Courses in Quest
quest Courses
Students take four courses within Quest on one day, and on the next day, can take up to 3 courses outside of Quest. This gives students the full personalized Quest experience while still accessing all of the other amazing course options within the high school Program Planning Guide (PPG). In Quest, students complete an off-campus partnership (similar to an internship), pursue a yearlong project called the student-designed study (SDS), and go on a Launch trip at the start of the year. Participating in Quest also fulfills the Catalyst graduation requirement.
For each of the core courses, Quest students may choose to take their courses at a standard level or at an Advanced Topic (AT) level. Students also engage in individually-designed, research-based projects that allow them to hone the skills required to be lifelong learners. Student projects may involve interdisciplinary work and/or learning experiences with corporate or community organizations.
Students may choose to receive all, some, or no Advanced Topic credits for their Quest courses. Every student in Quest completes the Student-driven Study (SDS) which satisfies the Catalyst requirement. SDS is based on individual interest and includes components of college level research while providing structure and guidance from Quest Advisors. AT Research students that have completed AT Seminar may elect to submit their SDS Academic Paper and thesis presentation to College Board for AP Research credit.
How Quest Courses Appear on a student's transcript
A traditional transcript will be sent to college admissions officials.
The image to the right shows a SAMPLE transcript of how Quest courses will appear on a student's official transcript.
Students earn grades in Quest through the assessment of interdisciplinary projects and experiences and are scored with the applicable standards from the Quest courses. So for one task a student may receive grades in science, math, English, and social studies. However, the transcript will still reflect the official course titles. Overall, Quest offers a lot of options for students, including: Advance Topics (AT) or College Prep level courses, opportunity for AP research credit, and access to courses offered at SAS outside of Quest.
Quest Syllabi
Quest Program SyllabusClick on the drop down arrow to the right of each course. For each course, you will find the course description and a link to this year's course syllabus.
english
Research & Composition (ENG)
AT Research (AT ENG)
Co-Teachers: Flanagan, Osborne, Stewart
AP Research Coordinator: Osborne
The Quest English course immerses students in the academic research process. Students will deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Students will develop an understanding of research methodology, employ ethical research practices, and access, analyze, and synthesize information as they address a research question. Students will apply this understanding to design, plan, and conduct a year-long research-based investigation to address a research question.
In addition to honing their research skills, the Quest English course empowers students to become captivating storytellers across various platforms. Through hands-on experiences, participants will master the art of crafting compelling narratives, delving into mediums such as writing and publishing on platforms such as Medium, LinkedIn, and Youtube engaging in digital storytelling, and refining their ability to deliver captivating presentations. This multifaceted approach ensures that students excel in rigorous academic research and emerge as dynamic communicators capable of sharing their findings with diverse audiences.
Math
Data Analysis & Visualization (DAV)
AT Data Analysis & Visualization (AT DAV)
Lead Teacher: Osborne
AP Statistics Coordinator: Osborne
This course requires students to demonstrate their learning in interpreting, representing, analyzing, and communicating data. Experiential learning opportunities will provide students with the opportunity to analyze real-world, self-collected data for analysis and exploration. In addition, students will begin to develop coding skills in R and Python for further analysis and hypothesis testing for research.
Students who wish to earn Advanced Topic (AT) credit will individually be held to a higher standard of skill acquisition and will need to demonstrate a high level of data processing and analysis skills. AT standards clearly delineate the difference between non-AT and AT students to increase transparency of expectations in the course.
Students who complete the AT level will also be eligible to take the AP Statistics exam. Students who elect to take the AP Statistics exam will need to do additional learning and test preparation beyond the scope of AT DAV throughout the year and especially in the final weeks before the AP Statistics exam in May. Online materials will be available for students who wish to embark on self-study in preparation for the exam.
science
Conservation & Resource Studies (CRS)
AT Conservation & Resource Studies (AT CRS)
Lead Teacher: Flanagan
Students will explore environmental issues and areas of interaction among natural resources, population, energy, technology, societal institutions, and cultural values through an interdisciplinary lens. They are drawing on course concepts, skills, and community resources in the development of personalized projects. The course is oriented toward understanding the structure and dynamic functions of complex environmental systems within our society and the biosphere. Beyond fundamental concepts of ecology, students will study, analyze, and evaluate a range of environmental issues, both natural and human-made, through the lenses of science, technology, and society. Quest will challenge students to examine solutions for resolving and preventing environmental problems. Ecology investigations will include fieldwork in regional Southeast Asia ecosystems and human-impacted systems such as plantation agriculture and urban systems.
Social Studies
Society, Governance & Civic Action (GOV)
AT Society Governance & Civic Action (AT GOV)
Lead Teacher: Stewart
Students will delve into the characteristics and complexities of organizing societies and what it means to govern. Students will understand the role, responsibility, and limitations of citizens in maintaining, supporting, challenging, and changing how we effectively manage contemporary issues through civic engagement and the interplay between industry, civil society, and government. Quest students will co-create meaningful, authentic learning tasks that deepen their understanding of citizens’ role. Students will examine their worldviews and notions of governance, and broaden their perspectives of what it means to participate in society through book studies and discourse. The emphasis of this course is in examining the role of civil society. This will be further examined through student-selected work and experiences off-campus. Students will engage in the work in authentic ways and create work intended for a professional audience.
a day in the life of a quest student
Click below on the dropdown bar to see an example of what a typical schedule might look like for a student in Quest.
Sample Schedule for a One-Day Quest Student (junior or senior)
Below are sample schedules of what a typical day might look like for a junior or senior in Quest in Semester 1 and in Semester 2
