Academics - Brooks School: Coeducational Private School in North Andover, MA

At Brooks, our students are challenged, supported and engaged.

As they dive into statistical data, students must uncover the real story behind the numbers. This is what it means to have a meaningful educational experience.

Brooks students become determined problem solvers, creative thinkers, language lovers, art appreciators, life-long learners and, ultimately, meaningful contributors in the world.

Immersive Learning

Think like a scientist. In chemistry class students examine a problem from every angle, conduct experiments and arrive at a solution. They don't passively learn the material; they live it.

culture of exploration

Write like a researcher.

In history classes, students practice historical research skills, write persuasive essays and debate pressing real-world problems.

genuine belonging

Seek support and resources.

In our newly-opened Academic Commons, all students can find quantitative, research-and-writing and learning support to help them reach their academic potential.

This is the goal of every class at Brooks.

a Program That Inspires

With 161 credit courses, Brooks offers students the opportunity to craft an academic experience appropriate for their ability. Honors, advanced and AP designations provide a rich set of options across the curriculum.

As they progress through their time at Brooks, students have more choices, with electives that dive deeply into specific areas. To explore passion in a subject, they may even double up and enroll in two courses in the same department to take their studies further.

In recent years, students have paired AP Calculus with AP Statistics, AP U.S. Government with Advanced History Capstone, Advanced Performance Studio with AP Studio Art, and Advanced Latin with AP French, among many other combinations.

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The energy from the teachers every day definitely makes Brooks unique. With the level of excitement, and the way they’re teaching you, it makes the learning environment fun.”

Advanced Placement

AP classes are offered throughout Brooks’ curriculum from music to mathematics. Students may enroll in APs as early as their second year. Half of students take at least 3 AP courses during their Brooks career — 38 percent take five or more.

EXPLORE THE COURSE CATALOG

the daily academic schedule

Close Collaboration

Our 5:1 student-teacher ratio and small classes (average class size is 11) means there's generous interaction between students and teachers — in-class and through extra help given outside of class during free periods — to help every student reach their potential.

The Learning Center offers another resource through which students can take their studies to the next level, as well.

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Competency-based education

Applying Their Skills

Competency-based education (CBE) is at the core of Brooks School's academic vision. CBE supports our mission and core values by focusing on student practice towards knowledge and application in core competency and discipline-specific skill areas.

Through this framework, we strive to ensure educational equity for all our students.

We embrace and support *competency-based education in our academic program by:

Designing expectations for learning are explicit, transparent, measurable, and transferable.
Creating meaningful, positive, and empowering assessments and learning experiences for all students.
Allowing students to make decisions and practice managing their learning in specific areas of meaningful engagement, preparation and self-advocacy and assignment completion according to an all-school rubric.

School-Wide Competencies

CBE ensures Brooks students engage in meaningful assessment opportunities that focus on skill development and the application of knowledge, use skill rubrics to track their progress and clearly and consistently understand how they earn their grades.

Communication

Learning Agency

The student recognizes they are part of a learning community, from which they seek help and to which they contribute by using their voice, knowledge, motivation, and ability to make choices to further their own learning and the learning of those around them. The student takes responsibility for managing their own learning by engaging fully with the learning process, setting goals and steps to meet those goals, and reflecting on their work with the aim of improving future work. The student engages in all areas of the community with an aim to connect with their own passions.

Collaboration

Creativity and Innovation

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Analysis

Social Justice Responsibility

The student recognizes that social justice responsibility is both an ongoing process and a goal, and understands the definitions and implications of systems of power, intersectional identities, and intercultural awareness. In their journey towards becoming an active change agent, the student understands how their actions impact various communities and advances equity, inclusion, and belonging for all.

Layers of Resources

Academic Support

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College Counseling

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Your teachers here, they want to help you. They want to see you succeed. They don't want you to be drowning in work.”