The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has provided financial support for the pre-planning phase of the University-School Teacher Education Partnerships.

University-School Teacher Education Partnerships:

Guiding Principles
Summary of Planning Activities

Stage I: Planning, preliminary implementation
Stage II: Preliminary Planning
Summary of the Implementation Plan
Guidelines
Deans' Council on Teacher Education

Five key Guiding Principles drive the development of the University-School Teacher Education Partnerships. They are to:

1. Strengthen relationships and shared responsibilities among schools, colleges and universities, and communities in the initial preparation, induction, and continuing professional development of highly skilled teachers, administrators, and other school personnel for North Carolina Schools.

2. Build on successes of current Model Clinical Teaching Programs and establish professional development partnerships for the initial preparation, induction, and continuing professional development of career teachers, administrators, and other school-based personnel.

3. Extend and improve the school-based components of both initial preparation and continuing professional development programs.

4. Strengthen the linkage between the theory and practice of teaching and learning, thereby narrowing the gap between what is known to be effective practice and how it is applied.

5. Focus and share resources of the colleges and universities, schools, and communities to improve curriculum and increase student learning in both schools and teacher education programs.

The constituent institutions in this group began planning for University-School Partnerships two or more years ago. Planning and pilot implementation of Partnership programs have been funded through various sources: allocations from the General Assembly, support from business and private foundations, and re-allocation of University funds. These programs are planning for broader imple-mentation, pending allocation of funds from the North Carolina General Assembly.

East Carolina University

The East Carolina Clinical Schools Network (ECCSN) is a partnership between ECU and nine school systems in Eastern North Carolina. The school systems initially involved in the Network are Beaufort, Craven, Edgecombe, Greene, Lenoir, Martin, Nash/Rocky Mount, Pitt, and Wayne. Schools in Wilson and Onslow counties are scheduled to be added next year. The purposes of the Network are (1) to restructure teacher education and (2) to support the public school renewal process. The first major initiative of the network was the design and implementation of the Senior Year internships for all preservice teachers at ECU. The Senior Year pairs ECU students with public school teachers for a year-long internship. The first semester of the Senior Year, students are involved in activities coordinated with their university courses. The second semester is a 15 week full-time teaching experience. To incorporate the Senior Year internship meant all teacher preparation programs had to be revised. After five years, the ECU Council of Teacher Education approved a plan for revising all 26 teacher preparation programs. All ECCSN schools are linked to the University and to each other via EastNet, which provides e-mail and Internet access services.

N.C. A&T State University

Sixty participants attended a Governance Structure meeting on March 18. Members of the Professional Development School Governance Structure are working through three entities: Governing Board, Coordinating Council, and School Site Council. A May meeting will include formulation of a formal agreement and discussion of collaboration with Ball State University on improving teacher education through technology. Partnerships exist in six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. A total of three new schools in Guilford and Alamance Counties are likely to become partner schools in the fall, 1997. The elementary curriculum has been revamped to meet the challenge of a year long internship. The PDS Coordinating Council Committees are active in curriculum development, grant writing, and increasing technology usage in both the LEAs and the University. The partnership arrangement major outcomes are to: prepare high quality teachers from preservice to inservice who can help all students learn; enhance joint professional development between public schools and the University; use technology effectively in planning, promoting, and developing professional educators; and, research and assess the quality of the program.

UNC Chapel Hill

The Research Triangle Professional Development Schools Program (RTPDSP) is a six year contractual agreement (1995-2001) for a university-school partnership/collaboration which has been signed by the Chancellor and Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Superintendents and School Board Chairs of four school districts--Chapel Hill-Carrboro City, Chatham County, Orange County, and Durham Public Schools. The partnership is governed by 35-person Policy Board composed of teachers, administrators, parents, University faculty from the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences and representation from professional teacher organizations and from the business community. The purpose of the partnership is to enhance the learning opportunities for all children. To achieve this purpose, the RTPDSP is committed to four objectives: 1) Renew and restructure the public school curriculum; 2) Renew and improve professional preparation programs; 3) Establish continuing professional development opportunities for classroom teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers; and 4) Conduct an organized program of school-based research designed to improve practice.

UNC Pembroke

Since receiving initial funding for a clinical schools program in August 1995, UNC-P has been working toward the proposed partnership schools network. In September 1995, three elementary schools, one each in Bladen County, Hoke County, and Robeson County were identified and an advisory committee was established to develop and implement a model clinical program. Forty-eight clinical teachers have completed the first course of the training sequence and 18 more are being trained this spring. Twelve preservice teachers completed their student teaching internships in the fall and fourteen more are student teaching interns this spring under the new model. The advisory committee has been expanded to include middle school and high school teachers and administrators, and a nationally board certified teachers. Three "working" groups are focused on "preservice" preparation, beginning teacher support, and continuing professional development.

UNC Wilmington

In March UNC-W conducted site seminars at all 47 Partnerships schools focusing on instruction and the consequences of practices. Partnerships teachers, interns, university faculty, and MSA candidates participated. There was also specialized follow-up training for site-based coordinators. Superintendents from each Partnerships district met with faculty on revised Partnership agreements. A faculty/teacher research team has been established; seven summer research proposals have been funded and CAPE has supported six additional proposals. The technology outreach plan was tied to Partnership schools to create technology-rich environments for interns. On March 24, 400 educators, business leaders and legislators attended a meeting on "What Matters Most: Teaching and North Carolina's Future." All Partnership schools are linked to the University computer for e-mail and Internet access.

The constituent institutions in this group are establishing relationships with potential Partnership schools and developing a shared vision and framework for implementation. Funding from the North Carolina General Assembly is needed in order for these programs to move forward.

Appalachian State University

Contacts are on-going with various stakeholders; the College of Education works with 38 school districts in placing its students in field sites. A task force studying the concept of field experiences has developed a series of key characteristics that should govern all field experiences. The professional core for all teacher education programs has been revised, a new conceptual framework has been completed, and work is underway to integrate a greater number and variety of field experiences. Revisions underway in the elementary education and middle school curricula call for a cohort model with extended field experiences and site-based learning experiences. Public school teachers and administrators are included in the advisory groups in curriculum design and planning groups. Four elementary schools and four middle schools will be established as pilots. Attempts are being made to identify all current resources which may be focused more directly on partnership activities with particular emphasis upon the uses of technology. Central to these efforts is the ASU/School Partnership, a well-defined organization of seven districts with multiple sites at the early childhood, elementary, middle and secondary school levels. Plans are underway to strengthen the emphasis on site-based learning and to provide additional induction and staff development for teachers and administrators.

Elizabeth City State University

In January, the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, superintendents of two area school systems, and the interim chair of the Division of Education met to discuss the concept of the Partnership Plan and its requirements. Subsequently, a dinner meeting to launch the Plan to the community was held February 20. A "Core" group was organized to develop and write the proposal with the larger group reading and responding to draft preparations. Persons attending the dinner meeting included area business and community leaders, superin-tendents, elected officials, public school teachers, principals, National Board Certified teachers, University administrators, faculty and staff. Currently, there are 9 counties involved in the Plan. The "Core" group has had one very productive meeting and will have its second meeting on April 15.

Fayetteville State University

Representatives from nine school districts have invited to attend a day-long summit meeting scheduled for April 23. Participants will include teachers and other public school personnel, University faculty and deans, National Board certified teachers, and community and business leaders who are members of the Advisory Board which began meeting last November. The purpose of the Teacher Education Summit is to discuss strategies for enhancing education across the spectrum and to determine what needs to be done by schools of education, public schools and businesses to assure that our students are educated for the 21st century. One result of the meeting will be the formulation of Partnership objectives.

North Carolina Central University

Currently, NCCU and the Durham Public Schools have a comprehensive Compact to Raise Student Achievement, passed by the Board of Education during 1996. On April 10, NCCU held its first meeting to expand its partnership efforts to several other nearby counties. This first University-School Teacher Education Partnership meeting included initial planning for professional development schools, teacher networks and other initiatives to recruit, support, induct and continually develop teachers and other professional educators. Representatives from the Governor's office, members of the General Assembly, Teachers of the Year, National Board Certified Teachers, Site-based Chairpersons, principals and school board members have been invited to participate in initial planning and to serve on the steering committee.

North Carolina State University

While the partnership with Cary High continues to evolve, plans are underway for the expansion of this partnership initiative to involve additional schools and programs. Our partnership proposes to focus on induction and retention of new teachers and the use of technology to broadly interact with and disseminate information to teachers. On April 29, 1997, an advisory team composed of superintendents from four school systems (Johnston, Wake, Durham, and Franklin), middle and high school teachers, business leaders, faculty throughout our university, representation from professional teacher organizations, the State Board of Education, University administrators, legislators, a county commissioner, principals, a National Board certified teacher, and preservice and graduate students will meet to discuss partnership possibilities. Contractual agreements with interested school systems will follow with an application process by which schools can apply to become a partner school. A subsequent meeting will be held to kick-off the project which will include the advisory team and other stakeholders.

UNC Asheville

The Superintendents - or their designees - of Asheville City, Buncombe County and Henderson County met with the UNCA Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the Education Department Chair, Model Clinical Teaching Program Coordinator, and Technology Coordinator. Not only were verbal agreements reached relative to extension and enhancement of existing contractual emphases but suggestions of members for the Partnership Team were made. Since that time the faculty of the Department of Education and the Council on Teacher Education convened and indicated support for the concept. Currently, the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs are reviewing a draft of the proposal, intending to have it presented tot the Partnership Team and to the Board of Trustees in April. The major emphasis of the proposal is upon subsistence and technological dearths relative to the current Model Clinical Teachers and a support system for initially-licensed teachers.

UNC Charlotte

Partnership planning is proceeding steadily. Nearly a dozen meetings with faculty in the College of Education have led to review of Partnership goals and principles, identification of current activities consistent with the goals and principles, and brainstorming of entirely new ways of engaging with colleagues in school districts, not only for purposes of preservice preparation, but also for assistance during induction, help in curriculum and program planning, and participation in continuing professional development. A half dozen schools reasonably proximate to UNC Charlotte have been identified for pilot programs next year that will involve cohorts of 20-25 students in their last year of a teacher education program in a full semester of courses in two paired schools followed by student teaching in one of the two paired schools. The goal is to pair schools that share curricular priorities. There have been two briefings of superintendents in the region and about 15 meetings with individuals who will be potential members of the planning committee.

UNC Greensboro

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is involved in ongoing discussions with school districts and business leaders directed toward implementing the University-School Partnership initiative. A large committee involving more than 30 people is serving as a reaction and reconsideration panel. This group is charged with responding to specific recommendations of a smaller, 10-12 member drafting group. The draft group has been meeting weekly. It is expected that "work products" of this body will be reviewed and modified by the large reaction and reconsideration panel during several meetings scheduled for the month of May. It is envisioned that the final plan, to be completed in late June, will build and extend existing cooperative arrangements such as the Piedmont Horizons Education Consortium.

Western Carolina University

A Planning Team met in February to discuss the purposes of the partnerships and the tasks of the Planning Team. A March meeting, which was exceptionally well attended, generated ideas concerning the nature and structure of the Partnerships. The 51-member Planning Team is made up of representatives from elementary and secondary schools, the business community, community colleges, government, Western Region Education Service Alliance and the university. Six elementary schools and two high schools have agreed to be partners with WCU in effort to improve the preparation, induction and continued professional development of teachers. A writing committee is now preparing a first draft of a partnership plan based on the ideas expressed at the meetings. The plan will be distributed to all Planning Team members for their criticism. A third meeting of the Planning Team will be held in the near future to refine the written plan.

Winston-Salem State University

The Partnership Program was officially initiated on March 21, 1997 with a meeting of 20 individuals including teachers, local and state elected officials, members of two local school districts, community leaders, representative from a private college, faculty, and administrators. The specific purpose was to organize a working group to develop guidelines for the development and implementation of the Partnership Program. The group was given an overview of the current partnerships that WSSU had developed with local school districts. The group then brainstormed ways partnerships could be developed that focused on the improvement of education for all children in the public schools through recruitment, education, induction, and continuing professional development. It was concluded that a draft document would be developed and shared with each member. The next meeting of the working group to review the proposal was set for April 25 at which time representatives from Yadkin, Stokes, Davie, Davidson, Winston-Salem/Forsyth, and Surry school systems will be invited to participate. A reception for all stakeholders will be held on May 2, 1997.

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