UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AND PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

INTRODUCTION

The University of Maryland/Prince George’s County Professional Development School (PDS) Partnership is a collaborative partnership between five Prince George’s County Public Schools, and the Department Curriculum and Instruction (Elementary Methods Team A), as well as the Office of Laboratory Experiences within the College of Education at the University of Maryland. The PDS Partnership is a collaborative effort aimed at the goal of continuous educational improvement and reform through institutional improvement; professional development; and teacher preparation. The PDS Partnership is an inclusive learning community of students, pre-service and in-service teachers, teacher educators, administrators and support staff from UM and PGCPS dedicated to achieving equity and reaching high standards of performance for all members of the partnership.

PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES

• The PDS Partnership is committed to the creation and maintenance of collaborative, democratic, inquiry-oriented learning communities for all children and adults.
• The PDS Partnership shares responsibility for staffing, resources and governance of the partnership.
• Professional development within the Partnership is continuous and for everyone: University interns, classroom teachers and specialists, school administrators and other school system personnel; and university personnel.
• Professional development is focused on analyses of student achievement data within the school sites.
• Pre-professional preparation develops an intern’s teaching and learning capabilities and motivation as a life long learner.
• The curriculum for interns is structured around essential questions and actual problems of practice.

PDS PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS

Glenn Dale Elementary School - Principal, Ms. Tamera Sherr

Kenilworth Elementary School - Principal, Ms. Kristin Keller Pfeltz

Mt. Rainier Elementary School - Principal, Mr. Phil Catania

Rockledge Elementary School - Principal, Mr. Kenneth Youngert

Yorktown Elementary School - Principal, Ms. Linda Posko

GOVERNANCE

The PDS Coordinating Council consists of representatives from each school site, including the principal or administrative designee, and the School Site Coordinator, as well as university representatives, including the PDS Coordinator, field based instructors and university faculty and administrators. In addition, representatives from the PGCPS Departments of Staff Development and Special Education, representative PGCPS mentor teachers, a MSDE representative, a parent representative, and an intern representative will be members of the Council. The PDS Coordinating Council collaboratively determines goals and initiatives pertaining to institutional reform, professional development, and pre-professional preparation within the PDS partnership. This committee is chaired by the UM PDS Coordinator and meets three times per academic year.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional development within the PDS is fundamental to the mission of developing a self-renewing, learning community comprised of school-based professionals, university personnel, students, and community members. Utilizing the expertise distributed throughout the PDS, professional development initiatives are designed to promote improvements to the quality of learning opportunities for all students. PDS stakeholders have significant input to the design and delivery of their professional development program with the leadership and assistance of the PDS Coordinator.

Professional development activities may include:

• formal coursework,
• independent or total school action research projects,
• inquiry groups,
• workshops,
• special training sessions,
• attendance at local/national professional conferences,
• visitations to other schools,
• demonstrations of best practices or
• meetings on a regular basis with University and School system colleagues to discuss and reflect on current issues or problems that affect their teaching and student learning.

Identification of Professional Development Needs. The Professional Development School will host an annual Planning Institute in order to review and analyze student achievement data in PDS schools. A PDS staff development plan will be designed based on this data. Professional development activities strive to create a community of learners committed to teacher education at all levels.

THE YEARLONG INTERNSHIP

The yearlong internship consists of a minimum of 100 days, combining the Phase I (methods) and Phase II (student teaching) semester placements in a Professional Development School. The internship begins in Phase I (August) with a full week in the schools. Interns spend the remaining weeks of the phase I semester, spending two full days per week in their school site. The final week of phase II (December) is another full week in classroom placements. The specific dates will vary according to the University academic calendar. During the fall semester, interns will have the opportunity to participate in the opening of school by attending the professional days before the students arrive as well as observing how the teacher approaches the first week of school with the students.

The Phase II (student teaching) portion of the yearlong internship will begin in January and continue for approximately 16 weeks. During the spring semester, interns will have the opportunity to participate in the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program.

Internship Objectives. The objectives related to the yearlong internship and its development are as follows:

• Align the teacher preparation outcomes with learning outcomes for PreK-12 students (alignment of standards);
• Use performance-based assessment in all phases of student and intern learning;
• Integrate methods-related course content with student teaching experience to attain a “seamless” internship year;
• Employ the partnership’s inherent variation of sites, personnel and expertise to enhance the internship experience.

Performance Based Assessment. Students are required to successfully complete a series of internships as a condition of graduation and certification by the Maryland State Department of Education. Successful completion of the teacher education program is determined by the intern’s progress toward a set of standards arrayed in five performance assessment booklets (e.g., Professionalism and Collaboration, Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies) organized around a set of questions related to an intern’s ability to plan, deliver and assess instruction. These University of Maryland Performance Standards are aligned with INTASC Standards.

Portfolio Development. Interns are required to develop a working portfolio to document their growth related to the standards as identified in the Performance Assessment Instrument. Materials in the portfolio should provide authentic evidence of the intern’s knowledge of subject matter, ability to plan and deliver instruction, assess student learning, manage the classroom and display appropriate professional behavior. Portfolios are performance-based and used in conjunction with the performance assessment instrument to monitor/assess the teacher intern’s progress.

ROLES OF PDS STAKEHOLDERS

ROLE OF THE PDS COORDINATOR: Administrative Leader of PDS

Yearlong Responsibilities

• Maintains a calendar of events and important dates and distributes to all PDS participants
• Publishes a PDS newsletter, handbook, and brochure
• Coordinates professional development activities for school system and university faculty (workshops, inquiry groups, action research, conferences, school improvement, etc.) to facilitate simultaneous renewal
• Collaborates with Inclusion Specialist to provide professional development activities related to special education inclusion issues
• Supervises and guides university field-based instructors, site coordinators, and graduate assistant.
• Works with mentor teachers to refine mentoring skills and provide ongoing support
• Conducts portfolio development sessions for mentors and interns
• Provides performance assessment training for mentor teachers and field-based instructors
• Writes grants to provide additional PDS funding/manages existing grants
• Coordinates PDS data collection and evaluation
• Participates in MSDE committees focused on PDS issues
• Provides leadership and guidance in working toward adherence to MSDE Standards for PDS
• Participates in College of Education meetings and committees
• Collaborates with PGCPS PDS Liaison and attends PGCPS PDS Coordinating Council Meetings
• Collaborates in the development of formal agreements between UMCP and PGCPS
• Disseminates PDS information/presents sessions at local, state, and national conferences
• Manages a PDS classroom (if space permits within PDS school sites)

Phase I Responsibilities (methods semester)

• Coordinates intern placements
• Conducts Phase I orientation sessions for mentor teachers and interns
• Teaches a classroom management course for interns and beginning PDS teachers
• Coordinates or delivers a mentoring course to first time mentor teachers
• Conducts an experiential MSPAP workshop for interns and beginning PDS teacher

Phase II Responsibilities (student teaching semester)

• Conducts a Phase II orientation session for mentor teachers and interns

• Coordinates and/or conducts intern seminars (collaboratively with Inclusion Specialist)
• Coordinates/conducts an Action Research course for PDS mentor teachers
• Coordinates intern involvement in the MSPAP
• Coordinates the PDS evaluation process
• Coordinates a PDS Summer Strategic Planning Institute
• Coordinates a mentor teacher recognition celebration
• Coordinates a Portfolio Showcase for interns at the end of the internship

ROLE OF THE MENTOR TEACHER

Phase I Responsibilities (methods semester)

• Attend orientation session for phase I semester
• Assess intern’s performance based on performance standards and complete the performance-based assessment document (midterm and final phase I)
• Observe intern and provide feedback
• Conduct a midterm and final evaluation conference including intern and field supervisor
• Troubleshoot
• Guide portfolio development
• Participate in mentor training (TCR course)

Phase II Responsibilities (student teaching semester)

• Attend phase II orientation session conducted by PDS Coordinator
• Model and discuss lessons before intern takes on responsibility
• Observe intern frequently and provide ongoing feedback
• Assess intern’s teaching competency based on performance standards and complete the performance-based assessment for midterm and final phase II
• Conduct midpoint and final evaluation conferences including intern and field based instructor
• Assist intern in videotaping one lesson, and discuss/provide feedback about the lesson
• Assists intern in writing lesson plans
• Write final recommendation
• Troubleshoot
• Guide intern portfolio development

ROLE OF THE SCHOOL SITE COORDINATOR

Phase I Responsibilities (methods semester)

· Coordinate PDS activities within one school site

· Attend mentor teacher phase I orientation meeting

· Conduct an on-site orientation for interns on first day of placement

· Maintain a PDS bulletin board and intern sign-in sheets

· Share PDS information/activities with principal and school staff

· Facilitate on-site PDS meetings, as scheduled

· Assist with PDS programs

· Attend quarterly meetings with PDS Coordinator

· Represent the PDS on School Improvement Team

· Provide school data to PDS Coordinator, as needed

· Troubleshoot if necessary

Phase II Responsibilities (student teaching semester)

· Coordinate PDS activities within one school site

· Attend mentor teacher phase II orientation meeting

· Coordinate intern visits to other grade levels early in phase II

· experience

· Maintain a PDS bulletin board and intern sign-in sheets

· Share PDS information/activities with principal and school staff

· Facilitate on-site PDS meetings, as scheduled

· Support and guide interns through informal contact

· Coordinate intern service projects during final weeks of internship

· Facilitate intern involvement in MSPAP

· Conduct an on-site MSPAP debriefing meeting with interns in May

· Assist with PDS programs

· Attend quarterly meetings with PDS Coordinator

· Represent the PDS on School Improvement Team

· Provide school data to PDS Coordinator, as needed

· Troubleshoot if necessary

ROLE OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR

• Communicate PDS initiatives to county administrators and supervisory staff
• Support PDS initiatives within the school
• Participate in planning of PDS activities
• Attend coordinating council meetings
• Communicate with PDS coordinator to facilitate PDS activities
• Facilitate interns’ orientation to the school community

ROLE OF THE COLLEGE METHODS FACULTY

Phase I

• Teach methods course
• Act as a liaison to one school within the PDS
• Attend mentor and intern orientations
• Participate in school-wide PDS staff development
• Attend coordinating council meetings
• Communicates with PDS coordinator about interns’ performance
• Attend monthly faculty meetings to coordinate activities and discuss interns’ progress

Phase II

NOTE: During Phase II, college faculty moves on to work with a cohort of students who are entering Phase I within a different PDS. As a result, the role of the methods professor during Phase II is diminished. Faculty continue to maintain contact with their liaison school, as needed, and attend coordinating council meetings.

ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY FIELD BASED INSTRUCTOR

Phase I (methods semester)

· Attend Phase I mentor teacher and intern orientation sessions

· Begin to develop a relationship with interns/mentor teachers

· Conduct on-site visits of interns approximately twice each month

· Conduct monthly on-site meetings with groups of interns assigned to building

· Attend the midterm and final conferences with intern/mentor teacher

· Conduct one formal observation during last weeks of phase I and maintain observation notes

· Attend quarterly administrative meetings (with site coordinators, field supervisors, PDS Coordinator)

Phase II (student teaching semester)

· Attend mentor teacher and intern Phase II orientation meetings

· Conduct monthly on-site meetings with group of interns assigned to building

· Conduct onsite individual visits of interns approximately twice each month

· Attend the midterm and final conferences with intern/mentor teacher

· Conduct a minimum of 3 formal observations during Phase II and maintain a file of observation notes

· Attend quarterly administrative meetings (with site coordinators, field supervisors, PDS Coordinator)

· Complete a final recommendation for each intern

· Review intern portfolios at end of Phase II

RESOURCES AND FUNDING: BASE BUDGET

Prince George’s County Public Schools

PDS Activities Budget

($x,xxxx x 5 sites) $

• In-service training supplies

• Workshop pay
• Consultants
• Professional books and journals
• Food and food products
• Copying
• Recognition/awards for mentors
• Conference registration fees
• Tuition reimbursement

Substitutes (75 days x $xx) $ x,xxx

School-based Site Coordinators $ x,xxx

($x,xxx per site-coordinator x 5 sites)

Stipends for Mentor Teachers ($xx/week for Phase I and $xx/week for Phase II) $xx,xxx

Prince George’s County Public Schools Total $xx,xxx

University of Maryland

PDS Coordinator’s salary $ xx,xxx

Special Education Inclusion Specialist salary $ xx,xxx

Mileage $ x,xxx

Mentor teacher stipends (elem.ed.) $ xx,xxx (30 mentors x $xxx = $xx,xxx)

Mentor teacher stipends (spec. ed.) $ xxx

(2 teachers x $xxx = $xxx)

Field-Based Instructors salaries $ xx,xxx

(30 interns x $xxx=$ xx,xxx)

University of Maryland Total $ xxx,xxx

The PDS Model described above has been designed and negotiated in a committee formed by university and school system faculty. The memorandum of understanding has been reviewed and approved by the PDS Advisory Board and will be operational for an undetermined period. Modification or termination of this partnership must be negotiated by both partners.

Signatures:

________________________________ _______________________________

Dr. Iris Metts, Superintendent, Dr. Edna Mora Szymanski, Dean,

Prince George’s County Public Schools/ Date College of Education, UMCP/Date