For the past decade, the teaching profession has been building a system of quality assurance incorporating seven elements: advanced certification, licensing standards, curriculum standards, alignment, accreditation, professional-development schools, and state standards boards. NCATE-accredited institutions produce more qualified teachers than…

Traces the evolution of an elementary PDS that began as a project (the Learning Environment Project, or the Responsive Classroom Project). The project provides insight into the process and developmental stages of the partnership and moving toward the core commitments of the PDS. The idiosyncratic nature of relationships and the need to give them…

Examines both discord and agreement regarding what Professional Development Schools (PDSs) are, offering a generally accepted definition. The paper acknowledges evidence that PDSs can influence teaching and teacher learning, but notes that the evidence is insufficient to advance the work beyond its current spot within education. It recommends…

Explores two processes often stimulated by Professional Development Schools (PDSs): the destabilization of university faculty identities and the destabilization of university faculty work environments, presenting examples from one School of Education and its PDS partnership. The paper suggests that these destabilizing processes can help faculty…

Examines the benefits of and lessons learned from one Professional Development School (PDSs) collaborative, noting that PDSs require significant amounts of effort. The paper focuses on two issues: the development of collaborative relationships and the quality development of PDSs so they will not be another passing reform but rather a lasting…

Presents the Professional Development School (PDS) experiences of a participant who was both a school principal and the director/superintendent of a university laboratory school at the beginning, and who is now an Associate Professor and the director of an institute where she facilitates the creation of PDS relationships. (SM)

In this article, the author discusses the importance of having more experienced and more prepared teachers for students to learn more. Here, the author presents two books: (1) A Good Teacher in Every Classroom; and (2) Preparing Teachers for a Changing World. A Good Teacher outlines current research on effective teaching, citing necessary areas of…

In the year 2000, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas A&M University System teamed up to create an initiative called the University Faculty Fellows Program. Spearheaded by Texas A&M International University in Laredo, the program paired up faculty from the university with area Advanced Placement (AP) teachers in a variety of…

In this article, the author discusses some of the most serious challenges--intellectual, institutional, and political--that he sees for the future of professional learning in education. He states that one common solution to these challenges would be for educators to begin to act more like professionals. One thing is clear about the early stages of…

This paper discusses research, (its process and results), on an inner city school. It highlights the methods of data collection used in the research and discusses the findings. Methods of data collection include observation, interview and documentary information. Results indicate that the school in question is making modest strides, in terms of…

Given the increasing pressures of high-stakes accountability associated with state mandates and No Child Left Behind (U.S. Department of Education, 2002), linking teacher preparation within professional development schools to the goal of school improvement has become essential. This article illustrates the University of Florida's efforts to…

To provide a deeper understanding of issues related to collaborative reconstruction and simultaneous renewal, the author provides a historical perspective of professional development schools (PDSs) and an overview of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education PDS standards and assessment process, with a focus on inquiry and…

Many of the characteristics typically associated with an occupation that is considered a profession are not commonly associated with teaching. These characteristics include: a clearly defined, codified, and accessible knowledge base; a structured, coherent induction experience monitored by oustanding practitioners; control of training,…

Professional development schools provide mutual benefit to schools and universities. Because they are a relatively new iteration of the school/university relationship, there is a need for careful documentation and study of their development. This paper describes the beginning stages of a professional development school project that had the dual…

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…