Frequently Asked Questions

What is Quest Academy?

The Quest is a four year academy at MCHS with a focus on Project Based, Personalized, Inquiry Based Learning. Students at Quest will connect their personal, academic, and career goals. Quest coursework is based around student career goals and personal learning interests. Emphasis will be placed on experiential learning and exploration.

Students will be engaged in exploratory learning based around their career interests and personal learning affinities.

• Quest will use Competency Based Grading with PBL, Inquiry Learning, and Personalized Learning through Interdisciplinary Seminars.
• Each year, Quest students will be asked to complete 12 Base Competencies and their core disciplinary content competencies (English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and other electives personalized to their college and career goals).
• The competencies for the core subjects have been developed by the Quest faculty from standards, skills, and dispositions key to the discipline and those core concepts will be connected to the Base 12 Competences.
• Base competencies are derived from the Marshall County graduate profile and aligned to pre-college curriculum.
• Student Goal setting and student demonstration of learning are key elements of Quest.

What is Quest’s learning model? How is Quest different from a traditional school?

Quest’s primary learning model is an Interdisciplinary Learning Collaborative (ILC) using a competency-based credit framework. The ILC model brings together students and teachers to create projects and learning experiences that meet or exceed the learning targets, or competencies, predetermined by the teacher to meet state and national academic standards. Through seminars, workshops, independent work, group projects, or field study, students will complete key core disciplinary concepts and 21st Century skills aligned with the Marshall County District Graduate Profile. Students will receive credit based on the work they complete as demonstrated by artifacts of learning to prove mastery of the targeted competency. In contrast, traditional high schools award students credits based on “seat time” or the number of minutes in the course content with all students working on the same tasks at the same time.

What is the Quest curriculum?

The Quest design curriculum provides to students a range of courses and seminars designed for college bound students, developing academic choices and opportunities that fit their own learning interests and affinities. The curriculum is driven toward rigorous experiences personalized around the needs and interests of each student with special focus on that student’s future career interest. All courses are vertically aligned in increasing content complexity directed toward college preparation and 21st Century skills in collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, self-motivation, responsibility, and perseverance. Courses are aligned with the Kentucky Academic Standards, National Standards by discipline, and the Kentucky High School Graduation Requirements including English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and the Humanities as well as electives in the student’s area of interest both personal interest and career interest. Students will also have access to AP courses in the Legacy model. Quest students will graduate with transcript from Marshall County High School and a portfolio of academic artifacts of learning as well as job shadowing experiences, and internships in their career interests. The Quest Competency model encourages students to exceed the learning targets of a traditional learning experience.

Students earn multiple credits for multiple courses in the Interdisciplinary Seminars (i.e. Science, Math, English, Arts, Social Studies Credits all in one seminar). Students would be required to earn the state 22 credit requirement with 4 credits in ELA, 4 credits in Mathematics, 3 credits in Science, and 3 credits in Social Studies, alongside credits in Health and PE. Additional requirements include the completion of a successful internship aligned with the student’s career interest and the creation, completion, and presentation of a cumulative capstone project. Students must also meet the basic competencies as defined in the MC Graduate Profile. Students will be encouraged to complete two credits of the same foreign language for college readiness.

• Credits earned through seminars would be determined by the competencies each seminar covered as determined by the teachers who developed the seminar.
• In order to earn the credit, students would have to demonstrate competency or mastery by submitting artifacts of learning.
• The number and types of artifacts required would be determined alongside the competencies.
• Each school year, students would be required to complete a base set of competencies. Students would set goals for additional competencies they would like to work toward completing in that year.
• Students would be able to earn credits based on learning experiences beyond the hours of the school day and calendar as approved by the student’s teacher or mentor with the submission of approved artifacts.
• Students will set annual goals identifying competencies upon which to focus for the year. Student progress will be based on credits earned toward the goals.

Who are the Quest Faculty members?

Linette Austin (Math) linette.austin@marshall.kyschools.us

Evelyn Conley (ELA/Humanities/Fine Arts) evelyn.conley@marshall.kyschools.us

Johnny Jones (Fine Arts/Sculpture/Engineering Design) johnny.jones@marshall.kyschools.us

Erin Mathis (Social Studies/Humanities) erin.mathis@marshall.kyschools.us

Craig Morris (Science/Biomedical) craig.morris@marshall.kyschools.us

Kelly Weaver (Social Studies/Humanities) kelly.weaver@marshall.kyschools.us

Does Quest weight grades, offer an honors diploma, or participate in class ranking toward Valedictorian or Salutatorian?

No. Students in Quest have a separate system of grading from the Legacy model and as such, are not included in the overall calculation of GPA for class rankings. Quest students may graduate as honors students with the peers in the Legacy model. For college and scholarship applications, a GPA will be configured based on a student’s completed credits and a class ranking can be determined based on the student’s GPA as compared to the GPA of the Legacy model students.

How do I know if Quest is the right fit for me?

Quest is focused on a growth mindset model of exploratory learning with heavy emphasis on student responsibility, self-motivation, inquiry, and perseverance. Students must be able to think innovatively and creatively and be willing to take risks a learners with the mindset to grow and improve.

Quest might be a good model for you if…. You are motivated and engaged by learning. You can be self-motivated at least some of the time. You are not afraid to explore different concepts of learning. You are excited about investigation, research, and exploration. You are interested in how different subjects (math, english, social studies, science) fit together.

Quest might not be a good model for you if…. You enjoy traditional class settings in desks and rows. You are not self-motivated to investigate and explore new concepts. You do not want to create your own projects or products to demonstrate what you have learned, but prefer to take a test or exam. You want to focus on an all AP course schedule or are seeking high class ranking for Valedictorian or Salutatorian.

When does Quest meet? Where? What is the cost?

Quest meets on the campus of Marshall County High School during normal school hours. Students may earn credits for participating in academic activities outside the school day upon approval from their teacher and/or mentor. There is no additional cost to students to attend Quest.

What courses and electives will students complete within Quest?

Students in Quest are able to complete graduation requirements in English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Humanities, Foreign Language, Fine Arts, Health/PE and electives oriented to their college and career interest.

Can I participate in sports if I am enrolled in Quest?

Yes. Students in Quest can participate in all athletic and extracurricular activities at Marshall County High School.

How do I register for classes? When do I get my schedule? How do I schedule for a Legacy course?

Quest students register for Quest at the start of each year, and new seminars start each six weeks. The advanced courses for which you register are Legacy courses like AP or elective courses as approved by your Quest mentor and will be scheduled prior to the start of the school year.

How will I know what classes to take?

Quest students will be assigned a mentor according to their personal interests and their career goals. This mentor from the Quest faculty will help guide students in their seminar selection and course planning. The mentor will also be the reference person for Quest students throughout their four years in Quest at MCHS.

Will I still be able to take STARS?

Quest students will be able to take STARS. They will need to write STARS on their scheduling sheets in the spring in order to be placed in the course.

What is the capstone project?

Quest students will complete a final cumulative project- their capstone- which will be the summation of their experience and learning in Quest designed around their career interest and personal learning interests. Students will develop this capstone with their mentor teacher through their four years at Quest and will present this project to an authentic audience according to the nature of their capstone topic.

How do I check my progress in Quest?

Tracking for Quest will be in Kiddom. Legacy courses will still be tracked in Infinite Campus and receive a standard score. Progress will be reported on the official transcript in IC after the entire course is completed.

What legacy electives am I allowed to take?

Year 1 students generally do not take non-Quest electives with the exception of specific AP courses or Band (other Fine Arts electives). However, Year 1 students may take one out of Quest elective according to the student’s career or personal learning interest for a total of two non-Quest electives. Beyond Year 1, Quest students may enroll in non-Quest electives according to their career goals and learning interest with approval from their Quest mentor.

Can I take AP or Dual Credit classes?

Students enrolled in Quest will still have access to Dual Credit and AP Classes.

Why don’t I receive a report card?

Quest does not use the Legacy model grading system, but a competency based system. Credit is complete when the student demonstrates mastery of all the competencies required for the credit. Kiddom software gives parents, students, and teachers access to student progress, listed by seminar, course, and learning target. When students have completed a full credit in a course, the credit and grade are transcripted. This transcript will be an traditional high school transcript with credit and grades for each course completed.

Can I get a report for drivers insurance discounts?

Yes. Please submit a request as the documentation must be compiled on a specific template.

WIll I still be able to earn KEES money?

Yes. Students in Quest will be involved in goal setting each year with progress monitoring to the completion of the five credits required each year for KEES eligibility.

Will I be ready for the ACT?

Quest focuses on preparing students for success after high school. For students who are college bound, ACT preparation will be an element of their overall Quest curriculum.

What if I fall behind and am not earning all my credits?

Students will meet each week with their mentor to check their progress with parent meetings at the end of each semester to discuss student progress. Students will monitor their own progress. If a student fails to make adequate progress, the student will receive interventions similar to those in the Legacy Model- Extended School Services, Online Credit Recovery, and Targeted Intervention with Quest faculty. If students continue to fail to make adequate progress, the student will be encouraged to consider transferring to the Legacy Model.

Who do I see for academic or post-high school counseling?

A student’s mentor is the first line of contact for information regarding information on progress in Quest. If a student or parent needs general advising on college planning, they should make an appointment with their guidance counselor.