The goal of Fayerweather's educational program is to engage and challenge students through meaningful intellectual exercise. Content areas are of developmental interest, activities both broaden and relate to the students' own world and surrounding community, and goals are clear and attainable. Teachers help students build strategies until skills are mastered, while encouraging them to question, read and evaluate a variety of resources, and understand alternative perspectives. Students participate in class demonstrations and discussions, collaborate with partners or in small groups, and use materials and all areas of their environment as part of their learning. Students are asked to develop questions, make choices, form opinions, reflect on their work, and assess their own progress. Teachers emphasize the many ways that students can be successful in school, both academic and social, rather than focus on standardized assessment. Mixed-age groups in the 1st through 8th grades allow for a greater range of learning partners, and provide opportunities for students to take on different roles within the group. Over the two-year cycles, teachers get to know each student's strengths and interests well, and can differentiate the instruction accordingly. Using informal assessments of a student's needs, staff work from the child's strengths to build confidence and teach to any areas that need development.