The elementary grades at University School operate under the Responsive Classroom Model. This model is characterized a social curriculum model. A clear social curriculum can help build a classroom into a learning community where high social and academic goals are both attained. The six central components of the model integrate teaching, learning and caring into the daily program.

TheSix Key Components

1. Classroom Organization: provides active interest areas for students, space for student-created displays of work, and an appropriate mix of whole class, group, and individual instruction.
2. Morning Meeting: a format that provides students the daily opportunity to practice greetings, conversation, sharing, and problem-solving, and motivates them to meet the academic challenges of the day ahead.
3. Rules and Logical Consequences: these are generated, modeled, and role-played with the students and become the cornerstone of classroom life.
4. Academic Choice: for all students each day in which they must take control of their own learning in some meaningful way, both individually and cooperatively.
5. Guided Discovery: Moves the students through a deliberate and careful introduction to each new experience.
6. Assessment and Reporting: to parents that is an evolving process of mutual communication and understanding.

The outcome of such a program includes a balance of teacher-directed instruction and child-initiated learning, student responsibility for work and environment, caring behavior, problem solving ability both socially and academically, parental involvement and understanding.