Professional Development School Network

"Community of Learners," the theme of the Towson University Professional Development School (PDS) Network, has been the driving force behind Network implementation. As a result of collaboration with public schools, the Network has been successful because it links the best of practice with the best of theory and research, which prepares and sustains the abilities of teachers to teach well and positively impact student achievement. Click here for a list of counties and schools involved in the PDS Network.

The Towson PDS Network promotes fundamental change not by prescription but by challenging involvement and problem solving for all stakeholders, by dignifying the knowledge that teachers possess, and by offering leadership and professional growth opportunities to university faculty and PDS teachers, and Towson interns.

Emerging evidence reveals that the ambitious PDS Network agenda is realized when high-quality teacher education has the authentic base of learning in the schools and testing ideas in classrooms. This realistic approach helps educators confront the challenges of seamless professional development, school reform and improved student achievement.

Within this collaborative context, and aligned with standards and guidelines set by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the state of Maryland, Towson University has identified six integrated goals for its PDS Network:

• create a collaborative culture and governance structure to guide the work of the network

• enhance pre-service experience by integrating theory and practice in a teacher-education program that is clinically based

• provide needs-based, continuous professional development for in-service teachers and administrators

• provide a forum for refining and inquiring into effective teaching and learning practices

• maximize student achievement

• disseminate promising practices and structures to the education community

For more information about the PDS Network System, click on a topic:

• Why PDS?
• Network History
• Network Governance
• Network Milestones
• Network Features

You may also call Tom Proffitt or Karen Schafer for information at 410-704-2567.

Why PDS?

In the last two decades, renewal and reform have been the agenda for P-12 schools, and the major approach to implementation has been standards-based reform and restructuring at the P-12 level. While crucial, this unilateral P-12 approach is insufficient. Attention to teacher quality is equally critical. As a result, P-16 partnerships have been created to initiate and sustain the simultaneous renewal of P-12 and teacher education, and to provide for the continuous professional development of educators, from pre-service, through induction, and throughout their professional careers.

Network History

The College of Education at Towson University launched its Professional Development School Network in 1994 with Owings Mills Elementary School (Baltimore County Public Schools), which had been reorganized as a teacher education magnet. Today, the PDS Network includes four departments in the College of Education--Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education--and the Master of Arts in Teaching Program--and collaborates with 12 public school systems, primarily in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas.

Recognized as a statewide PDS leader, Towson University hosted National PDS Conferences in1998 and in 2003. In 1998, Towson's PDS Network gained national stature when the Association of Teacher Educators selected it as the 1998 Distinguished Program in Teacher Education. The program gained further national recognition when NCATE selected Towson University to become a pilot site for the PDS Standards Field Test Project. In 2005, the PDS Network received the Excellence in Education Award for Outsanding Program in Teacher Preparation from the Maryland Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (MASCD).

Network Governance

For the Professional Development School initiative to realize its full potential, all stakeholders must participate in refining the collaborative and in managing its operations. To that end, institutions within the network are actively involved in guiding this initiative. To foster communication and collaboration among members of the Towson University PDS Network, collaborative governing bodies exist for each PDS to make decisions regarding activities and fiscal requests.

Additionally, representatives of the network participate with representatives from other institutions throughout the Maryland Professional Development School Network and the state.

Network Milestones

Towson University's PDS Network is viewed as a national and state leader in professional development schools. Some of the Network's accomplishments follow:

• host of Maryland's 1998 National PDS Conference, "Charting a New Course";

• host of 2003 National PDS Conference, "Staying the Course: PDS, An Achor for P-16 Reform";
• sponsors with MSDE of annual PDS Research conference;
• winner of the 1998 Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Program in Teacher Education;
• selected as a pilot site for NCATE's PDS standards Field Test Project;
• winner of the 2005 MASCD Excellence in Education Award;
• secured consistent grant funding from organizations including Eisenhower, USM, MHEC, NCATE, Goals 2000, MSDE and Title II.
• 1 of 12 national universities to develop the National Association of Professional Development Schools. ( www.napds.org)

Network Features

The PDS Network offers a number of on-site graduate courses: some examples include

• PDS: Planning for and Assessing Change
• Using Data for School Improvement
• Supervision of Student Teaching
• Education that is Multicultural
• The Teacher as Researcher
• Computer Technology and Utilization
• Utilization of Instructional Media
• Reading Instruction and Assessment

Faculty, staff and other key constituents of Towson University's PDS Network have taken numerous steps to maintain the continuity of this critical initiative. By maintaining a cadre of committed professionals, hosting annual professional development institutes, targeting funding at capacity building and offering expanded tuition benefits for professionals, the network furthers its commitment to long-term service.

The PDS Network presents and actively participates in numerous local and national conferences, including events hosted by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Association of Teacher Educators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Association for Professional Development Schools, National Network for Educational Renewal, Kappa Delta Pi, Maryland National PDS Conference.

Towson University is one of the founding institutions of the National Association for Professional Development Schools. We are proud to be a part of the first steering and planning meetings that developed this organization.