This study explored the perceptions of preservice teacher candidates who participated in a pilot partnership between a public teacher education preparation program and Junior Achievement (JA). The partnership was grounded in the premise that providing early field experiences to preservice teacher candidates was a necessary requirement of quality…

This case study of a joint school/university professional development opportunity explored how 12 practitioners came together to examine change in light of discrepancies between current practice in local schools and promising practices recommended in the literature for students identified as having significant disabilities. The group met monthly…

The purpose of this article is to describe how veteran teachers understand and experience the development of a Professional Development School (PDS) partnership and how they participate in initial teacher preparation program reform. The author presents a case, which examines the voices and participation of veteran teachers in developing a PDS in…

This article describes a full-time teaching internship program, where, in lieu of student teaching, interns serve as classroom teachers in urban area schools. Through a partnership between a university and participating school districts, all interns received intensive mentoring and induction during their first year. Among the program results, were…

This study reports on the experiences of supervisors in a university teacher preparation program regarding their critical reflection on their practice. This has an impact on the learning opportunities available for their student teachers. Findings include: (a) an understanding of critical reflection is something that builds over time for student…

Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a workshop for mentor teachers that reflects the collaborative effort of a university and public school faculties. The workshop focused on giving feedback to student teachers. Evaluation data suggest that mentor teachers felt the workshop provided helpful information, teaching them how…

Describes joint effects by urban university faculty and a large public school district to create an observation tool for assessing and mentoring preservice and inservice teachers' abilities to meaningfully address diversity issues in their classroom, examining missions and background information on the university and school district and the…

Describes a set of clinical supervisory practices used with preservice teachers engaged in a semester-long internship at a Professional Development School site under an alternative supervision mode. Interns work with a team of experienced mentors on-site that is immediately available for help. This model can provide improved professional…

Investigated how literacy strategies embedded in a Web-based project would enhance middle school science students' writing performance. Preservice and inservice teachers collaborated to create rich, technology-supported learning environments. Students chose topics; researched, analyzed, and synthesized data; and wrote essays. Students were…

Evaluated the impact that an association with the Teachers College of a midwestern university had on student achievement at schools designated as Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Data were collected from the state mandated achievement test and from ratings of the PDSs. Comparison of PDS and non-PDS sites showed no significant differences…

Examined Professional Development School (PDS) participation by special education teacher education programs. Surveys of PDS chairpersons and liaisons, and subsequent surveys of special education department chairpersons indicated that although special education departments had some involvement with PDSs, there was considerable reluctance to…

Describes the development and implementation of an innovative master's degree program for urban, inservice teachers. This collaborative effort, which involved a university and a school district, included such features as being delivered on- site to beginning or newer teachers; offering content designed around teachers' expressed needs; placing…

Highlights a synergistic collaborative research effort between a public school and a university, discussing the process of collaboration throughout the study and providing perspectives on the learning and collaboration experiences from university faculty, classroom teachers, and pre-service teachers. This collaboration resulted in translation of…

Examines how a partnership between an elementary school and a university evolved into a Professional Development School, describing the process by making analogies to the process of constructing a house. The steps are also related to Kagan's (1991) stages of organizational development. Parallels and differences in the processes are explored and…

Examines issues related to secondary teacher preparation, including: advantages of a discipline-specific, interdisciplinary field-based block of courses; whether field basing should occur earlier or later in the program; how universities can address preservice teachers' varying needs; how university and school faculty can best collaborate; and how…