Columbia Middle School’s University Partnership Program (UPP) offers students direct experience with some of the most innovative instructional techniques coming out of Stanford University’s renowned School of Education. UPP allows us to leverage our own best practices with Stanford’s most promising research-based strategies for maximum benefit to our students.

A classroom partnership with a world-class partner

In this tuition-free Sunnyvale School District Program of Choice, Stanford teaching candidates join Columbia’s highly qualified teachers in working directly with UPP students in the classroom, enabling more small-group instruction and using the highest-quality instructional curriculum and materials available. UPP classrooms are creative communities in which students can safely explore, inquire, and investigate, learn to use technology effectively and develop constructive habits for self-awareness and group interaction. The result is a learning community that is rigorous, engaging, and highly effective.

Creating a lab of innovation

UPP is helping Columbia refine our own best instructional practices for later implementation throughout the district. UPP classrooms are thus “labs of innovation” in which students get to try out cutting-edge lessons.

With CORE at the core

UPP — like all Sunnyvale School District curriculum — is driven by the California Common Core Standards, or the “5 Cs”: critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, and civility, but with an increased emphasis on social-emotional development, inquiry-based learning, and technology integration. UPP students have UPP teachers and curriculum for English, math, science, and social studies courses.

And CMS at its heart

The University Partnership Program began in 2013 with just two 6th-grade classes.  We have expanded to all grade levels, and as of the 2019-2020 school year, all of CMS is "UPP."   Learn more about this unique opportunity!

To enroll, please call the Sunnyvale School District administrative office at (408) 522-8200 ext. 1016.