Professional Development Schools: Catalysts for Collaboration and Change

Abstract

Nearly 40 percent of today's public school teachers have at least twe ty years eaching experience, compared with only 14 percent in 1976 (Daily Report Card 1997). Accordingly, the professional development of experienced teachers is of greater importance to school improvement than ever before. Increasingly, educators see vital connections between school reform and teacher learning, necessitating the establishment of new patterns of teacher education, both preand inservice. In response, a growing numbers of teachers and administrators are joining with faculty from university teacher education programs to form long-term collaborative relationships called Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Despite the growing number of PDS sites springing up across the country, however, surprisingly few studies have examined the outcomes for the participating schools. This article reports on the impact of being in a PDS network on seven Utah schools (four elementary, one junior, and two high schools) over five years. We identify and analyze the catalysts that promoted teachers' professional development and school reform, as well as the roadblocks to effective reform.