An important feature of professional development school (PDS) work is encouraging collaborative reflective dialogue that guides a partnership toward actualizing the possibilities for and mission of a PDS. This article provides a case "illustration" of a fictitious, exemplary PDS and a "protocol" that in combination can be used…

Never before in the history of the teaching profession has there been such a need for comprehensive evaluation of all teacher preparation programs, most especially professional development schools (PDSs). This need is driven not only by the pressures of the age of accountability, but also by the need for the PDS movement to act ethically and…

The professional development school (PDS) is a model of choice for many teacher preparation programs. This approach integrates the functions of teacher preparation, professional development, inquiry and research, and student achievement to bring about whole-school improvement and the simultaneous renewal of the teaching profession. Ideally,…

A central commitment for professional development schools (PDSs) is to link preservice teacher preparation and in-service teacher professional development with improved learning outcomes for pupils. PDSs are expected to improve student achievement in two primary ways: (1) by enriching and intensifying the learning environment through professional…

Teacher education is under considerable scrutiny, and as often happens with critique, changes are imminent. Levine's "Educating School Teachers" (2006) recently suggested several important changes for teacher education programs, including redesigning the teacher education curricula based on a model of professional development schools…

This study examined the effectiveness of a new counseling practicum training model which was developed as part of a Professional Development School (PDS) program. Unlike the traditional counseling practicum, the university instructor and graduate students worked together in an elementary school setting for one day a week. All supervision was…

In August 2004, the WVDE asked the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, Inc. to evaluate the demonstration project, in order to meet the evaluation and reporting requirements set forth in the law. According to Fink (1993), baseline evaluation data allow for subsequent analyses of the effect or impact of a program. The purpose of this…

Presents insights gained from collaboratively designing and implementing a comprehensive evaluation system for a coalition of professional development schools. Highlights structural and governance changes and lessons learned about interpersonal processes and curricular reform. Greater understanding among partners occurred, but programmatic…

Examines teacher education reform via professional development schools (PDSs), focusing on Trinity University's five-year Master of Arts in Teaching Degree, which includes significant PDS participation. Surveys of program graduates and administrators who hired them highlighted several essentials that helped ensure the quality and quantity of…

There is growing evidence that establishing school-university partnerships for the purpose of restructuring schools has impacts on teacher education, the elementary and secondary curriculum, and the knowledge base that undergirds the profession. In 1988 the National Education Association (NEA) created the Teacher Education Initiative (TEI) to…

The Professional Development Laboratory (P.D.L.) is a collaborative teacher development program in New York City which promotes collegiality and provides an environment in which new and experienced teachers can update skills, learn and practice new skills, and share classroom techniques with one another. Participants spent 3 to 4 weeks in the…

This article addresses school reform and the challenges presented to educational leaders working toward social justice which is not limited to only academic achievement. Social justice as used here is education for emancipatory social change resulting in freedom to, that is, the opportunity for individuals to pursue work they value, and,…

This evaluation report covers the first year of the Pattonville School District-Webster University (Missouri) Professional Development Schools (PDSs) Partnership. Representatives of both organizations met regularly to explore the meaning of a school-university partnership as well as the potential benefits and commitments that would result. The…

Professional Development Schools (PDSs) emerged in the USA in the mid-1980s as a promising approach to simultaneously improving teacher education and the quality of education students receive in kindergarten through grade 12 (public) schools. This new form of school-university partnership enabled teacher educators to design new models for…

This report describes the teacher education reforms at Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas), with special emphasis on the benefits and obstacles encountered along the journey toward the creation and maintenance of effective school-university partnerships. In 1987, Trinity University established the Alliance for Better Schools, a…