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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 (PDSs). 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 Developmental Guidelines for Maryland PDSs 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 2001-2002 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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