Donna McPartland

SLM 521

Course Module

Professional Development School Partnerships

Objectives:

Using technology resources, students will be able to describe

characteristics, purposes, and benefits of Professional Development

School partnerships.

Using technology resources, students will analyze and compare

collaborative efforts between institutions of higher learning and K-12

schools.

Students will be able to generalize information learned about PDSs and create a newsletter (web page) promoting a PDS partnership.

Introduction:

An innovation in teacher education is the collaboration between institutions of higher learning and Pre-K schools in enhancing teacher preparation programs. Traditionally, students training to be teachers didn’t have an internship in the field until their student teaching semester, just prior to graduation. With the inception of Professional Development Schools, the time spent in real classrooms prior to student teaching has increased significantly.

PDS standards have been developed by national organizations to provide a framework for the initiative. Some states, including Maryland, have become forerunners in designing state PDS standards and requiring that teacher preparation college programs adhere to the PDS standards if their graduates are to receive teacher certification.

Activities:

Visit some sites below to get an idea of what a PDS is and how it works. Find and read about partnerships already in existence across the country. Check out the stated goals and benefits of the different partnerships; what is the primary aim of their existence?

Professional Development School Network – Central Connecticut State University provides description of their PDS program, including target areas and partnership roles, and includes information on their current PDS partnerships. http://www.education.ccsu.edu/deans/PDS/PDSCHOOL.HTM

Central Pennsylvania Holmes Partnership – description of partnerships between Penn State and surrounding elementary schools, with links to mentor teacher resources and intern resources. They share their success with a link to their awards and recognition page. http://www.ed.psu.edu/pds/

Welcome to the Kansas University Professional Development School Alliance – includes a power point presentation on the PDS program and additional presentations on related topics. Includes examples of student projects and action research resulting from teacher training involved with PDS. Provides link to (very comprehensive) PDS newsletters. www.soe.ku.edu/pds/

Professional Development Schools Partnerships – Teachers College, Columbia University, give the beliefs, goals, and structure behind their PDS program. Included is a table indicating the commitments to the partnership of both the College and the schools. http://www.tc.edu/centers/pds/

Professional Development Schools – includes information regarding the partnership between the University of Nevada Las Vegas and the Clark County School District. Provides information about the PDS Coordinating Council and its responsibilities in strategic planning and managing thePDS initiatives. http://education.unlv.edu/pds/

Professional Development Schools. Learning toTeach in Living

Laboratories – Stanford University School of Education gives

rational for their PDS program explains how STEP (Stanford Teacher Education Program) and surrounding schools are working together toward shared goals. http://ed.stanford.edu/suse/community/pds.html

Professional Development Schools, University of South Carolina – a pioneer in the establishment of PDSs, the USC site provides a

comprehensive look at the structure of PDSs. Points out importance of the clinical experience, the use of best practices, and the appropriate learning environment. http://www.ed.sc.edu/pds/uscpds.htm

Dimensions of PDS Partnerships – part of Education Reform Network. Provides a catalog of resources for PDS. Includes links to creating a PDS partnership, the NCATE Standards for PDSs, a PDS handbook from Purdue University, and a slide show of the overview of a PDS. http://pds.edreform.net/

Are the additional internships and the opportunities for real teaching experiences as mandated in PDS programs making a difference?

Read the articles below and consider this question.

The Nature of Professional Development Schools – article from ERIC Clearing House providing information on PDSs, including purposes as well as criticisms of the program. http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9214/nature.htm

Early Field Placements in Teacher Education, Eric Digest – article on effectiveness of additional internships (as provided in PDS programs) in teacher training programs. Looks at what is appropriate for the additional internships and provides reference to research on retention of beginning teachers who have had this additional clinical experience.

http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-4/early.htm

Assignment:

Create a web newsletter (web page) in which you are advocating for a PDS partnership between the K-12 schools and the institution of higher learning in your area. Describe the PDS partnership, naming at least 3 characteristics of a PDS. List at least 3 colleges or universities that currently have PDS as part of their teacher certification program giving a brief description of each. Provide URLs for information on these partnerships.

Provide at least 3 goals of PDSs. Describe the benefits of the collaborative efforts in PDS partnerships.

Include information from at least one source referencing research support for the additional clinical internsips in teacher preparation programs, as occurs in the PDS model.

Submission:

Post your newsletter as an html file to the McDaniel Web Server. Send your instructor an email with a hot link to your assignment and the file’s URL.

Additional Resources:

Professional Development Schools, NCATE, National Council for Teacher Education – provides links related to PDS partnerships. Includes the national PDS Standards, Assessment of PDS programs, and a catalog of resources. http://www.ncate.org/public/pdsConcepts.asp?ch=138

Professional Development School Network, Maryland Department of Education – includes Maryland PDS Standards as aligned with NCATE Standards, and provides Developmental Guidelines for meeting the Standards. http://cte.jhu.edu/pds/index.cfm

WSU Cyber Tutoring Research Gives Preservice Teachers Virtual Experience – an alternative to field experiences in the classroom for preservice teachers. Explains the employment of virtual tutoring to help both college interns and students in classrooms.

http://researchnews.wsu.edu/society/84.html

Rubric:

	unacceptable	developing	accomplished
Description of PDS Partnerships	Brief statement of a single characteristic	Lists 3 characteristics with no clear explanation of a PDS	Characteristics (at least 3 listed) are explicitly stated. Description is clear and explains the concept or the PDS.
PDSs in Existence	Names three institutions or states with PDSs	Brief description of each of three PDS partnerships	Describes at least three PDSs, analyzes how each works, and compares the different programs
Goals and Benefits of PDS	Brief statement of each	Lists goals and benefits with no generalizing statement	Goals and benefits of PDS compared and generalized. Includes comments regarding overall goals and benefits
Research Support	Simple statement of one benefit supported by research	Brief description of research based benefit, but lacks specificity	Explanation of research findings, providing specific information on a benefit of additional internships and what should be included in internship experiences