Zenith High School (9-12)

Students take four years of both Literature and History. In each year of high school, students have three 1-hour History and three 1-hour Literature seminars per week. Additionally, they have a half hour of 1:1 tutorial time with their teacher. In History, 1:1 time is spent learning research and library skills and digital literacy, along with work on individual investigative inquiries relating to their studies. In Literature, 1:1 time focuses on writing skills, preparing students for the level of writing that will be required in post-secondary settings.

Zenith High School students have the opportunity to take an array of Advanced Placement (or "AP") classes. These classes are taught as college-level courses, and have syllabi and materials that are approved by the College Board as meeting college-level standards. Students who take AP classes have the opportunity to sit for AP Exams in May, which afford them the opportunity to earn college credit in that subject area. Quad Prep offers AP classes in all 4 major subjects—Math, ELA, Science, History—as well as in Computer Science.

Students at Quad Prep spend at least three years studying a world language. These classes are offered as three 1-hour seminars per week. Current languages offered are Italian, Latin, French, and Spanish. Students choose the language they wish to study and must study at least one language for two years. Students with language waivers due to language-based learning disabilities have the opportunity to pursue alternate coursework.

Students complete at least two years of study in the arts. Arts classes meet twice per week in groups. Students choose between theater arts, music or visual arts.

Students in our Zenith High School spent one-and-a-half hours per week in structured movement. Choices include fitness training, sports, and other movement-related activities.

Electives are an essential part of our talent development program. Students meet in groups for 1-hour seminars twice per week in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Electives can be used to take a second arts class (with department permission) or to explore topics of interest.

Each week, at the same time across the Upper School, students participate in Quad Prep IDEAlab. Based on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, developed by Joseph Renzulli, the goals of IDEAlab projects are to tap into twice-exceptional students’ strengths, deep curiosity, and passions in areas of interest and talent. Harnessing creativity, educators and clinicians help students apply creative ideas in an inquiry-based fashion to attempt to solve a real-world problem in a field of special interest. It is also a place where all clinicians and educators are on hand to support the development of the executive functioning for self-directed learning skills in planning, decision making, time management, and self-evaluation.

Senior year in Zenith High School is distinguished by choice and preparation. Twice-exceptional learners thrive on voice and choice in their learning and are given multiple pathways to prepare for their post-secondary careers. Students take an advanced elective in History and/or Literature and/or other Humanities electives. These electives are designed to provide students with a variety of rigorous and rich choices for academic study. Students have up to 12-13 hours per week for their chosen senior pathway. This allows students with different interests and goals to have ample time in a supportive manner to customize their course of study. A student may opt to complete a Capstone Project in their area of interest. Capstones are year-long projects, planned in advance, with the goal of planning, executing, and evaluating a current real world problem in a field of interest. This involves interacting with working professionals and scholars in the field of study. Families of students interested in the Capstone option should make an appointment with our Capstone Coordinator in the second half of 10th grade. Students may also opt to use the 12 hours per week to take up to four advanced courses in any and all subjects based on their particular goals for college placement. Students may also propose to their academic advisor a hybrid plan that allows for a mini-Capstone Project with more modest goals and some advanced Senior Electives.

Students receive a half hour of academic advising and a half hour of counseling per week on an ongoing basis. The counselor and advisor serve as a team in all areas of our students' growth at Zenith High School. Advisors and Counselors act as consultants for the faculty. Thus, a counselor may push into a seminar to provide extra executive functioning support as needed. Counselors work hand-in-hand with the student life team and push into student life clubs. In this way, they act as needed as coaches as students develop their social and emotional intelligences. Our speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and learning specialists all work on our integrated executive functioning curriculum, co-teaching in IDEAlab, running post-secondary planning seminars for one hour each week, and providing direct instruction of study skills in WorkspOT (combined sessions of occupational therapy and speech-language therapy). They serve as special advisors for students doing Capstone projects and work hand-in-hand with a student’s Capstone advisor throughout the year.