Progressive Education
Progressive education is a student-centered approach that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a deep love of learning. Rooted in the belief that children learn best through experience, collaboration, and meaningful connection, progressive education emphasizes the whole child—intellectually, socially, and emotionally. In our classrooms, you’ll see hands-on projects, thoughtful discussion, and real-world problem solving, all designed to cultivate engaged, capable, and compassionate humans.
The History of Progressive Education
Progressive education developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as an alternative to the rigid, authoritarian uniformity that characterized many schools at that time. At its forefront was John Dewey, whose ideas on experiential learning, problem-solving, and educating the “whole child” helped define the movement. This shift reflected its era, an age of extraordinary invention and creativity, one that also gave us artists like Picasso, composers like Stravinsky, and pioneering educators such as Maria Montessori and Francis Parker.
Research shows...
Progressive education is grounded in the belief that students learn best when they are seen, heard, and actively engaged.
“When students feel safe to take learning risks and make mistakes, when their cultural identity is affirmed in the classroom, and when they are able to effectively collaborate with others in the learning process, they are better equipped to learn academic content more deeply.”
Learning Policy Institute, 2021
What Does Progressive Education Look Like Here?
Our educational approach teaches children how to ask questions, solve problems, organize thinking, value collaboration, find patterns, take risks, and see mistakes as essential tools for growth and development. Capitol Hill Day School graduates develop a deep love of learning, a strong sense of self, and a genuine concern for those around them. Our progressive approach not only prepares students academically, but also equips them with the skills and mindset needed to navigate and positively impact the world.
Experiential
Children learn best by doing.
Learning comes to life through authentic, immersive experiences that connect ideas to action. As educators, our goal is to engage students deeply in projects and provide abundant opportunities for them to bridge the classroom and the larger world—testing ideas, solving real problems, finding connections, and developing the confidence that comes with active discovery.
Whole Child Approach
We take children seriously and respect them as whole, complete people.
Every child brings creativity, intelligence, and individuality to the classroom. We honor their voices and encourage initiative. We emphasize the social and emotional aspects of learning alongside the intellectual, and understand the multiplier effect that comes from focusing on all three. Student interests help shape the curriculum, fostering intrinsic motivation and a genuine love of learning.
Authentic
How children learn is as important as what they learn.
Here, learning is challenging, engaging, creative, and playful. We see knowledge as an interconnected and evolving set of ideas, not a collection of isolated skills to memorize. Our educators design experiences that intentionally connect concepts across subjects, rather than in isolated silos, reflecting how the world truly works. Through this approach, students build deep understanding, strengthen critical thinking, and gain the power and practice needed to use their knowledge ethically and make meaningful contributions.
Relational
Learning is supported through strong relationships.
We see teachers and students as partners and co-owners of the learning process. Classrooms are collaborative communities where inquiry, cooperation, and mutual respect guide the work. Knowing and appreciating the children we teach is as important as knowing the content. With a deep commitment to equity, justice, and community—classroom, schoolwide, and beyond—we prepare students to engage thoughtfully and compassionately with the world.
Progressive learning is:
- Thinking for yourself
- Teacher as guide
- Purposeful but flexible
- Mistakes as stepping-stones to greater understanding
- Experience-driven
Progressive learning isn't:
- Teaching to the test
- Teacher as all-knowing authority
- Formulaic
- Mistakes as failure
- Textbook-driven
A truly impressive collection of research has demonstrated that when students are able to spend more time thinking about ideas than memorizing facts and practicing skills — and when they are invited to help direct their own learning — they are not only more likely to enjoy what they’re doing but to do it better. Progressive education isn’t just more appealing; it’s also more productive.
Alfie Kohn
Progressive Education: Why it's Hard to Beat, But Also Hard to Find
Explore Our Divisions
Developed by some of the pioneering thinkers in education, progressive education shapes confident, resilient, imaginative learners who can think critically, work with others, and solve problems in creative ways. Explore our divisions to see how progressive learning comes to life on our campus.
Early Childhood
Pre K - K
Elementary
Grades 1 - 4
Upper Grades
Grades 5 - 8
