9th and 10th Grade Core Curriculum
The 9th and 10th curriculums in the Upper School (US) are grounded in a belief that it’s important to build foundational knowledge, student behaviors, and habits of mind before students move into our elective program in 11th and 12th grade.
Not only does this foundation provide them with opportunities to discover interests and capacities, but it also ensures that no matter what direction they go with their education at D-E and beyond, they have the requisite skills and masteries to thrive.
One thing that differentiates D-E from other programs is our integrated Math and Science programs in the lower grades. This program demonstrates for students that disciplines are not distinct from one another but instead, are woven together in practice and philosophy. This approach not only helps students practice with integrated models of learning, but also sets them to see other areas as interrelated; art and math, perhaps, or literature and world language.
As a D-E Upper School student, you can… Build an Upper School experience that’s truly your own — starting with a strong academic foundation and growing into real choice, depth, and independence.
Foundational Knowledge
- Students build a strong, foundational academic base in their first two years. They learn how to think critically, communicate effectively, and problem-solve. This foundation ensures that every student enters the upper grades ready to take on advanced coursework with the skills and confidence.
Math & Science
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Most high schools divide math into isolated courses. Our Integrated Math & Modeling sequence blends Algebra, Geometry, and other topics rather than teaching each as a completely separate subject. The course is problem-based and student-centered—students learn through problem sets and discussions with their peers.
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The Integrated Biology & Chemistry course brings the two sciences together and demonstrates how they interconnect.
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Students develop connections across topics and disciplines, not just mastery of isolated units. They work together collaboratively, discuss strategies, and practice articulating their reasoning. They become more confident tackling unfamiliar problems because they have built the foundation to be good mathematicians.
Human-Development Courses
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Students take Global Literacy in 9th grade and Positive Psychology in 10th grade
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Global Literacy allows students to engage in an exploration of themselves, their identities, and their communities. Students learn how to talk across differences and engage thoughtfully with others.
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Positive Psychology helps students understand their own brains and emotions and empowers them with strategies and tools to support their own mental health.
Discussion-Based Learning
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One of the most distinctive aspects of D-E’s Upper School is the commitment to discussion-based classrooms. Across all departments, students sit around tables, Harkness-style, and engage in dialogue, not lecture. They practice listening closely, building on peers’ ideas, learning how to disagree with others. They learn to question, challenge, or refine their own thinking. Students understand that their voice and perspective matter, making them more confident communicators.
Explore life beyond the classroom — balancing rigorous academics with athletics, arts, leadership, and service.
Daniela Hochstadt ’28
For science in the 9th & 10th grade, there is the Integrated Biology program. I have loved this program and have learned so much… [it] has unique, interesting topics, but also applies science to today. For example, my science class just had a unit on biotechnology, which I think is so cool!”
Prisha Vora ’27
“In 9th and 10th grade, we take a set of foundational classes that really help build our critical thinking and analytical skills. These courses are designed to give us a broad understanding across subjects and prepare us for more abstract and independent work later on.”
Max Koppelman ’26
“One of my favorite classes at D-E has been the Spanish Pedagogy class that I authored and proposed to the language department as part of a student-as-teacher program I sought to implement. Additionally, I loved Honors Physics, which was my first exposure to what has now become my favorite topic in science.”
Learn in a community built on collaboration — where strong relationships with teachers, advisors, and peers ensure every student is supported, challenged, and known.
11th and 12th Grade Elective Curriculum
Our elective curriculum in the US gives students the opportunity to dabble in a variety of topics, disciplines, and practices as they emerge from a more standardized curriculum in 9th and 10th grade.
This creates a dynamic school environment because no two students have the same exact schedule and it also gives students a chance to learn about new topics or new perspectives in a familiar discipline. For example, a student may decide to take a Creative Writing course and discover a love of and talent for writing that hadn’t been revealed yet. Or, a student could take an Environmental Science course that spurs them to learn more about climate change that may lead them down a professional path they couldn’t have anticipated.
Exploration and self discovery are encouraged. Instead of being locked into a one-size-fits-all curriculum or a fixed academic track, students have the freedom to design their own learning paths. That flexibility builds ownership and agency—they make the decisions, they follow their curiosity, and they feel more invested in what they’re learning. Students feel deeply engaged and connected to their coursework.
The goal of the program is to give students agency over their learning while also ensuring that our graduates have a well-rounded and actionable education as they move into the world.
Joseph Lee ’28
“What separates D-E from other schools is that above everything else, we really value discussion-based learning. For me, this idea of discussion-based learning has been the most impactful in my French class… whether we are reading a French book in class, listening to French song, or conjugating verbs, everything in class ties back to discussion.”
Cameron Gennardo ’26
“Once you hit junior and senior year, the doors fly open with the opportunities to take electives and other courses that fit your interests as well as trying something new. Some of my (own) favorite classes are Photography, Honors Chemical Harmony, Peer Mentoring, AP Psychology, and Honors Calculus. In Photography it was super fun getting to use the dark room and learning how to develop our own film. The teachers create an environment where students feel like they can easily engage and connect with them.”
Hayley Fuld ’26
“Teachers are super accessible at D-E. Most either post meeting times online or host office hours to ensure all their students are on the same page. I especially love the English electives offered for juniors [and seniors]. For the first time, I was able to focus on one area of literature. Gothic Lit., with Ms. Christian, was my favorite!”
Prepare to ‘meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better’!
Developing 'Whole-Souled Citizens'
Our entire program in the US is grounded in our mission statement—to meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better.
What this looks like in the classroom will differ from department to department and year to year. One consistency, however, is that in our classrooms students are learning how to advocate for themselves, collaborate with others, take thoughtful risks, and communicate effectively.
In the process of building these durable skills, students build community and in doing so, a sense of themselves as well as a sense of belonging. In any space where teachers prioritize student voice and choice, innovation and discovery will be present—whether this is in a Math class where students are collaborating on a difficult problem or a History class in which students are presenting on the historical moments that shape and define our current lives.
D-E alumni from the classes of 2021-2025 gathered in Hajjar Auditorium for a panel discussion to share how the School has impacted their lives in college and beyond. Here are some highlights that tie into the curriculum and reveal other important attributes that set D-E apart:
Reflections From Young D-E Alumni
Ally Abramson ’23, a junior at New York University
Skills for Success
“This school sets you up so incredibly well with such an amazing skillset to go in and be at the top of your classes… not only your leadership skills and your ability to go find help when it’s necessary, but you also have the hard skillset of writing, math, anything under the sun that you need to go out and really excel in college in a way that a lot of your peers when you get to college, don’t.”
Catalina Mahe ’22, a senior at Yale University
Teachers Who Help You Grow
“I think the teachers I’ve had at Dwight-Englewood are the best teachers I have had ever. And after four years of Yale, I actually found myself missing the teachers that I have here because… the teachers here are just so personally invested in all of their students. And I grew so much throughout my time here because of how much they cared… It’s an experience that I haven’t found replicated anywhere else.”
Kristen DeRoche ’24, who attends Berklee College of Music
Feeling Seen
“I really learned to understand the value of collaboration and deadlines and getting things done… I would say that kind of leadership and especially the confidence… coming to D-E really changed that for me. I think I wrote about it at some point… how impactful it was for me that the faculty saw me, and I carried that with me, and now, as I take on more leadership positions, I’m trying to pay it forward as much as possible.”
Asher Cohen ’25, a freshman at Columbia University
Opportunities to Take Initiative
“All clubs and activities in the high school were all led by students and designed by students… And so that experience, through a variety of things such as Spectrum, our school newspaper, tour guides, our political discussion club—a few of the things that I was involved in… I think it makes it pretty easy for students to feel a sense of initiative after their time at D-E, especially when they’re exposed to a lot of opportunities when they’re here, through service learning, community service as well.”
Julien Ishigahara Charupakorn ’24, a professional ballet dancer
The Focus Honors Program
“In my senior year, I took a class called Focus, which is a senior-year, yearlong course, and you can research on any topic you want. I remember I was struggling because I wanted to do it on every single thing I was interested in, and I was primarily interested in mathematics, but also ballet and dance. And so I told myself, why do I have to choose ‘either-or,’ why can’t there be an ‘and.’ My research paper ended up being about the mathematics of ballet, and that open-mindedness carried on to college because I also wrote a continuation paper of that in college. This gave me the courage to explore and take classes that I never would have thought I would take in college.”
Jibrael Harrell ’21, a graduate of UMass Amherst
Tapping Your Community
“A big thing for me is networking. And New York City is the hub for all of that. [There are] a lot of benefits of networking here at D-E too… because those students you’re going to class with, in the future they’re going to be the leaders of the business industry, of the sciences, of the arts, and everything beyond that. And so you want to maximize those relationships.”