Academics

Technology

Used appropriately, academic technology in the classroom advances learning objectives and helps students to learn crucial skills and content while limiting distractions. Faculty employ classroom technology when it adds value to the learning experience.

List of 4 items.

  • Phone-Free School

    Middle School
    Students store phones, smart watches, and similar devices in the Head of Middle School's office for the duration of the school day.

    High School
    Students store and lock phones in Yondr pouches as part of the morning arrival process. They have the option to unlock the pouches when leaving campus or after 3:20 PM.

  • Laptop Limits

    6th-9th Grade
    Students can only work from school-managed iPads while on campus and cannot bring their own tablets or laptops.

    10th-12th Grade
    Students can only connect a device to the school's wifi network with support from the Tech Department.

    *as of school year 2025-26

  • iPad Program

    The School provides all students with an iPad, power adapter, and case at no cost to families. Students are expected to have their iPad with them every day and in every class, as required by teachers. 

    The primary goal of the iPad program is to increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning for every student in the school equitably.

  • Tech-Free Starts

    At the beginning of each class, the default is that devices and headphones / earbuds should be closed and / or put away. Throughout class, students may only use technology when explicitly allowed, and faculty may impose requirements or restrictions on the use of classroom technology.

List of 2 items.

  • AI - Competencies

    • Effective use: using AI to advance learning and to meet learning objectives, generating prompts and interacting with the AI in order to produce high quality results, being aware of the available AI tools and their capabilities
    • Critical use: evaluating the value and accuracy of the content created by AI, checking the validity of sources cited by AI, judging the appropriate applications of the tool, picking the best AI tool for the context
    • Ethical use: following user licenses and terms of use agreements, following school and teacher policies, not sharing private or confidential information about one’s self or others with AI tools, awareness of the societal, economic, and political contexts of artificial intelligence
    • Responsible use: self-regulating one’s use of AI, taking responsibility for one’s choices and their impact on one’ self and others

  • AI - Guiding Principles

    • We are committed to using AI effectively, critically, ethically, and responsibly. 
    • It is our responsibility to train teachers and students to be competent in the use of AI (see below for our Artificial Intelligence Competencies).
    • The primary use of AI at Burke is to advance learning objectives. AI should never be used as a substitute for learning crucial skills and content.
    • We will be transparent about our use of AI and clearly communicate our beliefs, expectations, and policies. Through this transparency and communication, we will center and cultivate trust between students and teachers. 
    • Individual teachers will have the discretion and responsibility to communicate clearly their expectations and policies, in alignment with these guiding principles.
    • When students and teachers use AI, they will cite and credit the AI, in some cases capturing and sharing the logs of their interactions with the AI. 
    • Students who do not follow the applicable policies and/or do not cite AI appropriately may face disciplinary action for violation of Burke’s Academic Integrity Policy.
    • We will review and update our beliefs, expectations, and policies in an ongoing and inclusive fashion.
Computer Science 2025-26:

3D Game Development
Build Your Own Computer
Independent Project
Intro to Computer Science*
Python Projects
Robotics
Web Development

* graduation requirement
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