Our Curriculum
Our curriculum and approach to teaching is the key to student success in our schools.
The QSI Curriculum is fundamental to helping our students to be successful learners. When teachers use our curriculum and apply the Mastery Learning approach, success for all is evidenced by what students produce to show mastery by way of projects, investigations, and other forms of assessment. To support our approach, we develop curriculum that gives teachers clear, concise learning objectives to allow them to teach, assess, and provide meaningful feedback to students about their learning. Then, using time as a resource, teachers reteach students what they still need to master to help improve their knowledge and competencies. Our curriculum and approach to teaching is the key to student success in our schools.
The strength of the QSI Curriculum
Rigorous Core Subjects
Our core subjects form the foundation for a rigorous and effective curriculum that challenges students to think critically and become well-rounded citizens. Each of these core classes is designed to help students master the necessary skills they need throughout their academic career — such as reading comprehension and problem solving — while also introducing them to new concepts and skills. Through our core subjects, students can explore how different fields intersect with each other and learn how to apply their learning in real world, hands-on situations.
Wide Range of Electives
Electives are an integral part of our curriculum. Electives allow our students to explore their interests, gain knowledge and skills in areas outside of their required classes, and expand their learning experience beyond the traditional classroom setting. In addition to providing students with opportunities to learn about topics that interest them, electives can also help develop important professional skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organization, time management and creativity. Our wide range of elective courses reflect the diverse interests of our student body. They challenge our students to think critically and deepen their understanding on a particular subject area within a supportive environment.
Experiential Learning
Beyond the traditional classroom setting, students are able to gain hands-on knowledge and practical skills that aid in their overall academic success. Experiential learning opportunities provide students with a chance to explore interests, discover career paths, and develop valuable soft skills such as teamwork and critical thinking. This gives students the opportunity to grow their confidence when it comes to tackling real-world problems. They can explore their passions while simultaneously developing the necessary professional tools required for postsecondary education or the job market.
Higher-Order Thinking
Our curriculum emphasizes the importance of higher-order thinking skills and application. With our rigorous approach to education, our students are better equipped with the necessary tools to succeed in college and beyond. Higher-order thinking skills go beyond memorization or simply understanding content; they require analysis, synthesis, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Our curriculum is truly rigorous and effective due to its emphasis on the development of these important cognitive abilities that can be applied across academic disciplines.
Performance-Based
With a performance-based approach, our students are provided with unique opportunities to develop their skills while they are still in secondary school. Our performance-based approach focuses on the development of analytical skills, problem solving abilities and group work practices, which can all benefit students in their future college studies and beyond. It encourages critical thinking, as students must assess evidence and come up with logical conclusions about topics covered in class. This kind of learning also allows for more creativity than traditional teaching methods; instead of memorizing facts and figures from textbooks, students can engage with tasks that involve them using different strategies to tackle problems.
Integration of Technology
Technology integration is a key component of our curriculum. Our teachers are skilled in how to properly integrate technological tools into their online courses and instruction. By leveraging the right tools, our teachers create exciting learning opportunities that engage our students and deepen their understanding of course content. Students have access to a range of tools that help foster student engagement and collaboration. These technologies allow students to gain hands-on experiences with course material while being able to ask questions and discuss ideas with both classmates and instructors in real-time.
Programs of Study
There are seven programs of study: English, Mathematics, Science, Cultural Studies, Personal Health, Creative and Applied Arts, and Languages Other Than English (LOE). Students are required to take courses in each program of study to graduate. These courses all encourage our students to collaborate, think critically, communicate effectively, and use creativity in their learning.
QSI Diploma Requirements
QSI offers three types of diplomas:
- Academic Diploma
- General Diploma
- Academic Diploma with Honors
