La Paz has an attrition rate of approximately 5% per year and is lauded by the Ministry of Education of Costa Rica as one of the top private bilingual schools in the country.  Nonetheless, many new families who are eagerly enthusiastic to be involved in the innovative educational offerings at La Paz Community School are interested to know how their child’s education will compare to that of school systems outside of Costa Rica.  Present La Paz families as well as those who have left the country to return to their respective homes have gladly contributed the following to support the academic and extra-curricular offerings at La Paz.

• “I thought you would take some measure of pride in knowing that (La Paz 8th grade student) took a battery of placement tests in order to see where she should be placed.  As a result of her performance she is in the advanced placement section of every one of her classes.  She is well above grade level in reading, slightly above in math (got those fundamentals down!), and more than a year ahead in science.  Re: Spanish, they are placing her in the most advanced class in middle school and she is well ahead of where they are.  As if this isn’t enough, the school she is attending is the highest ranked middle school in the district and among the very best in the state of Florida.
  So, your hard work, patience, caring and persistence has made a real difference.”
• “We would not have stayed in this little microsystem of Guanacaste without La Paz.  The school continues to be one of the biggest reasons we live here.  Our kids are getting an education we can be proud of, and that we believe will serve them well in the new world they will enter.  The ripple effects of that are important enough for one family, and the small sphere of influence that we may have (the increasing number of good jobs we can offer to locals because we are a growing business, the cross-cultural connections that will have impacts well beyond what any of us can anticipate), and start to scale very quickly into something incredibly powerful when you consider the talent level, community, and opportunities that are created and sustained by having a great school in the area.  Good schools really are “magnets” and La Paz is attracting and retaining some very cool families, who are shaping this area in a way that other areas throughout the country and the world are definitely not.”
• “I’m happy to say that when we arrive in Fort Collins, USA last April , both (of my children) were ahead by a quarter.  They enrolled in Harris bilingual and they were congratulated by their teachers for their fast adaptation to a bigger school.  Now (our son) is still in Harris and has all A’s and will be part of  a new program next fall: bilingual IB program in middle school.”
  Same with (our daughter) now in middle school at Lesher she’s in honor roll and her lowest grade  is A- , she is in advanced spanish course and does very well in all sectors.  La Paz was a great experience for them and allowed them now to be in advance spanish.”
• “My daughter just received a second consecutive report card in which she has made the Principal’s list for maintaining a 90% average. During this period she made friends with a group of exchange students and managed to keep her Spanish conversation skills sharp with a student from Spain while learning some Portuguese from a Brazilian student. She made the varsity basketball team with only one year of semi-organized basketball behind her at a sports-academy school… primarily due to her hustle on defence.  (My daughter) has enjoyed the buildup to the upcoming Olympic Winter Games and although she remains costarricense at heart she can appreciate the beauty of being right where she is on the West Coast of Canada.
• “(My daughter) has been the surprise of the bunch. She professes to be incapable of change but has blossomed in her new environment. She made the Principal’s list for the entire first half of the year but did not require an average to do so…each and every one of her first semester marks was above 90%! One of those grades was for French…a struggle for her after recently gaining comfort with Spanish, but through hard work she managed to excel.  (She) was one of only two eighth grade girls to make the junior varsity basketball team while the rest were selected from grades 9 through 11.”
• “My daughter has adjusted and enjoyed her 4th grade classroom of 36 kids in Hawaii.  The first day she was participating in class and answering questions.  The teacher was surprised and so were we!  Especially because her classroom had 36 children, very different from the small student group at La Paz, but she managed perfectly.  Her attitude is very positive and she enjoys the classmates (26 kids today).  (My son) had some difficulties adapting, which lasted some weeks.  He was insecure in his 1st grade classroom, with all the new rules and consequences.  I talked to the teacher about this and magically he started loving school.  He has adapted very well and has many new friends, his behavior at school here continues to be pretty much like last year at La Paz kindergarden, with Miss Kelly.       
  With the second report to parents, we learned that they both are doing really well academically and socially.  Both 1st grade and 4th grade teachers said the kids level was the right one for their grade levels. (My daughter) is already working some of 5th grade material.  Today, they both range among the more advanced students in class.”
• “The 9th grade English teacher said she expects (his) grade will be closer to an A once he completes the work he missed; that the work he has turned in and the tests, especially vocabulary, shows almost complete mastery.  The Science teacher said much the same.  (His) math teacher said he understands what’s being taught, as his excellent grade in this subject shows.
  And each of his teachers said (his) conduct is good and that he has no problem participating when called upon.
  I think we have every reason to be proud of him for the way he has assimilated.  Furthermore, there is no question that the schooling he got in Costa Rica was exceptional.”