Academics

Own your learning. Own your success.

Quest Forward Academy students are active learners.

Our students immerse themselves in a rich, relevant curriculum of project-based learning.

Our teachers work as mentors, supporting student inquiry, practice, and mastery. Small classes enable personalized learning and propel growth.

Learning goes beyond academics: Quest Forward Academy students develop the mindset, lifelong habits, and academic skills they need to excel in their education and in their chosen careers.

Learn more about the essential features of Quest Forward Learning.

Community

At Quest Forward Academy, learning is deeply personal. Students engage, driving their own learning by participating actively in classes, projects, and internships. Classes are small — usually 12 students or less — and shift between group and individual work every day, which enables each student to progress at their pace.

Our school year is built from 4 eight-week terms, separated by two-week intersessions. Intersessions are perfect opportunities for hands-on learning (robotics, food science, art, and more) and internships at local organizations and businesses. Many continue internships beyond intersession.

In their last 2 years at Quest Forward Academy, students can modify their schedules to accommodate dual enrollment at local community colleges, and many of our students earn college credits during high school.

Course of Study

Our academic program engages students in meaningful, challenging, sustained work that builds study habits and academic skills needed to succeed in education and career.

Each subject area offers term-long courses, which are made up of projects — called “quests” — that lead students through the subject, practicing skills, and ultimately producing a mastery artifact.

Students excel by learning the academic material and showing mastery on their artifacts, instead of by completing worksheets or taking tests. Courses vary in level of difficulty, and range from early high school through university level.

Our academic materials are primarily digital, and students access them via school-supplied Chromebook computers. Students also use Google classroom and other technologies on a daily basis, giving them essential skills for further learning and work.

The curriculum meets the requirements of the California Department of Education, as well as other national standards. Quest Forward Academy is also fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Student Progress and Performance

At most high schools, students move at the same pace, and progress is measured by graded tests. At Quest Forward Academy, students can choose to work at the common classroom pace, or move at their own, appropriate pace.

Testing is done by assessing the student-produced artifacts, and teachers score them on learning, timeliness, effort, and suitability. Parents receive weekly, detailed updates that show which quest their child worked on during the week, which skills they practiced, and the artifacts involved in demonstrating mastery of the material. Quest Forward Academy also provides traditional grade-based transcript for students applying to post-secondary institutions, as needed.

City as Campus

During the academic year, and during Intersession periods, Quest Forward Academy students learn outside of the classroom as part of our “City as Campus” activities, which include activities such as outdoor skill building at Westminster Woods, volunteering during elections, learning about sustainable land management at a local ranch, or visits to local museums or cultural sites.

Clubs

In addition to the formal academics, students engage in a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities. Organized by the students themselves and supervised by mentors, clubs provide an opportunity for students to pursue their interests together, while also developing important leadership skills.

Support from High School to Career

For our students, planning their path beyond high school starts on the first day in 9th grade. Each student joins the Pathways Program, through which they receive full 4 years of career and college counseling and ACT/SAT preparation. Each student also participates in 2 or more internships off-campus.

When students graduate from Quest Forward Academy, they will receive an additional 6 years of counseling support through their choice of college, trade school, the military, or a job with training opportunities and into 2 years of their first job, to ensure their success in those steps.

The Pathways Program is available to students in all schools that offer the Quest Forward Learning Program, and is funded by Opportunity Education.