Austin Peace Academy, Austin | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

As parents of 3 students at Austin Peace Academy, we have about ten years of experience with this institute, during 5 of those years I was a faculty member in the upper school. We have seen the school progress from what I would call a fairly typical Islamic School to probably one of the leading Islamic schools in the country. In order to help people who may be considering this school, I am going to try to make this review somewhat detailed around the 3 key expectations that I have as a parent assuming that others probably share similar concerns.

1. Islamic Studies and Arabic instruction are ahead of the game. In addition to learning the basics of the religion such as the pillars, practices and aqeedah, students also learn tafseer of whatever they are memorizing from the Quran, they also study hadeeth and seerah and they engage in class discussions and projects that ensure students understand how this knowledge bears relevance to their lives. My kids (ages 13, 12 and 9 respectively) love and respect their Islamic studies teachers who are grounded in knowledge but are also approachable to young people. APA is one of only 4 schools in the U.S. that is piloting the renowned Bayyinah Insitute’s Arabic program. This Arabic curriculum is a breakthrough in teaching Arabic in such a way that simultaneously unlocks an understanding of the Quran and makes the language usable to students. For parents who are interested in a Hifz program, APA offers a track that allows students to stay on track with their grade school learning, enjoy interactions with friends and do Hifz all at the same time.
2. APA offers opportunities for students to discover and develop their individual strengths. Firstly, the small class sizes (usually between 14-26) means there is a close, family atmosphere in which everyone really cares about everyone else – I really believe this gives a sense of emotional security to students which fosters their ability to excel. The lower and middle school participate in a private school competition annually (similar to UIL) and for the last 3 years they have ranked 1st in district competitions against other private schools. APA students (including my daughters)have also placed in the state competition. The High school last year won 1st place at the MIST national competition. High school students also benefit from a nationally acclaimed debate coach (who is also the Academic Director), in the many debates they participate in it is not unusual for the APA team to place among the top teams in UIL competitions. The school has a history of great performance in the Austin Regional Science Fair. Internally the school has an active Junior council and Senior Council as well as a registered National Honor Society. Recently students were on both local and national television sharing their outlook on the climate of Islamophobia. The school really allows students to discover their strengths and become self confident young adults.
3. APA also provides academic empowerment to its students. As a former staff member, I was really grateful for how much the school invested in professional development for its faculty members. While teachers are accountable to the Academic Director (ensuring quality instruction of knowledge standards), they are given sufficient freedom in curriculum and lesson design as to allow for creative (therefore fun) lessons that are student centered. There is a very positive relationship amongst the faculty in which ideas and better practices are shared to the benefit of all. The school invests in classroom resources and technology and AP courses are offered to 11th and 12th graders allowing them to earn credit at university. AP scores are consistently way above national averages. The APA graduates that I have kept in touch with feel well prepared for the studies at their higher education institutes (including UT Austin).
Obviously we have to make sacrifices in certain lifestyle choices when sending our three children to APA, but at the end of the day we feel that it is a sound investment.

As a parent and a community member, I am very pleased with APA. It has been the second home to my family for last 6 years and I feel strongly connected to the school. I cannot say enough to praise the highly qualified and dedicated teachers who encourage and inspire students to do their best. As soon I as walk in, I feel the welcoming environment and see the cheerful happy students in between classes. Principal Diana Abdi and her staff make every effort to provide the high quality education and maintain the higher standard of the school.

I am also glad that my son prays Jummah at school and does not have to be picked up for prayer on Fridays. The masajid plays an important role to remind the students of their American Muslim identity and provides additional support to the Islamic character building.

APA has come a long way adding more and more enrichment programs and extra curricular activities like debate, basketball for boys and girls, spelling bee, etc. The students regularly participate in state competitions and do extremely well. The performance of the school in PSIA, Science Fair, and MIST is extraordinary, not to mention maintaining the first place for three years in a row. I feel proud that my son is a part of this amazing school and I am grateful for all the support he gets from the school.

I would recommend Austin Peace Academy to anyone looking for a high quality private school with small classrooms and one- on- one interactions between teachers and students in an Islamic environment.