Collaborating for Quality: Partnerships for Excellence through Education Reform.

Overview & Synopsis

The teacher education program at William Woods University (WWU) in central Missouri has developed five partnership projects that have served as the impetus for the gradual restructuring of the university's education program into a more holistic, interdisciplinary experience for the preservice teacher. This restructuring effort has blended professional development opportunities for K-12 educators and higher education faculty. The projects are: (1) an annual special education conference, which has been in place for 10 years, including a paraprofessional training segment introduced during the past two years; (2) two grants from the federal Eisenhower Professional Development Program to promote professional development in mathematics and sciences ("Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Resources" focusing on techniques for helping students, especially female students, in grades 3-8, and "Science and Math Are for Everyone" centering on incorporating technology into the teaching-learning process of both regular and special education science and mathematics curricula); (3) "Mid-Missouri Re:Learning Cluster" a collaborative effort between institutions of higher education and three central Missouri school districts; (4) a professional development school relationship with a local elementary school; and (5) the "Connection Project," a professional development effort funded by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and housed at WWU. (ND)