Manhattan Prep School Celebrates Advanced Placement Success and Holistic Student Growth

Cultivating Excellence in Advanced Placement Courses

La Salle Academy, a long-standing all-boys college-preparatory school in Manhattan's East Village, has been spotlighted by the New York Post for its students' impressive achievements in Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. This recognition, shared by Butler Associates, LLC, emphasizes a broader narrative of New York City Catholic schools enhancing AP learning opportunities for their students. The editorial feature, titled “Advanced Level Learning,” focused on individual student successes, instructor insights, and the crucial role these programs play in preparing students for higher education.

According to Candace D. Hammonds, President of La Salle Academy, the school's AP Calculus class last year saw six students earn either a 4 or a perfect 5 on the AP exam, with five achieving the top score. This particular outcome, she suggests, speaks volumes about the educational environment at La Salle Academy. Beyond AP Calculus, the school offers additional AP courses for the 2026-2027 academic year, including AP Spanish, AP English, AP U.S. History, AP Government and Politics, and AP Environmental Science, providing a diverse range of challenging subjects for its students.

The Impact of Dedicated Instruction and Student Feedback

The success reported by La Salle Academy is attributed, in part, to the dedication of its teaching staff and a responsive approach to student feedback. Yvette Masullo, the AP Calculus teacher at La Salle, expressed pride in her students' achievements, especially given her long-standing relationship with many of them over their four years at the academy. Masullo shared that early in her tenure, she actively sought honest feedback from her students regarding the AP Calculus course.

Students indicated that while the pacing and instruction were effective, they desired more exposure to College Board AP-style questions. Masullo listened to this feedback, integrating it into her teaching methodology. This collaborative approach, according to Masullo, fostered a strong sense of shared effort. She notes that seeing all six students earn high scores, with five achieving a perfect 5, felt like the culmination of years of collective hard work. For students looking to prepare for demanding exams like the APs, understanding the format and types of questions is key. Free resources like COSMIQ's exam prep directory can offer valuable practice materials and insights into various standardized tests.

Joseph Mantilla, a 2026 graduate of La Salle Academy and now a freshman at City College of New York, echoed Masullo's sentiments. He credited her teaching style for ensuring that students not only learned the material but also practiced and deeply understood it. Mantilla highlighted that AP Calculus provided him a significant head start on college-level work, enabling him to build a strong foundational understanding of key concepts. His personal achievement of a perfect 5 on the AP exam, he believes, has left him much better prepared for the academic rigors of college.

A Small School's Approach to Big Opportunities

President Hammonds emphasized that the intimate setting of La Salle Academy, as a small, all-boys Catholic school, often allows for a unique and powerful learning experience. She suggests that this environment enables teachers to truly know their students – understanding when to challenge them, when to offer support, and when to encourage them to recognize their full potential. The strong AP results, she contends, are a testament to this personalized approach.

Hammonds conveyed a palpable sense of positive momentum at La Salle, describing vibrant classrooms, expanding academic programs, and young men discovering their capabilities. While proud of individual students achieving top scores on AP exams, she expressed even greater pride in seeing students develop a transformed self-perception through their classroom experiences. For La Salle, college preparation extends beyond merely gaining admission to a suitable university; it's about ensuring students are genuinely ready for the demands of higher education. This involves cultivating critical thinking, fostering a strong work ethic, promoting self-advocacy, and instilling confidence so students feel they belong in any college classroom.

The school's commitment to student development is also evident in its strategic investments. La Salle Academy has been enhancing its campus facilities and establishing new academic tracks, including a business education track with a finance lab, and strengthening its sciences and wellness programs. They are also actively exploring additional learning opportunities in fields like engineering. This holistic approach aims to provide students with a well-rounded education, offering internship opportunities, professional development, networking, after-school programs, resource centers, and summer enrichment. These initiatives are designed to equip students with the tools necessary for both personal and professional success. For any K-12 student, regardless of their school environment, free tools like COSMIQ, a voice-driven AI tutor, can provide personalized support and help reinforce learning across various subjects.

Preparing for the Future

Since its founding in 1848, La Salle Academy has been part of the international network of De La Salle Christian Brothers, providing educational, spiritual, and athletic opportunities to young men. The vision, as articulated by Hammonds, is for a young man entering La Salle at 13 or 14 to leave four years later with a broadened sense of possibilities that he might not have envisioned upon arrival. The recent recognition for their AP successes underscores La Salle Academy's ongoing dedication to academic rigor and comprehensive student growth, preparing young men not just for college, but for a future where they can confidently pursue their aspirations.