Professional Development Schools
The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)/Clark County School District (CCSD)Professional Development School (PDS) Partnership is a collaboration between the College of Education at UNLV and the CCSD. The primary aim of the PDS Partnership is to work toward continuous teacher education improvement and reform in order to promote increased P-12 student learning. Three principal goals of the PDS Partnership are:
- to participate jointly in teacher education,
- to sustain continuous professional development for university and partnership school staff, and
- to participate jointly in field-based research.
The Joint Governance Board establishes policies and operating procedures applicable to the PDS collaborative efforts between UNLV College of Education and the Clark County School District . The Joint Governance Board consists of the following persons:
• The COE Dean or his/her designee
• COE Faculty Representative
• COE Field Experience Director
• The Superintendent of Clark County School District or his/her designee
• Regional Superintendent(s) with oversight of the Professional Development Schools of designee(s)
• Assistant Superintendent for Research, Accountability, and Innovation or his/her designee
• Principals of the Professional Development Schools
• PDS Coordinators
The Joint Governance Board establishes bylaws operational. The Joint Governance Board meets at least once each year on or near May 1.
Current Partnership Sites:
Paradise (Elementary) Professional Development School
Petersen (Elementary) Professional Development School
Each PDS has a person appointed from both the university and the school site who will have duties of coordination of programs, classes, field assignment, and research projects.
The Coordinating Council for each school will set a yearly agenda, which aligns with the school site's academic school year, that outlines a strategic plan for joint initiatives, teacher education programs, and field-based research priorities. The Coordinating Council publishes this plan by April 1 of each year. In addition, the Coordinating Council oversees and monitors the strategic plan for effective collaboration between the PDS and UNLV. In order to accomplish these goals, each Coordinating Council meets at least three times per year, meetings to be held in October, January, and March.
A Coordinating Council consists of the following persons:
• The PDS coordinator from the University appointed by the COE Dean
• The COE Dean or his/her designee
• A Faculty Member representing each department in the College of Education
• The School Site Coordinator appointed by the school principal
• The School Site Principal
• The CCSD Region Superintendent (or his/her designee) with oversight of the PDS School
• The CCSD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum or his/her designee
• Two staff members from the school site
• A parent whose child attends the school
• Other members as deemed necessary by the Joint Governance Board
The PDS Coordinator from the University shall act as chair of the council.
Future Partnership Sites:
A school principal may make application for his/her school to become a Professional Development School by writing a letter of interest to the CCSD Regional Superintendent. The letter should outline the school's capacity to fulfill the requirements of a professional development school. Upon the region's recommendation, the Regional Superintendent will forward the letter of application to the Joint Governance Board for consideration and final decision.
Facility Use:
- CCSD students and faculty may utilize the Bennett Professional Development Building by scheduling such through the appropriate UNLV contact.
- University faculty may utilize Professional Development Schools by scheduling such through the appropriate COE department or the PDS Coordinator.
Placement of UNLV students in field-based assignments at PDS sites:
Clark County School District agrees to host UNLV students in field-based assignments related to joint teacher education, professional development, and research-based activities and programs agreed upon in the annual Strategic Plan developed by the Coordinating Council. Clark County School District agrees that PDSs will be exclusively reserved for UNLV student placements. Exceptions may be brought before the appropriate PDS Coordinating Council.
