Partnership Initiatives
Professional Development Schools (PDSs)
Professional Development Schools (PDSs) are partnerships that offer opportunities for Georgia State University and pre K- 12 schools to join together to foster the evolution of unique sites where school and university have the shared goal of enhancing the education of professionals through a serious commitment to collaboration. PDS partnerships have a four-fold mission:
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the preparation of new teachers,
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faculty development,
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inquiry directed at the improvement of practice, and
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enhanced student achievement
All institutions involved share the belief that theory and practice are inextricably intertwined. Through collaborative preservice and inservice education, all institutions benefit and are better able to provide the best learning environments for pre K- 12 learners and professional education students.
A Professional Development School partnership is a long-term relationship supported by policy at the university and school district level. The Professional Development School partnership requires a level of commitment to the relationship and the concept of simultaneous renewal.
PDS School Directory
PRISM
The Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM) is an NSF-funded program that aims to improve statewide student achievement in science and mathematics. It is a comprehensive program created to ensure that elementary, middle and high school students are taught science and mathematics by highly qualified, diverse teachers and to develop a statewide “best practices” approach to teaching and learning science and mathematics. The program also aims to create collaborations between classroom teachers and science and mathematics faculty in the state’s colleges and universities.
Metro Atlanta PRISM Website
Early College
Early College prepares 100 urban high risk students annually to successfully complete college undergraduate classes during high school. This Initiative focuses on students with high CRCT test scores that have challenging environments and are identified as struggling students with potential.The program also provides a learning laboratory for aspiring teachers and teacher trainers. The end result provides valuble research on effective teaching and retention of “urban high risk students”.
Induction
The GSU/NCTAF (Georgia State University/National Commission on Teaching and America's Future) Induction Project is designed to provide support to beginning teachers serving in twelve low-income and high-minority schools in four districts in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The project's goal is to improve student achievement by enhancing the quality of new teachers entering these schools and by increasing the likelihood that they will stay in their teaching assignments.
The program provides faculty site-coordinators who work with school teams designed to provide support and guidance to GSU teacher candidates as well as beginning teachers with funds provided by both Georgia State University and the Wachovia Foundation through NCTAF. The teams are trained to use respectful communication techniques, an online teacher resource center, and an instrument that enables teachers to self-assess, observe, and create professional growth plans. Monthly team meetings produce teachers who have gained knowledge and skills from each other; in essence, they are participating in an on-going staff development training, and, as a result, their students will increase their achievement.