The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst. It is inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 20th century. Educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey influenced Parkhurst while she created the Dalton Plan. Their aim was to achieve a balance between a child's talent and the needs of the community.
Characteristics
Parkhurst's specific objectives were as follows: To tailor each student's program to his or her needs, interests and abilities. To promote each student's independence and dependability. To enhance the student's social skills. To increase their sense of responsibility toward others. Influenced at least in part by the teachings of Judo after conversations with the founder of Kodokan Judo, Dr Jigoro Kano. Ref page 72 and 86
She developed a three-part plan that continues to be the structural foundation of a Dalton education: The House, a social community of students. The Assignment, a monthly goal which students contract to complete. The Laboratory, a subject-based classroom intended to be the center of the educational experience. The laboratory involves students from fourth grade through the end of secondary education.
Students move between subject "laboratories" (classrooms) and explore themes at their own pace.
Introduction in UK In 1920, an article describing the working of the Dalton Plan in detail was published in the Times' Educational Supplement. Parkhurst "has given to the secondary school the leisure and culture of the University student; she has uncongested the curriculum; she has abolished the teacher's nightly preparation of classes and the child's nightmare of homework. At the same time the children under her regime cover automatically all the ground prescribed for examinations 'of matriculation standard,' and examination failures among them are nil."May 27, 1920, article in the Times' Educational Supplement
The Dalton Plan is a method of education by which pupils work at their own pace, and receive individual help from the teacher when necessary. There is no formal class instruction. Students draw up time-tables and are responsible for finishing the work on their syllabuses or assignments. Students are also encouraged to help each other with their work. The underlying aim of the Dalton Plan is to achieve the highest mental, moral, physical and spiritual development of the pupil.
In the spring of 1921, English headmistress Rosa Bassett went to the Children's University School and stayed with Parkhurst. They spent hours talking about education. Parkhurst found Bassett in complete agreement with her ideas: "She was Dalton," Parkhurst wrote 50 years later. She described Bassett and Belle Rennie as the two people in England who were most enthusiastic and most helpful about the introduction of the Dalton Plan. Rosa Bassett was instrumental in the first application of the Dalton Plan of teaching within an English secondary school. She contributed a chapter to Parkhurst's book on the Plan,
Schools
List of schools
Australia Ascham School, Sydney, 1922 Methodist Ladies' College, Perth, 1921 (ceased in 1945)
Austria Europaschule, Wien HTBL Lastenstraße, Klagenfurt Internationale Daltonschule mit IT-Schwerpunkt Wels de La Tour Schule Deutschlandsberg
Belgium Basisschool De Kleine Icarus, Gent Basisschool De Lotus, Gent Basisschool Dalton 1 Hasselt Basisschool Dalton 2 Hasselt GO!Dalton Gent,Gent, http://www.dalton.gent
China Shanghai East Century School, Shanghai Little Dalton Kindergarten, Hong Kong Dalton School Hong Kong, Hong Kong Wenzhou Dalton Elementary School, Wenzhou
Czech Republic ZŠ a MŠ Chalabalova, Brno ZŠ a MŠ Husova, Brno ZŠ a MŠ Křídlovick, Brno ZŠ a MŠ Mutĕnická, Brno ZŠ Rájec-Jestřebí Gymnázium Slovanské námĕstí, Brno ZŠ Benešova Třebíč Základní škola, Brno Základní škola Brno, Brno
Germany Angell Akademie, Freiburg Gymnasium Alsdorf, Alsdorf Grundschule Unstruttal, Ammern, near Mühlhausen Marie-Kahle-Gesamtschule Bonn, Bonn Albrecht-Dürer-Gymnasium Berlin, Berlin Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium, Dinslaken Schillerschule, Erfurt Gymnasium Essen-Überruhr, Essen Internationale Gesamtschule Heidelberg, Heidelberg Gymnasium Lage, LageGymnasium Lage, Website Gymnasium Vegesack, Bremen Gymnasium Bondenwald, Hamburg
India Global School, Rahuri. MH
Japan In Japan, Admiral Osami Nagano introduced a progressive educational method such as the Dalton plan to the Japanese Naval Academy School and influenced it. Dalton Tokyo, Tokyo Dalton Nagoya, Nagoya
Korea Cheongna Dalton School, Cheongna
Netherlands Basisschool de Bakelgeert, Boxmeer Brederode Daltonschool, Santpoort Zuid Casimirschool, Gouda Dalton basisschool de Twijn, Utrecht Dalton basisschool Rijnsweerd, Utrecht Dalton Den Haag, The Hague (Den Haag) Dalton mavo, Naaldwijk Het Tangram, Rotterdam Daltonexpertisecentrum, Instituut Theo Thijssen, Hogeschool, Utrecht Daltonschool De Klipper, Berkel en Rodenrijs Daltonschool Hengelo Zuid, Hengelo Dalton Lyceum Barendrecht, Barendrecht De Achtbaan, Amersfoort De Klinker, Schiedam De Poolster, Amsterdam De Zevenster, Enschede 2de Daltonschool, Amsterdam 3de Daltonschool, Amsterdam Erasmus College, Zoetermeer Het Cheider, Amsterdam Helen Parkhurst College, Almere Hogeland College, Dalton vmbo, Warffum Kardinaal Alfrinkschool (voor Daltononderwijs), Wageningen Katholieke Daltonschool De Leeuwerik, Leiderdorp Koningin Wilhelmina School Overveen Markenhage, Breda Maurick College. Vught Saxion Hogeschool, Deventer Schooladviescentrum, Utrecht Stedelijk Daltoncollege, Zutphen Stedelijk Dalton College, Alkmaar Stedelijk Dalton Lyceum, Dordrecht Spinoza Lyceum, Amsterdam Spinoza 20first, Amsterdam obs Theo Thijssen, Assen obs Kloosterveen, Assen Tweemaster-Kameleon, Oost-Souburg De Vijfster, Capelle aan den IJssel Wenke Dalton Consultancy, Meppel Dalton College, Voorburg De Waterval, Ermelo Jeanne d'Arc, 't Harde De Juliana Daltonschool, Bussum Wolfert Dalton, Rotterdam Daltonschool De Margriet, Rotterdam Wolfert Lyceum, Bergschenhoek Daltonschool Klaverweide, Noordwijk Daltonschool Maarssen, Maarssen obs Het Klokhuis, Duiven Ronerborg, Roden KBS Eloy, Ugchelen Chr. Daltonschool Koningin Emma, Zwolle Haarlemmermeer lyceum Zuidrand, Hoofddorp De Tweemaster, Hoorn Basisschool De Ley, Leiden De Westerkim, Zaandam
Poland Academy International, Warsaw
Russia Dalton School 1080, Moscow
United Kingdom Bedales School, Hampshire Bryanston School, Blandford, Dorset Millington Primary School, Portadown St Trinnean's School, Edinburgh (which inspired the fictional St Trinian's) York Way Girls' School in King's Cross
United States Dalton School, New York City
See also Dalton International J. G. Jeffreys, who introduced the Plan at Bryanston School, in England.
References
External links Dalton School homepage Open Source adoption