In this article, the author talks about professional development schools (PDSs), a form of collaboration between schools and universities that have tremendous potential to improve both, and discusses four joint tasks of PDSs, namely (1) improvement of student learning; (2) preparation of educators; (3) professional development of educators; and…

Discusses the challenges in assessing Professional Development School (PDS) impacts, noting examples of assessments from the literature. The paper outlines a conceptual framework for assessment and explains how it may help organize more systematic thinking about PDS evaluation. Examples from a multisite case study demonstrate how one consortium of…

This article identifies the roots of the Professional Development School movement, examining its current focal areas and focusing on some of the challenges it faces in sustaining itself in the future and in meeting its potential as a reform strategy to bring about real change for students, educators, and future educators. (SM)

Reports case studies of 10 partnerships in middle school level professional development schools that either moved apart or reconfigured their relationships over time. Written materials from, interviews with, and observations of partners indicated that though most succeeded, they needed better communication between partners to maximize their…