Core Academic Courses

SEEQS recognizes that students need to learn a broad set of skills and content to be productive citizens in the modern world. But just as importantly, students need to experience how they will use those tools and skills, and implement them in ways that are meaningful and relevant to their lives, their communities, and their future.

SEEQS approaches these coexistent needs by basing academics around Essential Questions of Sustainability (EQS). Semester-long EQS courses meet four days a week to delve deeply into one essential question, such as “how does water sustain us?” or “what are the limits of growth?” through the independent and inter-dependent lenses of science, math, English, history, and the arts. 

Core academic courses, which meet in 70-minute blocks each morning, help students develop discipline-specific skills and content knowledge to support their work around the Essential Questions of Sustainability. Academic courses include Mathematical Applications, Scientific Explorations, English Language Arts, and Historical Perspective, offered at a range of depth and complexity to meet the learning needs and levels of all SEEQS students.  Both EQS courses and core courses are designed with constructivist principles in mind.

The SEEQS curriculum augments the traditional academic subjects with courses in Visual and Performing Arts.  Artistic expression fosters confidence and skill in communication, creativity, and appreciation of cultural ideas critical to participating in a global society.  Technology & Design encourages a view of technology as a tool through which students can tackle complex social and environmental issues and helps students learn design thinking.

SEEQS is committed to the highest standards for its faculty and staff.  SEEQS' teachers are experienced, highly effective, and enthusiastic about our students and our school.

Academic Content Standards

The Common Core standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, Next Generation Science Standards, the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, Hawaii Content and Performance Standards, and the “Big Ideas of Sustainability” scope and sequence guide the work around developing competencies for individual disciplines.

Standardized Assessment

As a public charter school, SEEQS remains responsible for administering the Next Generation Assessment to all students.  The SEEQS curriculum will effectively prepare all students to demonstrate their academic achievement on standardized tests and far beyond.

Academics are just one element of what makes SEEQS special. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our "Why SEEQS?" page to read about how we have designed a whole school to help develop 'whole' students.