Featured Program
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Center for School-University Partnerships, Professional Development Schools
Professional Development Schools are innovative institutions formed through partnerships between professional education programs and P-12 schools. Their mission is to promote:
- The professional development of teacher candidates
- Faculty development at all participating institutions
- Inquiry directed at the improvement of practice
- Enhanced student learning
For 20 years, Minnesota State University, Mankato partnerships with surrounding schools have played an important role in educating and mentoring new teachers. Now, Professional Development Schools, where pre-service teachers spend much of their time in P-12 classrooms and work under the supervision of collaborative teams from the school and university, are getting a new lease on life in south central Minnesota. MSU's Center for School-University Partnerships Center has helped establish pilot sites in six diverse districts with the goal of developing them into full-fledged teacher preparation partnership programs.
MSU's partner school districts are Mankato, LeSueur-Henderson, Faribault, Owatonna, Sibley-East, and Waseca.
"Serving the whole child to bridge the achievement gap"
That's the vision for the new three-year action plan developed following regional focus groups. The plan highlights three priorities:
- Early childhood/school readiness,
- English Language Learners, and
- Family-School-Community connections.
In February, 2005, five learning communities began sharing common reading, personal insights, and spirited discussion on how to bridge the achievement gap in the Professional Development School districts and neighboring communities.
Shared School-University Staffing
Two shared staffing opportunities support the Professional Development School Model:
- Designated P-12 faculty become Teachers on Special Assignment for one to two years. In this role, they are released from their classroom duties, are paired with a University professor, and welcomed as adjunct faculty members in the College of Education. As Master Teachers, they assume responsibility for the equivalent of 12 credits per academic year. Three credits focus on supporting the evolution of Professional Development Schools and mentoring their replacement Teaching Fellows (see below). The remaining credits include teaching courses in the College or supervising student teachers. For half of the appointment, Teachers on Special Assignment work with their districts on initiatives such as the design of new teacher induction programs or curriculum development.
- In the Teaching Fellow Program , newly licensed teachers who have been admitted to the MSU graduate program are hired by the University as full-time graduate assistants. Teaching Fellows register for six graduate credits per semester. Under their graduate assistantships, they assume full responsibilities of classroom teachers for one year in participating school districts. In addition to a graduate assistant stipend (roughly 2/3 of a first year teacher's pay), Teaching Fellows receive free graduate tuition and have opportunities for professional development and one-on-one mentoring from a master teacher throughout the year.
Other first-year teachers talk about burning out and how "No one told me it would be this hard!" I realize that I just don't have those same kinds of problems. Sure, this first year is REALLY hard, but I have someone who is helping me each step of the way.
For more information contact Ginger Zierdt, Director, Center for School-University Partnerships, Minnesota State University, Mankato. 507-389-5444 or ginger.zierdt@mnsu.edu
