Special Education PDS Partnerships

Alexander Local PDS Partnership

The Alexander Professional Development School Partnership is a unique partnership that exists between The Patton College of Education & Human Services and the Alexander Local School District. The partnership involves the placement of Teacher Candidates who are majoring in Special Education. These candidates are seeking licensure in working with P-12 Students who have mild to moderate or moderate to intensive learning needs. The Intervention Specialist Teacher Candidate, who is seeking K-12 licensure, is strategically placed within their program area into classrooms that provide a quality clinical setting. Teacher Candidates obtain a well-rounded experience in this partnership as they are rotated over the course of the academic school year to develop skills in teaching students at all grade levels. Teacher Candidates work closely with their Mentoring Teachers to develop and facilitate lessons. Mentoring Teachers are keenly aware of those developmental skills and knowledge that Candidates need to acquire to prepare them for their Professional Internship.

Beyond early field experiences component of the Alexander Professional Development School Partnership, Intervention Specialist Teacher Candidates who are completing their professional internship are also placed in classrooms throughout the district. The professional internship offers yet another exciting experience for the Teacher Candidate as this internship represents the capstone experience of their program. Additionally, partnership hosts over the course of one academic school year a Graduate Teaching Fellow that spends half a day with a mentoring teacher to shadow and apply developed skills and knowledge. Primarily participants, including university and district faculty can renew and revitalize their respective educational missions through their involvement in The Alexander Professional Development School Partnership.

Dr. Karen Oswald
PDS Faculty Coordinator
Special Education Faculty, The Patton College of Education
313A McCracken Hall
oswald@ohio.edu

Mr. Scott Welsh
PDS Teacher Liaison
Special Education Teacher, Alexander Local Schools
swelsh@alexanderschools.org