A NetSeminar Design for Team-Based Learning in Professional Development Schools

The Professional Development School (PDS) partnership creates a unique environment in which the elementary education experiences for pre-service teachers (PSTs) can be enhanced through specialized approaches to traditional practicum courses taken during an education licensure program. However, over time, as both parties settle into their predetermined roles, these experiences may become stagnant and less impactful as school needs change, but the courses do not. The PDS partnership between a Midwest university and local school district provides the opportunity for distinctive platforms through innovative teaching approaches for both university and elementary faculty, as well as, for elementary education PSTs. Working specifically with a local elementary school, the authors collaboratively sought to develop a mutually beneficial approach that would purposefully place PSTs within the school while increasing consistency in the placement. The intent was to allow classroom teachers to better utilize the PSTs during their field experience hours, in addition to providing PSTs with more hands-on, minds-on learning opportunities. The decision to turn the courses into an extended learning immersive experience was determined early on in the planning process, along with the associated courses. This partnership began in Fall 2019 as a nine-hour block that included courses in instructional and behavioral engagement, literacy practices, and elementary science methods. Throughout the semester, feedback was periodically collected from participating faculty and PSTs in an effort to keep the immersive courses meeting the needs of the PSTs. Additional information was collected from diverse elementary student data within the PDS and from the principal.

The reemergence of the professional development school movement in North America may mark the beginning of a paradigm shift in clinical teacher education. Conceptual and structural obstacles to student teacher learning in practicums that must be addressed if the professional development school is to achieve its goals are discussed. The conceptual barriers result from inadequate conceptions of reflection that neglect teachers' practical theories, values, the social conditions of schooling, and the social aspects of reflection. The structural barriers include the placement of student teachers in single classrooms rather than schools, the selection of placements, supervisory relations, and the lack of multicultural placements. Professional development schools offer an opportunity to overcome these obstacles by altering the power and role relationships in the practicum.

Purpose The purpose of this action research study was to design, implement and evaluate interventions that enhanced the induction program for new teachers in a P-12 school district. At the outset, we hoped the study would provide new teacher support resulting in improved teaching practices, increased job satisfaction and/or increased teacher retention among the target population. With this in mind, our research question was: What structures and supports from a school-university partnership facilitate capacity-building among university teacher education faculty, school and district leaders, mentor teachers, and new teachers in the context of an induction program?Design/methodology/approach This study used an intervention-centered mode of action research methodology that aims to make systems-level change. This type of action research intends to solve real organizational problems with a focus on conducting “research in action” rather than “research about action” (Coghlan and Brannick, 2014, pp. 5–6). This approach necessitates that data collection and analysis are iterative processes, occurring throughout the research process, instead of solely at the end stages of the research process. Our action research process used Coghlan and Brannick’s (2014) action research cycle model. The cyclical four-step process includes constructing (verifying the problem in the local context), planning action, taking action and evaluating action. Facilitated by the interim director of a Professional development schools (PDS) partnership in the Southeastern United States, a team of co-researchers which included three university teacher education faculty and four school district administrators used action research methodology to create systemic change that enhanced the district’s induction program. We collected data through multiple qualitative methods, including surveys, focus groups, observations and interviews during the course of three action research cycles. These data and our theoretical framework (complex adaptive systems theory and social network theory) informed two major interventions that supported new teachers during the challenging first year of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.Findings The interventions and the research process were mutually beneficial for both institutions and contributed to professional learning and growth at the individual, group and system levels. The three major findings described include: (1) engaging in collaborative action research is mutually beneficial for both schools and universities; (2) induction programs benefit from university resources; (3) learning communities build all educators’ professional capacity.Research limitations/implications Our research recommendations are: (1) more research is needed on the benefits of school-university partnerships to induction programs; (2) school-university partnerships should leverage action research to improve systems; (3) within school-university partnerships, the connection between collaborative leadership and sustainability requires further research. One limitation was that this study was conducted in a single school-university partnership context involving a large public university and a mid-sized public school district that had a well-established partnership. More induction-centered research is needed in different types of school-university partnership contexts that have varying levels of longevity and partnership structures.Practical implications Our recommendations for practice include (1) school-university partnerships should leverage collaborative learning communities to catalyze individual, group and systems-level learning and change, and (2) school-university partnerships must prioritize induction support to strengthen the teaching profession.Originality/value Since Hunt’s (2014) literature review on induction support in PDS partnerships, very few empirical studies have been conducted in this research area. This study, which examined induction support in a PDS partnership over a two-year period, makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literature on induction teacher support in school-university partnership contexts. Facilitated by the interim director of a PDS partnership, a team of co-researchers, which included three university teacher education faculty and four school district administrators, used action research methodology to create systems-level supports that enhanced the district’s induction program.

The article presents in its first part the partnership model – PDS (Professional Development School) for teacher education that developed in the 1970s in the United States following criticism and re- search findings that indicated lack of satisfaction with the traditional teacher education programs. In its second part the article presents findings and discussion of a multi-year study conducted over seven years, from 2010 to 2016, in the first and up till now the only PDS partnership incorporated into teacher training program in research university in Israel. The multi-year study focused on stu- dent teachers’ evaluation of the contribution of the teacher training components of the university- school partnership model (PDS) to their learning of teaching: the practice teaching in the school and the school mentors; the groups of student colleagues as learning communities and their weekly meetings and the university coordinators. From the perception of the PDS partnership as a dynamic and developing process and from the approach of evidence-based practice, the importance of this multi year study lies in the identification of the essential strengths in the process of the practical experience expressed in the partnerships for their empowerment. In addition the importance of this research is in the identification of the essential weaknesses and challenges, for the purpose of en- quiry and learning in the learning communities who take part in the PDS partnerships, and the rais- ing of the necessary courses of action and changes. The importance of the research study in the in-ternational aspect lies in the presentation of an additional profile of partnership for the extension of the shared discussion about dilemmas and challenges that arise from the implementation of different partnerships in the training of teachers.

The views of university faculty and public school personnel toward collaborative research in the second year of a professional development schools (PDS) partnership were compared by means of a survey and a structured interview. Although participants were involved in a collaborative partnership, they subscribed to a traditional, rather than a collaborative, conception of educational research. Whether a collaborative model of research can flourish in a PDS depends on participants’ ability (a) to develop a common mindset about what collaborative research is and how it relates to practice and (b) to achieve a positive balance of its costs and benefits. It is important in the early stages of a PDS to identify whether school and university faculty have different views about research so they can develop a common research perspective that will enable collaboration to flourish over the long term.

PurposeIn 2022, the Baltimore professional development school (PDS) partner schools, John Ruhruh Elementary/Middle School (JREMS) and Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) received funds through a Maryland Educational Emergency Revitalization (MEER) grant to determine (a) to what extent additional resources and professional development would increase JREMS teachers’ efficacy in technology integration and (b) to what extent NDMU professional development in the form of workshops and self-paced computer science modules would result in greater use of technology in the JREMS K-8 classrooms. Results indicated a statistically significant improvement in both teacher comfort with technology and integrated use of technology in instruction.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected on teacher-stated comfort with technology before and after grant implementation. Teachers’ use of technology was also measured by unannounced classroom visits by administration before and after the grant implementation and through artifacts teachers submitted during NDMU professional development modules.FindingsResults showing significant increases in self-efficacy with technology along with teacher integration of technology exemplify the benefits of a PDS partnership.Originality/valueThis initiative was original in its approach to teacher development by replacing required teacher professional development with an invitation to participate and an incentive for participation (a personal MacBook) that met the stated needs of teachers. Teacher motivation was strong because teammates in a strong PDS partnership provided the necessary supports to induce changes in teacher self-efficacy.

During the last decade, calls for structural and radical reform have inundated American schools (Lewis, 1989). Teacher educators, legislatures, and the general public question the value, productivity, and relevancy of teacher preparation programs (Goodlad, 1990; Stallings & Kowalski, 1990). Strengthening relationships between public schools and higher education through school-university partnerships is one strategy to improve education. Numerous collaborative groups are attempting such efforts (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1996; Berg & Murphy, 1992; Glickman, 1993; Goodlad, 1990; Sizer, 1992). One of the most visible is a group of research institutions, initially called the Holmes Group (1990) and more recently called the Holmes Partnership. A central strategy of the Holmes Group/Partnership is the establishment of Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Diverse in structure, governance, and operation, (Fullan, Galluzzo, Morris, & Watson, 1996; Hardin & Kunkel, 1994), PDSs conceptualized by the Holmes Group are a new kind of public school that would serve itself and professional education the way teaching hospitals serve medical education (Murray, 1996, p. 29). The Holmes Group has established the following guiding principles for these partnerships: teaching and learning for understanding; creating a learning community; teaching and learning for understanding for everybody's children; continuing learning by teachers, teacher educators, and administrators; thoughtful, long-term inquiry into teaching and learning by school and university faculty working as partners; and inventing a new institution (Holmes Group, 1990, p. vii). Numerous institutions of higher education, including the College of Education at Auburn University, Alabama, seek to reach these ideals through school-university partnerships. Forming the Learning Coalition Auburn University initiated its Professional Development School (PDS) and extended collaboration by uniting with other institutions to establish a group of PDS partnerships. In 1993, the dean of the College of Education acquired funds from the Alabama Power Foundation to unite with four other institutions of higher education and their partner schools to form a coalition of PDSs called the Learning Coalition. The partners selected the word coalition because it signifies that partners are equal and able to decide how to organize and operate within a mutually agreed-upon framework (Tushnet, 1993). The aim of the Coalition was to create a community of learners sharing a common purpose, operating in a diverse manner, learning from one another, and being a change catalyst in the state. Initiating the Process of Collaboration The Auburn University dean invited deans of four other institutions to become part of the Learning Coalition by creating PDS relationships at each of their sites. They committed to sharing information, knowledge, and ideas over a 3-year period. The deans joined with superintendents, school systems, principals, and schools to begin the process of collaboration. PDS partnerships exist at five sites: Alabama State University/Carver Junior High School, Montgomery County Schools; Auburn University/Sanford Middle School, Lee County Schools; Jacksonville State University/Southside Elementary School, Piedmont City Schools; Troy State University at Dothan/Ozark and Dothan City Schools; University of South Alabama/E. R. Dickson Elementary School, Mobile County Schools. In addition to the Holmes principles, the partnerships are founded upon six guidelines: * Each partnership will include one or more schools and a university. * Each partner will be considered equal. * Open communication and support will be cornerstones of the relationship. * The partnership will be a long-term commitment. * Partners will meet, share, and support one another and the other four partners. …

True education occurs when teachers become learners and learners become teachers (Freire, 2000). This epistemological ideal was achieved through reciprocal learning experiences of a successful Professional Development School (PDS) partnership between one high school and a local university. This chapter presents a model for a PDS relationship that: a) promotes a professional community of learners, b) engenders reciprocal teaching and learning, c) encourages mentoring at multiple levels, and d) positively impacts student and candidate learning. Data analyses indicate significant benefits to all participants due to the unique opportunities created by the partnerships in learning embedded within a PDS setting.

This study examined the effectiveness of implementing professional development on a volunteer basis at a professional development school (PDS) and points out the many ways in which the PDS structure supports growth for teachers, preservice teachers, students, and even university faculty. The specific professional development was focused on types of academic tasks. It specifically encouraged the instructional participants to change their way of teaching to consist of more challenging academic tasks to help improve student understanding and achievement. The results show that by having teachers take time to examine their own practices and increasing the number of high-challenge tasks in the classroom, students were more motivated during the activities, and they understood the content better. Preservice teachers who work in the school also benefited from the partnership and professional development because they were taught the same material in their university classrooms. Throughout the study, it is clear that the PDS partnership is a positive model for students who are reaping the benefits of teachers taking the initiative to change their instruction in order to become more effective for children’s learning.

Professional development schools (PDSs) have become an important component of preservice teacher preparation. Researchers investigating the effect of the PDS model on the principal stakeholders (preservice teachers, classroom teachers, students, and university faculty) have reported many positive effects. The role of the PDS in special education teacher preparation, however, appears to be less well defined. This article focuses on PDS participation of special education teacher preparation programs and addresses the apparent reluctance to embrace the PDS model.

The major aim of this research was to investigate the environment of a secondary school as it began to become a professional development school. Using the theoretical dynamic of technical cultures, open systems theory, and organisational learning as background, the use of quantitative and qualitative data describes the practical dynamic of a learning environment at the initial stage of becoming a professional development school. This article uncovers instructors' perceptions of teaching and learning in a secondary context, offers a framework to investigate the school's teaching and learning environment, and suggests ways to use such investigation to understand the evolution potential of learning communities.

Stakeholders in a university/district professional development school (PDS) partnership report here on the first year of the partnership. Key achievements included professional development of teacher candidates and mentor teachers, and positive external relations in the form of conference presentations, community outreach and media coverage. Important contributors to the success of the partnership were a shared mission and vision, a clear organizational structure, dedication to regular communication, and the development of trust.

In this retrospective case study, the author describes the process of initiating a new partnership between the Master of Education in Teaching (MET) program at the University of Hawaii and a public elementary school, which would service as the field site for the student cohort in this two-year field-intensive certification program. Included in the article are descriptions of the context of the new partner school, components and characteristics of the MET professional development school (PDS) model, and the major themes and issues that arose in the first year of establishing this new PDS -MET style

The professional development schools (PDS) model has evolved in its 30-year history. Originating from the Holmes Group (1986), the PDS framework was designed to be “a new institution”—one that broke down the divide between PK–12 schools that educate youth and schools of education that educate future teachers—through the development and implementation of genuine and mutually beneficial partnerships. Three decades later, the PDS model is increasingly relevant to its various school and university constituents. Hundreds of school-university partnerships across the United States follow the model, and PDS has been highlighted as an exemplary approach to teacher education. In this chapter, we make the case for PDS as an exemplary format to consider in “rethinking school-university partnerships.” To make this case, partnerships based at four universities that follow the PDS model are featured in vignettes, presenting PDSs-in-action: George Mason University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, University of South Florida, and SUNY Buffalo State. Each represents a different region of the United States and different levels of development toward the PDS model. The vignettes highlight the unique strengths and mutually beneficial elements of each PDS partnership by focusing on one NAPDS nine essentials (Brindley et al., 2008).

This chapter investigates the principles and practices which have guided the highly regarded Professional Development School (PDS) partnerships at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, USA, and analyzes them in relation to the STEPS Interpretive Framework. The analysis is undertaken as a dialogue between an insider from Trinity University seeking to articulate the significant features of their partnerships and an outsider teacher educator making connections to the STEPS Interpretive Framework. Trinity partnerships have emphasized principles, including education as “transformation,” the centrality of “relationships,” and strong university leadership. Analysis of Trinity approaches in terms of the STEPS Framework suggests that faithfulness to overriding partnership principles has promoted strength and resilience in its partnerships with schools, indicating that the framework is justified in proposing principles and practices which can guide successful partnership development no matter where it takes place.