Academics

The Business & Information Technology Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” through a diverse curriculum centered on guiding students toward success in our ever-changing global society. Throughout our program, we utilize technology tools that promote differentiation based on student interests and abilities as well as 21st Century skills such as communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. In ninth grade, students are required to complete the capstone course in this sequence. Upper Classes have the opportunity to elect course offerings such as accounting, web page design, entrepreneurship, law, personal finance, and business mathematics.

The English Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” in that all Mt. Lebanon students learn to communicate effectively as thoughtful and articulate citizens and critical consumers of all forms of communication in a multi-media world.

Mt. Lebanon School District requires that students complete eight (8) credits of English, a minimum of one credit each semester of the four-year sequence. Required courses are English 9, English 10, and an American literature course for juniors, at either academic or honors level. Seniors may make two selections from a menu of several semester courses, choose two semester honors courses, one full-year honors course or opt for AP English 12: Literature and Composition and/or AP English 12: Language and Composition, both year-long choices.

Students who score below proficiency on the Eighth Grade PSSA English Language Arts Assessment is required to successfully complete an Academic Literacy course during ninth grade. The Academic Literacy 3 course is taken in addition to the required English 9 course as a means to support the students in academic English.

The Family and Consumer Science Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” through diverse problem focused and process oriented curriculum including human growth and development, housing and environment, food and nutrition, apparel and textiles, and financial resource management. The department strives to maintain current skills needed for the workplace, relationships, and overall health and well-being.

FCS is relevant for all students and provides practical process based learning in addition to knowledge based learning which is beneficial regardless of college and career plans. Students enrolled in Family and Consumer Science classes will have daily access to authentic learning experiences that travel outside of the classroom setting.

High school students have the opportunity to select course offerings such as Food and Nutrition, Food for Today, Child Development, Contemporary Life Management, Fashion Arts, and Interior Design, to name a few.

The Fine Arts Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every child” by providing opportunities for all students to participate in the arts, developing problem solving and critical thinking skills, fostering creativity, providing opportunities for performance and exhibition of student work, teaching the whole child, and providing instruction in both group and individual settings for all different student learning styles.

In alignment with state and national standards, our secondary Fine Arts programs consist of a balanced approach to learning in and through the arts in the areas of performance/production/exhibition, historical & cultural contexts, critical response and aesthetic response. Specific content areas in the Fine Arts program include dance, humanities, music, speech communication, television productions, theatre arts, and visual art. All of our courses promote several of the District Strategic Plan Student Learning Targets including working cooperatively, applying problem solving skills, showing responsibility for their own learning, and applying critical thinking skills.

High School students have the opportunity to elect course offerings such as art, band, choir, dance, orchestra, theater, and video production, to name a few,

The Health & Physical Education Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” by exposing students to a wide variety of activities that promote “life-long fitness”, by creating an environment that values sportsmanship and respect among students and between teachers and students, and by emphasizing that a healthy body and a healthy mind always work together.

In alignment with state and national standards, our secondary Health and Physical Education programs provide students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve and maintain a physically active and healthful life.

The District-wide Physical Education program emphasize strategies for lifetime fitness with ultimate goals of enabling all students to:

1. Demonstrate competency in movement forms. 
2. Apply movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills. 
3. Exhibit a physically active lifestyle. 
4. Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. 
5. Demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior. 
6. Demonstrate understanding and respect for differences among people.
7. Understand that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.

In conjunction with physical fitness, the district-wide Health program strives to develop an environment to support and promote active lifestyles and healthy food choices and positive decision-making through collaboration and coordinated communication.

The Mathematics Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” by empowering students to apply and communicate mathematical ideas in a positive, student-centered, learning environment. Through our rigorous and comprehensive curriculum, we present opportunities for challenge and growth intended to help students gain knowledge in areas commensurate to their interests and abilities, thereby preparing them for further education and taking their place in society as productive citizens.

Mt. Lebanon provides a cohesive, balanced, standards-aligned Mathematics program through twelfth grade. Throughout the program, students are given opportunities to investigate, hypothesize, and discover mathematical phenomena while seeing connections to real world content. The mathematics program is a sequential program which integrates algebra, geometry, measurement, logical reasoning, probability, statistics, discrete mathematics, and function strands throughout each course. The program is designed to help students explore and solve mathematical problems, think critically and make decisions, work cooperatively with others, and communicate ideas clearly.

The mathematics course offerings comprise a substantive program of study designed to provide all students with the skills and knowledge necessary for life-long learning in a rapidly changing global society. Though most students complete four years of mathematics at the high school level, students must elect a minimum of six credits (three years) from a suite of academic, honors and advanced placement courses.

The Science Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” through the development of scientifically literate students who will apply their content knowledge and process skills in our rapidly changing world. In the learning environment, students inquire, think analytically, and problem-solve in order to understand the natural world. We support all students in their learning while challenging them to fulfill their academic potential. Throughout their educational experience, students learn to work individually and collaboratively to collect data, analyze it, and communicate their results and conclusions.

Mt. Lebanon High School provides a standards-aligned, comprehensive Science program. Students explore content in the physical, life, and geo-science strands while learning that science is the method of observation and investigation used to understand the natural world. In grades six, seven and eight, content becomes focused within a strand as students take year-long courses in the earth/space sciences, life science and physics. High school students elect a minimum of six credits (three years) from a suite of academic, honors and advanced placement courses in the physical, life and geo-sciences. The high school program includes core and elective courses at the academic and honors levels and five Advanced Placement courses.

Consistent with all outstanding secondary science programs, our program places great emphasis on laboratory work and the integration of technology into the collection, manipulation and presentation of data. Strategic Plan process targets in technology, communication, mathematics, critical thinking, working cooperatively, applying problem solving skills, and showing responsibility for learning, are supported by the Science curricula.

The Social Studies Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” by developing educated, responsible and participatory citizens. The Social Studies program is a comprehensive program which integrates the disciplines of history, geography, economics and citizenship education throughout the entire scope and sequence.

The Social Studies Department goal is to provide the opportunity for every student to develop as knowledgeable and responsible participatory citizens. Our students, as identified in our Strategic Plan, need the ability to apply critical thinking skills to carefully analyze and objectively judge the merits and faults of an issue. They must be aware of the current global and cultural issues as they assume their roles as citizens.

Chapter 4 defined the standards for the State in the areas of citizenship, civics and government, economics, geography, and history. The attainment of these standards through our Social Studies program prepares the student as a citizen for his/her role in his/her community, the State, country and world.

The Technology Education Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” through by supporting the integration of technological skills, knowledge and attitudes into the problem-solving design model. The department strives to maintain current technologies and to access evolving technologies that will allow students to explore, understand and apply concepts through hands-on learning experiences.

High School students have the opportunity to elect course offerings such as Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) and specialized courses in Engineering and Architectural Drawing and Design and multiple levels of instruction in the areas of Graphic Communications, Power Technology, Manufacturing & Production, Applied Engineering and Computer Hardware and Networking (Cisco), to name a few.

Strategic Plan process targets in technology, applying problem solving, critical thinking, working cooperatively, and showing responsibility for learning are explicitly addressed through the Technology Education curricula.

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The World Languages Department supports the District’s mission of “providing the best education possible for each and every student” through focusing on communication within the cultural context of the language being studied. The Department values proficiency in all five language skills: listening speaking, reading, writing, and cultural competency. Students will be encouraged to continue language study and incorporate language skills into present and future academic, community, and professional endeavors.

In alignment with national standards, our secondary World Language programs strives to lead students to proficiency in the five areas of the standards: communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and communities. In our language classes, we promote an awareness of current global and cultural issues and a respect for other cultures and beliefs.

Although Mt. Lebanon School District does not require World Language credits for graduation, it is recommended that students study at least three (3) years of the same language. Many colleges and universities require a world language for admission, and many prefer to see students continue through the advanced courses to complete the sequence of language study offered by the school.