The Importance of Professional Development Schools

The PDS initiative is an important one that is recognized by our national accrediting agency, the National Council for Accredidation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and mandated by our state program approval agency, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).  Each organization believes that PDS's are a valuable part of the preparation of future educators. 

UMES' Professional Education Programs are accredited by NCATE and approved by MSDE.  we work to support the standards of both NCATE and MSDE as we prepare highly qualified educators.  Our PDS partnerships play a vital role by providing a challenging, structured and supportive environment for our candidates.  We value our work with our PDS partners!

Our goal is to create and nurture a collaborative partnership that will improve teacher quality and impact positively on student learning.  Our focus is on preparing teachers with knowledge, skills and dispositions to teach all students.  Internships provide opportunities to view effective teacher models, professional conduct and on - site based research. 

Field Experience Tools

Criminal Background Check Release Form

Field Placement Application

Field Experiences Evaluation Form

Field Experiences Timesheet