Burke is a small, urban, diverse, and challenging coed day school for 300 students in grades 6 through 12. The college preparatory curriculum offers a full range of courses. At Burke our team of energetic teachers and advisors collaborate to build a challenging and engaging academic program that meets the needs and taps the powers of our diverse community of adolescents. Our program stands on the belief that students learn best when they gain respect as individuals within a diverse and caring community, one that celebrates the talents and addresses the needs of each member.
Middle School
The small size and friendly cooperative spirit of the middle school help to make our students, who are different from one another in many ways, all feel a sense of belonging and know that they can take intellectual risks as they meet the demands of our program. Every day in the classroom, in the hallways, on trips or at play, in formal conference or friendly conversation—indeed, as part of our mission—teachers work together to advance the growth of each student. All academic departments offer middle school courses that introduce challenging and meaningful subjects, build skills and foster curiosity and passion, all the while preserving a playful, supportive environment in which each student can thrive. High School
Burke’s high school academic programs prepare college-bound students with three of the most crucial skills they will need as successful, lifelong learners: the ability to analyze and synthesize demanding material in a range of disciplines, the confidence to ask challenging, essential questions in the effort to understand and assess information, and the desire to make strong, personal connections between what they have learned in the classroom and the world around them. The Academic program is enhanced with courses not found in other schools: the Ninth Grade Community Transitions course, helping ninth graders adjust to the new challenges of high school, the three year Leadership Program, and the vibrant Service Learning program, which offers students guided opportunities to make a positive difference and learn through active service. In the high school, the Service Learning program taps student interest in technology to educate and support worldwide service initiatives. Student Services
The School’s student to faculty ration is 7 to 1, and 66% of Burke’s teaching faculty holds graduate degrees. Creating lasting and supportive relationships between faculty and students is a key to academic success and the Burke Advisory Program, an important part of student life, consciously develops these relationships. The school also supports students and their families with an experienced and qualified support team consisting of a college counselor, school counselor, learning specialists, librarian, and administrative staff.
Burke’s unique combination of challenge, freedom and support creates an energized community that is simultaneously vital and safe. Since its founding, Burke remains committed to an education that requires the student to be an active participant, developing a personal work ethic, nurturing an inquisitive mind, and becoming passionately involved. A Burke education cultivates the breadth of student possibilities and engenders a sense of responsibility to the greater communities, large and small, in which we live.  | 
