The Challenges Never Stop! Two Decades of Reaching for the Best in Clinical Practice

Abstract

The University of South Carolina Professional Development School (USC PDS) Network has been engaged in designing and redesigning school–university partnerships for more than 20 years with a focus on ensuring that school-based practice lies at the heart of candidate preparation. In 2012–2013, the USC PDS Network once again reexamined their program design to identify and build upon those elements that have proven successful. This article shares the journey and lessons learned in the evolution of the USC PDS Network, including the results of the most recent reexamination. The focus is on challenges inherent in the creation of effective school–university collaboration and insights into key components of success, including relationship building, leadership and administrative support, sense of purpose, organizational structures, and adaptability to change.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bruce E. Field

Bruce E. Field, Ph.D., served as the Executive Director of School-University Partnerships and Clinical Experiences in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina from 2001 through 2014. He currently serves as the Department Chair of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education at Georgia Southern University.

Irma J. Van Scoy

Irma J. Van Scoy, Ph.D., is the Executive Director for the University of South Carolina's integrative learning initiative, USC Connect. She is the former Associate Dean of the College of Education and one of the original faculty leaders of USC's PDS Network.  She has published numerous articles on teaching and teacher education.