So What Type of Teachers Are They? Graduates of a PDS Teacher Preparation Program 3-6 Years Later

This study examines one outcome of the Professional Development School (PDS) model - the preparation of beginning teachers - documenting the relationship between participation in a PDS teacher preparation program and subsequent teaching practices. Five graduates of one PDS program who had taught for 3-6 years in non-PDS K-12 schools completed four interviews each and were observed in their classrooms. The interviews elicited narrative stories of practice, and these practices were compared to a matrix of characteristics of learning-centered teaching practices gleaned from the literature. The interviews focused on perceived influence of the PDS experience on subsequent teaching practices and the subsequent contextual factors that influenced their teaching practices. Overall, graduates reported that their experiences in the PDS program were strong and positive. They consistently reported five important elements: quality of mentoring, excellent models of teaching, involvement of the whole school, connections between coursework and classwork, and support of the cohort structure. Consistent emergent themes included the influence of their life histories on their perceptions of the PDS program, leadership, building connections with parents, teachers as change agents, and raising expectations as professionals in their schools. Appendix includes Characteristics of Learner-Centered Practices from the Literatur