Transition School students take courses in English Literature & Composition, History, Biology and Precalculus. These courses are in-depth and accelerated. Students also participate in Health & Wellness and advisory.
The curriculum of Transition School has been developed with several related goals in mind. First and foremost, the Robinson Center prepares TS students to be successful undergraduate students at the University of Washington. This requires not only providing a curriculum rich in content, but one that addresses the scholarly skills students will need to make the most of their University experience. The TS curriculum is not intended to replace the standard high school curriculum, nor does it bear much resemblance to Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework. The Transition School curriculum is designed to prepare students to be successful scholars at the University. To that end, coursework emphasizes the following key components of college readiness:
- Development of a scholarly mindset
- Acquisition of strong research skills
- Development of strong writing skills
- Development of an interdisciplinary mindset
- Experience working in a collegial, collaborative scholarly environment
- Experience in dynamic, seminar-style discussions
- Completion of Precalculus with a thorough understanding of mathematical principles
- Experience in a “lab science”, including preparation of lab reports
- Understanding of the scientific method
- Experience in the methodology of social science/humanities
- Experience reading challenging texts and providing textual analysis
English: TS English introduces students to college-level writing and literary analysis. The course is primarily devoted to honing writing, communication, and inquiry skills. Students are introduced to college-level literary texts that change from year to year. They plan, draft, revise, and complete essays, while enhancing grammar, analytic, and seminar-discussion skills. Students learn key aspects of writing, such as joining academic discourse and incorporating evidence usefully. Students learn how to provide productive peer critiques, how to respond to feedback, and how to work collegially with their fellow students both in class discussions and on projects. Fall Quarter is typically devoted to assessing students’ language arts experience, building a learning community, and exploring the origins of storytelling and rhetoric. During Winter Quarter, the course is devoted to close reading of a novel and practicing literary analysis. During Spring Quarter, the course turns its attention to studying how we make meaning through multimodal texts such as film, art, poetry, and other sources.
History: TS History introduces students to college-level historical narration, interpretation, and argumentation. While specific topics vary annually, students will gain a solid background in US History and civics across their year of study. Fall Quarter will explore history as an academic discipline (historiography) and the frameworks, dominant narratives, and debates that persist within this field of study. Winter Quarter will highlight the chronology of US history through case studies from different flashpoints and will emphasize intertextual analysis strategies across primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Spring Quarter will support students in developing a substantial claim-driven research project, and will conclude with an exploration of the connections between “history” and “current events.” Across the course, students will develop and deepen their skills in critical thinking, reading, writing, discussion, information literacy, research, and accessing the “conversation” within historical debates.
Precalculus: TS Precalculus presents a thorough and in-depth examination of Precalculus material and can be highly differentiated because students in TS often have extremely varied mathematical backgrounds. This course offers substantial writing and practice opportunities, frequent student presentations, and opportunities for collaborative work. The course will also include a guest speaker series to explore potential career interests, expand practical skills, and grow student awareness.
Biology: TS Biology introduces students to foundational concepts in biology, emphasizing the interconnectedness of ideas and processes across various physical and temporal scales. The curriculum is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of core biological principles, such as structure and function, information flow, evolution, and ecology. These concepts are explored through laboratory investigations, field trips, and seminars, where students design experiments, collect and analyze data, and create graphical representations. In addition to hands-on research, the course highlights the importance of scientific communication. Students engage with current primary literature, learning to critically evaluate research and effectively communicate their own findings through lab reports and oral presentations.
Health & Wellness: This course presents the skills necessary to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Instruction emphasizes strategies for emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and other adaptive skills that are essential for students’ college readiness and life-long emotional and physical well-being. The course also offers students opportunities to practice new skills to facilitate a sense of community and agency among themselves. Health and Wellness may include group fitness opportunities in which students play games or different sports activities together outside the classroom or may ask students to log personal physical activity whether it be a walk to a nearby park, biking to campus, or a weekly fitness class.
Advisory: The advisory program is a central support structure for Transition School students. Students are more likely to thrive, and less likely to slip through unnoticed, when a specific adult takes responsibility for their overall wellbeing. TS advisors are a critical thread in the school’s safety net, closely connected to other classroom instructors, student support staff, and the TS administration. Through the advising system, each student has a consistent point of contact: someone who knows them well, cares about their experience, and is available to help.