Academics
97
Students
10:1
Student-To-Teacher Ratio
1:1
Technology
4+ Years
College & Career Coaching
Own your learning. Own your success.
Quest Forward Academy students are active learners.
Our students immerse themselves in a rich, relevant curriculum of active and 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 personal. Students engage, driving their own learning by participating actively in classes, projects, and internships. Just-right class sizes and shifts between group and individual work enable each student to progress at their pace.
There are four 8-10 week terms in the academic calendar. As part of our Pathways Program, personalized internships are offered throughout the school year at local organizations and businesses. There is an intersession at the end of the school year for students to take in-depth, hands-on courses in subjects such as robotics, food science, art, and more. Students may also participate in internships or summer employment during this time.
In their last two years at Quest Forward Academy, students can modify their schedules to accommodate dual enrollment at local colleges, and many of our students earn college credits during high school.
“Other public schools that I used to go to, they had this sort of learning system of listening to lectures, reading textbooks, memorizing facts, and then regurgitating everything. And I would walk away and I wouldn’t remember things and I wouldn’t understand how that related to everyday life and my future and it just didn’t, it felt like there was no point to it…. But here, I found a reason to want to learn, to love to learn.”
– Madi, Student
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 through their artifacts, instead of by completing worksheets or taking tests. Courses vary in difficulty level, ranging from early high school to 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 evaluate them on demonstration of learning, timeliness, effort, and suitability. Parents receive weekly, detailed updates that show what their students 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 transcripts for students applying to post-secondary institutions.
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 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 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, ACT/SAT preparation, and much more. Each student also participates in 2 or more internships off-campus. When students graduate from Quest Forward Academy, they receive additional coaching to ensure their success in their choice of next steps.
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GET STARTEDSchedules, Calendars, and More
Resources for our enrolled community of families:
- Academic calendar and schedules
- Swag shop to stock up on Quest Forward Academy gear
- A family’s guide to Quest Forward Learning