Lycée International de Los Angeles (LILA)

International, Francophone American

$14,800 - $17,700

French nationals may apply for the French National Bourse; LILA also offers need-based scholarships.

LILA's academic program from preschool through high school is based on a bicultural-bilingual program which results in a French Baccalaureat degree or a bilingual International Baccalaureate full diploma. French immersion begins in Preschool where the overall goal is to allow children to grow in a happy environment where they will acquire a healthy desire for knowledge. Elementary school, a pivotal time in a child’s life, is the child’s first contact with structured learning. This experience will be a deciding factor as to whether or not a child enjoys school and finds the learning process rewarding. LILA challenges students and puts them on a firm footing for the rest of their educational careers. The curriculum of the elementary school relies on the traditional essentials of reading, writing and mathematics. Because LILA students come from many nations, social studies and the concept that we are all citizens of one world is stressed. Traditional preparation for further education such as work and study habits, neatness, intellectual discipline and respect for the environment are all emphasized. In 5th Grade, students traditionally take a 2-week class trip to France where they attend school with their peers and participate in field trips led by their accompanying teacher. In middle school, students are faced with challenging new concepts and ideas and the curriculum includes many new subjects. Students take between nine and eleven different courses each year. Ranging from Art to Physical Science, the program is demanding and requires serious commitment. Students are exposed to many subjects to achieve a balanced curriculum. Courses are taught through a global approach and subjects extend over several years. Subjects taught in middle school include French and English Language Arts – both taught at an advanced level (grammar, literature, creative writing, essay structure), Math (French incorporating elements of the American system), Tech & Skills, Physics & Chemistry, Biology & Geology, World History & Geography (taught in both languages), Civics, US History, Visual Arts, Music, and Physical Education. Beyond the languages of instruction (English and French), LILA students study Spanish as a third modern language, starting in sixth grade. At the end of ninth grade (troisième), students are expected to take the Brevet, a compulsory French exam covering Math, French language and literature, History/Geography/Civics, and Art History. Through their sophomore year, students follow a composite of French and American coursework based on the traditional French Lycée curriculum, to which the necessary elements of the American program are added. At the end of 10th grade, students choose one of two Baccalaureate programs for their final two years at LILA. Both programs are rigorous pre-university courses of study that meet the needs of highly motivated high school students. Students may choose the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, a comprehensive two-year curriculum, which promotes student autonomy, independent research, and a rich, post-modern educational environment. At LILA, the bilingual IB Diploma model is designed as a microcosmic version of a university degree program and consists of six academic areas. Subjects are studied concurrently and students are exposed to the two great traditions of learning: the humanities and the sciences. LILA also offers three sections of the (FB) French Baccalauréat général : S, ES, and L, within which the following courses are offered: French, English, Economics and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Biology, Physics/Chemistry, Philosophy, History/Geography, an additional modern Foreign Language, and Physical Education.
This exam requires that students have a good command of spoken and written French and demonstrate mastery of analysis and synthesis skills. A true international education must include community service, if we are to raise socially-conscious children who will understand social and political issues in the real world. At LILA, it is mandatory for ALL juniors and seniors (IB and FB) to complete at least 150 hours of extracurricular community service: Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) (in order to awaken students to a more compassionate and active citizenship).

Due to small class sizes and a professional and personable faculty, one-on-one teaching is encouraged and supported. In addition, Study Hall is offered where teachers supervise and help students after regular school hours.

All classrooms are equipped with interactive Smartboards. All students have access to computers.

Model United Nations “Best Delegates”, International Schools Olympic Games, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball League Championships at various age levels for boys and for girls.

French Theater, Chess, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Choir, Art.

LILA's former Head of School and alumnus, Elizabeth Chaponot, Ph.D., was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques ( Knight of the Order of Academic Palms), a decoration of chivalry which France bestows on academics and educators. The award is given to recognize major international contributions to French national education, and to those who have made major contributions to the expansion of French culture in the rest of the world. Nomination decisions are made by the French Minister of Education.
LILA alumni have made their mark all over the world: in the areas of medicine, engineering, law, international relations, film, music, scientific research, and theater arts.

Campus parking lot for parents, students, and teachers.

Strictly enforced dress code

LILA looks for academically motivated students from a variety of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds who recognize the value of a demanding academic program. Another important consideration is the student’s willingness to respect the rules and regulations of the school and be an enthusiastic participant in school activities.

Lycée International de Los Angeles (LILA) is an international, preschool through 12th-grade school, committed to academic excellence in a nurturing and intimate environment that encourages personal initiative, creativity and curiosity. Students are challenged through the rigorous and well-balanced bilingual curricula of the French and International Baccalaureate institutions. Our goal is to develop confident, caring, and open-minded critical thinkers who will thrive in a diverse competitive world.

At LILA we adopt ways of thinking and expression that reflect an appreciation for cultural differences and multiple world views. Diverse groups learn more from each other when exchanging different points of view, introducing new pieces of information, and confronting alternative ideas. LILA’s small and nurturing classes facilitate the sharing of different viewpoints. Being immersed in a truly multicultural environment helps develop the ability to better understand one’s own culture - what makes it different, but also in which ways it is similar. This, in turn, helps maintain a strong sense of one’s own background. Teachers, staff and students come from all over the world, each bringing their own experiences and perspectives. Our students study and live in a world community every day.

LILA’s faculty consists of 93 teachers and 15 classroom aides. Almost 90% have a master’s and/or teaching credential and/or Ph.D. or university-level teaching credential; the minimum credential held is a bachelor’s degree. 
Due to the nature of the pedagogical program, the majority of the teaching staff is recruited from France. All speak English. English and American History classes are taught by native speakers. All IB classes are taught by IB-trained and accredited teachers recruited from around the world. The school's faculty is recognized for being extremely professional and also personable. Students know their professors personally through the small class sizes.

In 2015, The Washington Post named LILA as the 12th most challenging private high school in the U.S.

LILA led the way in international education in French schools across North America in 2015 when it was accredited by the French Ministry of Education to offer the International American Section of the French curriculum in Middle School. It is the first school in North America that is accredited to deliver the Diplôme National du Brevet – International (DNB-I).