Our Advantage & Overview
Duke School is an independent Preschool (three-year-olds) through Eighth grade project-based school.
At Duke School, learning begins with curiosity. For more than 75 years, we’ve inspired students to ask questions, seek understanding, and find joy in discovery.
As the region’s leading progressive, project-based school, we nurture independent thinkers and compassionate collaborators—students who engage deeply with ideas and with one another. Our graduates leave ready to lead, grounded in both academic mastery and a strong sense of self, community, and purpose.
Our Program
Our curriculum has two important aspects that provide for student learning needs.
- Systematic Instruction: Teachers plan activities to help children acquire skills and strategies
- Integrated Project Work: Students conduct in-depth investigations of important topics and apply skills and strategies to solve real-world problems
Duke School has competency benchmarks at each grade level in all curricular areas. Our benchmarks serve as a guide rather than the driving force of our curriculum. Teachers set goals based on on-going formal and informal assessments of each child.
What is Project Work?
A project is an in-depth investigation, worthy of student time, attention, and energy." As defined by Drs. Lilian Katz and Sylvia Chard