Documenting and Exploring the Effectiveness of a Tri-Partite Renewal Collaboration among Arts and Sciences and Education Faculty and P-12 Teachers.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper describes the Professional Renewal Program for Educators (PRPE), a faculty-driven, tripartite effort developed to increase the knowledge and skills of education faculty, arts and sciences faculty, and P-12 classroom teachers in the areas of instructional technology, cultural diversity, and democratic principles in public education. Led by pairs of expert co-facilitators drawn from among their peers, cohorts of educators engaged in a series of inservice sessions spread over three semesters. In order to explore the effectiveness of peer instruction, participants were asked to complete an instrument that self-assessed their knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to diversity, technology, and the National Network for Education Renewal's (NNER's) agenda related to democracy. Results indicated that instruction in the PRPE was effective in promoting participants' growth in knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to diversity, technology, and the NNER agenda. Dividing leadership and responsibility between co-facilitators for each cohort was an effective strategy. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)