Eighty children aged 3 to 10 work and play in groups formed on the basis of shared interests, academic needs, friendship, and choice. Forty are from English-speaking families, with 20 each from families where Khmer or Spanish is the home language. Teachers at the school weave the students' languages and cultures into daily activities. Reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, art, music, physical education, and science all are taught in an interdisciplinary, noncompetitive way. Mixed-aged groups are common.
Teachers use hands-on approaches to learning, emphasizing experience, exploration, and inquiry.
The school was established in 1990. Students and teachers benefit from the College of Education's graduate students and faculty, who are deeply involved with the school. They, in turn, benefit from having a public school on campus. The school offers real-world situations for them to analyze, as well as a training ground for the campus's graduate students in education.