PDS PROGRAM ADDS
FOUR VIGO COUNTY SCHOOLS

By TONY CAMPBELL

Four local elementary schools — Davis Park, Deming, DeVaney and Fuqua  — recently were added to the successful Professional Development Schools (PDS) Partnership program.

The program, created in the fall of 1992, gives Indiana State University students the opportunity to enter K-12 classrooms for valuable field experience. Likewise, the program allows for professional development for both the school and university faculty.

"We (PDS partners) are no longer separate institutions — we are moving toward a seamless K-16 school," said PDS Program Director Bob Williams, adding that the addition of the schools brings the number of participating institutions to 20.

Williams said the addition of the four schools reflects the growth of ISU's elementary education program. "The expansion gives us more sites to provide university students with multiple sites for teaching experiences."

Deming Principal Guy Dillard — in his first year as principal at the school — has witnessed the positive influence the PDS program can have on a school. Before coming to Deming, Dillard served as principal of Fayette Elementary School, one of the original 10 schools to participate in PDS.

"The PDS program is a major force in school improvement," said Dillard, adding that Fayette was able to complete many projects that they otherwise would have been unable to do without the program.

Dillard said the PDS schools have an advantage over other schools when it comes to professional development opportunities.

And he credits the high quality of ISU student teachers in the program.

Since its inception, the program has helped to open communication between educators, provided needed hands-on experience to ISU students while adding to the education of the partner school's students.

Chauncey Rose Middle School Principal Tammy Roeschlein said the PDS Program has a tremendous impact on her school. "The partnership has helped us in many ways," she said. "And it continues to move us forward."

Roeschlein — whose school has been a long-time participant in PDS — said the program also played a key role in helping the school make a smooth transition from a junior high to a middle school in the early ‘90s.

And that strong partnership continues today.

Whether through on-site training, study groups, discussing teaching strategies or simply offering advice, members of the ISU faculty provide a valuable service to the faculty and students at Chauncey Rose. "They are always willing to help us make our school better," she said.

Williams said ISU also assists the schools in creating their own renewal agendas and discover ways to enhance and improve the quality of education at the school.

Each semester, about 35 ISU students spend time gaining hands-on teaching experience in classrooms at Chauncey Rose. "They become a part of our school," she said, adding that the students provide assistance to teachers. "They become part of our staff and we put them to work right away."

Williams said the ISU students become valuable assets to the schools. "They are an additional pair of adult hands in a learning environment and lowers the student-teacher ratio," he said. "More teachers in the building enhances what can be done with the instructional program.

"The ISU students are learning from the teachers in the building while providing a service for the children in that building," Williams added.

The program also provides incentives for partner school instructors to continue their education. Indiana State provides 13 semester hours of fee waivers to each PDS site, Williams said, and the participating school district matches those hours, making it a total of  26 semester hours of fee waivers.

Williams said the ISU faculty also benefits greatly from the program by having the opportunity to establish communication with the schools and assisting them with improving their educational programs.

Roeschlein said the added communication is also helpful to prospective teachers. "The sharing of information helps us serve kids more effectively and it makes the ISU students gain a richer educational experience," she said.

But, most of all, the program has helped Chauncey Rose help its children. "Basically they're here to help us provide a better education for our students," she said.

Another success story of PDS is West Vigo Elementary School.

Through the program, the school was able to help its students do better in basic literacy. Now, the school is being used as a model by the state. 

"It was truly a joint venture with (West Vigo Elementary) faculty with support of the faculty of the university," Williams said. "That's just one example of what happens (through PDS)."

DeVaney Elementary School Principal Christi Fenton, who is in her first year as principal at the school, said she was glad when she heard the school had joined the PDS program.

"Many of our teachers are interested in continuing their education," she said. "We are really excited about being a part of it."

 November 15, 2000