Academics

Expected School-Wide Learning Results 

National Blue Ribbon School

St. John's is proud to have received the nation's top honor for public and private schools in 2008.

An important part of the U.S. Department of Education, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes outstanding public and non-public schools. In identifying several hundred outstanding schools annually, the program celebrates school excellence, turn around stories, and closing subgroup achievement gaps.  The Award is both a high aspiration and a potent resource of practitioner knowledge.

Core Knowledge

Knowledge-based schooling puts the emphasis of early education on teaching and learning an enabling core of broadly shared knowledge—enabling because it builds strong foundations for later learning and opens doors to effective participation and mutual understanding in the wider society. Such knowledge is possessed by successful adults and taken for granted by literate writers and speakers. It’s the broad and diverse knowledge that makes responsible citizenship possible.

Accreditation

St. John's Lutheran School (SJLS) is dually accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the National Lutheran School Accredidation (NSLA), most recently receiving a six year accreditation granted in June 2019. State law requires California public schools to accept credit granted by St. John's. 

Philosophy of Discipline 

Love and Logic Core Values:
  • Respect, appreciation and love prevents potential problems.
    When students feel respected, appreciated and even loved by their teachers, they are far more motivated and cause far fewer problems. 
  • Freedom to problem-solve and make decisions fosters motivation.
    Students are far calmer and more motivated when their teachers allow them to make choices and solve their own problems within limits. 
  • Focusing energy on problem prevention is rewarding.
    Successful educators focus most of their energy on simple tools for preventing misbehavior or keeping it small...rather than trying to provide consequences for every problems.
  • Showing empathy and compassion is effective.
    When consequences are necessary, effective educators provide them with sincere empathy or compassion. 

ITBS Scores

Our students have consistently and dramatically scored higher than the national average on ITBS testing. The ITBS tests mastery of academic skills found in the elementary curriculum and has been used across the nation in similar form since 1935. 

CAPSO (California Association of Private School Organizations)

St. John's Lutheran Schools is proud to be a part of CAPSO. Please follow the link below for more information.

A consortium of pre-collegiate, independent, and religious school organizations striving to promote excellence in education and to preserve philosophical and religious values as well as the spiritual dimensions of life.