My Path to Graduation
Everything a Secondary Student Needs to Know
QUALITY SCHOOLS
INTERNATIONAL
2023 Issue
2023 Issue
Table of Contents
z Welcome to QSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
z Character Building: Success Orientations . . . . . 4
z Model of Education: Mastery Learning . . . . . . . 6
z Method to Measure Success: Evaluation . . . . . . 8
z Transfer Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
z Path to Graduation: Diploma Requirements . . 10
z What a Secondary Student Will Learn . . . . . . . 14
z English Program of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
z Mathematics Program of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
z Science Program of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
z Cultural Studies Program of Study . . . . . . . . . . . 46
z Creative & Applied Arts Program of Study . . . 57
z Languages Other Than English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
z Personal Health Program of Study . . . . . . . . . . . 73
z QSI Virtual School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
z QSI Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Welcome to Quality Schools International! This school is part of QSI, a group of
schools that offers high-quality education throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, and the
Americas. With more than thirty years in international education, we offer the same
educational model, curriculum, and materials throughout our schools.
This booklet informs you about what a Secondary level student (equivalent to
9th to 12th grade in the USA and Year 10 to Year 13-upper 6th in the UK) will be
learning in school. Our classrooms bring hands-on and minds-on learning to our
students. Our teachers empower students to learn about things as they investigate
the world around them.
Here we will present the five unique components of being a student in a QSI
school.
For more information or if you would like to talk in more detail about
QSI’s philosophy and approach to learning, make sure to ask the school’s
administrator or the teacher any questions you may have.
Welcome to
Quality Schools International!
Building Character and a Culture of Success
-Success Orientations
Model of Education
-Mastery Learning
Methods to Measure Success
-Evaluation
Path to Graduation
-Diploma Requirements
What a Secondary Student Will Learn
-Course Offerings by Program
Success is so much more than getting A’s and B’s. We understand how important
it is for students to develop the many good habits and skills that lead to being
successful. QSI wants all students to grow in leadership, confidence, creativity,
and the capacity to collaborate with others. We teach and help students to be
trustworthy, independent, responsible, concerned for others, kind and polite,
successful group members, and able to appreciate the environment around them,
We call these the Success Orientations.
Responsibility...
...means students come to school on time, prepared, and ready to learn each day. It also
means they bring homework, materials, and books to school when needed and do their
best consistently in every class, every day.
Concern for Others...
...means students accept other people no matter where they are from or what their beliefs are.
It means that students include others in their activities and help friends or others who may be
sad or hurt. Students show others their care and concern for others through acts of sharing and
moments of empathy.
Trustworthiness...
...means students tell the truth and are honest about their interactions. It means that someone,
like a friend or a teacher, can trust the students and count on them to do the right thing.
Building Character and a Culture of Success
Success Orientations
Kindness and Politeness...
...means students are kind and polite to everyone at school, not just teachers and friends,
but also others who might not be their friends. It also means they are helpful and patient
with everyone.
Group Interaction...
...means students work well with others in class and in small groups. They cooperate with
those in the group and work on ways to solve problems, find positive solutions, and develop
collaborative skills. It also means they listen to others and their ideas even if they disagree.
Aesthetic Appreciation...
...means students respect the spaces that they use in the school, such as their cubby/
locker, classroom, hallway, or cafeteria. It means that they take care of the environment
inside and outside the school by picking up trash and cleaning up after themselves. It
also means students respect how other people create their ideas, not just in art and
music, but in every class.
Independent Endeavor...
...means teachers assign students work and students then do it by themselves.
They pay attention to personal work and stay focused on the task at hand.
Teachers can trust students to do the work independently and to the best of their
ability. Students may pursue an interest beyond curricular expectations to further
increase their understanding of the topic.
Education That Makes Sense
Mastery Learning
Most education programs have some system of separating students based
on academic achievement. It is acceptable for most school systems
to teach all students the same things, to give identical exams to
assess student learning, and then to observe, record, and report the
differences in student achievement. In this scenario, performance
becomes the focused variable. In mastery learning, time becomes
the focused variable and changes with the intention of increasing all
student performance. Time is not an indicator OF success but a tool
FOR success. As such, it becomes one of the most valuable tools for
students and teachers. All students are different and enter the classroom
with varying levels of language fluency, emotional intelligence, work ethic,
curiosity, aptitude for their studies, and degrees of content comprehension.
It stands to reason that not all students will be able to reach a high standard of performance at
the same time. As a result of varying the time indicator for success, more students are able to
demonstrate proficiency and achievement at higher levels throughout the year. As the quality
and quantity of time work together to provide a positive learning environment, there is a shift in
the perception of time. It is now used as a tool FOR learning that simultaneously develops and
promotes a growth mindset. This shift in mindset leads to a solid foundation of learning and a
healthy perspective of success that will benefit students throughout their education and careers.
Time is a Resource
QSI utilizes the Mastery Learning model when teaching students in our schools. It is a well-
researched practice with strong evidence for being highly effective where students learn
more information than traditional school methods which receive a percentage grade to pass
and move on. Mastery Learning is not a new concept but is starting to become the model
for schools looking to reach all students in a more engaging and meaningful way. The idea is
simple. In a traditional school, students can pass their courses and miss 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%,
and even 5% of the course content. In Mastery Learning schools, we care about the students
mastering 100% of the course content. We believe that these gaps in learning, if left unchecked,
turn into deficits, difficulties, and frustrations in learning in the future.
We believe that success builds upon success. When students master all
the learning objectives in one unit, they move onto the next unit. Learning
at a level that is too easy may lead to boredom, and learning at a level
that is too difficult often leads to frustrations. When students come to
a QSI school for the first time, they will take placement assessments
in mathematics, reading, and writing. After our initial placement
assessment, it may be necessary to do follow up assessments. This
process helps the school ensure that students are placed at the right
level for successful learning. Teachers use a variety of instructional
strategies to ENGAGE all students as they explore the content within each
unit.
Instruction at the Appropriate Level
Traditional education systems often identify the gaps without any plan
or process to fill them. Mastery learning adheres to the principle that
students must demonstrate proficiency or mastery in knowledge,
content, and skills. If a student is not able to demonstrate mastery,
he or she is provided with additional and differentiated support to first
re-learn the material and is then reassessed on it. This cycle continues,
similar to one-on-one tutoring until the learner has achieved true
mastery. In this way, QSI uses assessment FOR learning, rather than just
assessment OF learning.
Assessment FOR Learning
When students finish studying a unit in a course, they will get a grade. Grading in QSI is
different than in traditional schools. We don’t use percentages when we assign grades.
We use rubrics and make sure students master all of the learning objectives at a B level.
These rubrics define what an A and a B look like for each learning objective. We call
these objectives TSWs (The Student Will). Students must master all the TSWs in a unit.
If students do not master a specific TSW, the teacher will work and support students
using different methods to reteach until students attain mastery.
Teachers will ask students to demonstrate what they know in a variety of ways. This can be done by
the following:
•
projects
•
paper tests
•
interviews to explain what they know or have investigated
•
portfolios, etc.
QSI teachers encourage students to demonstrate learning in many ways, ensuring enduring
understanding and a sense of success.
Methods to Measure Success
Evaluation
QSI Grade Definitions
Grades Indicating Mastery
The student mastered all the TSWs and consistently demonstrated higher-order
thinking in their learning and made connections across subjects.
The student mastered all the TSWs and used many new skills to show their thinking.
A:
B:
Grades Indicating “Not Yet”
The student is currently engaged in learning this unit. Students may also be
actively working on a previously taught unit to work towards mastery.
(P=in Progress)
The unit is on hold and the student will come back to this unit because they
need more time to demonstrate mastery. (H=on Hold)
The student is no longer engaged in this course or unit. (W=Withdrawn)
P:
H:
W:
Grades Indicating Insufficient Effort
The student did not try as hard as expected. They gave up during the unit
and stopped working. “D” grades are never given without student and
parent communication or the opportunity for students to make-up the work.
(D=Deficient)
D:
Diploma Requirements
Transfer Students
When students transfer into QSI schools, parents can expect there to be a student/family
interview and tour, a discussion about courses taken previously, as well as a series of
assessments. Each QSI school has its own placement and assessment procedures. These
assessments will help place the student correctly into QSI classes. Here are some commonly
asked questions parents ask during the transfer process:
Some Common Questions
Does QSI weight their classes?
What is GPA and how does QSI calculate it?
What documents does the school need from my child’s previous school?
QSI needs official academic records for all years of secondary education (equivalent of USA Grade 9 and
higher). Students who completed high school credit courses such as Algebra I in 13 YO (equivalent of
USA Grade 8) will need to provide a middle school transcript that identifies the course as high school
credit. If possible, include an end of year report or transcript that lists final grades for each course.
Narrative reports from teachers are also encouraged if available. If the student has additional testing
(MAP, PSAT, etc.), please submit copies of these scores with your admission materials.
For students diagnosed with a learning support need, parents will need to provide documentation of
the previous school’s learning support plan and any relevant professional reports before being admitted
to the school. It is highly recommended that records that are not in English or the local language be
translated into English.
Grade point average (GPA) is the sum of all course grades throughout a student’s secondary school
career divided by the total number of credits. You will find a GPA reported by each year of secondary as
well as a cumulative GPA on your transcript. Many high schools that follow a US-accredited curriculum
report grades on a 4.0 scale. The top grade, an A, equals a 4.0.
QSI calculates the GPA by adding the GPA of each unit and averaging them together and then dividing
by the total number of completed units of the course (note: most yearlong QSI courses have a total of 10
units.). Each mastered unit receives a grade of A or B. Example: In a course where a student earns 6 As
and 4 Bs, the GPA would be 3.60.
That would be 6 x 4.0= 24 and 4 x 3.0 = 12. 24 + 12 = 36 divided by 10 units equals 3.60. The GPA for this
course would be 3.60. The GPA of each course is averaged together to create a cumulative GPA for all
mastered units at the secondary level. The calculation would be as follows: 6 x 4.0 = 24 and 4 x 3.0 =
12; 24 +12 = 36; 36 divided by 10 units equals 3.60. Each course in turn has its GPA averaged together to
create a cumulative GPA for all coursework completed at a secondary level.
For students transferring into a QSI school, we will report all their transfer courses and grades on our
transcript. However, QSI only reports cumulative GPA from courses completed in a QSI school. It is best
to include official transcripts for all secondary schools attended when applying to university to show an
official record of all courses taken, not just courses recorded as transferred on the QSI transcript.
QSI does not “weight” secondary courses. Weighting a grade means adding an extra point or fraction
of a point to course grade based on the difficulty of the course. Given that most universities recalculate
grades for admissions and scholarship review, there is not a competitive advantage for grade weighting.
10
Diploma Requirements
Path to Graduation
The Quality Schools International Secondary curriculum and course offerings are
comprised of a required program of studies that prepares students for university
entrance. Electives are designed to enhance our program and to allow students the
flexibility to discover and nurture their abilities and interests.
There are four years in our Secondary program. Students starting in their first year of
Secondary with QSI will start from the beginning of our program typically when they are
14 years of age and graduating when they are 18 years of age. Students transferring into
our Secondary program will have their previous school transcripts/records evaluated
to determine where they should be placed. All new students will also undergo a
wide-range of assessments to make sure that the correct placement is assigned. Our
Secondary program accepts students who are still learning English. However, it may
take some students learning English longer to complete our program requirements.
Secondary I or Sec I
- equivalent to US Grade 9 (Freshman) or UK Year 10
Secondary II or Sec II
- equivalent to US Grade 10 (Sophomore) or UK Year 11
Secondary III or Sec III
- equivalent to US Grade 11 (Junior) or UK Year 12 (lower 6th)
Secondary IV or Sec IV
- equivalent to US Grade 12 (Senior) UK Year 13 (upper 6th)
Diploma Requirments
QSI offers three types of diplomas:
• Academic Diploma
• General Diploma
• Academic Diploma with Honors
Details about each of these diplomas are found on the following pages.
Secondary Program by year: