This qualitative inquiry explores perceptions and experiences of three urban educators who had been involved in PDS initiatives both from the school perspective as classroom teachers and mentors to interns and from the university perspective as urban teacher-educators. These ''boundary spanners'' provided insight into and…

Deliberate investigation into practice is an essential of the National Association for Professional Development Schools' defining elements of a Professional Development School (PDS). This article reports on the pilot efforts of one PDS as it initiated deliberate investigation through action research with a small group of teacher candidates.…

This article describes an innovative partnership between a state department of education, local school systems, and institutions of higher education aimed at increasing the number of effective teachers for high-poverty/ high-minority schools through collaborative partnerships, rigorous coursework, ongoing professional development, intensive…

In order to strengthen communication between UMBC and its Professional Development School (PDS) network, we implemented an interview process prior to internship that required all students to interview with a school in the PDS network. This article outlines the interview process including the questions, assessment, and logistical issues. Further it…

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are an increasingly popular strategy for improving schools. While PLCs routinely implement universal academic screening, they seldom screen for emotional and behavioral problems. This is unfortunate, as the early signs of emotional and behavioral disorders can be identified and interventions developed. The…

A rural university and an urban school district developed a professional partnership that focused on promoting quality teaching by improving the skills, knowledge, and disposition of teachers. The major goals of this professional development initiative including the following objectives: first, establish a quality environment for teaching and…

The College of Education at Rowan University has held a long and continuing commitment to the tenets of the Professional Development School (PDS) movement. Two schools in the Rowan's network--Holly Glen Elementary and Edward R. Johnstone Elementary Schools--have a long history of exceptional commitment to continuous growth by all P-12 faculty…

This paper discusses the role of evaluation in the development of Professional Development Schools (PDS) and how evaluation techniques can be used to increase the rigor of self-study activities in a PDS. Evaluation activities may be challenging for a PDS given limited resources. Yet, creative use of school and university expertise can help PDSs…

In this article we detail ongoing work designed to understand and improve our practice and that of the future teachers with whom we work. This work centers on helping elementary teacher candidates learn to implement instruction that supports student learning. We have developed and implemented a model--the "Supported, Collaborative Teaching…

This article reports the research findings of a qualitative study that employs case study research methods to examine a newly-formed university-district-teacher union partnership. Examination of the question ''How do we better prepare teachers'' led to the formation of a university-district-association (teacher union)…

This article describes how a literacy learning community model was developed between two high school partnership sites and a large southern public university, and how teacher collaboration and shared learning across content areas in the first year impacted teachers' learning about literacy instruction and their school's vision for literacy.…

This article examines the mutuality of interests between partners in a professional development school (PDS), with an emphasis on promoting inclusive classrooms and integrating special education students into the general education continuum. It highlights how delivery models that hinder inclusive practices stunt the growth of PDS partnerships. It…