Now in its seventh year of operation, The University of Texas Elementary School is firmly established as a research-based demonstration school in the heart of East Austin. The school holds a track record of success in serving urban children. Founded in 2003 as part of The UT System’s Every Child, Every Advantage initiative to support P-16 education, UT Elementary is operated by UT Austin as an open-enrollment campus, free to students, with a lottery-based admission system. The school enrolls children in grade levels pre-kindergarten through fifth. Our pre-kindergarten class has 20 students and all other grades kindergarten-through-fifth have two classes of 20. Our students are largely of color and economically disadvantaged.
The school offers a full, TEKS-aligned curriculum, employs scientifically-based research and best teaching practices, and draws upon a variety of resources available at the university. Besides providing an educational alternative for East Austin children, UT Elementary also represents an effort to apply new knowledge produced in the academic setting directly to classrooms in inner-city schools, and it serves as a training and development site for future teachers currently enrolled in UT’s College of Education.
The mission of UT Elementary School is three-fold: (1) to develop students into lifelong learners through rigorous, research-based curricula, individualized instruction, high expectations, and a nurturing environment that includes parental and community involvement; (2) to provide opportunities for professional development and outreach for The University of Texas at Austin’s academic units; and (3) to serve as a model of an exemplary educational program for diverse learners.
