PSIA was born out of multiple requests from parents of private and home-schooled students while the organization’s founder served as Director of Academic Development for the University Interscholastic League (UIL) in Austin. The overarching goal of academic competition, however, remains similar to that established by both the UIL and the PSIA charter members--the improvement of schools and individuals through the pursuit of excellence in academic competition.
A large variety of contest categories or events are offerred covering a wide range of disciplines. PSIA provides an opportunity for private, parochial, and home school students in grades 1 through 8 to engage in academic competition with their peers throughout the state of Texas. PSIA remains the most comprehensive academic extracurricular program in the nation for students in grades 1-8.