Lieberman Foreward in Abdal-Haqq PDS Weighing the Evidence

Lieberman, A. (1998). Foreward. In I. Abdal-Haqq, Professional development schools: Weighing the evidence (pp. vi - viii). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
 

• "Since the mid-1980s as part of the school reform movement, professional development schools have sought to revitalize teacher education in the university and reform K-12 schools at the same time. As part of a five-point agenda, the idea of a professional development school is to create a partnership between a given number of schools and a university; rethink the preparation of preservice education students; provide professional development for the experienced teachers from whom novices will learn; model exemplary practices that will lead to student achievement of a high order; and provide sustained, applied inquiry for both students and faculty in both institutions (p. vi)."
• Summary of Abdal-Haqq's findings: "Beginning teachers appear to be more accomplished, more confident, and better equipped to take over a classroom than their traditional counterparts; professional development is more enabling and empowering; clinical experiences appear earlier and are longer and more structured; assessment strategies are part of the repertoire; school-based faculty are involved in the design and implementation of coursework; students tend to work in cohorts; and there is some evidence that they outperform traditional teacher education programs (p. vii)."