UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Partnership Sites & Professional Development Schools

The University of South Carolina recognizes the vital role that teacher candidate placement in school settings plays in improving the quality of teachers and other educational professionals entering the profession. The university therefore appreciates the commitment made by local school districts in encouraging P-12 faculty to mentor USC teacher candidates as they progress throughout their programs.

Building on years of collaboration with local districts, the university in 2005-2006 moved our collaboration with those districts to a new level toward the improvement of both P-12 education and the education of pre- and in-service teachers.  From our experiences throughout the years, and acknowledging the diversity of the schools and districts with which we work, USC encouraged schools to work with teacher candidates through one of two models: Partnership Sites and Professional Development Schools.  Each model requires different levels of support from both the schools and the university, but both models require a shared commitment by all parties to improved teaching and learning. Partnership Sites and Professional Development Schools are identified through discussions between university and school district personnel, with the following criteria serving as the basis for selection:

• The school should have an instructional staff which is interested in working with teacher candidates and which understands the requirements of doing so.

• The school should have well‑qualified faculty who employ effective teaching techniques.

• The school should be sensitive to multicultural concerns in its curriculum and programs.

• The school should be innovative and progressive in its policies and practices, with faculty willing to allow USC candidates to try a variety of  teaching practices.

• The school should have adequate physical facilities and up‑to‑date instructional equipment and materials.

• The school should have a curriculum that includes optimum educational experiences for both pupils and teacher candidates.

• The school should have a well‑organized in-service program to stimulate professional growth of the instructional staff.

Partnership Sites are P-12 schools interested in providing clinical placements for teacher candidates and may include whole schools (typically at the elementary level) or departments within a school (a possibility particularly within high schools).  University-based faculty visit Partnership Sites regularly to supervise advanced practicum students and teaching interns.  Partnership Sites provide opportunities for teacher candidates to work with P-12 students to develop their teaching skills and meet university course requirements, as appropriate for each candidate’s level in the program. While there is variability across schools regarding academic requirements and practices, teachers working with candidates in Partnership Sites support teacher candidates in trying out “new ideas” consistent with their education course work.

Benefits for participation as a Partnership Site include:

• staff development through teacher involvement with teacher candidates, including serving as models for the teacher candidates in their classrooms, developing observation and supervisory skills, and having access to information regarding current research and practice through teaching candidates and their supervisors;

• enhanced student-staff ratios resulting from the involvement of the teacher candidates;

• first-hand observation of potential candidates for openings at the school;

• enhanced access to the university for staff development needs; and

• course tuition reductions for coaching teachers for full-time interns at each site.

For clinical experiences to run smoothly and to the greatest advantage of children, teachers, schools, and teacher candidates, each Partnership Site hosting teacher candidates requires a school-based faculty member or administrator who has specific responsibilities in supporting USC candidates working on-site.  While specific duties depend on the needs of the school and the type and number of clinical experiences, school-based representatives work closely with the College of Education’s Office of School-University Partnerships and Clinical Experiences to ensure that experiences “run smoothly” for children, teachers, and teacher candidates. Partnership Site representatives are encouraged, but are not required, to actively participate in the governance structure of USC’s School-University Partnership Network.

Partnership Sites vary from semester to semester but in general include over 100 schools from seven Columbia area districts:

Lexington County School District 1

Lexington County School District 2

Lexington County School District 4

Lexington/Richland County School District 5

Richland County School District 1

Richland County School District 2

• a demonstrated emphasis on inquiry-based teaching and learning;

• the presence of a critical mass of faculty working with USC teacher candidates throughout their programs;

• a faculty-wide examination of the National Network for Educational Renewal’s Agenda for Education in a Democracy;

• conducting of at least one research or demonstration project in collaboration with USC faculty over the course of the three-year relationship;

• the hosting, whenever possible, of pre-service courses on-site;

• active participation in the governance of the PDS Initiative within USC’s School-University Partnership Network;

• the provision of a dedicated physical space within the school for use by a USC Liaison and district remuneration of 50% of the USC Liaison’s annual salary; and

• the assignment of a P-12 faculty member or administrator as the site’s Clinical Adjunct responsible for collaborating with the USC Liaison in guiding PDS initiatives, and district remuneration of 50% of the Clinical Adjunct’s annual stipend.

Benefits for participation as a PDS include:

• the assistance of a USC Liaison who will work with the school no less than fifteen hours a week supervising USC teacher candidates and serving as a support person for the school’s professional development activities;

• free leadership training for faculty and administrators related to the Agenda for Education in a Democracy of the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER);

• free training for faculty on mentoring beginning teachers;

• at least one free, on-site professional development course, or similar professional development experience, per three-year cycle, with the topic to be identified by school faculty and staff;

• involvement of a USC faculty member in at least one significant research or demonstration project over the course of the 3-year period;

• priority consideration for participation in practicum and internship experiences;

• priority consideration in hosting on-site courses for teacher candidates that provide enrichment experiences for children and professional development opportunities for teachers;

• priority consideration for grant-funded initiatives and teaching assignments at USC;

• financial support for faculty and staff to attend the PDS National Conference;

• opportunities to serve on USC committees to represent the P-12 perspective and share in decision-making regarding education programs and faculty searches; and

• the option to “bank” tuition reductions from coaching teachers for use by teachers working with USC teacher candidates in other roles.

As of the 2010-2011 academic year, the USC PDS initiative consists of the following thirteen schools:

	Blythewood High School		Meadowfield Elementary School
	Dreher High School		North Springs Elementary School
	Hand Middle School		Pontiac Elementary School
	Horrell Hill Elementary School		Rice Creek Elementary School
	Irmo Elementary School		White Knoll Elementary School
	Killian Elementary School		White Knoll High School
	Lake Carolina Elementary School