Programs » School for Advanced Studies

School for Advanced Studies

VISION

 
At John F. Kennedy High's Schools for Advanced Studies, our goal is to provide our students with the tools necessary to be change agents, innovators, and the creative contributors who make the world a better place.

MISSION

 
John F. Kennedy High's Schools for Advanced Studies program provides high-quality innovative and equitable differentiated instruction with an emphasis on depth, complexity, acceleration and novelty. By applying an inquiry based pedagogy, our SAS program fosters the creativity, collaboration, critical thinking skills, and problem solving today's students need to be the leaders of tomorrow.

SAS Qualifications and Choices Application

SAS Eligibility How are Students Selected?
SAS applicants must meet at a minimum one of three eligibility criteria: 
  1. Student is identified as gifted by a Los Angeles Unified designated GATE psychologist in the Intellectual Ability, High Achievement Ability, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Ability or Leadership Ability category. OR
  2. Student scored in the Standard Exceeded range on the student's most recent Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) or received a national percentile score of 85% or above on a District-approved standardized norm-referenced test in both English Language Arts and Mathematics (most recent year only). See Verification of Eligibility form for qualifying subtests. OR
  3. Student demonstrates the ability to meet ALL FOUR critical thinking and problem-solving skills (in primary language):
    1. Explain meanings or relationships among facts, information or concepts that demonstrate depth and complexity.
    2. Formulate new ideas or solutions and elaborate on the information.
    3. Use alternative methods in approaching new or unfamiliar mathematical problems.
    4. Use extensive vocabulary easily and accurately to express creative ideas
SAS applicants who meet eligibility criteria and who reside outside school boundaries, but within Los Angeles Unified boundaries, may be selected for participation after students residing within the boundaries of a designated SAS site are accommodated. If spaces are available, a selection process for qualifying SAS applicants will be conducted in this order:
 
  1. Siblings residing within Los Angeles Unified boundaries (must meet SAS eligibility criteria)
  2. Students residing within Los Angeles Unified boundaries (must meet SAS eligibility criteria)
If there are more qualified applicants than spaces available at the school, a random, unbiased selection process will be conducted. Siblings of current students in the same school/program have priority for attendance so long as resident students are not displaced. There is no priority point accrual process for Schools for Advanced Studies. Priority points are used by the Magnet Program only.
 
 
 
 
 
"
The wisest mind has something yet to learn."
– George Santayana

SAMPLE COURSE PROGRESSION

COLLEGE READY. CAREER READY. READY FOR THE WORLD.

Our graduates continue their studies at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country.
 
"What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the world and learning."
 
--Chuck Grassley