Demonstrate

Mastery

Miss Porter’s School is different…
historically, intentionally, and successfully.

Honoring Sarah Porter’s vision since 1843, we deliver in our practice of empowering the future generation of female leaders.

At Porter’s, it’s cool to be smart—and our students love school. Our academic program is mission-driven, global in scope, and personalized so that we can prepare our students to address the pressing needs of tomorrow’s world.

Bound together by their experiences in Farmington, our graduates shape a changing world. The intentional intersection between enduring legacy and commitment to our unique and progressive education prepares them to do just that.

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Academics at Porter's

Competency-based Mastery Learning

Porter’s offers a dynamic community of students and teachers. Mastery learning prepares our graduates to navigate an ever-evolving world with confidence. 

We develop our students’ initiative, independence and habits of mind to prepare them for their individual life paths.

With more than 100 course offerings in arts, humanities, languages, math, sciences and social sciences, students experience a wealth of opportunity during their academic journeys. With an average class size of 12, their intellectual curiosity is encouraged and empowered.

APPROACH TO LEARNING

Interdisciplinary

Merging traditional with progressive—both in subject and practice.

Project-Based

Through applied practice students gain true understanding of subject matter.

Mission-Driven

Community focus on graduates that are ready to shape an ever-changing world.

Future-Focused

Maximizing the link between progressive education and the future.

Mastery-Based

Assessing student growth and learning through authentic tasks and projects.

Authentic

Genuine growth in a progressive learning environment.

Relevant

Learning based on the needs of today’s real-world.

Collaborative

Students working together with teachers, mentors, professionals inside and outside our community.
Assessment, Feedback, and the Mastery Approach

Porter’s practices competency-based mastery learning which shifts student focus from grades to growth. Competency-based feedback is given for all courses. Rather than exams, we have Demonstrations of Learning — student-shared learning through projects, presentations, performances, and more. The value of competency-based assessment lies in:

  • Greater transparency.
  • More specific and useful information about student progress.
  • Development of intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset.
  • Enhanced consistency, fairness and equity.
An Interdisciplinary Education

A Porter’s education focuses on developing skills necessary for students to be successful in college, and more importantly, life beyond Farmington. We educate students for awareness and understanding. We galvanize girls for global impact. We prepare our graduates to shape a changing world.

Pressing Problems, Timeless Questions

Miss Porter’s School prepares students for the future to come, not the world that was. This commitment allows us to re-envision the way our faculty teach, the way our students demonstrate their learning, and the way we access, record and represent their educational outcomes. We practice competency-based mastery learning – the transfer of knowledge and skills to a real-world context.

Pressing Problem:

Identity-based discrimination

Timeless Question:

What does it mean to be human?

Pressing Problem:

Economic inequality

Timeless Question:

What obligations do we have to others?

Pressing Problem:

Media literacy

Timeless Question:

How do we communicate authentic truth?

Pressing Problem:

Threats to democratic institutions

Timeless Question:

How should society be structured?

Pressing Problem:

Climate change

Timeless Question:

What is humanity’s proper relationship with nature and the earth?

Pressing Problem:

Artificial intelligence

Timeless Question:

What role should technology play in our lives?
Signature Experiences

Porter’s curricula is intentional as this foundational year is spent on skill development and fundamental courses. Grade 9 is introduced to interdisciplinary learning in our humanities course, a blend of English and History.

Students continue with curricula on foundational courses and mastery of skill development in our interdisciplinary courses. 

Students are inspired to be curious about the world, think critically about how to solve problems and to understand the role they play in our global community. Emphasis is placed on the Global Citizenship Program with student international travel experiences. And, our PCGL Global Seminar Series which connects our students with high school girls worldwide to address pressing global issues.

Students will explore their ideas about college and their career path as they gain exposure and experiences to the world beyond Porter’s. Emphasis focuses on work experiences embedded into the interdisciplinary courses, our Early-career Scholar Dinner Speaker Series program and Imagining Life Event discussions.

Porter’s curricula is intentional as this foundational year is spent on skill development and fundamental courses. Grade 9 is introduced to interdisciplinary learning in our humanities course, a blend of English and History.

Students continue with curricula on foundational courses and mastery of skill development in our interdisciplinary courses. 

Students are inspired to be curious about the world, think critically about how to solve problems and to understand the role they play in our global community. Emphasis is placed on the Global Citizenship Program with student international travel experiences. And, our PCGL Global Seminar Series which connects our students with high school girls worldwide to address pressing global issues.

Students will explore their ideas about college and their career path as they gain exposure and experiences to the world beyond Porter’s. Emphasis focuses on work experiences embedded into the interdisciplinary courses, our Early-career Scholar Dinner Speaker Series program and Imagining Life Event discussions.

Resources

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) is our support resource center for students. A core academic skill is the ability to self-advocate and utilization of the supports through TLC is encouraged and available to all students.

In order to support independent learning of math during trimesters when students are not enrolled in a math class, Math REPS offer:

  • Review
  • Extend
  • Practice
  • Sustain

To support independent learning of language during trimesters when students are not enrolled in a language class, LIFT OFF offers:

  • Language
  • Interaction 
  • Following 
  • Through in 
  • Off trimesters
Meet the faculty
Timothy Quinn

Chief Academic Officer and Dean of Faculty

Nelle Andrews

Dean of Curriculum, Teacher - Humanities

Brie Angle

Registrar and Academic Affairs Coordinator

Leahanne Fenton

Academic Office Assistant

Rebecca Plona

Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning

Elizabeth Simison

Academic Dean, Teacher - Humanities