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Professional development: starting university district partnerships.

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Abstract

This study examines the results of an Institute providing professional development in inclusive education for teachers and school personnel in "high need" school districts. The Institute was presented as a preliminary step in the establishment of PDS partnerships between universities and colleges and school districts. It was a collaborative effort by five institutions of high education on Long Island in cooperation with the Long Island Regional Support Center. Participant feedback indicated that 94% of the educators found the information helpful and 95% would like more information on topics presented. The Institute allowed district personnel to see the benefits of working with IHE faculty, while giving better understanding of the needs of educators in "high need" schools.

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Over the last few years, advocates for educational systems change have encouraged the establishment of university/school district partnerships or professional development schools (PDS). The supporters posit that these partnerships not only better pre-service teacher education and m-service professional development, but are a viable means for improving student achievement in public schools (Holmes, 1986, 1990). Although partnerships can take a number of forms, one of the goals has been "research into teaching and learning for the purpose of improving both" (McBee & Moss, 2002, p. 61). It is with this in mind that the New York Higher Education Support Center for Systems Change sponsored a number of grants to help member universities and colleges establish partnerships with "high need" districts within New York State.

The Long Island Regional Task Force (LIRTF) is a subgroup of the New York State Task Force for Quality Inclusive Schooling, a part of the New York Higher Education Support Center for Systems Change. At a regional meeting, discussions about ways to fulfill the mission and goals of the Center for Systems Change and to establish partnerships with "high need" districts led to the idea of offering a summer institute for professional development. The Institute was conceived of as an opportunity for the various partnership members to get to know one another, while showcasing the possibilities of working together and serving as a first step in developing PDS partnerships to assist "high need" school districts.

The concept of the PDS originated with the Holmes Group (1986, 1990). Schools of teacher education followed the teaching hospital medical education model with university faculty and students working within the public schools prior to the traditional student teaching experience. This definition for PDS, however, is not the only accepted one. Teitel (2001) states that one of the difficulties in assessing the impact of PDS partnerships is the lack of agreement on a definition. Grisham, Bergeron, Brink, Farnan, Lenski, and Meyerson (1999) stress the importance of the two overarching goals of PDS partnerships: enhancing teacher preparation and improving K-12 education. According to Grisham et al. (1999), the PDS objective is the connection between theory and practice in education. These key objectives define the goals of the Long Island Regional Task Force's efforts. Kochan and Kunkel (1998), in describing the Learning

Coalition based at Auburn University, stated six guidelines for partnerships that best reflect those of the LIRTF:

* 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 partners.

* Responsibility for success will be jointly assumed (p. 326).

Using the above goals as guidelines, the creation of higher education/school district partnerships was the primary interest of the LIRTF. This proved more difficult than originally thought. Actually Kimball, Swap, LaRosa, and Howick (1995) report the steps in the process of establishing partnerships can in them selves became so important that the goal of partnership becomes secondary. The LIRTF's first challenge was the difficulty encountered when university and...

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