dual-Enrollment Office, will be sharing more information about registration and requirements to participate in this new opportunity. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out to our Academic Team at academics@lasallehs.org.
The Medical Terminology course is just one component of the vast opportunity this partnership will unlock for our students. Interested and motivated students have the opportunity to earn enough credits to graduate with both a La Salle College Preparatory Diploma and a Pasadena City College Associate’s Degree (A.A.), while still in high school. As an example, a certificate or A.A. degree in Medical Assisting are potential options for La Salle students to take advantage of.
Thank you again for your support of La Salle College Preparatory. I am grateful for your partnership in the education of your children and look forward to sharing more opportunities as we look toward the future.
Sincerely,
Jamal K. Adams, M.Ed.
Principal
