UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

The USC PDS Network was recognized in March as one of the 2010 recipients of the National Association for Professional Development School’s Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement. The award recognizes Professional Development School relationships for their ongoing contributions to the mission and vision of the National Association for Professional Development Schools in creating and sustaining genuine collaborative partnerships between P-12 and higher education which shapes educator leadership and practice. Selection for the award is based on the school-university collaboration meeting the NAPDS’s Nine Essentials of PDS work detailed in the April 2008 NAPDS statement titled “What It Means to be a Professional Development School.” These Nine Essentials are:

a comprehensive mission that is broader in its outreach and scope than the mission of any partner and that furthers the education profession and its responsibility to advance equity within schools and, by potential extension, the broader community;

a school-university culture committed to the preparation of future educators that embraces their active engagement in the school community;

Killian Elementary School, one of the University of South Carolina's twelve Professional Development School sites, was recently named one of the 2010 Carolina First Palmetto's Finest Schools. The award is presented each year to two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, recognizing the school's accomplishments in student achievement, faculty training, program goals, teaching quality, offices practices, and community involvement.

ongoing and reciprocal professional development for all participants guided by need;

a shared commitment to innovative and reflective practice by all participants;

engagement in and public sharing of the results of deliberate investigations of practice by respective participants;

an articulation agreement developed by the respective participants delineating the roles and responsibilities of all involved;

a structure that allows all participants a forum for ongoing governance, reflection, and collaboration;

work by college/university faculty and P-12 faculty in formal roles across institutional settings;

Lake Carolina Elementary was recently awarded the National Schools of Character (NSOC) award from the Character Education Partnership (CEP). Lake Carolina is the first school in the state to receive this prestigious award. (See press release for more details.)

and dedicated and shared resources and formal rewards and recognition structures.

The 2010 award marks the second consecutive year that the University of South Carolina has been recognized by the NAPDS, as the association also named North Springs Elementary School as a recipient of the award in 2009. NAPDS Award Application 2010.