High School at VSL

Reduced Tuition Opportunity!

New to VSL? Applying for an incoming 9th or 10th grade student? VSL is offering a reduced tuition of $6750 for 12 new families with students who will be in the 9th or 10th grade for the 2025-2026 school year. Students must be admitted and enrolled before August 15, 2025 to receive the reduced rate. As stated above, there are only 12 spots available for the reduced rate. Apply to VSL here!

Why High School at VSL?

VSL is building a high school for the future, fostering critical thinking skills to prepare for careers that do not exist yet. High school at VSL looks like academic excellence with a goal of real-world application. A few advantages of high school at VSL are joyful education, relevant learning, and student agency. Other advantages are anti-bias education, equity, outdoor education, and opportunities for AP credit. VSL also prepares students for college through internships, real-world projects, multiple AP credit opportunities per year, and agency and responsibility in one’s own academic journey. A successful high schooler at VSL will have motivation, curiosity, initiative, passion, drive, inspiration, and more. See below for learn more information about high school at VSL.

Learn even more about the high school experience at VSL by reading the article on our blog linked here.

Curriculum

High School

Like other grades, VSL's high school and junior high curriculum has foundational texts and resources, though students and teachers are not limited to those sources. We use a combination of proven curriculum, area experts, and resources based on individual need, project scope, and content. Frequently, through research for projects, class discussion, or curiosity, faculty and students will draw from other sources to deepen learning and make learning more relevant. Below are foundational "texts" for our four primary disciplines and any other common sources drawn upon in the classroom.

Mathematics - Mindset Mathematics curriculum is used for students through 8th grade mathematics. Once a student is ready to move beyond that curriculum, Interactive Mathematics Program is VSL's primary text. Students may also use texts from The Art of Problem Solving and information available from youcubed.org.

Science - Science curriculum at VSL draws from several texts and resources, including Inspire Science, Next Gen Storylines, OER, OpenSciEd, and AP textbooks and review books. The K-8th grade curriculum can also be used in junior high and high school as needed to review foundational science ideas. The specific curriculum resources will be chosen based on student interests, projects, and community partners and resources.

English - In the spirit of a philosophical tradition that ponders the question of “what does it mean to be human,” VSL’s junior high and high school English/Language Arts courses were expanded to incorporate other Humanities disciplines. These newly expanded courses, now referred to as HELA courses (i.e., Humanities/English/Language Arts), include what one would expect from a traditional English/Language Arts class–subjects such as composition, literature, and rhetoric–alongside less conventional subjects like art history, philosophy, and theatre arts. Students learn how to compose works of fiction and nonfiction; to interpret and analyze art, literature, and music; and to critically engage texts and other forms of media in a meaningful and thoughtful way. 

History - For junior high and high school history and government studies, VSL's foundational curricular materials come from OER Project. The OER Project curriculum was developed by historians and educators and is inquiry-based, globally focused, and aligned with academic standards. Additional materials will be assigned by faculty or found by students through research and will depend on age, project topic, and classroom discussion. Of course, primary sources are emphasized, and other databases that are commonly used for VSL history and government studies include Learning for Justice, the Smithsonian, Stanford University's Digital Inquiry Group, and Facing History and Ourselves.

Graduation Requirements

Kentucky graduation requirements

  1. 4 English credits

  2. 4 Math credits (must include Algebra 1 and Geometry)

  3. 3 Social Studies credits

  4. 3 Science Credits (must include two lab-based science courses)

  5. 0.5 credit Health

  6. 0.5 credit PE

  7. 1 Visual and Performing Arts credit

  8. 6 credits total aligned with individualized learning plan (5-7 can be included in these 6 credits)

VSL graduation requirements in addition to Kentucky Graduation Requirements

  1. Scientific or technical writing or computer or technical build

  2. Visual or performing art or creative writing

  3. Public speaking

  4. At least one individual project

  5. At least one group project

  6. Portfolio and portfolio defenses

  7. Internship or community work

  8. Competency in 2 languages other than English

  9. 4 years of Art

  10. 4 years of Physical Activity and Health

Portfolios and Projects

What a portfolio should include:

  1. At least one project from each school year of a traditional high school career chosen by the student to show growth, interest, and depth of work

  2. Student reflective essay

  3. Feedback from fellow students and professionals in the relevant field

Should it be required to defend some projects or portfolios?

  1. Students in the equivalent of 9th grade will not be required to defend projects included in the portfolio

  2. Students in the 10th grade should defend their chosen portfolio project to fellow students and faculty of VSL

  3. Students in the 11th grade should defend their chosen portfolio project to professionals in the relevant field(S)

  4. Students in the 12th grade should obtain an internship or equivalent for one learning block

Community/work study/internship requirements:

  1. Students in the 12th grade should obtain an internship of equivalent for one or two learning blocks

  2. This internship or equivalent should take approximately ½ of the school time during each learning block

  3. The internship or equivalent should culminate in a project presentation to fellow students and/or a written evaluation of the student’s work and time at the internship or equivalent

  4. The internship or equivalent will not be included in the calculation of the GPA, either weighted or unweighted

Grading

VSL does not use a traditional grading system but rather uses a competency checklist derived from the Kentucky educational standards as well as a mastery transcript from Mastery Transcript Consortium which is used for GPA calculation when needed. The competency checklist demonstrates knowledge of certain information and ability to perform certain skills. The Mastery Transcript Consortium ("MTC") is used to track progress on skills related to VSL's educational threads. The MTC platform is used for creation of student portfolios and will be used for application to colleges and universities as MTC communicates directly with those schools to which students apply for admission, providing an advantage to VSL students in the college application process.

Enrichments

VSL offers numerous on campus enrichment activities as listed below. In addition, because students have time for class preparation and project work during the school day, students are able to use more time after school for clubs, sports, performing arts, and other high level enrichments without sacrificing sleep and family time. As a small school, VSL is also able to respond to student interests quickly. On campus enrichments have included:

  • Student Government

  • Yearbook

  • Visual arts

  • Drama

  • Pokemon Club

  • Film Club

  • Cross Country

  • Chess Club

  • Robotics: We participate in First Robotics. Through First Robotics, we have participated in both the First Lego League and the First Tech League. Our First Tech team won the Judge's Choice Award last year! The robotics team designs, builds, and programs a robot each year and competes against other schools in field events. Robotics challenges our students academically through engineering and design skills as well as socially through team building and communication skills.