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Just as our arts programs maintain the highest instructional standards, our academic programs provide educational excellence to prepare students for collegiate and career successes.
The English Department provides students with a range of reading and writing skills and experiences that foster critical thinking and creative expression. Courses in the English Department are designed on the model of the university seminar, in which each participant is responsible for contributing actively to each class session. A focus on thematic, historical, and formal analysis of literary texts combines with regular writing practice ranging from free response, to passage analysis, to formal essays. Breadth of coverage of a particular chronology or era of literary history is less important here than is the degree of engagement with selected literary works. The study of English at the Governor’s School also emphasizes interdisciplinary connections between and among literature, history, philosophy, the natural and social sciences. Most important is the study of literature in the context of the arts, and students "read" a range of artists and their creative work. Given the fundamental role of literature in the study of the Humanities, the English curriculum offers students many opportunities to extend and enrich their work in this dimension of the school's curriculum.
The Mathematics department follows the Curriculum and Standards for School Mathematics of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Frameworks of the State of South Carolina for Mathematics Education. These standards contain an instructional plan for curriculum and evaluation for students. They specifically address what students need to know, how students are to achieve these goals, and what teachers are to do to help students develop their mathematical knowledge. The standards are articulated for evaluating both student performance and curricular programs, with an emphasis on the role of evaluative measures in gathering information upon which teachers can base subsequent instruction. These standards also acknowledge the value of gathering information about student growth and achievement.
The goal of the Science Department is to prepare students to critically evaluate scientific ideas and analytically engage complex, interdependent problems. In our highly technological world where environmental and economic problems abound, these skills are critical for all students.
A solid science education is essential for all students because the problems facing the community of life will not be solved by scientists working in isolation. Solutions to these problems will require the ability to create, inspire, question, lead and critique. These are skills that our emerging artists embody and the science department has a responsibility to ensure that our students understand their potential place in this vital relationship between the arts, humanities and science.
Social Studies and History
Social studies is the integrated study of human experience for the purpose of promoting active participation in a diverse, interconnected world. The goal of the social studies program at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities is to meet the needs of a diverse student population in the context of educating students to be effective citizens.
Course offerings are designed to allow students to meet the requirements for a South Carolina high school diploma, while elective courses have been created to offer students the opportunity to explore more specialized interests. The Social Studies Department embraces the South Carolina Social Studies Academic Standards, including the Social Studies Literacy Skills for the Twenty-First Century.
The Social Studies Department emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach between and among the social studies disciplines, literature, philosophy, science, and the arts. Students are encouraged to take an active role in their learning by participating in class discussion and group activities to develop the thinking skills essential for success in today's increasingly complex and diverse world.
The World Languages program at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities provides students with the opportunity to learn to communicate in Spanish, French and German. The emphasis in these classes is on language proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Instruction is therefore conducted, whenever possible, in the target language. The program also encourages learners to make connections with other disciplines and to appreciate the artistic, and literary contributions of the target cultures. Students develop insights into their own language and culture and therefore increase their understanding of the global community. Language goals are based on standard practices found in The South Carolina Foreign Languages Framework and ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, as well as textbook and authentic supplementary materials. Methodology used in language classes is designed to accommodate differences in learning styles and include dialogues, interviews, presentations, readings, or cultural events, to name just a few learning strategies.