Project REAL Professional Development Schools

The Project REAL partners selected the professional development school (PDS) model as the school reform mechanism for four partnership schools, Jefferson High School, Rockford Environmental Science Academy (RESA), Nelson Elementary School, and Rolling Green Elementary School. PDS sites implemented across the country have shown measurable gains in student performance.

The Project REAL sites will encompass four main elements of a PDS:

clinical placements for pre-service teacher candidates,
on-site professional development for classroom teachers,
collaborative curriculum development at both the university and K-12 school level,
research jointly conducted on teaching and learning.

Sharing of expertise and resources is a fundamental principle of this project, with the ultimate goal of improving student learning. Principals of the four schools participate actively in the overall project governance, along with deans and administrators from NIU, RVC, and Rockford Public Schools, as well as lead Project REAL activities in their schools.