Curriculum
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Students normally take five or six courses each year. At least four of these courses must be from the liberal arts disciplines of English, mathematics, science, history, and world language.
Course Selection
Each year, students meet with their advisors to choose courses for the following academic year. Students will receive recommendations from classroom teachers for suggestions about the best first course (s) to take next. Students also choose electives and other academic courses not required for graduation. Freshman course placements are determined by criteria set by respective divisions. Course verification sheets are sent home each spring to ensure accuracy. The master schedule is created based on student selection of courses.
Courseload
- At least five classes per semester
- Health, Wellness, and Community (HWC) - does not count toward minimum number of classes taken each semester and is taken as a Pass/Fail course required for graduation
- Digital Medial Literacy - does not count toward minimum number of classes taken each semester and is taken as a Pass/Fail course required for graduation
- Introduction to Global Competencies - does not count toward minimum number of classes taken each semester and is taken as a Pass/Fail course required for graduation
ENGLISH:
Students must be enrolled in at least one English class each year. These courses will be detailed in the course descriptions.
FINE & PERFORMING ARTS:
All students are required to complete 1.5 credits from the Fine and Performing Arts Department offerings unless they transfer in after Freshman year.
HEALTH WELLNESS & COMMUNITY:
Students are required to take HWC each year as a graduation requirement. The course is pass/fail. 9th and 10th grade students meet two times per cycle. 11th and 12th grade students meet one time per cycle.
HISTORY & SOCIAL SCIENCES:
Two years of History and Social Science courses: World History II or AP World History and US History or AP US History.
MATHEMATICS:
At least six semesters (and through Algebra 2) are required for graduation.
MODERN and CLASSICAL LANGUAGES:
Students are required to take 4 semesters (2 years) of the same language for graduation. International students who join the Academy and are already fluent in a non-English native language are encouraged, but not required to study a language in addition to English.
SCIENCE:
Students are required to take 2 lab sciences (2 years) including one year of life science and one year of physical science.
ELECTIVE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT:
At least two elective year-long credits from any academic department (one of those must be from: Math, Science, English, History & Social Science, or Modern & Classical Languages).
Athletics Graduation Requirements
LFA Athletic Philosophy
In keeping with the traditional independent college preparatory school philosophy, Lake Forest Academy believes that a strong athletics program is an essential complement to its academic program. The feelings of physical well-being, along with the lessons in commitment, sportsmanship, self-discipline, competition, and teamwork, that come from this type of participation are benefits that the Academy holds in high regard.
Athletics Requirements
Freshmen and sophomores are required to participate in the athletic program for three seasons per year (fall, winter, and spring). Juniors and seniors must participate in at least two seasons and are encouraged to participate in the third. Participation is defined as being a member of one of our many interscholastic teams or enrolling in the physical education program. All students must participate in at least one interscholastic team per year. The winter musical and fall play are each equal to one PE season requirement. All freshmen and sophomores who participate in the fall play and winter musical must fulfill their team sport credit in the spring season. Juniors and seniors in the fall play and musical are required to still participate in one interscholastic sport. Any student choosing to participate in an organized sport outside of LFA is still expected to participate in all school commitments.
English Language Learners (ELL)
In place of history and other English courses, students in grades 9 or 10 who need intensive English training are required to take two English Language Learner (ELL) courses: ELL Literature and ELL Rhetoric and Composition. These two year-long courses are designed to give students the English language fluency to be successful in history & social science classes, as well as in other English courses at LFA.
Students enrolled in the two ELL classes may also enroll in courses within the Math, Science, Fine & Performing Arts, Modern & Classical Languages, and Computer Science departments.
Study Hall
All 9th grade students are placed into an assigned study hall period that meets once per cycle. In some cases, a Small Group Study with one of the two Learning Resource Specialists is added in lieu of a study hall or in addition to a study hall.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Each year, a new master schedule is created to accommodate students’ course selections. Students may modify their course requests at designated times during the spring and summer months, depending on course availability. Students receive a copy of their final schedule during preseason week.
SCHEDULE CHANGE REQUESTS MUST ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES:
ADDING A COURSE:
Students may add a course in place of a free period or another class during the first cycle of a semester if space is available in the course and the students meet the prerequisites. Students must consult with their advisor and teacher of the new course regarding make-up requirements for any missed content.
DROPPING A COURSE:
- Students who are taking six classes may drop their sixth class after the first progress report and before the 5th cycle of school without penalty.
- Students who drop a class after this time will receive a grade of “W” (Withdrawal) to be included on their transcript if the course is dropped after the first progress report. In some cases, students may be permitted to drop a class after the deadline. This decision can only be made at the discretion of the Dean of Students and Academic Dean.
- Students may drop from a one-semester course up through the end of the first cycle each semester.
NOTE: Students must maintain a minimum of five courses each semester.
LEVEL CHANGES:
On occasion, students may need to change the level of the class in which they are enrolled. In order to do so, students must:
- Initiate a level change discussion with their teacher, and then advisor
- Student completes the “Level Change” form
- After the advisor contacts the parents/guardians, the request will be forwarded to the Department Chair and College Counseling Office. Students must remain in class until the level change is approved by the Department Chair and then the Academic Dean.
- Downward-level changes will be permitted up through the end of the first progress report and before the 5th cycle of the semester.
- The letter grade at the time of change from the class is the grade that accompanies the student to their new class.As the semester progresses, the teacher will review the student’s grade to ensure that it accurately reflects mastery of the new course’s learning targets.
INCOMPLETE (INC) GRADE
Students who receive a grade of “INC” must complete the necessary make-up work in a timely fashion according to each teacher’s guidelines before a letter grade will be assigned.
Academics
Grading
Four times per year, letter grades and comprehensive teacher comments are reported to students and their parents. Semester grades are reported on student transcripts for year-long (one credit) and semester-long (half credit) courses. Final determination of any grades rests with the teacher.
- A+ A A- Excellent achievement: outstanding overall performance
- B+ B B- Good achievement: commendable quality of performance
- C+ C C- Satisfactory performance: competent completion of assigned work
- D+ D D- Minimal competency: unsatisfactory achievement
- F Failure to fulfill expectations
- INC - Has not earned credit for the course
Grade Point Average
The grade point average is computed only from the semester grades a student earns at Lake Forest Academy. For the purpose of computation, each grade is assigned as follows:
- A+ 4.33, A 4.0, A– 3.67
- B+ 3.33, B 3.0, B– 2.67
- C+ 2.33, C 2.0, C– 1.67
- D+ 1.33, D 1.0, D– 0.67
- F 0.0
For the computation of the yearly grade point average or cumulative GPA, semester courses count one-half the equivalent of a yearlong course.
Academic Honors
Students who achieve a grade point average of 3.75 or higher for the semester earn a place on the Head of School List and Honors Study Hours privileges in the evenings. Students who achieve a grade point average between 3.5 and 3.74 earn a place on the Honor Roll for that semester.
Academic Performance List
Students may also be recognized by their teachers at the end of each semester for the quality of their performance in areas which cannot be measured by grades: enthusiasm for the subject, commitment to excellence, positive attitude, seriousness of purpose, and reliability. An “APL” is added to the earned letter grade in a course if a student has demonstrated these qualities during the semester. Students who receive an “APL” in three or more subjects earn recognition by being placed on the Academic Performance List.
Curricular Travel
Lake Forest Academy believes that experiential learning through local, national and international travel instills a curiosity in our students to explore and think critically. We believe it is the vehicle for personal growth to apply classroom concepts in the broader world, which enriches students’ contextual understanding of global leadership competencies.
We believe in providing opportunities for educational travel experiences, which foster empathy and compassion that deepen human connections. LFA students will be positioned as global leaders adept in 21st-century skills, ready to lead with a Midwestern Heart and Global Mind. Annually, nearly 25% of LFA students are offered the chance to travel with their teachers. Students are only responsible to pay for travel insurance, passports, visas, and any required vaccinations, depending on the destination. Past trips have included destinations to Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Morocco, Navajo Nation in the Southwest, New York City, Olympic National Park in Washington state, Panama, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
School Year Abroad
Lake Forest Academy is a member school of School Year Abroad (SYA), an organization that provides immersive study abroad programs to high school students. SYA operates three campuses in France, Italy, and Spain and offers yearlong, semester, and summer programs. For more information, please visit https://www.sya.org/.
AP and Independent Study Program
Advanced Placement (AP)
LFA’s Advanced Level and Advanced Placement (AP) courses have the distinction of being our most challenging programs. Students are recommended by their current classroom teachers for placement in an Advanced Level or AP course based on their performance in their current class. Admission to Advanced Level and AP courses is based on the department’s recommendations. Students who are not recommended may petition their current teacher and department chair to be considered. Departmental petition processes will vary and communicated during the Four Year Planning Process. LFA does not weight grades for Advanced Level and AP courses in computing a student’s GPA.
Independent Study
Lake Forest Academy believes in the concept of Independent Study for interested, qualified, and mature students. To assist our students in acquiring the techniques necessary to work independently outside the framework of standard courses, and to encourage and cultivate intellectual curiosity, LFA offers students the opportunity to construct and pursue an approved independent course of study. Independent Study is open to students of all grades, but because of the qualifications necessary for admission, our expectation is that juniors and seniors are the most natural candidates. The following general procedures are used in requesting the Independent Study program (each department may have specific guidelines or criteria that require consideration):
- An independent study must be a 6th class on a student’s schedule.
- The student must have completed the highest level of class work available leading into his or her area of interest.
The student and faculty supervisor must obtain approval for the Independent Study from the appropriate Department Chair. The completed written proposal must include the signatures of the student, supervisor, Department Chair, Advisor, and parent/guardian.
- The student will then submit their proposal to the Academic Dean by the end of the previous semester and before the new semester. The proposal should include a detailed course summary, materials covered, activities, methods of evaluation, and a schedule of meetings. Student and supervisor should expect to meet between one and three times a cycle.
- The faculty supervisor is to serve as a guide, meeting with the student for encouragement, answering questions, and reviewing work.
- The Academic Dean will make the final decision and communicate it as soon as possible.
- Assessment will follow the normal grading procedures for a semester course. The grade is determined by the supervisor of the project. All Independent Studies are graded on a semester basis. Generally, an Independent Study represents one-quarter credit. If the student wishes to extend the study beyond the semester, a revised proposal must be submitted. The revised proposal must include the same elements as the original.
- Once an Independent Study is entered on a student’s schedule, it will be subject to all of the same conditions as any other course.