UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS UNIVERSITY CHARTER SCHOOL

The University of Texas-University Charter School (UT-UCS) is a university charter school within Continuing and Innovative Education at The University of Texas at Austin. It is currently comprised of multiple campuses serving more than seven hundred students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Each campus is located on and provided classroom and office space by its facility partner. The students enrolled in UT-UCS have diverse educational backgrounds and needs. These varied backgrounds include those who have a history of success in schools to those who have not attended school regularly or who were not successful when they attended school. The abilities of the students range from highly gifted and talented to severe intellectual impairment. At any given time, thirty-five to forty-five percent of the students are eligible for special education services. On some campuses this number may go as high as one hundred percent. The state average is about nine percent. Another challenge UT-UCS faces in delivering quality educational services is the mobility rate of its students. The mobility rate reflects the turnover of students throughout the school year. The UT-USC mobility rate is eighty-three percent compared to the state rate of slightly less than twenty-one percent. This mobility rate is a result of students transferring in and out of facility programs and transitioning back to their home schools. Students in the residential treatment centers often demonstrate severe neurological and learning dysfunctions as well as emotional or behavioral disorders. Sixty-four percent of UT-UCS students are economically disadvantaged and approximately ninety-five percent are considered at-risk of dropping out. Approximately two-thirds of the student population is male and one-third is female. Staffing requires most teachers to teach multi-grade level classes within each class period. The faculty, staff and administrators must be highly skilled in order to insure that each child has access to excellent educational opportunities. All teachers are required to hold special education certification in addition to subject-area certification. In some settings, English as a Second Language certification is also required.