The Winston School was founded in 1975 to create a place where neurodivergent learners could achieve their fullest potential. Now heading into its sixth decade, the private college preparatory school in the heart of Preston Hollow is planning to bring an even greater world of opportunities to its students.
In the fall of 2027, The Winston School will begin introducing International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. IB, an intercultural, interdisciplinary standard for student-centered learning, was launched in the late 1960s in Geneva, Switzerland. It is now implemented in over 5,000 schools worldwide. Notably, Winston will be the only school of its kind to offer the program in Texas.
Head of School Jennifer L. Milam called IB a great fit for Winston, which is dedicated to students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, as well as those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
“A lot of our parents find us in a moment of crisis,” she said. “Their child is starting to withdraw, they’re feeling unsuccessful, they’re feeling like their learning difference is making them a ‘bad kid.’
“But the more we learn, the more we realize that there’s a natural diversity in the structure and function of our brains. These differences are not deficits, but assets. They make a student really cool, smart, and really capable in ways that a neurotypical kid might not be.”
Winston will implement the IB Middle Years Programme for grades six through 10 in the 2027-28 school year. The Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12 will roll out thereafter.
IB will complement the school’s small and collaborative classes, Milam explained. It will give students more agency in assignment selection while emphasizing how and why subjects are connected to each other and to the world at large.
“For our students, who may not always feel successful in traditional academic settings, IB opens up new ways to contribute,” Milam said. “It values creativity, connection, empathy, and real-world thinking — and that’s where many of our kids truly shine.”
Milam provided a “for instance” example in the form of a lesson on the American Civil Rights Movement.
“This period in history can be examined, not just from a historical perspective, but from an arts and literature perspective, studying African American artists and authors during that time,” she said. “You can also study it from an economics and population density perspective. This kind of integrated model is really supportive of how our students’ brains work.”
Students may also choose to complete a Community Action Project, heading outside the classroom to serve in a way that is meaningful to themselves and others. Simply put, this all adds up to creating the ideal environment to help students achieve Winston’s unique and inspired definition of success, Milam explained.
“As a college preparatory school, we want our students to go to college,” she said. “We want them to choose their next step wisely and from an informed position. We are often in a process of uncovering, of seeing, who they’re becoming. As a head of school, if our young people have a path that they feel confident about, one that is going to get them to where they want to go, I’m good.”
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