Developing, Sustaining and Assessing Collaborative Structures with Education, Science, Mathematics and English.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper outlines how shared decision making among teacher education faculty, PK-12 educators, and mathematics and science faculty lead to the preparation of quality educators within Wright State University's (WSU) "Partners Transforming Education: School-University-Community" program. This program was designed to simultaneously renew preservice and PK-12 education. It involves a newly designed teacher education curriculum, a conceptualized postbaccalaureate professional school model for middle and high school teachers, and four partnership PK-12 school sites. College faculty, school teachers, and community members collaborate in the renewal process. An important part of the University's efforts to build bridges within the institution and more effectively integrate the separate pieces of teacher education, is the interaction between the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Education and Human Services. This effort works to ameliorate institutional barriers which have traditionally impeded intercollegiate collaboration toward improved preservice and inservice professional development and pedagogical practice. This paper describes WSU's integration of science and mathematics using the Praxis III model; presents a historical perspective on the process of developing collaborative teaching programs at WSU; and reflects on tenure and promotions within this collaborative model. (Contains 19 references.) (SM)