Episode 10, the final episode of Season 1, puts all the Nine Essentials of Professional Development Schools together into one package. In this episode, Dr. Ron Siers, Jr. (Salisbury University) describes their award-winning secondary PDS in the state of Maryland. He illustrates how all nine essentials work together to make this long-standing partnership not only survive but actually thrive for over a decade.

Episode 9 gives ideas about how school-university partnerships can share resources and recognize partners to sustain high-quality Professional Development Schools. In this episode, Dr. Michael Cosenza (California Lutheran University) describes how their award-winning PDS teacher residency program in California shares resources like dedicated classroom space for onsite methods course instructive, the collaborative pursuit of external funding, and joint efforts for teacher professional learning at the school sites. He also describes recognition structures that have created continuity from year to year and helped the PDS be sustained and successful.

Episode 8 features one of the most important aspects of Professional Development Schools – boundary spanning roles. In this episode, Dr. Jim Nolan (Penn State University) and Dr. Kelly Mark (State College Area School District) explain how their two-time award winning PDS reconceptualized the roles of methods course instructor, university supervisor, and cooperating teacher through the creation of a single, formal, boundary spanning role called the Professional Development Associate.

Episode 7 focuses the backbone of Professional Development Schools by sharing about the important structures for governance and decision making. In this episode, Dr. Audra Parker (George Mason University) and Lois Groth (George Mason University) share the structures for shared governance, reflection, and collaboration that they have created to support school-university partnerships that lead to Professional Development Schools in their elementary education teacher preparation program.

Episode 6 explores the process of developing articulated agreements, like memoranda of understanding (MOUs), between schools and universities. In this episode, Dr. Eva Garin (Bowie State University) compares the processes for developing MOUs between two school districts in the state of Maryland and shares how the process can influence the partnership development and longevity.

Episode 5 delves into how teachers, teacher candidates, school administrators, and university faculty embrace challenges and become “solutions seekers” by studying their own practice through inquiry. In this episode, Dr. Lori Rakes (Florida Southern College) and Dr. Rebecca Powell (Florida Southern College) give concrete examples of how they have intentionally integrated inquiry into their teacher certification program to empower teachers to solve problems of practice.

Episode 4 highlights how school and university partners can collaborate on various initiatives to drive innovation and reflective practice in Professional Development School contexts. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Kennedy (Ohio University) shares about a teacher candidate led reading intervention for K-3 students who need additional reading support in their school-university partnership.

Episode 3 illustrates how Professional Development Schools create innovative opportunities for professional learning not only for teacher candidates but also for teachers, school administrators, and university faculty. In this episode, Dr. Drew Polly (UNC-Charlotte), Dr. Tracy Rock (UNC-Charlotte), Dr. Rachel Zaoinz (Principal), and Melissa Little (second grade teacher) chronicle the innovative professional development initiatives collaborative designed and implemented in their PDS across a decade of partnership.

Episode 2 describes innovation in the clinical preparation of teachers in Professional Development Schools (PDSs), which is the second of the essential features that distinguishes a PDS from other school-university partnerships. In this episode, Dr. Deborah Reed, Darcy Gray, and Dr. David Hoppey, all from the University of North Florida, share how their PDS involves teacher candidates seeking certification in special education as active members of the Lake Shore Middle School community.

Episode 1: A Commitment to Equity and Social Justice

Time: 20:47

Episode 1 focuses on how Professional Development Schools should make a commitment to equity and social justice. In this episode, Dr. Kristien Zenkov (George Mason University) and Michelle Lague (high school English teacher) share about Project SEED: “Seeds,” Stories of Injustice,“ and the Ideals of our Profession. This case describes how a high-school teacher and university professor can collaborate to prepare secondary teacher candidates to teach for equity and social justice.