Series No.: PA-006

Partners: Institute for Educational Renewal Based at Miami; Miami University Western Row Elementary School

Source: Institute for Educational Renewal Based at Miami School of Education and Allied Professions Miami University
203 McGuffy Hall
Oxford, OH 45056

The purpose of this agreement is to combine our resources and work together to improve results for Western Row's students and novice teachers enrolled in Miami University teacher education programs. It is hoped that this agreement will provide ongoing quality field and student teaching placements for teacher preparation students, ongoing professional development for Western Row' teachers who desire to become Partnership Faculty in Miami's teacher preparation program, and ongoing scholarly and faculty development opportunities for Miami faculty.

This memorandum of understanding assumes that the school is the critical unit of change. What is proposed here is that Western Row Elementary School becomes a Professional Development Site for students in Miami University's elementary education program and that interested Western Row's teachers have the opportunity to be prepared as Partnership Faculty. It is believed that all engaged in work at the school site must be committed to ensuring that each and every child learns and develops to her/his potential. It is further believed that all school staff ultimately should be committed to providing quality student teaching and pre-student teaching placements.

Two paramount goals will always be at the heart of our work and therefore form the axis for assessment and evaluation:
1. We want the best educated and motivated children possible; and
2. We want the best prepared and committed next generation of teachers possible.

1. The preparation of future teachers is the responsibility of the entire profession, both school based personnel and those in higher education.

    

2. The school is the unit of change rather than a few individuals within the school.

    

3. In order for the partnership arrangement to be a true partnership, responsibilities and resources must be shared.

    

4. It is important for the Partnership Faculty to understand the goals of the teacher preparation programs and it is important for the University Based Faculty to understand the goals of the school.

• Western Row's elementary students will benefit from the presence of additional classroom teachers who can provide ongoing attention to individual needs in the classroom.

   

• Miami University benefits from having a Professional Development Site, staffed by Partnership Faculty who are knowledgeable about Miami programs and skilled in the use of supervision skills, where students can be placed for their preservice field experiences.

   

• Western Row's teachers benefit from the chance to grow professionally in areas that may not be otherwise available to them. In addition, the possibility of team teaching with university based faculty with regard to professional methods affords the opportunity to critically examine the curriculum and methodology currently being employed in their individual classroom.

   

• Western Row school benefits from the presence of resources that they may use as the school sees fit in order to meet the needs of the school.

   

• The profession benefits from new teachers who have been prepared and nurtured in an environment where professional practice, commitment to principles, and excellence were associated with the entire range of their field experiences.

1. Western Row's faculty interested in becoming Partnership Faculty will agree to participate in a seminar ( for 1 semester hour credit) that will prepare them to assume the responsibility of Miami university supervisor of teacher education students (participation in the seminar, however, does not obligate the Partnership Faculty to assume a supervisory role). Miami University will provide the instruction for this seminar through the Department of Educational Leadership and/or the Department of Teacher Education.

    

2. Miami University will provide a faculty liaison that will assist in any policy oriented problems or cases that involve unusual difficulties and who will be redefining the roles of faculty supervisor and faculty liaison. This individual will be responsible for maintaining communication between University Based Faculty and the Partnership Faculty.

    

3. Seminars for all student teachers placed at Western Row will be the responsibility of the Partnership Faculty who have assumed the role of university supervisor during the semester. Supervision of Miami University student teachers and the associated seminars will be consistent with the policies currently established in the Office of Student Teaching and Field Experience. Planning for the seminar will be the joint responsibility of Partnership Faculty and student teachers. The Miami faculty liaison will provide assistance in the preparation of needed materials or human resources to accomplish the goals of the seminar.

    

4. Western Row will be responsible for determining the number of student teachers, methods students, and observers it will be willing to work with during a given semester and communicate that number to the Office of Student Teaching and Field Experience during the semester prior to the one in question. The Office of Student Teaching and Field Experience will place only the number of students to the grade levels that Western Row requests for that semester. Miami will agree to provide Western Row with the names of students in these categories in a timely fashion in order for the appropriate planning to occur prior to the experience. Miami students will agree to meet with teachers at Western Row during the semester (student teachers) or week (methods students) prior to the experience.

    

5. The Partnership Faculty (in the role of university supervisors) will be responsible for a minimum of 8 formal observations during the semester, as well as the day to day counseling, and the preparation of student evaluations. Western Row school will provide flexible scheduling in order to allow the meeting and support necessary for student development. This will include time for (a) Partnership Faculty meetings, (b) student teacher meetings (other than seminar) and (c) conferencing with student teachers. This structure avoids the need for ongoing substitutes and takes the Partnership Faculty away from classroom responsibilities only minimally.

    

6. Miami University and Western Row school both invest in this effort because it benefits their respective students. A partnership decision making team, referred to as WRDM (Western Row Decision Making Team) will be responsible for developing a plan for utilization of allotted resources (see resource section below). WRDM shall maintain independent control over allocation of these resources. An example of the makeup of the WRDM team could be as follows: the principal; two or more teachers of whom one is the building representative of the teacher association/union and the others are "Partnership Faculty"; one or more Miami faculty members who serves as a liaison to all preparation programs engaged at the school; and a representative of the parents of children enrolled at the school.

    

7. Miami University and Western Row Elementary School will develop a plan for assessment and evaluation. Assessment and evaluation should serve the dual purposes of continuous improvement and reporting progress to school administration and board and to participating university programs and administrators. The Miami faculty liaison and a Western Row's staff member, plus one-two persons not directly involved in the pilot could constitute the assessment and evaluation team.

Miami University

• For each group of six (6) student teachers, one thousand dollars ($1000) will be paid by Miami University to the Partnership Faculty member(s) responsible for student teaching supervision (i.e., if two Partnership Faculty members supervise the student teaching experience as a team, each will receive $500). It is understood that this payment is for services related to supervision that will occur before and after school hours (e.g., pre- observation conferences, post-observation conference, seminars, etc.).

   

• The amount of compensation will be adjusted according to the number of student teachers the supervisor is responsible for, however, no individual Partnership Faculty member will be responsible for more than six student teachers per semester.

   

• For each group of six student teachers, Western Row Elementary School will be paid one thousand dollars ($1000) to support supervision activities. Examples of how this money could be used include: to hire a substitute teacher (once or twice a semester) to free up the Partnership Faculty teacher to supervise student teachers; to pay Partnership Faculty for work done on supervision in addition to their regular school day responsibiities; equipment necessary for videotaping of student teachers; or mileage paid for any meetings related to student teacher supervision or Partnership activities.

   

• Miami agrees to designate a liaison to for Western Row Professional Development School. This individual will be a full time Miami University faculty member.

   

• Miami agrees to provide school based faculty with parking passes and library privileges at Miami University.

   

• Western Row elementary will work with Miami to provide Partnership Faculty with the occasional release time that might be necessary for Partnership Faculty to work with University Based Faculty or students.

   

• Mason School District will empower WRDM to allocate the resources described above.

   

• Western Row Elementary School agrees to participate in the Institute for Educational Renewal.

It is proposed that the professional development component begin during the summer semester, 1997, and that the first students be assigned to Partnership Faculty during the Fall semester, 1997. Assessment and evaluation will commence with program planning and be continuous throughout the agreement.

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