Frequently Asked Questions - Curriculum
Middle School
Five courses is considered a full course load. Four core courses, one in each of the subject areas: Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies plus one elective course. Core courses cover a full academic year of content (36 weeks) while electives cover 18 weeks of content.
High School
For high school students 5 or 6 courses are considered a full course load.
Middle School
Core and advanced courses cover a full academic year (180 hours) of content while electives cover half an academic year (90 hours) of content.
High School
Most high school courses are available in half credits.
Students should expect to spend about 180 hours on a full year/full credit course course and about 90 hours on a half year/half credit course. However, students who are gifted in a particular subject may be able to complete a course in less time, while other students might need to spend more time in some courses.
Keystone currently offers French, Spanish and German to middle school student. Once students reach high school, they can also take Chinese, Japanese, and Latin. These courses are available online, providing you with interactive tools and lessons that are specifically designed to improve your language skills and comprehension abilities.
If you have taken language courses somewhere else, fax or mail us your transcript and our Student Service Representative will work with you to determine if your credits transfer over to Keystone. Should you have questions in the meantime, feel free to call our Student Service Representative directly at 1-800-255-4937.
Keystone uses several types of assessments including practice quizzes, short answer and essay questions, objective multiple choice exams, and oral examinations (when appropriate). This mix provides the independent learner with checkpoints to monitor his or her progress through each course. Students are also required to practice various styles of writing to help ensure learning and develop communication abilities that they'll need after high school.
You don't have to, but many subjects are covered through a sequence of courses. Let's use math as an example. Some students will start with Refresher Math, move on to Algebra 1, then on to Geometry, then on to Algebra 2, etc. Students move through courses at their own speed, and then go on to the next level when they're ready. All Keystone National High School courses are designed to balance the introduction of new information with the repetition of learned information.
Keystone National High School's online courses offer students more interaction with teachers and three business days turnaround on assessments. Online courses include engaging interactive activities, supporting graphics and flash demonstrations to enhance the learning experience.
Keystone National High School correspondence courses are paper-based courses delivered primarily by postal mail. They are available for students who require or prefer a more traditional distance learning experience. For example, correspondence courses may better meet the educational needs of students who are living in remote locations where internet access may be unreliable.
Either format will provide the student with a sound, accredited, self-directed program of study that helps them achieve their potential.
No, our middle school courses are engaging interactive online courses designed specifically for middle school students.
Yes, feel free to mix online and correspondence courses.
Yes. Students can fax their exams rather than mailing them, but please to be sure to number the pages and send them in order.
AP courses are offered to high school juniors and seniors in many subject areas including Science, Math, Social Sciences and Language Arts. These courses offer advanced students the opportunity to progress through a course with more challenging homework and exams, beyond even Honors course study. AP exams are administered every spring by the College Board in your neighborhood during the month of May, and though the exams, students have the opportunity to earn college credit and/or advanced standing at most colleges and universities.
High school honors courses represent an academic level of excellence that is above and beyond the standards of a standard Keystone high school course. Keystone's mission is to help students achieve their potential, and part of that is providing a challenging and rigorous Honors Program.
Honors courses are designed so that the student must complete -- on average -- an additional 20 hours of work. That additional work is focused on obtaining and testing higher-order thinking skills such as the synthesis and evaluation of course content. These thinking skills may be applied through an additional research project, an evaluation of a scientific study, or other applications.
Honors courses are appropriate for students seeking to excel and demonstrate that they can complete more challenging work in a particular subject area. Honors courses are appropriate for students looking for more of a challenge, that are college bound, or that seek a deeper mastery of a subject.
Keystone honors courses are currently offered in the following subjects: American Government; Biology; Chemistry; Civics; Earth Science; Economics; English 1, 2 or 3; Geography; and World History.
