Hill School Fort Worth Campus
For over 30 years Hill School has provided students who learn differently with a specialized education in a supportive environment. (HISTORY) Located in Southwest Fort Worth near McCart and I-20, the Fort Worth Campus is easily accessible from most areas of Fort Worth. (MAP) Additionally, daily bus service is available from pick-up sites in Arlington and Northeast Tarrant County.
The Fort Worth Campus of Hill School currently serves around 230 students per year in grades 2-12, with three divisions in one location - Elementary, Middle School, and Hill High School. The elementary school entrance is the main entrance on the southwest corner of the building where the reception area and offices are located. A separate entrance in the Northwest parking lot, open only during afternoon pick-up, serves the Middle and High Schools.
Serving the needs of the total child is an important element of a Hill School education. The Fort Worth campus includes a library, three computer labs, specialized classrooms for science laboratories, music and art, full size gymnasium, cafetorium, and playground.
Each of the three divisions approaches education somewhat differently, based on the needs of students at various phases of their academic careers, but the goal for all remains the same: Making education accessible to all students. Teachers approach a topic from as many different angles as possible, and keep trying different approaches to find the right match for the particular mix of students in the classroom. The role of the teacher is to facilitate learning - otherwise it's just presenting material. A more detailed description of the Hill School academic plan is under Curriculum and Instruction, and overviews of each division are under Academics at High School, Middle School, and Elementary.
Hill School is nationally recognized as one of only 11 Schools Attuned Schools of Distinction. All teachers are trained in the Schools Attuned to All Kinds of Minds program within one year of employment, which emphasizes the importance of students understanding how they learn - how they process information. Especially in the middle and high school programs, self-advocacy becomes more important, and students are encouraged to create learning plans based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. In the charts shown here, high school World History students made pie charts of the 
demands that the subject places on variety of learning styles to help determine how they need to study: the time required, learning aids, technology use, extra instructional assistance, etc.
Hill School is on the pathway to becoming a 1:1 computer school, meaning that every student and teacher has access to computer-aided learning solutions. Hill School technology emphasis is on increasing interactivity between teacher and student -- software and hardware are not purchased or installed until there is demonstrated relevance to the learning needs of our students. (MORE Technology info)
As the students progress through the Hill School program, organizational tools are key elements in the learning process. In elementary and middle school, teachers check daily to ensure that assignments are written in planners, and this continues but changes to weekly in high school. The only way students will develop organizational skills is if they do it themselves, parents can't do it for them. Organization skills are what Hill School graduates most often mention as what they carry over into their college and work life.
Teachers serve as facilitative classroom leaders - they create manageable learning chunks for the particular students in each class so that in-depth understanding occurs rather than skimming the top of a subject.
Learning differences touch not only academic skills, but also the entire child and his or her family. Whatever the specific stumbling blocks to learning, frustration and uncertainty almost always accompany them. At Hill School, full attention is given to the learning differences that distinguish each child. Individual areas of strength are fortified, problem areas identified, and learning programs carefully conceived.
No two children learn, perceive, or behave in the same way. Examples of differences might include:- One child may have trouble receiving information through listening or reading,
- Another may struggle to express him or herself verbally or on the written page.
- Some are easily distracted and cannot seem to follow directions or retain information.
- Others have problems keeping track of belongings or organizing their day, and complicated tasks can be easily mastered while simple ones are unmanageable.
Parent Education is a key element for helping families understand the academic and social needs of children, how they learn, why they're struggling, what to do to help, and when it's important to let them continue to work a problem through rather than solving the problem for them. (More information on learning differences/learning disabilities)
Detailed information for students and parents on school policies from academics to uniforms are included in the Hill School Handbook. There is also a detailed glossary that provides definitions of various terms in the learning differences/learning disabilities world that may be new to parents.
Character Education and Social Skills are an important part of the total educational process at Hill Fort Worth. As described in detail in the Handbook, Character Counts social skill and quote of the day are used every day for a continuing focus on the six pillars of character. Each elementary and middle school student planner has a Character focus each month and a person of character each week.
More Links
Fort Worth CampusHill Family Comments
- Madison