A laboratory school or demonstration school is an elementary or secondary school operated in association with a university, college, or other teacher education institution and used for the training of future teachers, educational experimentation, educational research, and professional development.[1][2]

Former laboratory school at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with one-way mirrors in the upper-level observation deck, allowing professors to view the classroom
The same room, showing observation room with a one-way mirror to the right of the classroom

Many laboratory schools follow a model[citation needed] of experiential education based on the original Laboratory School run by John Dewey at the University of Chicago.[3] Many laboratory schools still operate in the United States and around the globe. They are known by many names: laboratory schools, demonstration schools, campus schools, model schools, university-affiliated schools, child development schools, etc., and most have a connection to a college or university. Each university-affiliated school has a unique relationship with a college or university and a different grade configuration. Some lab schools are only for preschool or kindergarten children, some are preschool through fifth or sixth grade, and some continue through high school.

Khan Lab School in Silicon Valley is one of the few laboratory schools not affiliated with a college or university. It is affiliated with Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization.[4] The school's experimentation with abolishing grade levels was featured on Voice of America in 2016.[5]

Classroom observation edit

Laboratory school classrooms may be observed by university professors to assess the student-teacher, but this is conducted without the students or student-teachers aware of the observation. The observers want to avoid creating a distraction or disrupting classroom activities. Before the miniaturization of electronic camera viewing systems, laboratory schools often included elaborate direct-view observation systems with special observation decks above classrooms or observation rooms alongside the classrooms. One-way mirrors and speaker/intercom systems allowed a professor to silently observe the classroom, but without being seen by the students or the student-teacher.

A modern laboratory school is able to use a standard-design school as a laboratory school. The standard rooms are outfitted with CCTV cameras hidden inside black plastic domes on the ceiling. Complex lens optics and multiple cameras allow a single stationary dome to view 360 degrees, with no mechanical noises or moving parts. High-speed Internet connections allow for a professor at a college to remotely view and interact with student-teachers in a distant laboratory school.[6]

In either case, students or student-teachers know that observation may occur, but they do not know when such observation takes place.

Examples edit

Asia edit

School Associated Institution Location Description
Palli Unnayan Academy Laboratory School and College Rural Development Academy Sherpur Upazila, Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh
Polytechnic University of the Philippines Laboratory High School Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines A laboratory school, serving Grades 7-12
Tarlac State University – Laboratory School Tarlac State University Tarlac City, Philippines Closed, 2015
TVU Laboratory School Tra Vinh University Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam A multi-level public school located on Campus 4 of TVU that serves nursery, kindergarten and Grades 1–12. There are high school classes for the gifted in this school.
University of Santo Tomas Education High School University of Santo Tomas College of Education Manila, Philippines A laboratory school, serving Grades 7-12
University of the Philippines Integrated School University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City, Philippines Laboratory elementary and high school for the UP Diliman College of Education.
University of the Philippines Rural High School University of the Philiippines Los Baños Los Baños, Laguna Laboratory high school of UP Los Baños.
University of Baguio Elementary Laboratory School University of Baguio College of Education Baguio City, Philippines A laboratory school, serving Kindergarten to Grade 6
Southern Luzon State University - Laboratory Schools Southern Luzon State University - Main Campus Lucban, Philippines A laboratory school, serving Grades 7–12
Patumwan Demonstration School, Srinakharinwirot University Srinakharinwirot University Bangkok, Thailand
Prasarnmit Demonstration School, Srinakharinwirot University Srinakharinwirot University Bangkok, Thailand Has separate divisions for primary and secondary education, and an international program. High school students are separated into various academic major classes of their choice.
Ongkharak Demonstration School, Srinakharinwirot University Srinakharinwirot University Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
President Ramon Magsaysay State University, Laboratory High School President Ramon Magsaysay State University Iba, Zambales, Philippines

Australia edit

School Associated Institution Location Description
Mayfield West Demonstration School Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia Primary school
Mount Keira Demonstration School Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia Primary school
North Sydney Demonstration School University of Sydney Waverton, New South Wales, Australia Primary school

Canada edit

School Associated Institution Location Description
Institute of Child Study University of Toronto Toronto, Canada An independent nursery to Grade 6 day school
University of Toronto Schools University of Toronto Toronto, Canada An independent co-educational day school

Europe edit

School Associated Institution Location Description
Jordanhill School Glasgow, Scotland An independent state co-educational day school
Lab School Paris Paris, France First laboratory school in France, opened in 2017, for students aged 8–12, bilingual (French-English), associated to the Lab School Network.
Laborschule Bielefeld Bielefeld, Germany
Tampere University Teacher Training School Tampere University

Faculty of Education and Culture

Finland The Teacher Training School trains future teachers in a very structured way. Administratively, the school is part of the Tampere University Faculty of Education and Culture. In all other respects, the school enjoys great independence.

United States edit

School Associated Institution Location Description
Center for Young Children University of Maryland College Park, Maryland A laboratory preschool and kindergarten, serving ages 3–6
A & M Training School #5 University of Arkansas at Monticello Monticello, Arkansas
A.E. Phillips Laboratory School Louisiana Tech University Ruston, Louisiana K-8 laboratory school
Arlitt Child Development Center University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio A laboratory preschool in the School of Education
Burris Laboratory School Ball State University Teachers College Muncie, Indiana Public K-12 school
Campus School Smith College Northampton, Massachusetts A laboratory preschool
Children's Campus San Francisco State University San Francisco, California A Center for Early Care and Education
Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania A private, co-educational K-8 laboratory school
Florida A&M University Developmental Research School Florida A&M University Tallahassee, Florida
Florida State University School Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida Despite its common moniker, "Florida High", FSUS is sponsored by Florida State University's College of Education.
Greenwood Laboratory School Missouri State University Springfield, Missouri A comprehensive K-12 laboratory school
Khan Lab School Khan Academy Mountain View, California A nonprofit lab school[7][8][9][10]
Kilby Laboratory School University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama
Lab School of Washington Washington, D.C. School for students with learning difficulties
Louisiana State University Laboratory School Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana A college preparatory public school serving grades K-12
Macfeat Laboratory School [1] Winthrop University Rock Hill, South Carolina
Mills College Children's School Archived 2021-04-10 at the Wayback Machine Mills College Oakland, California A private K-5 school that is the first laboratory school founded on the West Coast of the United States.
The Milne School University at Albany Albany, New York
Model Laboratory School Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky Semi-private laboratory school
Model Secondary School for the Deaf and Kendall Demonstration Elementary School Gallaudet University Washington, D.C. Federally funded demonstration schools for deaf education, operated by and located at Gallaudet University. MSSD is a day and residential high school for grades 9 to 12. KDES is a day school for infants through grade 8
MUW Child and Parent Development Center Mississippi University for Women Columbus, Mississippi A private laboratory school founded in 1929.
Northern University High School University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa A small public high school. (Closed 2012)[11]
P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School University of Florida College of Education Gainesville, Florida, A public K-12 laboratory school
Shirley G. Moore Laboratory School (Minneapolis) University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota
Southern University Laboratory School Southern University Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Henry Barnard Laboratory School Rhode Island College Providence, Rhode Island A private elementary school founded in 1898, currently affiliated with the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development
Sam Houston State University Charter School Sam Houston State University Greater Houston A network of charter schools established in 2017.[12]
The School at Columbia University Columbia University New York, New York An independent K-8 co-educational school
Thomas Metcalf Laboratory School (Elementary) & University High School (High School) Illinois State University Normal, Illinois The first laboratory school in the United States [13]
UCLA Lab School University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California
University High School (San Juan) University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras San Juan, Puerto Rico
University Junior High School University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas
University Laboratory High School University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois
University Laboratory School University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Honolulu, Hawai'i A charter school serving grades K-12
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois A private, co-educational day school and the original laboratory school as founded by John Dewey
University of Delaware Laboratory School University of Delaware Newark, Delaware
University of Houston Charter School University of Houston Houston, Texas Opened in 1997,[14] and closed in 2021.[15]
Eccles Early Childhood Development Lab School Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, Utah

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "nals.net". www.nals.net.
  2. ^ "Lab Schools - PrivateSchoolReview.com". PrivateSchoolReview.com.
  3. ^ "John Dewey's Laboratory School in Chicago". mi-knoll.de.
  4. ^ "What is a lab school?". Khan Lab School.
  5. ^ "Experimental Silicon Valley School Abolishes Grade Levels". Voice of America.
  6. ^ Oelkers, Jürgen (2009). John Dewey und die Pädagogik (1. Aufl ed.). Weinheim Basel: Beltz. ISBN 978-3-407-85886-3.
  7. ^ "'A Bit Of A Montessori 2.0': Khan Academy Opens A Lab School". NPR. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  8. ^ "Khan Lab School reinvents American classroom". CBS News.
  9. ^ "How Sal Khan Hopes to Remake Education". 30 March 2016.
  10. ^ Tanz, Jason. "The Tech Elite's Quest to Reinvent School in Its Own Image".
  11. ^ "Price Laboratory School | Rod Library". library.uni.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  12. ^ Santana, Tamra (2017-06-01). "Sam Houston State opens elementary charter schools in Spring, Klein". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  13. ^ "History | Thomas Metcalf School - Illinois State". metcalf.illinoisstate.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  14. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions" (Archive). University of Houston Charter School. Retrieved on November 27, 2008.
  15. ^ UHCS IS CLOSED. University of Houston. Retrieved 2021-09-03.

External links edit