UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Professional Development Schools National Conference
USC’s College of Education has sponsored the PDS National Conference since its inception in Spring 2000. Information about that annual event can be found at http://www.ed.sc.edu/pds/index.htm.

National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS)
The University of South Carolina played the leading role in the 2005 inauguration of the NAPDS, USC faculty and staff continue to serve in leadership positions in the association, and the NAPDS has recognized USC’s PDS accomplishments with two NAPDS Awards for Exemplary PDS Achievements in 2009 and 2010. Further information about the NAPDS can be found at http://napds.org.

National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER)
The University of South Carolina is actively involved in the work of the NNER, a membership network dedicated to the simultaneous renewal of schools and the institutions that prepare teachers. South Carolina faculty and our P-12 school partners currently serve in leadership capacities in the South Carolina Network for Educational Renewal (SCNER), the statewide NNER affiliate, and the Office of Conferences in USC’s College of Education is serving as the Planning Team for the 2010 NNER annual conference. Information about the NNER can be found at http://www.nnerpartnerships.org/.

Diverse Pathways Project
The Pathways Project is supported by a $4.7 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Partnership Grants. The primary goal is the development of a highly qualified teaching force that reflects the diversity of the state’s population. USC is currently collaborating with the College of Charleston, Midlands Technical College, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, Trident Technical College, Richland School District One, Charleston County Schools, the BellSouth Corporation, and CERRA (the SC Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement) in this initiative. Information about the project can be found at http://tqp.ed.sc.edu/.

Collaborative P-20 Teacher Education Initiatives
Teacher education faculty in the College of Education works on a regular basis with Columbia-area P-12 sites. They also have published a number of articles related to this work and have joined with P-12 faculty in presenting at national conferences. The following are examples of these collaborative efforts:

• 34 Exemplary Efforts of Instruction and Teacher Education Faculty in Pre-K to 12th Grade Settings in 2009-2010

• Recent Publications on School-University Partnerships

• 45 PDS National Conference Presentations Made by USC Faculty and Their P-12 Colleagues (2005-2010)

• Clinical Model Teacher Program

• Urban Cohort (See pp. 2-4)

• Special Education Initiatives

Educational Administration Initiatives with Schools and Districts
Educational Administration faculty also collaborate with Columbia-area schools and across the state of South Carolina to promote educators in leadership positions within the schools. Two examples of their work include:

• Leadership Pipeline Initiative in the College of Education:  Educational Administration faculty members support leadership development throughout South Carolina’s school districts.  Initiatives are typically 1-2 year collaborations.  Recent examples include a single gender study in Greenville, leadership skills development in Spartanburg, support to pursue a federal grant in Sumter, identification of and professional development for aspiring leaders in Richland One, a curriculum audit in Allendale, and a leadership series in Georgetown.  For more information or contact Sandra Lindsay, slindsay@mailbox.sc.edu.

• Grow Your Own Leaders by Sandra Lindsay:  Read how a consortium of school districts works with USC to use a cohort approach to prepare committed educators for administrative ranks: http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=4962