It was my first time getting in-depth feedback on one of my writings with an expectation of revision. It was really difficult for me to alter what I thought was my best writing. After that practice, though, I found that the revisions helped my ideas a lot and made it much more cohesive. I’ve seen more progress from myself this year than I could have ever expected and all of the hours of work are absolutely worth it. I can’t wait to start it all again next year.”— Avery, 9th grade student
How does high school work at Khan World School?
Mastery-based online high school for grades 9–12
Khan World School @ ASU Prep offers a mastery-based online high school program. The curriculum emphasizes college-prep rigor, critical thinking and collaborative inquiry, giving students the skills and confidence to succeed in university-level coursework.
Proven academic growth
Our mastery-based approach drives measurable learning outcomes. KWS evaluates learning growth using national benchmarks. From the start of the 2022–23 school year to midyear, KWS students demonstrated:
- 4.6× typical growth in Math
- 3.4× typical growth in Reading
- 5.3× typical growth in English Language Arts
Live seminars
Students engage in discussion-driven seminars focused on real-world questions, student-led debate and critical thinking.
Topics include ethics, science, history and economics. Each student is expected to do some pre-reading and arrive prepared to actively participate in the discussion, sharing their own knowledge, insights and opinions with the group.
Guides assess their ability to listen carefully to others, think critically for themselves and articulate accurately to their peers.
KWS curriculum: Reading and writing
Literacy development is central to KWS academics. We also believe literature should be enjoyed and students should have agency over what they read.
- Lectura includes 8–10 books per year and incorporates video reflections of the books, guided choice and reflective seminar discussions.
- Escribir skills grow as students produce 10 portfolio-based writing samples per year across multiple genres, including research papers, literary analysis, persuasive essays, creative writing and autobiographical essays.
- Feedback from guides and peers helps students refine clarity, structure and analytical thinking in reading and writing assignments.
By graduation, students have a strong foundation for college-level reading and writing.
College prep and concurrent credit opportunities
We make sure KWS high school students are well-prepared for success in college through:
- SAT and ACT preparation using Khan Academy or KWS-provided resources
- Regular meetings with guides for college advising, essay review and goal setting
- Opportunities to earn concurrent college credit for high school coursework, accelerating their path to college and saving them time and money when they get there.
