UW Laboratory School

The lab school has been a wonderful experience for my children. My eldest has learning issues and the school has worked diligently to address her needs. A very caring environment with small classes.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is project-based, which helps promote learning both together and from others. The teachings are great- I learned all about the federal court and how federal trials are run in less than two weeks by creating a trial simulation. This was great hands-on learning and helped me learn everything and more than a text book would have taught me.

Our daughter attended Prep, but we pulled her out. The curriculum was incoherent, there was no order in the school, and the teachers were frequently annoyed by our questions. ("What do you mean you don't have a grading system? How exactly did you give grades??") As one reviewer said, the teachers were given the freedom to innovate, but their experiments frequently failed, and did so on my child's time. The program design on the school was an incoherent pseudo-intellectual hodge-podge. I suspect that the only reason the school still exists is for the convenience of UW faculty.
--Submitted by a parent

The UW Lab School (or 'Prep' as it is known locally) is the only school in the Albany County School District that I would care to have my son (8 years old) attend. Small class sizes, outstanding teachers, and peer support are important features of the Lab School. As well, students learn in an open environment, sitting at tables and moving daily through a range of teacher specialists from Kindergarten on as opposed to being trapped at individual desks in a giant classroom, learning primarily from a single teacher. Post No Child Left Behind, the teachers also have more freedom to innovate and draw upon individual strengths than the other schools in the district who seem anecdotally to be more focused on test scores than analytical thinking as student goals. Plus, the Principal played an Oompaloompa in the last Middle School production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!
--Submitted by a parent

This is the most amazing school. It is the most wonderful learning environment for my children. Teachers are great and Principal actually has interest in the kids and helps wherever she can. You and your kids become part of this wonderful community that is so encouraged at the Lab School.
--Submitted by a parent

Everything at the school was awful.The support, security, and especially the organization.
--Submitted by a parent

The Lab School teachers are creative and caring, plus the school location on the UW campus offers many cultural advantages and allows the school to offer swimming classes!
--Submitted by a parent

I have gone to the UW Lab School for my entire school life and have never found my education to be dissatisfying. The teachers are all able and willing to talk to both parents and students, and they all make sure that every student understands what's being taught before they move on to the next topic.
--Submitted by a student

I am continually amazed with the quality of education at the Lab School. I'm very happy our daughter is there.
--Submitted by a parent

Very engaging, minds-on, differentiated, meaningful, interesting, exciting, and fun curriculum. Student-centered instruction and learning.
--Submitted by a teacher