Class of 2029 Welcome

Welcome to the course selection process! Completing this process in PowerSchool allows us to get to know you a little better and prepare for your arrival on our campus in August. Please complete this process by Friday, April 4.

To be clear, there is not much for you to choose in this process. That is because most of the course placements are based on either your entrance test scores from last fall or placement test scores from next month. If you qualify for the AP course in history or honors-level courses, you will see those options. If not, those options will be greyed out. You will, however, select your choice of World Languages and indicate if you would like to take an Art or Music course.

You will also be prompted to fill out a survey if you are interested in an additional course elective or passing out of an introductory course and taking more advanced courses. For your convenience, the links are listed here too.

• If you are passionate about engineering and wish to add a yearlong elective in Engineering Design, then fill out this survey. Note: Sophomore year, you can take this same course; you do not need to take this freshman year. Click here for the link to the survey.
• If you are passionate about and have significant experience in digital media, programming, or networking, then you can explore the option to bypass the freshman course Introduction to Design and Technology and instead take one yearlong course (AP Computer Science Principles) or two half-year courses which would depend on your area of interest. Fill out this survey if you want to bypass the intro course. Click here for the link to the survey. There is more information about the survey and the placement test under the “Placement Tests” folder.

Placement tests will be offered in three different areas: Math, Science, and World Languages. This year, all incoming freshmen must take a placement test in Math. That score, along with your entrance test scores on the math and quantitative sections, will enable us to identify the best course for you. The placement test covers a range of topics from pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2. Please note that calculators will not be permitted on the math placement test. If you hope to take a course beyond Algebra 2 Honors in freshman year, then contact the Chair of the Math Department, Mr. Nolan (nolang@lschs.org) to discuss the most appropriate pathway.

In addition, there are Music evaluations for students who plan to take an instrumental music class. The evaluation will be administered on April 28 and May 7 and 8. You will need to fill out a brief form to get scheduled for those evaluations. Click here for the link to the form.

Students will be permitted to take two placement tests in one day if the tests are in Science and World Language, but only one placement test if it is Math due to the length of the test. The Science and World Languages tests are 60 minutes, and Math is 90 minutes in length.

As you go through this course selection process, it might also be helpful to have the two-sided overview handout titled "Freshman Year Course Selection for 2025-26”. It was in your folders at the Academic Orientation. 

To complete the course selection process, students or parents will open their PowerSchool accounts. Follow the instructions provided in your folder to access PowerSchool. Then, on the Navigation panel, choose “Class Registration” and follow the prompts.

 

Download placement information for the class of 2029

Dates

• Wednesday, April 23
• Thursday, April 24
• Monday, April 28
• Tuesday, April 29

Times

Between 3:30-5:30. A student must take the required Math placement test on a different day than the optional World Language or Science test. Please do not arrive later than 4:00 for the Math test or 4:30 for a Science or Language test.

NOTE: You DO NOT need to register in advance for a placement test on a specific date.

We will have enough tests on hand each day. Just show up at the main entrance and let us know which test(s) you plan to take. Any questions about placement tests should be directed to Mrs. Catrina Wheatley at wheatleyc@lschs.org or 215-402-4896.

 

Math Placement

This year, all incoming freshmen must take a placement test in Math. That score, along with your entrance test scores on the math and quantitative sections, will enable us to identify the best course for you. The placement test covers a range of topics from pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2. Please note that calculators will not be permitted on the math placement test. If you hope to take a course beyond Algebra 2 Honors in freshman year, then contact the Chair of the Math Department, Mr. Nolan (nolang@lschs.org) to discuss the most appropriate pathway.

 

World Languages

ONLY students who want to begin with Level 2 or Level 2 Honors in a World Language should take the placement test. Only those students who currently have a full year of a world language class in 8th grade in a course that meets every day (in other words the equivalent of a high-school level course) are invited to take a placement test in Spanish, Latin, or Chinese. The world language exams are 60 minutes in length and include multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and answering questions with full sentences.

 

Science

ONLY students who did not earn an academic scholarship (Founder, Presidential, Principal, McLean, or D’Alfonso) and are interested in beginning with an Honors-level Biology course should take this placement test. The Science Placement Test is 60 minutes. It has 90 multiple-choice questions. There is no need for a calculator.

 

Music

Evaluations for music will take place over two days (April 28, May 7,8). If you haven’t done so already, please fill out a very brief form to indicate what musical instrument(s) you will play and your preferred date(s). ONLY students who want to register for a Music class and have lessons in their instrument next year should fill out this form: 

Complete Music Evaluation Form (if interested in a music course)

Times

You will be scheduled for a 15-minute evaluation on the day(s) you choose. Mr. Mele, the Chair of the Fine Arts Department, will contact you by email about your time slot.

 

Innovation & Design

If you are passionate about and have significant experience in digital media, programming, or networking, then you can explore the option to bypass the freshman course Introduction to Design and Technology and instead take one yearlong course (AP Computer Science Principles) or two half-year courses which would depend on your area of interest. Fill out the Interest Form in Step 1 below if you want to bypass the intro course.

1. Submit Interest Form and Portfolio samples for one of 3 areas - IT, Digital Media (Video/Design), Programming by April 4

2. Review of Portfolio by teacher in that area 

3. Approval or No Approval Communicated Via Email by April 15

4. If approved, move onto the IC3 Fast Track Assessment and online Practice Tests (link to attachment for more details)

5. Take and Pass IC3 Fast Track Assessment At La Salle by May 31 to qualify for advanced electives

6. Upon passing the test, students would then be eligible to take AP Computer Science Principles, Introduction to Emerging Technologies, Grade 10 Level Courses in Digital Media and IT Concentration Programs 

Forms:

Interest Form

Check back in June for more information.

Check back later for more information.

Check back in June for more information.

La Salle College High School is pleased to provide an environment in which students, faculty, and staff can connect their personally-owned computers and network-capable mobile devices to the network and gain access to their La Salle accounts and the Internet. In order to gain the most benefit from this, the Office of Information Technology makes recommendations for minimum computer configurations.

Chromebooks, iPads, and Android tablets are not suitable devices for school use and will not be permitted. While these devices may connect to La Salle’s network, the Office of Information Technology cannot guarantee that all features necessary for classroom use or digital standardized testing will work with these devices and cannot be supported.

Device of Choice Webpage