The Dalton School, originally called the Children's University School, was founded by Helen Parkhurst in 1919. Parkhurst's "Dalton Plan", to which the school still adheres, reflected the progressive education movement that had begun in the late 19th century.[4]
After experimentation in her own one-room school with Maria Montessori, Helen Parkhurst visited other progressive schools in Europe including Bedales School and its founder and headmaster John Haden Badley in England. She developed what she termed the Dalton Plan, which called for teachers and students to work together toward individualized goals. The Laboratory Plan was first put into effect as an experiment in the high school of Dalton, Massachusetts, in 1916. The estate of her benefactor Josephine Porter Boardman, was also near the town of Dalton and from this beginning the Laboratory Plan and school eventually took their names.[5]: 15f [6]
In 1919, Helen Parkhurst relocated to New York City, where she opened her first school on West 74th Street. Larger facilities soon became necessary; the Lower School was moved to West 72nd Street, and the High School opened in the autumn of 1929 in the current building at 108 East 89th Street. Eleanor Roosevelt admired the work of Helen Parkhurst and played an important role in expanding the population and resources of the school by promoting a merger between the Todhunter School for girls (founded by Winifred Todhunter) and Dalton in 1939.[6]
Enlarged and modified through the years, Dalton still celebrates many traditions like lighting candles before winter break and holding a Greek Festival. Academically, the school still subscribes to the Dalton Plan, which Parkhurst helped to create. Over the years, the Dalton Plan has been adopted by schools around the world, including schools in Australia,[7]Austria,[8]Belgium,[9]Chile, the Czech Republic,[10]Hong Kong,[11]Japan,[12] and the Netherlands.[13]
Admission
Admission to Dalton was according to the following criteria. For kindergarten to third grade, admission is based on school records, ERB testing, and interview.[citation needed] For grades 4–12, admission is based on school records, writing samples, an interview, and standardized testing (e.g., the Independent School Entrance Examination and the Secondary School Admission Test).[citation needed] Candidates receive notification of acceptance, rejection, or wait list in February.[citation needed] As of early 2013, the overall acceptance rate for grades K–12 at Dalton was reported by Peterson's to be 14%.[14]
Parental anxiety created by the highly competitive admission process was the subject of press coverage from 1999 to 2001.[15][16][17]
Long seen as a bastion of privilege, Dalton's efforts to broaden its mandate for diversity have met with some difficulty. In 2010, a financial aid budget of $6.5 million supported an outreach program for socio-economic diversity at the school.[18][19] As of 2008 students of color made up 38% of the Dalton First Program.[citation needed] In the 2008–2009 school year, the kindergarten was composed of 44% children of color.[20][citation needed][needs update] Articles in The New York Times and The Atlantic have described difficulties experienced by some African-American children at the school.[21][22]
American Promise was a PBS documentary that followed two African American students who enrolled at Dalton as kindergartners and the challenges they faced due to Dalton's lack of diversity.[23][24] In 2020, Dalton found itself in controversy during the broader diversity, equity, and inclusion movement that followed the murder of George Floyd. The discussions continued into the following school year and resulted in the departure of school head Jim Best.[1][25][26][27]
