Teacher Education; Teacher Effectiveness IDENTIFIERS Teacher Surveys

This practicum reports on the creation of a professional development school (PDS) designed to improve field experiences for early childhood education majors at a rural private college. The goal of the project was to increase the number of qualified teachers at a local primary school who would be willing to participate in the supervision of student teachers. The initial step in establishing the PDS was the formation of a steering committee composed of teachers, an administrator, and other school personnel. The steering committee met weekly and collaborated in writing the mission statement and goals for the PDS, identified staff development needs, sponsored staff workshops, and addressed specific areas of teacher concern. In addition, the role of the author as program developer included establishing rapport with all school personnel, encouraging open communication among participants, promoting