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About
the Maryland PDS Network
The
Maryland Professional Development School Network connects
Maryland colleges and universities and their local
school system partners in their efforts to implement
the Redesign of Teacher Education in Maryland through
professional development schools (PDS). The Maryland
State Department of Education (MSDE) sponsors regional
network meetings of stakeholders in these partnerships
- college/university liaisons, school system PDS representatives,
school principals and site coordinators, and preservice
mentor teachers. These meetings are designed to further
engage the educational community in sharing experiences,
data and lessons learned as a result of their ongoing
work.
Sponsored
by the Superintendents and Deans Committee of the
K-16 Partnership for Teaching and Learning, collaborative
efforts on the part of these stakeholders have resulted
in the development of Maryland PDS Standards aligned
with those of the National Council for the Accreditation
of Teacher Education (NCATE). In addition, practitioners
from partnerships across the state produced PDS Developmental
Guidelines that provide a performance-based assessment
of partnership PDSs on a developmental continuum ranging
from "beginning" to "leading."
These standards and guidelines will be piloted during
the 2000-2001 school year.
The
Network sponsors a yearly PDS Leadership Academy that
draws from the stakeholder segments mentioned above
to provide thorough knowledge for using the PDS Standards
and accompanying PDS Guidelines in practice. The Academy
also trains practitioners to use the standards and
guidelines to conduct self-assessments of their own
PDSs, and to participate in team visits to other PDSs.
In addition, participants at all levels of service
in PDSs are linked through an Electronic Learning
Community that facilitates conversation among all
members of PDS communities statewide.
An
annual PDS Research Conference examines the effects
of PDS partnerships on emerging and experienced teachers
as well as on PreK-12 student achievement. This conference
draws upon practitioners and researchers from local
schools as well as colleges and universities.
For
more information about Maryland's Professional Development
Schools, see:
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