May 30, 2025
Significant for the further development of the education system and teacher training - Evaluation commission presents report on Dresden University School
Since 2020, a structural and evaluation commission has been supporting the Dresden University School trial in the process of school development and research. The committee of renowned educational scientists and experienced practitioners is now presenting its fifth report. They emphasize the importance and positive development of the joint project between TU Dresden and the City of Dresden, but also call for sustainable foundations - on the one hand to acknowledge the remarkable commitment, but also to address obstacles to development. Specifically, the commission members mention the provision of adequate premises for the implementation of the school trial as well as secure basic funding for the accompanying research at TU Dresden.
Importance for Dresden as a location for science and education
Once again, the commission is impressed by the innovative and nationally recognized establishment and development work at the Dresden University School (USD). From the Commission's perspective, the national visibility of the USD contributes greatly to the visibility of Dresden as a location for science and education in the educational sciences, subject didactics and in the reform-oriented school landscape.
The achievements in regional and supra-regional innovation transfer and the resulting potential of the USD for the TUD Dresden University of Technology and the educational region are also praised. In the current report, the commission focuses on the development of concepts for upper secondary level and the work of the Pedagogical Academy.
Innovative concepts: upper secondary level and Pedagogical Academy
In the 2026/27 school year, the first students will enter year 11 at the Dresden University School. The concept for the upper secondary level will prepare them for the central Abitur examination on the one hand, while continuing the inclusive character and project learning as the core of the didactic concept on the other. Self-regulated learning is to retain a high priority, and a more flexible timetable for the upper school levels will also be encouraged. In addition, cooperation with the didactics at TU Dresden will be expanded for the further development of innovative, science-oriented learning materials.
In the eyes of the educational researchers, this concept has the potential to lead to the development of alternative examination formats. Against this background, a possible expansion of the school experiment from alternative teaching-learning formats to examination formats was discussed.
Many students from what will be the first year 11 have been studying at USD since the school opened. In the 2019/20 school year, they were part of the first grade 5 at the former university high school. It was only when the school became a community school in 2022 that they were given the opportunity to graduate from high school.
Work shadowing concept to enable transfer from the school of the future
At the Pedagogical Academy, the teacher team at the university school regularly undergoes further training on topics relating to holistic learning and formative educational research. The committee members see potential for the professionalization of Saxon teachers and school administrators in this context and support the idea of a job shadowing concept.
The school and the accompanying research project receive numerous requests for job shadowing from all over Germany and beyond. During the very intensive growth phase, it is unfortunately not yet possible to meet this high demand due to limited resources. In order to support the USD and its work for teacher training in Saxony, the commission suggests exploring joint opportunities with the specialist training of the state of Saxony and the further education and training programs of TU Dresden. The goal could be a certificate course that includes more than just job shadowing.
About the structure and evaluation commission
An overview of the members and more information on the work of the Structure and Evaluation Commission can be found on the University School Dresden research project page.
About the University School Dresden
Dresden University School is a joint project of the state capital Dresden and the TUD Dresden University of Technology. It is a public and free community school run by the city, where innovative forms of teaching and learning are tested under academic supervision. In addition, it is a training school for future teachers and, in the future, a further education school for teachers. The school trial is being scientifically supported by the ForUS research center at TU Dresden.
Information on the research project at TU Dresden: https: //tu-dresden.de/gsw/unischule
Information on the Dresden University School: http://universitaetsschule.org
You can find insights into the research project and everyday school life on various social media channels under @unischuleTUD: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. News from the University School Dresden project can be found regularly in the GSW newsletter.
Contact person
Maria Neuland Agüero
Phone: +49 351 463-39917