Title: Rice Creek Elementary School and the University of South Carolina: A Shared Vision for Excellence.
Abstract: The 2011 Professional Development Schools National Conference recognized Rice Creek Elementary School for its outstanding collaborative accomplishments with the University of South Carolina, naming it as a recipient of the National Association for Professional Development School’s Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement. This article describes how Rice Creek and USC have used the NAPDS’s Nine Essentials of Professional Development School work as the basis for their collaboration. NAPDS Essential 1: A Comprehensive Mission that is Broader in its Outreach and Scope than the Mission of any Partner and Furthers the Education Profession and its Responsibility to Advance Equity Within Schools and, by Potential Extension, the Broader Community The mission of Rice Creek Elementary School is broader in its outreach and scope and furthers the education profession and its responsibility to advance equity within schools as a result of the unique and valuable relationships gained as a Professional Development School (PDS). Through a shared vision for excellence and teamwork with our children, parents, faculty, staff, university partners, and the greater community, Rice Creek Elementary School is committed to providing developmentally appropriate, individualized learning experiences that empower our children to be creative thinkers, responsible citizens, and productive life-long learners. In partnership with the University of South Carolina, our PDS is devoted to producing students who are successful, contributing members of society with a life-long passion to learn. Our relationship with the University of South Carolina has introduced us to the National Network for Educational Renewal and expanded our mission to include a commitment to providing access to knowledge for all children, educating students for citizenship through the democratic classroom structure, founding our teaching in the knowledge of subjects taught and classroom pedagogy, and being good stewards of the safe learning environment in our school. Our students come from diverse backgrounds and have a variety of experiences and exposure. We believe that economics, class, opportunity and experience are all things that influence a child’s learning, and that is what makes our work as a PDS, both inside and outside of the classroom, rewarding yet challenging. School—University Partnerships Vol. 5, No. 1 19 As we endeavor to promote and advance equity for all students, the mission of our PDS focuses on efforts to strengthen the profession by partnering with families, the community, and the University of South Carolina to enhance the knowledge base of all those involved as learners and to collaborate with others to improve teaching and learning. Forming partnerships with parents and families helps us to promote students’ self-esteem and to foster relationships with those individuals so important to the development and education of our students. Our partnership with the university affords us the opportunity to stay on the cutting edge with the latest research developments and resources in the field of education. When our students realize they have a team of caring and committed individuals working on their behalf and advocating for them, they work harder to meet and exceed their goals. Our site-based PDS Council members present at national conferences, speak at USC PDS Coordinating Council meetings, send out teacher candidates who have been immersed in best practices, and work together to improve elementary student achievement through teacher professional development. We also receive support from USC faculty members and provide a different perspective for USC students and faculty by keeping them abreast of current realities in the public classrooms. We want students to enjoy coming to school each day and to share the passion we each have for learning. As a component of our mission, the Rice Creek PDS is committed to providing a learning environment that does just that— igniting the spark and passion for education. Through the work of our teachers, administrators, teacher candidates, university personnel, and community businesses and corporations, we have managed to create a learning environment that includes fundamentals of brain-based compatible learning such as absence of threat, nurturing reflective thinking, meaningful content, enriched environment, movement to enhance learning, and student choice. Our state-of-the-art fitness lab, funded through a partnership grant with a corporate donor, provides opportunities for students to improve their physical well-being, enhance their sensory motor skills, and heighten their mental focus and concentration. The outdoor living laboratory, which includes a greenhouse, pond habitat, outdoor classroom, and wireless weather station, allows students to explore beyond the indoor classroom environment and generates real-world experiences and opportunities to apply content knowledge. USC’s teacher candidates are instrumental in helping us facilitate and manage the use of these resources. NAPDS Essential 8: Work by College/University Faculty and P-12 Faculty in Formal Roles Across Institutional Settings The professional work of the members of the Rice Creek Elementary School PDS is instrumental in our preparation of teacher candidates, enhancement of professional development of faculty and staff, and modeling the use of best practices to improve student learning. The formal roles of our site structure include a USC liaison, a school-based clinical adjunct, coaching teachers, the lead magnet teacher/ intervention coordinator, school administrators, district superintendent liaison, site-based PDS Council, and USC’s Office of School University Partnerships and Clinical Experiences. The USC liaison serves as a vital link between the university and Rice Creek Elementary School. Dr. Megan Burton, associate professor of math education at USC, spends a minimum of fifteen hours on-site each week. In that time, she teaches math classes to teacher candidates on-site and works with our students by coordinating math buddy and pen pal interactions between teacher candidates and Rice Creek students. Dr. Burton works with new faculty to provide a community of support. For example, she teaches model lessons for induction teachers to reinforce best practices and management strategies. She also assists in math instruction and is a resource in providing math strategies to Rice Creek faculty. In addition, she presents at national and local conferences and USC PDS retreats to school faculty, teacher candidates, and administrative staff. As a KATHY EVANS ET AL. 20
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 1
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