(Above) PDS liaison and associate instructor Amy Leitze working with Mount Vernon students in reading/language Arts instruction.
Mrs. Stephanie Miller, Principal at McCordsville Elementary, stephanie.miller@mvcsc.k12.in.us
Mrs. Kylie Matusiewicz, 2nd Grade Teacher at McCordsville Elementary, kylie.matusiewicz@mvcsc.k12.in.us
Mrs. Amy Leitze, Ball State Elementary Education Associate Lecturer and PDS Liaison, alleitze@bsu.edu
Dr. Kendra Lowery, Ball State Teachers College Associate Dean for Engagement and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, kplowery@bsu.edu
Mr. Jonathan Dee, Ball State Executive Director for the Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practice/ Current Doctoral Student, jjdee@bsu.edu
Mrs. Sari Harris, Ball State Associate Director or the Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practice, srharris3@bsu.edu
When building a strong school-university partnership, the process is often a marathon rather than a sprint.Within 18 months, it blossomed into what now supports 36 teacher candidates.
Ball State Executive Director Jon Dee, and Associate Director Sari Harris, met with Teachers College Associate Dean Kendra Lowery in the fall 2023 about a desire to expand PDS. Kendra, Jon, and Sari knew that a successful partnership is achieved with the right motivated and dedicated people. First up, veteran faculty and PDS liaison Amy Leitze. After seeing Amy’s vision and excitement, the next step was to reach out to interested districts. Given Ball state’s size, the university needed to ensure a school system could truly engage in all levels of the program, and was open to both a liaison and professional development (PD). Enter Mount Vernon. We weren’t just exchanging syllabi; we were building rapport, understanding each other’s needs, and defining shared goals. Research has continually demonstrated that purposeful liaison PD for teachers is collaborative, mutually beneficial, and relevant within one’s classroom (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017 and Drago-Severson, 2009, as cited in Hunzickler, 2019).
The goal in the first year was to build relationships. PDS liaison Amy Leitze participated in monthly district ambassador meetings, allowing her to better understand the innerworkings of the school district and make connections. Over time, she began engaging in professional learning communities, and ultimately focused her PD work on second grade reading/language arts instruction.
(Above) Mount Vernon School Corporation dedicated as a Professional Development School.
Funds were then approved by university leadership to transport 36 preservice teachers to engage onsite in Mount Vernon. These candidates were immersed in classrooms, gained invaluable hands-on experiences, and contributed to student learning. Having a liaison onsite not only provided helpful teacher PD, but has been shown as a benefit to achieving more intentional and mutually beneficial clinical hours (Parker et al., 2016).
Second grade collaborating teacher Kylie Matusiewicz stated, “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Ball State and its faculty supporting my students’ reading development. The dedication, energy, and differing levels of experience involved have been invaluable in creating a positive impact on their learning journey.”
Principal Stephanie Miller reiterates, “I highly value this partnership we have fostered with Ball State that has grown exponentially in a short couple of years. I truly believe by having preservice teachers shadow our well trained staff will really help them gain knowledge outside of the college classroom.”
(Above) Ball State Elementary Education teacher candidates on their first day of practicum in Mount Vernon School Corporation
References
Hunzickler, J. (2019) Learning-focused teacher leadership: The professional development school (PDS) advantage. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, 4(1).
Parker, A. K., Parsons, S. A., Groth, L. A., & Brow, E. L. (2016). Pathways to partnership: A developmental framework for building PDS relationships. School-University Partnerships, 9(3).
Brief Ball State University FAQs
- Largest teacher preparation program in the State of Indiana
- 31 Programs
- PDS has been established at Ball State since 1998.
- Currently, we have one PDS District consisting of 9 schools within the Muncie Community School District, as well as four individual PDS sites surrounding central Indiana.