How do you prepare students to engage the world with purpose?

Dalton’s founder, Helen Parkhurst, posed this enduring question as she designed the Dalton Plan — an educational model in which students experience school as a microcosm of the larger world. The Plan empowers students to realize their full potential while developing confidence, integrity, and a sense of social responsibility to engage meaningfully beyond the classroom.

The why was simple yet profound — to honor the unique needs, interests, and abilities of every child while instilling independence and social responsibility.

The how was transformative — a triangular framework of House, Assignment, and Lab designed to empower students to take charge of their learning journeys and collaborate meaningfully within a larger community. 

Over a century later, Dalton thrives as a vibrant community of 1,300+ students and remains steadfast in its commitment to Parkhurst’s groundbreaking philosophy. Supported by well-resourced facilities and accomplished faculty and staff, the school transforms young learners into confident, innovative, and compassionate citizens poised to navigate an increasingly complex world.
    • Voice: Kevin Slick, High School History Teacher & Faculty Advisor to the Helen Parkhurst Institute

Helen Parkhurst, "Education on the Dalton Plan," 1922

Freedom is therefore the first principle of the Dalton Laboratory Plan…the pupil must be made free to continue his work upon any subject in which he is absorbed without interruption, because when interested he is mentally keener, more alert, and more capable of mastering any difficulty that may arise in the course of his study.

The Dalton Plan

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  • House

    House serves as a home base where students discover their community and develop a sense of belonging. House is structured time that is part of each day.

    In First Program and Middle School, House is grouped by grade, fostering connections and shared experiences across grade-level peers.

    In High School, Houses are grouped with students across 9th through 12th grades, creating a small supportive network within the larger Dalton community.

    House Advisors (or homeroom teachers) guide students through every step of their academic, emotional, and social journey and serve as the main point of contact for families.

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  • Assignment

    Assignment goes far beyond the parameters of daily classwork or long-term projects. Assignments represent a partnership between student and teacher designed to inspire growth, curiosity, and independence. They help students refine executive functioning skills, like time management and organizational skills, while encouraging students to explore their interests, craft creative projects, and develop foundational skills within the structure of the common curricular framework of an Assignment.

    The Assignment is introduced in the First Program and increases in scope and complexity through Middle and High School.

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  • Lab

    Lab is integral to the educational culture of The Dalton School — it is more than traditional “office hours." Lab time is built into every student's daily schedule for one-to-one and small group sessions between students and teachers.

    Labs nurture student agency and can entail discussing Assignments, delving into questions sparked in class, working through challenges, or further exploring topics of personal interest – turning learning into a dynamic, self-directed experience.

Learn More About Each Division

Grades K-3

53 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128

Grade 4 & PE Center

200 East 87th Street, New York, NY 10128

Grades 5-12

108 East 89th Street, New York, NY 10128

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