A Professional Development school (PDS) is a long term partnership between universities and schools committed to: a) the creation of exemplary demonstration sites in which all children achieve educational excellence, b) the improvement of both pre-and in-service educational programs for practicing and future educators, and c) the engagement of the school staff in studies of teaching and learning and the application of the results for improvement of education .
In the summer of 1990 Mrs. Linda Riley, a counselor at Edmonson, sent a letter to Dean Cecil Miskel urging the establishment of a Partnership PDS at Edmonson with the University of Michigan School of Education. Discussion among the dean, then Superintendent Yomtoob, the principal, and unversity faculty led to an agreement to create a PDS at Edmonson.
Now, five years later, school improvement efforts at Edmonson are still growing. Project based Science instruction places all students in learning experiences requiring them to act as scientists, examining current, real time problems. Computers add power to cooperative exploration of mathematical ideas in the math classes. Social Studies students are learning to interpret and synthesize information from primary sources of history such as writing, pictures, and tapes. The restructuring program was designed in the spring of 1991. It replaced the six-period day with a seven-period day, providing an extra elective for each student, and it placed all teachers on teams. The professional development program has been in place since the first year. It provides teacher acces to the university resources through the professional library, including four computers which are linked to the university information network. The Parent Council sponsers school events, attends state-level meetings, and have organized an opportunity for paretns to experience the new science program for themselves. Student teachers have been placed in science, math and social studies classrooms in increasing numbers. Through a cooperative effort between these teachers in training and the veteren staff members, our successes have been disseminated at state, national and international educational conferences. The School of Education has used Edmonson faculty as contributers to university class instruction and in research and development projects at the university which are related to the work at the middle school.
1. To establish the Edmonson Middle School as an exemplary place for teaching and learning for all students.
2. To improve the quality of teacher education and service at The University of Michigan.
3. To develop and implement effective methods of collaborative inquiry by Edmonson faculty, U.of M. faculty, and graduate students.
4. To evaluate and desseminate effective practices for teaching and learning, organization and management, professional eduaction, collaborative inquiry, and the concept of the Professional Development School.