Perspectives of Effective Collaborations Across Institutional Settings Dr. Vicki Sherbert Amanda Lickteig
Various Roles within PDSs • Dr. Sherbert – Cooperating Teacher & University Supervisor
• Mrs. Lickteig – Undergraduate Student, Cooperating Teacher, University Supervisor
What is a PDS? • "The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (2001) defined a PDS as containing specific elements including: (a) student teaching, field placement, and onsite undergraduate coursework that allows for more time and more total immersion in the school environment; (b) professional development opportunities for teachers through work with university faculty members; (c) a focus on improving student achievement; and (d) improving teacher preservice preparation, teacher inservice professional development, and student achievement through cooperative research" (Latham & Vogt, 2007, p. 155).
Essential 8 • The 8th essential required of a PDS: – "Work by college/university faculty and P-12 faculty in formal roles across institutional settings" (NAPDS, 2008). • "PDSs are clinical field sites in which the school and university partners focus together on improving teacher education and the professional development of practicing teachers as well as increasing student achievement and conducting research" (Castle, Fox, & Souder, 2006, p. 65).
Impact • Total number of students placed per semester • Total number of students placed in PDS schools • Positions/roles – University students (Instructional Aides, Block Students, Interns) – Cooperating Teachers – Administrators & Support Staff – Clinical Instructors – University Supervisors
Meet Our Partners Each of the following work for USD 475, which has a large, highly diverse, military student population.
• Brandys – Theater and Speech classroom teacher who started her career in Texas and is now working in Junction City, KS for USD 475, which became a partner in the Kansas State University PDS in Fall 2000. Now in her 40th year in education and 14th as a Clinical Instructor, she is the only clinical instructor from the original PDS group who is still working with our students. • Kim – Former Middle School English/Language Arts and Advanced English Language Arts teacher on a military post in her 10th year as an educator who is currently a Library Media Specialist for a small K-5 public elementary school located on an army post. As an undergraduate student, Kim was placed in a PDS during each of her field experiences and she has also been a Cooperating Teacher to students at all levels. • Patrick – Is currently in his 14th year as a 9th grade teacher with sections of English/Language Arts and Advanced Language Arts students. Patrick attended Kansas State University and was a student teacher at the high school in the district where he now works. He has also welcomed many K-State field experience students as well as student teachers into his classroom. • Cheryl – Former military career service person who is currently a 9th grade teacher with sections of English/ Language Arts and Advanced Language Arts students. This is her 7th year of teaching and she has welcomed multiple preservice teachers at all levels of the program into her classroom.
District Benefits: Brandys & Kim
http://youtu.be/VNbkLoxrUr4
Perspectives & Research • During hiring, districts with PDSs get first pick of high-quality teachers. – "Every site that had hired PDS graduates remarked on the graduates' high-quality preparation and the impact of the graduates on the school" (Castle, Fox, & Souder, 2006, p. 76). • During hiring, districts with PDSs know exactly who they're hiring and the strengths of the candidates. – "Most important, the schools had first-hand knowledge of the candidates' teaching ability" (p. 76).
Reciprocal Benefits: Cheryl & Patrick
http://youtu.be/rhsabpUk1w4
Perspectives & Research • Experienced teachers learn from their field experience students. – "[Participants] regarded their PDS as a collaboration between the school and the university for the purpose of creating a collegial environment where teachers, teacher candidates, and students learn from each other" (Castle, Fox, & Souder, 2006, p. 76). – "...being a PDS meant enhanced professional development of clinical faculty through interactions with teacher candidates. For instance, clinical faculty learned new ideas and strategies, cotaught, and reflected on their own practice to share it with their teacher candidates" (p. 76). – "...committee members mentioned that being part of a PDS was professional 'rejuvenating'" (p. 76).
PDS Network: Kim
http://youtu.be/WhbZH1ppRfg
Perspectives & Research • PDS partnerships provide networking opportunities. – "What distinguishes a PDS from a non-PDS or other programs with similar structural arrangements is a commitment to developing a partnership that goes beyond teacher preparation..." (Castle, Fox, & Souder, 2006, p. 75).
Supporting Interns: Patrick
http://youtu.be/kJdm0Bq-6is
Perspectives & Research • PDS provides support during field experiences. – "The PDS is one model of teacher education that extends the experiences in the school and immerses preservice teachers in the real work of teaching. If PDSs help prepare teachers so they can meet the demands of the classrooms, then the teachers should tend to remain in teaching longer" (Latham & Vogt, 2007, pp. 154-155).
Successful Collaboration • Bi-monthly collaborative meetings for Clinical Instructors • Building relationships with Cooperating Teachers • Outlining expectations and communicating them to all stakeholders • Aligning placements through Field Experience Office
PDS Partnership Benefits Teachers & Schools *Results based on the one-way ANOVA conduced by Castle, Fox, & Souder (2006) to "determine any differences between groups with program (PDS or non-PDS) as the independent variable and student teacher evaluation form scores as the dependent variable" (p. 68)
• "...the results provide support for PDS-based teacher preparation in producing beginning teachers who are more competent in some aspects of instruction, management, and assessment and are more integrated and student-centered in their thinking about planning, assessment, instruction, management, and reflection" (p. 78). • "PDS-trained teacher candidates scored higher on presenting content accurately and instructions clearly and on encouraging critical thinking through questioning. These are essential aspects of effective instruction. In addition, PDS teacher candidates scored higher on classroom management in terms of establishing and using routines effectively, managing multiple activities simultaneously, and handling disruptions firmly and fairly" (p. 78). • Effective management skills are essential because "discipline and issues of classroom management, along with inadequate administrative support, are also top reasons identified by leavers" (Latham & Vogt, 2007, p. 154). • "The quantitative results show that PDS teacher candidates performed at higher levels on aspects of instruction, management, and assessment. The qualitative results suggest that these higher levels of performance may be intertwined with their ownership of their teaching and their sophisticated understanding of the connections between the various aspects of teaching" (Castle, Fox, & Souder, 2006, p. 79).
References • Castle, S., Fox, R.K., Souder, K.O. (2006). Do professional development schools (PDSs) make a difference? A comparative study of PDS and non-PDS teacher candidates. Journal of Teacher Evaluation, 57(1), 65-80. doi: 10.1177/0022487105284211 • Latham, N.I. & Vogt, W.P. (2007). Do professional development schools reduce teacher attrition? Evidence from a longitudinal study of 1,000 graduates. Journal of Teacher Evaluation, 58(2), 153-167. doi: 10.1177/0022487106297840 • National Association for Professional Development Schools. (2008, April 13). NAPDS releases policy statement on professional development school. Retrieved from http://www.napds.org/nine_essen.html
YouTube Videos • http://youtu.be/VNbkLoxrUr4
• http://youtu.be/rhsabpUk1w4
• http://youtu.be/WhbZH1ppRfg
• http://youtu.be/kJdm0Bq-6is
Future Reading • Along with a colleague at Kansas State University and a principal at a local PDS, we are currently working on an article about the different roles within the PDS partnership. – Look for "Blurring Boundaries: PDS Roles and Responsibilities" in the next issue of Educational Considerations. – http://coe.k-state.edu/annex/ edconsiderations/
Contact Us
Dr. Vicki Sherbert Mrs. Amanda Lickteig sherbev@k-state.edu alickteig@k-state.edu