Knowing that we're going to start wordsmithing about our purpose, I'm placing this document on here to give us other words describing the "ideal" PDS.

The NAPDS Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement

Purpose:

The NAPDS Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement recognizes Professional Development School relationships for their ongoing contributions to the mission and vision of the National Association for Professional Development Schools in creating and sustaining genuine collaborative partnerships between P-12 and higher education which shapes educator leadership and practice.

Eligibility:

Nominees for the award must include, at a minimum, one school/district and one college/university that are in a formalized Professional Development School relationship. Nominations for the award are restricted to such relationships which support, through one or more individual memberships, the work of the NAPDS. Nominees must have had their PDS work presented at the PDS National Conference by one or more individuals at least once since 2007.

Selection Criteria:

Selection for the award will be based on the nine essentials of PDS work detailed in the April 2008 NAPDS statement titled "What It Means to be a Professional Development School." (The full statement can be found at http://www.napds.org.) These nine essentials are:

· a comprehensive mission that is broader in its outreach and scope than the mission of any partner and that furthers the education profession and its responsibility to advance equity within schools and, by potential extension, the broader community;

· a school-university culture committed to the preparation of future educators that embraces their active engagement in the school community;

· ongoing and reciprocal professional development for all participants guided by need;

· a shared commitment to innovative and reflective practice by all participants;

· engagement in and public sharing of the results of deliberate investigations of practice by respective participants;

· an articulation agreement developed by the respective participants delineating the roles and responsibilities of all involved;

· a structure that allows all participants a forum for ongoing governance, reflection, and collaboration;

· work by college/university faculty and P-12 faculty in formal roles across institutional settings; and

· dedicated and shared resources and formal rewards and recognition structures.

Award Submissions:

Nominations must be received electronically in the NAPDS national office (napds@mailbox.sc.edu) no later than 4:30 PM EST Monday, October 3, 2011.

Applicants for the 2012 award must provide:

1. A cover sheet that includes:

a. the name, title, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address for the individual serving as the Primary Contact;

b. the names and positions of all individuals who contributed to the writing of the application;

c. the names of all members of the partnership who are current NAPDS members; and

d. the date(s) and title(s) of the presentation(s) and the name(s) of the presenter(s) for presentation(s) made on the work of the partnership at the PDS National Conference since 2007.

2. A concise, well-sequenced narrative of no more than 20 double-spaced pages (12 pt. font) which addresses the PDS essentials by providing:

a. an explanation of how the PDS mission is broader in its outreach and scope than the mission of any partner and furthers the education profession and its responsibility to advance equity within schools and, by potential extension, the broader community (essential 1);

b. a brief description of the formal and, if appropriate, any informal roles played by both college/university and P-12 faculty across institutional settings (essential 8);

c. an explanation of how the organizational structure of the relationship encourages collaboration, reflection, and regular communication among participants (essentials 6 & 7);

d. a description of how resources are dedicated and shared across school/university and P-12 settings and how participants are formally rewarded and recognized for their contributions to the relationship (essential 9);

e. a summary of the work of the relationship in preparing future educators in the 2010-2011 academic year, including an explanation of how the P-12 setting embraces the teacher candidates' active engagement in the school community (essential 2);

f. a description of how professional development is provided on a regular basis for all participants (essential 3);

g. a description of the relationship's innovative and reflective practices that are explicit, mutually determined by PDS participants, and demonstrably enhance student learning (essential 4);

h. an explanation of how best practice is routinely examined and shared with others, both within and outside of the PDS relationship (essential 5); and

i. with the essentials in mind, the accomplishments and achievements of which the PDS is most proud.

Not included in the 20 pages, but as appendices, please attach:

1. a copy of the relationship's mission statement;

2. a copy of the relationship's written articulation agreement; and

3. a diagram of the relationship's organizational structure.

*Incomplete nominations will not be considered.