The Dalton School: Encyclopedia II - The Dalton School - The Dalton Plan

The Dalton School - The Dalton Plan

Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the century, educational thinkers, such as John Dewey, began to envision a new, progressive, American approach to education. Helen Parkhurst caught the spirit of change and created the Dalton Plan. Aiming to achieve a balance between each child's talents and the needs of the growing American community, Helen Parkhurst created an educational model that captured the progressive spirit of the age. Specifically, she had these objectives: to tailor each student's program to his or her needs, interests, and abilities; to promote both independence and dependability; and to enhance the student's social skills and sense of responsibility toward others. Parkhurst developed a three-part plan that continues to be the structural foundation of a Dalton education: House, Assignment, and Lab.

Today, Dalton continues to use a heavily modified Dalton Plan that contains some of the basic ideas of the original Plan but has been heavily changed to satisfy a modern and very different school. The general philosophy, but not any of the specifics of the Plan are still used. As a result, while some areas of the Dalton education continue to fulfill the progressive education ideals of Parkhurst, others merely pay lip service to them. For example, while students are able to meet with their teachers in a one-on-one environment (the Lab), not every course follows the ideals set forth by the Assignment.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Dalton Plan", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki