The High School The Dalton Plan in practice, Grades 9 through 12
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he Dalton High School is devoted to educating the individual in independent thought and ethical action. By stressing integrity as well as academic achievement, a Dalton education encourages personal resourcefulness, intellectual rigor, and social responsibility. The goals of the school in the twenty-first century are consistent with the Dalton Plan and philosophy of Helen Parkhurst, who wanted educated students to be “industrious, sincere, openminded, and independent.” In addition, two values articulated by Helen Parkhurst inform the instructional methodology: “freedom,” the right of students to develop at their own rate; and “cooperation,” a recognition that to progress, all members of any
community of learners must interact and share. To achieve these values, the Dalton High School, like the other divisions, utilizes the three components of the Dalton Plan: the House, the Assignment, and the Lab. The High School curriculum is an extension of Dalton’s values. Students are offered the freedom to choose topics in the Assignment that attend to their individual interests and needs while ensuring knowledge across a broad spectrum of the humanities, the sciences, and the arts. As a High School student progresses through the program, there are choices to be made within each course of study via the Assignment and throughout the elective program. Appropriate to the age and development of students, these choices increase
as a student advances from ninth grade to twelfth grade. Dalton students are diverse in their interests and backgrounds. Each component of the Dalton Plan, the House, the Assignment, and the Lab, is designed to give students in the High School increased command over their own education. The House in the High School comprises students from all four grades. It meets on a daily basis, providing students with a small community within the whole where they encounter opportunities for support, growth, and relaxation. House provides a forum for discussion of a range of ethical issues that affect the lives of High School students. House Advisors
