Creating Communities of Learning,
Inquiry & Connection:
Building The Westfield Professional
Development School Network
Westfield Professional
Development School Network
Westfield State College
&
Westfield Public Schools
For Information Contact:
Nitza M. Hidalgo, Ed.D.
Professor of Education &
Director, WPDS Network
Westfield State College
(413) 572-5318
nhidalgo@wsc.ma.edu
WPDS Network
Franklin
Avenue
School
Abner Gibbs
School
Highland School
WPDS
Network
Westfield State
College
Moseley School
Southampton
Road School
WPDS Faculty
What is the WPDS Network?
 The Westfield Professional
Development School Network is a
Partnership between Westfield State
College and five Westfield Public
Elementary Schools.
How can you get involved?
 Apply to the PDS internship program.
 Take any of the following classes:
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•
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ED 220 Schools in American Culture (Raker)
ED 221 Students with Special Needs (Goff & Redditt)
ED 304 Teaching Writing & Expressive Art K-6 (Itterly)
ED 306 Elementary Curriculum (Knowles & Sullivan)
ED 317 Analysis & Correction of Reading Difficulties
(Itterly)
• ED 319 Principles of Teaching & Learning (Templeton)
• ED 335 Literacy Instruction for English Language
Learners (Berkowitz)
What is the WPDS Internship?
 The internship is an integrated, year-long prepracticum/practicum experience within a single classroom
in a WPDS elementary school.
 Students take their Curriculum course in the Fall and
Student Teach in the Spring.
 Students are monitored in their Fall pre-practicum by a
WSC professor. In the Spring, the same professor
becomes students’ practicum supervisor.
 Intern Requirements:
• B average in Education courses.
• Must have passed all the teacher tests prior to internship.
• Must have met the diversity requirement in previous prepracticum courses.
• Must have had different grade level assignments in previous
pre-practicum courses.
Who are the WPDS faculty?
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Prof. Sandy Berkowitz
Prof. B. J. Goff
Prof. Nitza Hidalgo
Prof. Kathy Itterly
Prof. Trudy Knowles
Prof. David Raker
Prof. Susan Redditt
Prof. Peggy Sullivan
Prof. Lolly Templeton
Professional Continuum
Practitioners
Teacher
Candidates
College
Faculty
What are our Goals?
 To Improve Teacher Education at the
Undergraduate Level
 To Provide Professional Development
Opportunities for Teachers at the
Elementary School Level
WPDS History: Fall 1999
 WSC Faculty Meetings: Fall 1999
 First Conversation: December 7,
1999
WPDS History: Spring 2000
 WPDS Network Proposal, May 2000
• Submitted to WSC Administration
 End of Year Luncheon, May 23, 2000
• Retreat Planning Committee established
WPDS History: 2000-2001
 Retreat: October 28, 2000
• Memorandum of Understanding
 Signed by WSC & WPS administrators
• Formal Launch of the WPDS Network
• Preliminary Definition of PDS Identity
WPDS History: 2000-2001
 Eisenhower Grant Funding
• Academic year 2000-2001
 Teacher-in-Residence Program
• Begins, September 2000
 Needs Assessment
• All five schools participated
 Forty five teachers responded
WPDS History: 2000-2001
 Individual School Action Plans
 First College/School Projects
• Based on Action Plans
• Connected to Needs Assessment
WPDS Organizational Chart
Wes tfield Pro fes s io nal Develo p m ent Sc ho o l Netw o rk
Organizational Chart (2004-2005)
PDS College Liaisons
PDS Director: N. M. Hidalgo
PDS Coordinator: P. Burke
PDS Advisory Committee
WSC:
WPS:
J. Martin-Rehrmann
M. Henley
S. Hagen
WSC:
S. Berkowitz
B.J. Goff
N. Hidalgo
K. Itterly
T. Knowles
D. Raker
S. Redditt
P. Sullivan
L. Templeton
PDS Public School
Liaisons
PDS Student Interns
Revised:
1 1 /1 8/04
WSC:
S. Berkowitz
B.J. Goff
M. Henley
N. Hidalgo
K. Itterly
T. Knowles
J. Martin-Rehrmann
P. Miller
D. Raker
S. Redditt
P. Sullivan
L. Templeton
WPS:
M. Adams
J. Bastien
A. M. Buell
P. Burke
F. Chojnowski
L. Clark-Yvon
D. Cloutier
C. Gant
J. Gibbons
S. Hagen
L. Korzenecki
K. MacLean
C. Manfredi
E. McEwan
M. Ochs
D. O’Neil
P. Parsons
C. Roberge
M. Roman
B. Taylor
R. Witherell
Abner Gibbs: M. Ochs &
B. Taylor
Franklin Ave.: E. McEwan
Highland: C. Roberge
Moseley: P. Burke
Southampton: A. M. Buell
PDS Intern Cooperating
Teachers
S. Baral
A. Bombard
C. Boutot
J. Cameron
C. Demsey
S. Edwards
L. Hammond
R. LaFleur
R. Scavotto
E. Stoppel
PDS Planning Committee
Franklin Ave.:
L. DiMartino
S. Dargie
Highland:
J. McKinnon
C. Roberge
Moseley:
P. Burke
M. Florek
M. Roman
Southampton Road:
F. Chojnowski
L. Korzenecki
P. Lewis
Critical Stakeholders
 Teacher Teams
• teacher liaison
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Building Principals
PDS College Faculty
Dean of Education (WSC)
Director of Personnel (WPS)
PDS Coordinator
PDS Director
WPDS Organizational Chart
What are some WPDS Activities?
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Hold Monthly Meetings
Conduct Individual School Projects
Provide On-Site Graduate Courses
Direct the Multi-School PDS Internship
Program
 Promote Co-Teaching activities
 Organize an End-of-Year Conference
 Publish Newsletters
WPDS Components
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Monthly Meetings
Individual School Projects
Teacher & Faculty Liaisons
Teacher-In-Residence
Co-Teaching
WPDS Partnership
Franklin
Avenue
School
Abner Gibbs
School
Highland School
Westfield
Professional
Development
School
Network
Westfield State
College
Moseley School
Southampton
Road School
Perspectives
 College
• Dean of Education
• Student Intern
• Student
College Admin. Perspective
 Dean of
Education
Provides
Insights on
How the WPDS
Benefits the
College
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College Student Perspective
 Student
Intern
Reflects on
her
Practicum
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College Student Perspective
 Prepracticum
Student Talks
about Working
in the After
School
Homework
Club
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Perspectives
 School
• Administrative
• Practitioner
• Students
Administrative Perspective
 Benefits of WPDS
at the Elem.
Schools
 Strengthens the
relationship
between WSC and
WPS
 Prepares new
teachers
 Professional
Development
 Supports teachers
and schools
Administrative Perspective
 WPDS Impact on
Elem. Schools
 College as a
resource
 Staff involvement in
courses
 Achievement for
students
 Better prepared
pre-service
students
Administrative Perspective
 Future Goals &
Projects
 Involve more
schools
 Model programs at
schools
 Expand
prepracticum &
practicum
opportunities
Practitioner Perspective
 More Direct
Services to
Children
 Children benefit
greatly
 Develop programs
where there are
gaps & needs
 Nature of services
change as needs
change
Practitioner Perspective
 Input into the
Education of
Teacher
Candidates
 Teaching
workshops and
courses at the
college
 Discussions with
faculty about preservice programs
Practitioner Perspective
 Strengthens the
skills & knowledge
of practitioners
 Continuing
education by
college faculty
 Input by college
faculty on special
projects & areas of
need
 Greater
participation
Elem. Ed. Student Perspective
 Southampton
Road School
Students Talk
about the
After School
Homework
Club
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Southampton Road School
Southampton Road
Team
Teacher
Liaison
On-Site Courses
Faculty
Liaison
Co-Teaching
Year-Long
Internship Program
After School
Homework Club
Increased Presence
of WSC Students
WPDS Liaisons @ SRS
 Teacher Liaison
 Faculty Liaison
WPDS Activities @ SRS
 Co-Teaching
 Year Long
Internship
WPDS Activities @ SRS
 After School
Homework Club
 Increased Roles
Taken by WSC
Students Each Year
WPDS Activities @ SRS
 On-Site Graduate
Level Technology
Courses
• Teacher Tools in the
Wired Classroom
• Utilizing Teacher
Tools in the Wired
Classroom
WPDS Activities @ SRS
 Daily increased
presence of WSC
students
Struggles
 Commitment from College & District
 Money/Yearly Funding From Academic
Affairs & School System
 Release Time
 Levels of Participation
 Turnover of Staff
WPDS Network Vision
 WPDS Network Continues to Evolve
• Changing programs and participants
 Our Reputation has Grown in the District
• More schools want to join or take our students
 Documentation of PDS as a Reform Effort
• Systematic data collection
 Greater Impact on Teaching and Learning
• College level & school level
Moseley Elementary School
Moseley
Team
Needs
Assessment
On-Site
Courses
Teacher
Liaison
Co-Teaching
Year-long
Internship
Program
Faculty
Liaison
Multicultural
Celebration
Project
Highland Elementary School
Highland Team
Co-Teaching
Teacher
Liaison
Faculty
Liaison
Year-Long
Internship Program
Integration of the
Arts Project
Apprenticeship
Model
Abner Gibbs Elementary School
Abner Gibbs
Team
On-Site Course
Teacher
Liaison
Co-Teaching
Faculty
Liaison
Responsive
Classroom
Project
Franklin Avenue School
Franklin Ave.
Team
Teacher
Liaison
Co-Teaching
Year-Long
Internship Program
Mentoring
Program