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Academics (1)
Academics
Curriculum
Edmund Burke School offers an ambitious, college preparatory program, with ample space for exploration and individualization.
"We support the growth and development of our students’ skills, interests and abilities in a responsive teaching environment that fosters autonomy, curiosity, creativity, experimentation, discovery and collaboration."
- Burke's Educational Philosophy
- Burke's Educational Philosophy
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Humanities Spotlight - June 2025
Inspecting the InsectsRead More"When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin," reads the opening line of Franz Kafka's 1915 seminal novella The Metamorphosis. The protagonist's exact form remains ambiguous, especially when translated from the original German, so 10th graders Nathan's Modern World Literature class headed to the O. Orkin Insect Zoo at the Museum of Natural History to explore the possibilities. -
Science Spotlight - June 2025
First Responder Field TripRead More7th graders in Life Science recently combined their study of anatomy and physiology with an exploration of First Aid and CPR. To practice those skills in a real world context, they headed up the street to DCFD Station 31 and met with the firefighters. As a bonus, they came back with some stylish helmets! -
Bioethics and Beyond
High school students in Morgan's Bioethics class have welcomed incredible guest speakers this trimester, including:Read More -
Class Spotlight - HS History & Social Science
Memorial ConsiderationRead More10th graders in Curtis' Modern World History class headed to the World War I Memorial on April 1. He shared, "after learning about World War I in class, we analyzed the memorial using three big questions: 1) What story is the memorial telling? 2) What story is it not telling? and 3) What story should it tell?" -
Ready to Roll in Robotics
Read More"Conceived in 2016 as a graduate class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology," the Duckietown ecosystem was "originally designed to provide an answer to the question: what is the least hardware we need for deploying single- and multi-robot advanced autonomy solutions?" -
Class Spotlight - HS History & Science
Yes, They RuleRead More
In Constitutional Law, 11th and 12th graders have been researching cases currently before (or recently decided by) the US Supreme Court. In a series of gallery walk-style presentations last week, students discussed their predictions on how the court will rule and how they think the court should rule.
Pictured: Perttu v. Richards (Lillie E. '26), Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission (Ethan F. '26), and Glossip v. Oklahoma (Chaeyoon M. '26). -
Class Spotlight - February 2025
Read MoreIf you haven't recently, stroll up the Hobbes stairs, through the 2nds floor Commons, and around the 1st floor of Calvin and peruse works from Advanced Ceramics, Art Explorations 6, Ceramics 9/10, Digital Art 7, Digital Media 9/10, and Drawing 9/10, among others.Pictured (clockwise from top left): works by Ashli J. '26, Margot G. '27, Elsa H. '27, Noelle T. '25, and Henry S. '30. -
Trials & Manners
Gothic TrialsRead More
While reading Frankenstein, 9th graders in Nate D.'s class held a mock trial to determine responsibility for the death of William Frankenstein. Nate reports, "Victor Frankenstein and the Creature were charged with the crime, and students were cast as attorneys, clients, and judges. Evidence from Mary Shelley's text was crucial in building a case. Attorneys delivered opening and closing statements in the trial, while each client answered questions in direct and cross examination. Judges presided over the trial and issued a final verdict at the end. All had a chance to practice public speaking, and they even dressed up for the occasion." -
Music and Movements
8th grade:Read More
The grade's leadership group reached out to Matthew Whittaker '04, inviting him to speak with the full grade in advance of their week-long trip to Alabama next month. Matthew talked about his favorite musicians and how music of the 1950s and 1960s played a role in the Civil Rights Movement in America.
List of 7 items.
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Civic Engagement
Every year, Burke students experience an integrated civics, equity, and leadership curriculum, grounded in social justice pedagogy. Learn more. -
Computer Science Program
Explore Burke CS - Mastery Learning ProgramStudents in the program progress through three levels of proficiency in five domains adapted from the Computer Science Teachers Association. The domains are:
1. Ethics of Computing: how Computing affects individuals, communities, and the world; the social implications and issues of equality, justice, and access.
2. Algorithms and Programming: creating instructions, sequences, procedures, loops, modules, variables, and controls to power computing devices.
3. Data and Analysis: effectively collecting, organizing, storing, analyzing, and utilizing data.
4. Networks and the Internet: communications, connectivity, and security between devices.
5. Computing Systems: physical components (hardware) and instructions (software) that power them.
> Browse elective courses and sample student projects. -
Field Trips
Located one block from the Metro and within walking distance to Rock Creek Park, the Smithsonian National Zoo, and numerous embassies, Burke is an optimal starting place for exploration. All students have a double period from 11:10 AM to 12:40 PM (followed by lunch), enabling faculty to include travel into their curriculum.
Just a few examples include:- 12th grade Art History visits a different museum or gallery each month, from the National Gallery to Dumbarton Oaks to the Phillips Collection.
- 11th grade US History connects curriculum to exhibits at the Capital Jewish Museum, Japanese American Memorial, National Museum of African American History & Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, and the Portrait Gallery.
- 9th grade Earth Systems Science spends nearly every double period in Rock Creek Park, including conducting a biodiversity index.
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Independent Study
In the High School, the Independent Study option enables students to pursue interests and explore personal passions, with support from a faculty member. Students frequently pursue independent studies in computer science, as well as specific areas of interest in the humanities, sciences, and arts.
The Independent Study in PE (ISPE) option allows students to earn credit for sports pursued outside of school. Learn more. -
Learning Support
Our Learning Support Department assists students in meeting the demands of Burke's challenging academic program. Full-time learning specialists provide support with organization, note and test-taking strategy, and self-advocacy. Learn more. -
Senior Projects
The Senior Project gives 12th grade students an opportunity to pursue interests and passions beyond the classroom and allows them to contribute to local communities and workplaces.
Learn more:
> https://www.burkeschool.org/academics/curriculum/senior-projects -
Teaching Assistants
High School students who are capable of independent work in a subject can also serve as Teaching Assistants at Burke: assisting the teacher, working with students during in-class exercises, or teaching short lessons. Other responsibilities might include peer tutoring or helping to organize field trips.
Field Trips & Travel - 2024-25
Co-ed, progressive, college prep school in Washington, DC featuring a challenging curriculum in an inclusive environment for grades 6-12.
4101 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20008 | Phone: 202-362-8882 | Fax: 202-362-1914