I. Introduction

A. Purposes of this document
B. Goals of a Professional Development School
C. Role Definitions

I. Introduction

A. Purposes of this document
 

The following terms of agreement between the Colleges of Education at Southern University and Louisiana State University and the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System describe general principles for establishing Professional Development Schools (PDS's). Acceptance of these terms commits the Southern University College of Education, LSU College of Education and the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School system to the establishment of Professional Development Schools under the guidelines herein.

A school-based PDS collaborative of teachers, administrators, and university faculty will define the purposes, governance structures, and shared responsibilities necessary for each PDS site to meet its goals. All such decisions must be agreeable to those administratively accountable for the academic programs in each school.

Professional Development Schools will exist first as centers of outstanding teaching and research to enhance the learning of every child in the school. The teacher-research to occur in these schools will be considered as one segment of the total teacher education program. Teacher preparation and staff development in a Professional Development School support but do not define the primary reasons such schools exist.

B. Goals of a Professional Development School

Professional Development Schools are elementary, middle, or high schools that work in partnership with a university to develop and demonstrate:

• high quality programs for all students;

• site-based preparation for preservice teachers;

• new understandings and professional competencies for experienced educators;

• research projects that add to all educators' knowledge about how to make schools work better for student learning.

A Professional Development School will have administrators, faculty, preservice teachers and university personnel working

together to:

• teach for understanding so that students can remember and use what they learn;

• develop classrooms as communities of learning;

• hold high expectations for all children and facilitate children reaching those expectations;

• emphasize what experienced teachers, preservice teachers, and university personnel can learn in schools; and

• make systematic reflection and inquiry a central feature of the school.
 

Professional Development Schools are open to students engaged in early field experiences, fourth year traditional student teachers, fifth year Holmes Program graduate interns (LSU), and candidates for alternate certification. A Professional Development School features a partnership among university faculty, master teachers, and preservice teachers who work together through a variety of mechanisms. Regularly occuring round table seminars and inservice for all faculty will endorse and enhance the Professional Development School as a successful learning community for diverse learning populations.

Professional Development Schools are focused on reflective practice, coaching/mentoring of the urban teacher, and best practices in curriculum and instruction in a natural setting.
 

C. Role Definitions

Faculty Mentor: A member of the Southern University or Louisiana State University faculty who is working in collaboration with participating teachers, and who provides intellectual leadership for a "cohort" of fourth and/or fifth year students and supervises their research in the field.

Cohort: A group of students, grouped according to a subject area or grade level, which teaches and learns together throughout the program.

Fifth-year Students: Individuals with Bachelor's degrees working in interest or subject area cohorts at the graduate level as preservice teachers while completing the Masters degree and certification requirements.

Fourth-year Students: Students in an undergraduate teacher certification program participating in semester-long field experiences.

Candidates for Alternate Certification: Individuals with Bachelor's degrees who are pursuing the course work and experiences required for certification.

Clinical Adjunct Faculty: Designated teachers in a school, recommended and approved by university personnel and school administrators, who participate in the supervision and mentoring of preservice teachers, conduct teacher research, and engage in curriculum reform and staff development.
 

Professional Development School Team: A faculty mentor, clinical adjunct faculty members in a school or group of schools, central office and school administrator(s), fourth- and/or fifth-year students, and parent representatives who plan, monitor, and evaluate the programs of a Professional Development School.

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II. Site Selection and Variability

A. Identifying PDS Sites

Schools must make formal application via their School Improvement Team in order to be considered for PDS activity. A review board, appointed by and reporting to the Superintendent of Schools and the Deans of the Colleges of Education, will evaluate applications. The Superintendent and Deans must agree on a site's suitability (based on the strength of the application and site conditions) before PDS activity may commence.

B. Site Variability

Professional Development Schools can evolve in a variety of school settings but are expected to represent a balance of urban and suburban community attendance zones. No particular type of school will be exclusively targeted for Professional Development School activity. It is accepted that not all PDS sites will be organized or will operate in the same way. For instance, there will be no set number of teachers or grades or subjects to be involved in order for a school to function as a PDS site. How a school restructures for PDS involvement will be determined at the school level and in cooperation with its School Improvement Team.

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III. Responsibilities of Collaborative Relationship

1. Teachers participating in PDS sites will be provided selected university recognition and privileges, and given opportunities for professional growth and enrichment through inservice activity throughout the school, district, and region.
 

2. Teachers participating in PDS sites will be given sufficient school-day flexibility to allow them to work with preservice teachers each semester.
 

3. Teachers participating in PDS sites will be given release time for consultation with preservice teachers and Southern University and LSU faculty, for research to improve classroom instruction, and for curriculum development.
 

4. Teachers participating in PDS sites will be significantly involved in teacher education program development and evaluation, including the evaluation and assessment of preservice teachers.
 

5. Teachers participating in PDS sites will be consultants to the on-going teacher education coursework in which teacher education students are engaged.
 

6. Teachers, administrators, and university personnel will establish contexts for experimentation, new curricula, and innovative instructional strategies in each Professional Development School through graduate level research projects.
 

7. Schools engaged in PDS activity will benefit from collaborative research designed to address specific instructional problems at the school level.
 

8. PDS sites will share in and benefit from external funding received by the school system and the Colleges of Education as a result of collaborative research and development agendas.
 

9. The EBR Staff Development Department will provide collaborative inservice programs for university personnel and preservice students in such areas as leadership development for teachers, diversity, and urban school teaching.
 

10. Administrators in PDS sites and at the central office will be key figures in helping teachers and university personnel develop, deliver, and assess new curricula, and will encourage school restructuring which features teachers as members of decision-making teams working in collaboration with each school improvement team.
 

11. Graduates of teacher education programs at Southern University and Louisiana State University will receive priority consideration for employment by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.

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IV. Assessment, Continuation, and Legal Responsibility
 

The Superintendent and the Deans of the Colleges of Education will review annual evaluations which summarize a school's PDS activity and achievement as part of the school's annual school improvement reporting requirements. The Professional Development School Team at each site will be directed to complete this portion of the report. Continuation of PDS sites will be contingent upon these evaluations and subsequent annual agreements between the Superintendent of Schools, the Deans of the Colleges of Education, and each Professional Development School Team.

The Professional Development School retains legal responsibility for a student's safety and welfare. The school also must insure that preservice teachers and participating teachers understand and follow board policies. Placing a preservice teacher in the classroom does not relieve the supervising teacher or the PDS of the ultimate responsibility for classroom operation.
 

Accepted:

Dr. Barbara Fuhrmann,Dean
College of Education
Louisiana State University

Dr. Karen Webb, Dean
College of Education
Southern University A & M College
 

Dr. Gary S. Mathews, Superintendent
East Baton Rouge Parish Schools

Dr. Press Robinson, President
East Baton Rouge Parish School Board

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