Louisville High School


		Departments & Curriculum

Department Pages:

Challenging academics have always been one of the hallmarks of Louisville High School. The course requirements across the curriculum require that the students read and study extensively. Students are expected to devote many hours of study on their own in order to master the wealth of material provided by their teachers. Assessments are frequent, varied and rigorous. Students are expected to achieve competency in the subject matter. Before they can begin to use their knowledge, they must have accurate information and an understanding of how to access it.

To supplement the information provided by their teachers and their texts, beginning in their freshman year, students must engage in active research, learning to use primary and secondary sources, and Internet resources. In order to better teach students how to access and analyze information, research is required throughout the disciplines and students must complete formal research papers in social science, science religious studies, English and the visual arts. These requirements also teach them to use technology efficiently and appropriately.

Throughout their years at Louisville students learn to apply what they have learned which helps them to think creatively as well as critically. Students in science classes learn dimensional analysis in the ninth grade so that they can apply that understanding later as they study chemistry and physics. Much time and emphasis are placed on laboratory work so that students fully understand scientific method and the creative applications of scientific research. Students taking social science study historiography so that they may better understand historical perspectives and the many ways in which facts can be influenced by history. Students in the visual arts learn not only to perform or paint, but also to analyze and critique their own work. They examine the works of great artists and playwrights and examine what has made those works endure.

Students at Louisville must learn to communicate clearly in speaking and writing. In English, students must complete six formal essays per year in addition to studying several carefully chosen works of literature. Students are expected to understand and use the MLA format in their written work across the curriculum. Tests in subjects such as religious studies and social studies require extensive essay answers where students must not only provide accurate information, but also demonstrate an understanding of those facts. Students in math and science must teach or explain a problem. Students in a variety of subjects must give oral presentations of their written research.

Each academic department has connected the curriculum it presents with both the graduation outcomes and the national and state content standards. Lesson planning and curricular objects are designed so that the students are challenged and, in turn, directed towards achieving the graduation outcomes. The Modern Language Department assists the students taking both Spanish and French to demonstrate a respect for and an appreciation of other cultural and religious traditions and adapt to change as they are presented with areas of the curriculum that allow for discussions on certain customs and practices of the various groups of French and Spanish speakers from different countries.

It is the goal of the school to prepare its students to know by heart the time and the world in which [they] live and the questions the world asks. By requiring students to think and apply what they have learned, the school provides its graduates with a strong academic foundation and skills that will serve them well in college and beyond. The academic climate of the school serves to encourage excellence in its students and to foster a lifelong intellectual curiosity.