Ohio University partnership with Federal Hocking Schools to receive national award
The National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) has announced that the Creating Active and Reflective Educators (CARE) Professional Development Schools partnership between Ohio University’s Patton College of Education and the Federal Hocking Schools will be honored for “Exemplary PDS Achievement” at the organization’s upcoming annual conference in March in Jacksonville, Florida.
The CARE partnership was cited for its two decades-long “culture of collaboration and shared accountability” as well as its leadership in the PDS movement nationally. Both partners are deeply invested financially and programmatically in supporting the educational needs of the young people in the Federal Hocking Schools and the next generation of teachers learning their craft through Ohio University’s programs.
"This recognition from NAPDS affirms the hard work and dedication of The Patton College faculty and education administrators who work hand-in-hand with the Federal Hocking teachers and school administrators in our CARE PDS partnership,” said Renée A. Middleton, dean of The Patton College of Education. “Together, we have a common interest in seeking to positively impact P-12 student learning. The Patton College and our local schools are honored to serve as a model for other PDS partnerships, but we never stop emphasizing reflective practice and sharing of ideas to continually improve existing programming. This award is evidence that we can achieve great things when we work together for a common goal."
A Professional Development School is a partnership between P-12 and higher education institutions for the purpose of providing broader training for teachers. CARE is a partnership between Ohio University’s Patton College of Education and Federal Hocking Local Schools to expand opportunities for clinical practice. To prepare quality teachers, a program needs to provide opportunities to learn how theory and practice are intertwined.
CARE is one of many partnership programs based on the Clinical Model of Preparation where instead of course-based teacher preparation, the focus is on clinically-based teacher preparation. The preparation of teachers should involve P-12 students, teachers, teacher candidates, and University faculty and researchers as an educational team. And it should include a commitment to explore the democratic notion of the common good as it applies to one’s local, national, and global citizenship.
The Exemplary PDS Achievement award is the University’s second, as Ohio University’s Patton College of Education received the award previously for its partnership with the Athens City Schools.
The NAPDS serves as an advocate for the educational community and is dedicated to promoting the continuous development of collaborative school/higher education/community relationships, and to creating and sustaining collaborative partnerships between school districts and higher education.