What Are the Laboratory Schools at TCU's College of Education?

TCU's College of Education is home to two laboratory schools for children with special needs, and both are described by the college as nationally recognized. They are the college's most distinctive feature: real classrooms for children that also serve as training and observation sites for future teachers. If you are evaluating TCU for teacher preparation, special education, or a career working with children with disabilities, the lab schools are the part of the program worth understanding first.

What "laboratory school" means here

A laboratory school is a functioning school for children that sits inside a university's teacher education program. Children are taught by qualified staff, while university students observe, assist, and practice under supervision. At TCU, the college frames these schools as part of how it prepares "exemplary leaders for diverse educational settings" — the lab schools are where that preparation becomes concrete rather than theoretical.

The two schools and their focus

The college's own description is specific on two points:

• There are two laboratory schools.
• Both serve children with special needs.

The college also identifies them as nationally recognized, and lists "2 special education lab schools" among the facts that make the college different. Beyond that, the site's summary does not name the individual schools, their age ranges, or their locations, so confirm those details directly with the college before relying on them.

How they fit into teacher preparation

The lab schools connect to the college's broader program mix, which the site describes as including:

For a prospective student, the practical implication is that special education fieldwork is built into the college's identity rather than offered as an add-on. The site also reports 100% teacher placement and that 80% of graduates teach locally — figures that suggest strong regional hiring relationships, which lab school experience can reinforce.

What to check before you decide

The homepage is a summary, not a program guide. Before treating the lab schools as a deciding factor, verify:

1. Which degree levels actually use the lab schools — undergraduate, graduate, or both. The site lists both levels but does not map lab school placements to specific programs.
2. Whether fieldwork there is required or optional for your intended major.
3. Age ranges and disability focus of each school, so you know what classroom experience you would gain.
4. Supervision and observation structure — who mentors you and how often you are in the classroom.

The college's Majors & Programs section and the faculty and staff directory are the natural starting points for these questions; the dean's welcome also emphasizes partnerships "locally and globally," which is consistent with the local hiring pattern the college reports.

The short answer

TCU's College of Education operates two nationally recognized laboratory schools for children with special needs, and they anchor the college's approach to preparing teachers through direct classroom experience. They are a strong signal of the college's special education emphasis — but confirm program-by-program placement details with the college before making a decision.