Programs

Academic Program

Ambitious, Joyful Learning
The Archer School for Girls’ academic program challenges and inspires girls to discover their passion and realize their potential. Our learning community is highly collaborative, real-world focused, and research-based.
Classrooms are spaces of active learning and faculty design their lessons based on the latest research about how girls learn best. The availability of cutting-edge digital tools extends conversations beyond the classroom and engages students in powerful, authentic, global learning.

Archer’s dedicated and talented faculty are at the center of the educational experience. Archer faculty know their content deeply and draw from the professional knowledge base to develop high-quality instruction, resulting in excellent learning outcomes. Teachers employ a range of tools and strategies to gather data, plan meaningful learning experiences, enhance clarity, and check for understanding. They make thinking and learning visible, so every student is challenged to stretch toward her potential. Rather than just covering content, research-based lessons focus on developing transferable skills and concepts to build enduring understanding.

One overarching goal of the academic program is for students to hone strong critical thinking skills and an appreciation for the value of an intellectual life. An Archer education teaches students to make sound and reasoned decisions in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Archer’s program ensures that girls have time to process and reflect, develop strong social connections, and discover passions outside the academic realm. We do not believe rigor and balance are mutually exclusive. While Archer students are encouraged to push themselves to high levels of scholarship, it is never at the expense of their happiness.

Academic Directors

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Reed Farley

    Reed Farley 

    Director of Middle School
    310-873-7040
  • Photo of Samantha Hazell-O'Brien

    Samantha Hazell-O'Brien 

    Director of Upper School
    310-873-7014
  • Photo of Kasey Nott

    Kasey Nott 

    Director of Academic Operations
    310-873-7026

Archer's Curriculum Philosophy

Archer provides an innovative yet structured curriculum that explicitly teaches collaboration, character, communication, problem solving, and critical thinking through an integrated approach to learning. Knowledge and skills are anchored in enduring understandings to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century and to thrive in an increasingly connected and global world. The curriculum affords students active learning opportunities to construct knowledge and derive meaning. Department demonstrations of learning guide curriculum development and instruction around student outcomes for each discipline.

Departmental Demonstrations of Learning

The Archer School for Girls admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status in its hiring or in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs or other school-administered programs. 

The Archer School for Girls’ mission is to educate students in an environment specifically designed for girls. As such, the school will consider any candidate for admission who identifies as a girl. Once admitted to Archer, all students in good academic standing who abide by Archer’s code of conduct and who meet requirements for graduation will be eligible to receive an Archer diploma, regardless of any change in sexual identity or other legally protected status.