Addresses issues related to the need for and development of standards for Professional Development Schools (PDSs), describing the work of the PDS Standards Field-Test Project (operating under the auspices of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education). The paper discusses what PDS work is, characteristics of PDS work, conditions…

Southeast Missouri State University has collaborative partnerships with local school districts and Professional Development Schools. This article reviews the partnership processes and describes challenges experienced by both the university and the schools related to communication among partners, availability of physical space, university faculty…

Investigated what a diverse group of students in grades four through eight thought about the teaching and learning occurring in their Professional Development School (PDS). Surveys and focus-group discussions indicated that students had an overall good feeling about the PDSs, and the PDSs had a positive impact. Students made suggestions about how…

Describes the development of a partnership between a diverse urban elementary school and a suburban college in Chicago. The program's goal was to help preservice teachers learn the realities of city teaching while maintaining idealism. Specific criteria and processes followed in establishing such a partnership are noted, and guidelines are…

Three veteran principals completed interviews about their leadership style, role in professional development schools (PDSs), vision for innovation within PDSs, and views on the impact of successful PDSs. Results highlighted six common core characteristics of effective PDS principals, including: a philosophy that includes…

Interviewed graduates from two Professional Development Schools to determine the impact of that experience on subsequent teaching practices. Graduates reported that student teaching had the greatest impact because of the extended time and depth of experience in the classroom, the quality of mentoring they received, the connections they drew…

Examined leadership roles that classroom teachers filled within the University of South Carolina's Professional Development School (PDS) network. Focus-group discussions with participating teachers indicated that mentor teachers worked with preservice teachers in nontraditional ways, engaging in meaningful teaching experiences and instructing…

Describes a professional development experience in which elementary teachers and college faculty participated in an Inquiry Seminar housed in the elementary school over 3 years. Teachers discussed classroom action research, and college faculty reflected on problems of practice in today's elementary classrooms. The boundary-crossing activities…

Examined the perceptions of Professional Development School (PDS) stakeholders to investigate the match between the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Draft Standards and PDS practice. Focus group data indicated that many aspects of the standards were successfully reflected, though some practices were not. Results…

Describes the development of a successful Professional Development School (PDS) initiative involving Augusta State University and four very diverse county school districts, presenting information on the context and background of the PDS, principles guiding the PDS initiative, operative dimensions of the PDS initiative, program and performance…

Describes the National Education Association Teacher Education Initiative, a national collaborative of schools, professional teacher associations, and universities designed to accelerate the pace of change and renewal in teacher preparation and public education. The collaboration is organized around principles that apply to the continuum of…

Through a collaborative process, mentor teachers at one elementary Professional Development School developed a cohort model for supervision of preservice teachers. Teams of mentor teachers guide the planning of teaching and other experiences, provide formulative feedback, and guide self-reflection for preservice teachers. The university liaison…

Describes the Teacher Education Initiative (TEI) longitudinal study of seven restructuring partnerships, discussing three themes that emerged from the cross-site analysis: the TEI's nine principles are guiding the practices of the professional partnerships; restructuring has affected schools more significantly than universities; and professional…

George Mason University, Virginia, prepares teachers through a professional development school model, which empowers teachers to assume leadership roles as clinical faculty and site coordinators. Classroom teachers and the former Director of Teacher Education describe the effects of teachers' experiences as teacher educators on their roles within…

Examined the impact of rewards and reward structures for mentor teachers and university faculty engaged in preparing teachers and the ongoing professional development of veteran teachers within Professional Development Schools. School faculty cited extrinsic reward structures as inadequate, emphasizing their importance as incentives for…