Professional Development Schools
The UNCW Watson School Of Education
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Dr. Roma Angel and Kay Campany review UNCW's PDS Policies
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Becky Griffith, Eddie Clark, Kay Campany, Avery High School and Dr. Linda McCalister, ASU Partnership Director, watch UNCW's presentation
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Principal, Robert Grimes; Dr. Roma Angel, Assistant Dean for Field Experiences (ASU; and Richelle Dombroski, Site Coordinator, E.A. Laney High School PDS site
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Art display in UNCW's new education building
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Meeting at E. A. Laney PDS High School
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What is a Professional Development School?
A Professional Development School is an elementary, middle, or high school that works in partnership with a University and other PDS sites to develop and demonstrate:
- exemplary learning programs for diverse students,
- practical, thought-provoking preparation for novice teachers,
- new understandings and professional responsibilities for experienced educators, and
- research projects that add to all educators' knowledge about how to make schools more productive.
A Professional Development School is a center of responsible innovation where new programs and technologies can be tried out and evaluated.
It is a place where faculties of the school and of the University experience are working at the edge of their knowledge.
Students preparing to be teachers, just forming their knowledge and technique, are able to explore the reality of classrooms similar to those where they are likely to get their first jobs. They also see the skill, hear the counsel, and feel the support of expert teachers.Becoming a Professional Development School is not just a design process. It is also a negotiation process: a back-and-forth dialogue among people from Universities, schools, and the community.
Which area schools are working in collaboration with The Reich College of Education as PDS high school sites?
What is the local advisory group?
At each PDS site a local governing committee is comprised of site-based teachers and administrators and School of Education faculty and students. The local governance committee works to:
- develop a site action plan
- implement the site action plan
- approve PDS activity proposals
- evaluate PDS activities
- communicate with the local school board
Standards for Professional-Development Schools
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education released standards last week, condensed below.
Standard I: Learning Community
Partners include the university, school district, teacher union(s), or other professional education association(s), and may extend to arts and science faculty, other interested school and university faculty, family and community members, and other affiliated schools. They also ensure that all stakeholders collaborate to create a vision and implement it with the ultimate goal of integrating the learning and development of P-12 [preschool through 12th grade] students, prospective educators, and PDS partners through inquiry-based practice.
Standard II: Accountability and Quality Assurance
Partners collaboratively develop assessments, collect information, and use results to systematically examine their practices and establish outcome goals for all P-12 students, candidates, faculty, and other professionals. The program demonstrates impact at the local, state, and national level on policies and practices affecting its work.
Standard III: Collaboration
Partners collaborate to design roles and structures to support the PDS efforts and utilize them to improve outcomes for P-12 students, candidates, faculty, and other professionals.
Standard IV: Diversity and Equity
Programs include diverse participants and diverse learning communities and result in learning for all.
Standard V: Structures, Resources, and Roles
Partners use their authority and resources to develop a mission and establish a governing structure that support the learning and development of all involved.
Benefits of PDS Partnerships
Partners see many benefits to this enhanced collaboration including the opportunity to:
- Identify, implement, and evaluate mutually determined goals;
- Design, test, and evaluate models for training new teachers including alternative certification programs;
- Conduct research on issues related to teaching, learning, and school effectiveness;
- Increase and improve professional development opportunities for teachers through specially tailored graduate courses and programs to address specific classroom issues;
- Strengthen collaboration with faculty who work in related fields in other campus units and at other universities;
- Engage members of the broader community in related issues;
- Build teamwork by working together on authentic tasks;
- Enhance linkages vertically (across grades) and horizontally (within and across schools and with higher education);
- Inform policies;
- Seek funding;
- Advocate teacher quality (e.g., communicate concerns; share work);
- Increase contacts and expand expertise while building networks.
Goals 2008-2009
1. Utilize co-teaching model at all PDS sites.
2. Focus on equity/diversity standard.
3. Create a PDS Committee to share ideas and support the public school PDS sites. This ASU PDS Committee should be composed of stakeholders from the both the RCOE and the College of Arts and Sciences.
4. Finalize and have signed the Memorandum of Understanding between ASU and ACHS.
5. Invite a content-area representatives from the ASU College of Arts and Sciences attend our PDS meetings.
6. Improve communication among all stake holders in the PDS.
Co-Teaching in our PDS School (under construction)
PDS Discussion Sites
