What Do We Know about Accountability and Resources in Professional Development Schools

After the Holmes Group's report (1990), the concept of the professional development school (PDS) spread quickly as a vehicle for educational reform at both the university and school level. The rapid proliferation of newly established PDS partnerships accentuated concern associated with the lack of conceptual clarity of the PDS concept itself. Levine and Churins (1999) warned the PDS community that this innovative institution needed standards to ensure the necessary rigor, accountability, and sustainability. Through an examination of existing literature and a survey of PDS leadership, this chapter explores the current status of PDS accountability activities as well as the importance of accountability and resource allocation to the success and, perhaps ultimately, the sustainability of the PDS movement.