"Partnerships In Action" Conference

Without strong administrative support, many well-intended goals of the partnership would not be realized. This knowledge has led the partnership to create professional growth opportunities for partnership administrators and teachers who serve as site coordinators. One such opportunity that focuses on standards-based learning is a conference held each fall for more than 110 school site coordinators, school administrators, and university faculty.

Discussion at this year’s conference centered on developing a quality environment for learning, and achieving success in exit and licensure procedures. University faculty updated participants on INTASC standards and the Technology Product of Learning, which the Watson School requires of students to demonstrate their mastery of the Advanced Technology Competencies.

In their feedback, conference participants stressed their need for professional growth in the areas of standards-based learning and assessment in order to provide critical coaching and support for interns. (In response, partnership conference sessions and site seminars during 2000–2001 will focus on these needs.) An important direction-setting implication arising from the conference was a need for all partners to recommit themselves to ensuring equitable opportunities for interns in the best-possible sites.

Educational Issues Forum

On December 10, 2002 the PDS Partnerships in Action: Issues Forum on Quality Teaching and Student Learning was held at the UNCW Executive Development Center at Landfall from 9:00a.m.-3:00p.m. Chancellor James Leutze and the Watson School of Education Professional Development System hosted this important conference.

The Goals for this conference were to engage participants in discussion focused on critical issues affecting education and to begin drafting a position paper articulating our collective voice on a number of these issues. This partnership position paper will be distributed to the NC Sate Board of Education, state legislators, policy organizations, and other influencing educational decisions. Participants discussed the following topics and presented a PowerPoint defining the issue, stating the variables affecting it, and recommendations for a position paper.

Educational Issues discussed were:

• Implications of NCLB


• Bridging the Reality of Policy and Practice


• Quality Assurance for All Students


• Supervision...Never Enough When It Is Good!


• How to Maintain Progress in a Budget Crisis


• Networking for Collective Thinking