Thursday Morning Facilitated Discussions & Workshops
No Additional
Fees Required
Meeting the “Target” of NCATE Standard Three
Irma Van Scoy, University of South Carolina
9:00 a.m. to Noon
In the newest version of the accreditation process, institutions of higher education are asked to identify one of NCATE’s six standards they believe they are meeting most effectively or, in the language of NCATE, “approaching the target level.” When it completed the NCATE accreditation process in the Fall of 2010, the University of South Carolina chose Standard Three, clinical experiences, as its exemplar and was rewarded with an extremely positive evaluation. One of the key reasons for the positive assessment was the long-standing PDS Network that plays such a critical role in the site-based preparation of teacher candidates. This workshop is designed to share the University of South Carolina’s experience in meeting the target of Standard Three so that other colleges/universities who may be considering clinical experiences as their NCATE target may benefit from the USC experience.
PDS Director's Forum
Drew Polly, University of North Carolina Charlotte
Bruce Field,
University of South Carolina
9:00 a.m. to Noon
PDS directors have gathered at the last four PDS National Conferences to share their strategies for managing both the short-term and the long-term challenges of their respective PDS partnerships. The conversations have covered a wide range of issues, including funding, meeting accreditation requirements, building “networks” as opposed to simple one-on-one relationships, providing appropriate diversity in school placements, getting more university faculty actively engaged in their PDSs, and dealing with never ending turnovers in faculty and leadership positions. We encourage PDS directors to bring to this year’s conversation their most pressing challenges so we can perhaps together find some common solutions.
The Nine Essentials as the Basis for PDS Assessment
Presented by Michael Cosenza
California Lutheran University
9:00 a.m. to Noon
In the four years since the publication of the NAPDS’s Nine Essentials of PDS Work, a number of PDS practitioners have considered ways to use the Essentials as the basis for assessing their PDS collaborations, and in recent months those conversations have turned to thoughts of developing Essentials-based rubrics to accomplish this task. In an effort to expand this particular conversation, PDS practitioners are invited to participate in this workshop examining the various ways that the Essentials can be used to critically assess our work. While Dr. Cosenza will bring to the conversation the results of his nationwide survey on the topic, attendees should be prepared to share how they themselves are using the Nine Essentials in their own settings.
Writing for the NAPDS Journal and the NAPDS Magazine
Kristien Zenkov, George Mason University
and Ron Siers, Salisbury University
9:00 a.m. to Noon
The National Association for Professional Development Schools has made a concerted effort to involve its members in the dissemination of information about PDS initiatives through two published sources: its blind-refereed journal, School-University Partnerships, published two times a year, and its magazine, PDS Partners, published three times a year. Both publications have gone through significant changes in the last year, and so the editorial teams for both the journal and the magazine invite conference participants to engage in conversations focusing on these changes and on how to most effectively disseminate the stories of positive PDS accomplishments both within and outside the PDS context. Dr. Zenkov will facilitate the journal conversation from 9 to 10:30 a.m., while Dr. Siers will facilitate the magazine conversation from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Soliciting Input from the NAPDS Membership
JoNancy Warren, Illinois State University
Karen Hassell, Baylor University
10:00 a.m. to Noon
After six-plus years of existence, the National Association for Professional Development Schools surveyed its membership in 2011 to identify those things that the organization could do to enhance the viability of the association. NAPDS Membership Committee co-chairs JoNancy Warren and Karen Hassell have examined the survey results and will share them with conference participants in order to solicit recommendations for the future of the NAPDS.
Are You New to the NAPDS?
Bernard Badiali, Penn State University
Judy Beiter, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD
10:00 a.m. to Noon
The PDS National Conference is thirteen years old and the National Association for Professional Development Schools is seven years old. Each year we welcome many old friends back to the conference but also cherish the arrival of new P-12 and college/university faculty. In order to help these new arrivals understand PDSs in general and the NAPDS and the annual conference in particular, we invite them to attend this informative session offered by the current NAPDS President and President-Elect.
Two Special Upcoming Events
A Visit to PDS Sites in Las Vegas
Faculty at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and its three Professional Development Schools are currently planning a Thursday morning visit to those PDS sites. Specific information about logistics and timing will be sent to conference registrants in the coming weeks, and we will at that time ask individuals to pre-register for the visits.
NCATE-NAPDS Video Series
In order to implement the recommendations of the NCATE Blue Ribbon Panel Report, NAPDS members will be asked to participate in the production of video vignettes highlighting their work in enhancing clinical experiences. Details about this initiative will be distributed to conference participants prior to March so interested individuals and institutions can submit proposals for participating in the project. |
