What It Means to Be a Professional Development School (from NAPDS, 2021)
The purpose of the updated Nine Essentials is to share with the educational community the National Association for Professional Development Schools’ (NAPDS’s) articulation of the term “professional development school” (PDS). This statement is not intended to be either an evaluation or a critique of the phenomenal work that has punctuated PDSs over the past 35 years. NAPDS encourages all those working in school–university relationships to embrace the Nine Essentials of PDSs communicated in this statement.
The essentials are written in tangible, rather than abstract, language and represent practical goals toward which work in a PDS should be directed. For those in established PDSs, some aspects of this document will be confirmed, whereas other aspects may be identified as needing attention. For those aspiring to establish PDSs, we offer this statement as a useful guide for their work. NAPDS invites individuals involved in school–university partnerships to share this statement with colleagues in the spirit of continuous improvement.
By coming to terms with the challenges and opportunities inherent in this statement, we can collectively fulfill the vision of this remarkable and distinct partnership we call PDS.
To learn more about the NAPDS 9 Essentials and how to order a copy, click here.
To learn more about what it means to be a PDS, click here.