Quality Rules at College Preps

Private high schools in the Valley region are big business. Although nonprofits, they charge tuition that ranges from $10,000 to more than $40,000 a year. That puts pressure on administrators and faculty to deliver a premium college preparatory experience for students that will all but guarantee they make it into the colleges of their choices. High academic performance begins with smart students. At Notre Dame High School, a Roman Catholic-founded school in Sherman Oaks that ranks No. 2 on the Business Journal’s list of Private High Schools, all matriculating pupils rank at the 80th percentile or above in their studies. “Our kids are really bright when we accept them,” said Notre Dame Co-Principal Brian Lowart, who runs the school’s faculty with Co-Principal Alice Cotti. Located in Lancaster, Paraclete High School, No. 7 on the Business Journal’s list, is another leading academic institution successfully sending teens to four-year programs. “Our rate is 99 to 98 percent to college – we always have 1 percent who go into the service,” Paraclete Vice Principal Kathy Troisi explained. “Our kids are very successful once they get to college.” The reason, she said, is because at Paraclete, the focus is on autonomy and independent thinking. “We work on study habits, how to do research, how to learn,” Troisi said. “We have the added benefit of being a small school. When you walk on our campus, you see all that.” “Chaminade provides the environment for every member of the Chaminade family to not only discover their unique set of talent, but also to develop those talents as they travel through their college prep experience,” said High School Vice Principal of Academic Affairs Greg Klee at Chaminade College Preparatory in West Hills, which ranked No. 1 on the Business Journal’s list. Geographically, schools on the Business Journal’s list, which are ranked by enrolled students for the 2018-19 academic year, range from the Conejo Valley, where No. 5 Oaks Christian School is located, to the Antelope Valley, home to Paraclete and No. 36 Lancaster Baptist School, to La Canada Flintridge, where No. 6 St. Francis High School and No. 20 Flintridge Preparatory School have campuses. Stellar athletics Team spirit looms large at these academies. “Educating Hearts and Minds” may be the official school motto at Notre Dame but “Go Knights!” is the de facto one. Last year, the Paraclete Spirits football team won the state playoffs while the Notre Dame Knights, led by Coach Kevin Rooney, were nationally ranked 161 and state ranked 25 in 2018, according to the website maxpreps.com. “Historically, we have a fantastic athletic program and many of our alumni have gone on to play in collegiate and professional teams,” Lowart said. When schools have the domination of institutionalized sports at their campuses, it is important that the academies strike the right balance of academics and athleticism with their student players. Lowart gives by way of example baseball player Hunter Greene, the second amateur baseball draft pick two years ago who now pitches for the Cincinnati Reds. “Even though he had a lot of excitement, acclaim, popularity his favorite class and he talked about it in Sports Illustrated he talked about being in his art class,” Lowart said, referring to the course taught by fine arts teacher Joseph Lee. “Our debate program is nationally renowned. We go and compete across the country.” Troisi noted that at Paraclete, students also achieve off the athletic field. “We’re good citizens, our kids are required to do volunteer work,” she said. “Our coaches understand and value the educational aspect of the school, and they in turn help our student athletes realize that the same traits that make them great athletes can translate into success in the classroom,” said Charminade’s Klee. “When a school creates a culture that puts students first, success is bound to follow.” These institutions are constantly adding to how best academically serve their respective students. “Currently, we are planning a major change to the computer science and coding and engineering curriculum for the fall 2019 school year,” Klee said. Likewise, at Paraclete, academics come first. “We have a very strong athletic program,” Troisi said, but was quick to add that context is critical. “One thing all of our coaches understand is that academics come first,” she said. Added Notre Dame’s Lowart: “We’re constantly adding to our academic curriculum. First and foremost, we’re an academic institution, we’re highly college preparatory. The ultimate result is sending kids to college.” Last year, Notre Dame did just that — 93 percent of its graduating class went to four-year universities and 100 percent went to college.