Academic Approach

The St. Anthony School offers a structured yet flexible curriculum for students in grades 3–12, individualized through academic and cognitive assessments.
Our instruction is designed to adapt to each child’s daily needs, turning challenges into opportunities for success. With on-site therapists providing support throughout the school day, students receive immediate care in a compassionate setting. This integrated approach helps every child feel supported, build coping skills, and achieve long-term academic and personal growth.

STANDARDS BASED CURRICULUM

The St. Anthony School follows a standards-based curriculum that is fully aligned with TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and grounded in research-based practices. Our certified teachers adapt this framework to the diverse learning styles of our neurodivergent students, using specialized strategies that make academic content accessible and meaningful. This approach ensures that every child can engage with rigorous, grade-level material while receiving the individualized support needed to thrive.

THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT

We believe a therapeutic environment goes beyond scheduled therapy sessions—it is woven into every part of the school day. Our on-site therapeutic team is an active presence in classrooms, on the playground, and anywhere a child may need support, ensuring students feel supported and guided in learning healthy ways to manage their differences. Rather than removing children to a separate office, our team assists students in the moment, turning challenges into opportunities for growth. The entire school environment is intentionally designed to be calm, peaceful, and low in sensory input, creating the perfect setting for learning. Combined with the support of caring staff and a predictable daily structure, this consistency builds trust, fosters confidence, and promotes whole-child success.

We use present levels of performance to guide instruction and support the whole child. Initial placement is informed by assessments such as i-Ready, Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, and the WISC-V, to name a few, which provide a starting point for each student’s academic journey. From there, teachers closely monitor progress, adjusting instruction and moving students into higher-level curricula as they grow more comfortable and confident in their new environment. We also consider each child’s social maturity, ensuring they are grouped with peers who are a good fit both academically and socially, creating the best conditions for success.
Our students take the i-Ready achievement test twice each year to monitor academic progress. The i-Ready assessment is a research-based diagnostic tool that measures a student’s proficiency in reading and math, allowing teachers to individualize instruction and monitor academic growth over time. The results consistently reflect the success of our individualized approach and instructional models, showing tremendous growth across all subject areas. On average, 62% of students show growth in reading and 67% of students show growth in math, many making 1-2 years progress in a given school year.
In every classroom, coaching charts are used not only to document progress and reward positive choices but also to recognize that behavior—whether verbal or nonverbal—is a form of communication. Students work toward achieving a “level four,” which opens the door to the most activities and reinforces the value of making positive choices. These charts also help teachers and therapists monitor moods in students diagnosed with bipolar disorder and identify long-term behavioral patterns across all children. Most importantly, our teachers view behavior as an opportunity for growth, guiding students to develop new skills that align their actions with their feelings and build healthier ways of expressing themselves.
Our teachers are fully certified and specially trained to support students with learning differences. Their expertise in special education equips them with the specialized skills to create tailored individualized learning plans, adapt teaching strategies, and provide targeted support that helps students with diverse needs thrive academically and socially-emotionally. Using evidence-based, multi-sensory methods in each subject, our teachers create inclusive classrooms that close academic gaps, build confidence, and help every student thrive.
Our classrooms are built on the foundation of personalized, evidence-based instruction. Not only are our teachers fully certified, but they are also trained in multisensory methods proven to support neurodivergent learners. This means that no two students receive the exact same instruction — instead, each child follows an individualized learning plan that reflects their academic abilities, social-emotional development, and learning style.
In practice, this results in dynamic, responsive teaching. Educators adapt lessons in real time, use a variety of sensory tools to reinforce concepts, and implement strategies that help students manage emotions and develop self-regulation skills. Beyond academics, classrooms emphasize community, confidence, and growth — creating safe spaces where students feel seen, supported, and capable of success on every level.
Students at The St. Anthony School benefit from a wide range of accommodations and modifications designed to support attention, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and individualized learning needs. These supports are thoughtfully integrated into the daily routine so students receive individualized support in a seamless, inclusive way. Teachers encourage self-advocacy and provide a calm, supportive environment where students feel safe to ask for help, take breaks, and use strategies that support their well-being.
Common accommodations may include extended time, chunked or shortened assignments, alternative response formats, visual supports, guided notes, flexible seating, movement or sensory breaks, and access to tools such as calculators, typing supports, and audiobooks. These approaches help students with ASD, ADHD, SLDs, and emotional or mood-related challenges stay engaged, organized, and confident in the classroom.
When appropriate, modifications are made to adjust the level or pacing of academic content to better align with a student’s learning needs. Some students may begin with modified coursework as they acclimate to the school environment, then gradually transition to more advanced academic settings as their confidence and independence grow. Our staff is skilled in determining when modifications are necessary and ensuring that each student receives the right balance of structure, challenge, and support.

TEAM APPROACH

At The St. Anthony School, we believe the best outcomes are achieved through a true team approach between the school, the parents, and the child. Each member of this partnership plays a vital role, and when all are engaged and motivated, students are empowered to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our experienced teachers and staff work diligently to become champions for every child, building strong relationships with families and providing consistent communication and support. We also collaborate with outside professionals—such as doctors, therapists, and specialists—to ensure a well-rounded plan that meets the needs of the whole child. This united effort creates a foundation of trust, consistency, and care, allowing students to succeed both in school and in life.