The upper school program builds on the solid foundations laid by SSP’s lower and middle school programs. The curriculum prepares our students for study in college, and many of our students choose to take the equivalent of college-level courses well before they graduate. Each student’s schedule is individually crafted to assure that the course of study is appropriate and engaging.

Total: 21 credits

Cum Laude is a national honor society to which up to twenty percent of each graduating class is elected. A faculty committee representing various disciplines selects students based on an individual’s engagement in intellectual inquiry, the overall level of courses taken and demonstrated excellence within those courses.

An essential component of the school’s philosophy is to offer courses in all disciplines which meet the academic needs, abilities, and interests of students. Advanced and accelerated courses are an integral part of all disciplines, and many of those courses correspond to the syllabus recommended by the College Board.
In 2009, a total of 131 students took 212 AP exams 16 subject areas.
The number of college level courses, however, is not limited to the syllabi published by the College Board. This is particularly true in humanities, where the majority of electives are considered college level yet do not match an AP syllabus. Nevertheless, many students choose to take the English language and literature AP’s each year.
We do not identify AP courses through their course title or on students’ transcripts because we do not want to imply that only courses which match a College Board Syllabus are college level.

Independent study is available in each department by arrangement with the Department Chair and the Director of Upper School. Extra costs incurred will be the responsibility of the family.

Senior Options are courses outside the traditional curriculum which allow seniors to broaden their studies in the SSP and Washington, D.C. communities. With approval of the Director of Upper School, senior option courses earn a grade and a credit. Some examples include coaching middle school sports, studying child development while working in the Lower School, and studying the political process while working on a presidential campaign.

The upper school program is designed to foster students’ academic and personal development. Opportunities for social and emotional growth are embedded in the curriculum as well as delivered through co-curricular programs that take place outside of the classroom. These programs include the Assembly program, the advising system, and Human Development classes. Our desire for each student is that he or she has an upper school experience that is challenging, enlightening, and fulfilling.

Service learning is an innovative teaching approach that incorporates community service projects into traditional academic courses. Students use and build upon their academic and interpersonal skills as they provide meaningful service for others. SSP believes that service learning directly supports the core of our educational mission: “we prepare our students to become responsible, thoughtful, and well-informed adults who are able to play an active role in improving the world.”
Students in ninth grade history focus on hunger and its relationship to major historical events. At the beginning of the year, the ninth grade class participates in a service retreat in which they serve in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food banks, and children’s centers. The ninth grade currently partners with Share Our Strength and Save the Children to help build schools in Ethiopia. Other upper school courses regularly feature service learning components with some examples being Chemistry in the Community, Civil Liberties, Advanced Computer Graphics, and Spanish Studies.

In addition to service learning, students are afforded wide-ranging opportunities to volunteer during the academic year. Each year, we have a Community Service Day. In addition, many students initiate their own community and advocacy activities, committing significant amounts of time to these endeavors. All students are expected to complete a minimum of 30 hours of community service (15 hours during ninth and tenth grade, and 15 hours during eleventh and twelfth grade) before spring of their senior year when they begin their senior projects.