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Participation in a PDS can improve practice.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

This qualitative study, conducted in an urban PDS with five cooperating teachers, explains how the participants perceived their classroom practice as improving as a result of working in a PDS context. This paper discusses the effect of the presence of student teachers on classroom teachers. Furthermore, the paper describes both how the cooperating teachers reacted to their interactions with the student teachers and how these interactions facilitated the growth of the practicing teachers as professionals. The study ties the teachers' perceptions directly to the PDS.

Introduction

The following study documents the professional development of five cooperating teachers participating in a PDS collaboration, as seen through the eyes of the participants. This study is significant in that it provides evidence of how a PDS has impacted practicing teachers as professionals.

Professional Development Schools (PDSs) emerged in the mid-1980s with the fundamental mission of professional development of preservice, novice, and practicing teachers for the ultimate goal of improving education for children. The assumption made by many is that the mere presence of a PDS will enhance education for children, preservice teachers, inservice teachers and university based educators. However, simply because these two entities have merged to try to create a new institution does not inherently produce higher quality. Now that many schools and universities have 'partners' it is time to document if and how these partnerships are working effectively. This study focuses on the PDS goal of professional development of practicing teachers.

In a PDS it is important to focus on the cooperating teacher, as he/she plays an integral part in the PDS relationship. The cooperating teacher is the person who shares his/her classroom with student teachers and demonstrates how theories and strategies learned at the university are implemented in the school. The cooperating teacher, therefore is one of the primary instructors for the student teacher. As well, the cooperating teacher is often times involved in other PDS activities at the school site, such as: attending PDS school site meetings (which may involve planning and structuring PDS activities); participating in action research projects, study groups, or support groups; and enrolling in university courses offered at the school site. The cooperating teacher plays a vital role in the PDS collaboration. The school site and the university depend on the willingness of the cooperating teachers to work collaboratively. This study adds to the literature of evidence that PDSs improve the quality of teaching in ways that ultimately improve student learning (Chance, 2000; Ridley, Hurwitz, Hackett & Miller, 2005; Teitel, 2000; Teitel, 2001) and extends it by finding that the presence of a student teacher can improve the classroom practice of a cooperating teacher and ties this finding directly to the PDS partnership.

Setting

A school engaged in a Professional Development relationship and five cooperating teachers were selected for the study. PS 999 is an elementary public school located in a large urban city. (The names of all the institutions and participants in the study have been changed to insure anonymity). At the time of the study, PS 999 was attended by approximately 505 students with 19 classroom teachers. Approximately 95% of those students are African-American. The remaining 5% are considered 'other,' a mixture of Hispanic, Indian and African among others. Almost 100% of the students qualify for free lunch. The student population is decidedly less wealthy than many of the other schools in the district. Its...

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