Urban Promise Academy

Urban Promise Academy is a small, autonomous middle school in Oakland with 300 students in grades 6-8. Our mission is to develop effective learners and community members who have excellent academic skills and valuable habits of character. These traits include setting goals, accepting feedback, working constructively in teams, caring for others, and taking responsibility for their own education. We support our students to build the skills and attitudes that will equip them for a rigorous college preparatory curriculum in the high school of their choice.

UPA is a new Paragon Education Network (PEN) school, which means learning expeditions provide the framework for all students to achieve academic excellence. Teachers receive coaching, weekly collaboration time, and attend PEN workshops to gain skills to design, implement, and assess expeditionary learning.