St. Therese School Recognized as a High Performing School by WASC

The first school in the world named after Saint Therese of Lisieux is a gem among the academic treasures of Alhambra. Recently, Saint Therese Carmelite School completed a very successful accreditation process with the Accrediting Commission for Schools of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

In February the WASC visiting committee of school administrators and educators remarked that “Saint Therese School offers an education that is unique, rigorous, challenging, spiritually fulfilling, and Catholic through and through.” The committee was impressed by the standardized scores, the students’ commitment to excellence and embracing the Classical Model of education, and the school’s strong character-building virtue program. The 2019-20 scores were above the 60th percentile for most classes in both reading and math. The students’ standardized math test score averages have consistently ranged between 64 and 68 percent since 2015.

The Classical Model of education allows students to develop naturally and aims to provide a well-rounded education that includes Latin, music, art, classical literature, and mathematics up to Euclidean geometry, helping each student reach their highest potential. The teachers incorporate classical pedagogical methodologies to develop the students’ memorization skills, logical thinking skills, and sound reasoning. By middle school, students engage in Socratic dialogue and discussions about the texts they are reading in various subjects.

The visiting committee noted, “There is genuine kindness and compassion shown by the entire student body and staff at St. Therese. It is clear that Catholicism is at the heart of what they do.”

The purpose of the WASC is to foster excellence in elementary, secondary, adult and postsecondary institutions, and supplementary education programs. The Commission encourages school improvement through a process of continuing evaluation and recognizes institutions through granting accreditation to schools that meet an acceptable level of quality in accordance with the established WASC criteria. The WASC visiting committee bases its recommendation on the achievement by all students; the school’s responsiveness to the students’ greatest needs in furtherance of their highest achievement; and the school’s ability to meet its institutional and governing authority’s expectations.

At Saint Therese of Lisieux, our students strive for excellence in academics and virtue because of their Catholic faith. There is ongoing spiritual formation under the guidance of Carmelite Friars and the school faculty. Faith and tireless work has helped the school resiliently withstand the pandemic and transition out of it so that our school community continues to thrive. The school welcomes students from all walks of life and interested parents are encouraged to schedule a tour by calling (626) 289-3364.