Sharing Clinical Practice Research and Practices

National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Annual Conference

The NAPDS conference brings together school and university partnerships from around the country and abroad annually to advance the education profession by providing leadership, advocacy, and support to sustain and advance Professional Development Schools as learning communities that improve student learning, prepare educators through clinical practice, provide reciprocal professional development, and conduct shared inquiries. This year’s conference took place Thursday, March 23 and Friday, March 24 in Jacksonville, Florida. The conference program included over 30 presentations from over 50 administrators, faculty, staff, and students in the UNF PDS and Partner School Network.

Presenters: Dr. Wendy Baker, Marilyn Barnwell, Isabella Birtolo, Amy Boyter, Maddy Brady, Dr. Rebecca West Burns, Alex Capobianco, Anthony Catamas, Dr. Kim Cheek, Dr. Rachelle Curcio, Joseph Diaz, Dr. Shaqwana Freeman-Green, Nancy Frias, Lauren Gibbs, Mallory Griffin, Dr. Elizabeth Hale, Dr. Katrina Hall, Kelly Harrell, Micheala Hewitt, Dr. David Hoppey, Valerie Ibanez, Nicholas Johnson, Jeania Jones, Roshanda Jones, Dr. Jennifer Kilpatrick, Meagan Lasoff, Dr. Megan Lynch, Dr. Adrien Malek-Lasater, Rebecca La Mance, Dari’onna May, Dr. Megan McMillan, Shaundricka Medlock, Jade Menendez, Rilencia Moore, Faith Nevin, Mariann Ocampo, Dr. Matthew Ohlson, Elizabeth Otterbein, Dr. Paul Parkison, MacKenzie Paternostro, Keith Poole, Dr. Deborah Reed, Dr. Raven Robinson-Wilson, Xavier Rozas, Terri Samson, Dr. Nile Stanley, Wildalynn Thomas, Stephen Thompson, Thomasena Thompson, John Luke Vega, Asher Verdi, Renee Walton, Stephanie Weathington, Suzette Wilhelm, Melissa Wright, and Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey.

The NAPDS Conference Committee also included several UNF and school partner representatives. Dr. Hale, Jessie Didier, Jade Yuen, Dr. Megan Lynch, and Dr. Rachelle Curcio played a large role in thoughtfully organizing the two-day conference and preconference. UNF student volunteers and teacher candidates, led by Jade Yuen, also volunteered their time to help coordinate a smoothrunning event. In addition to being on the NAPDS conference committee, Dr. Rachelle Curcio was responsible for leading the NAPDS Preconference Planning Committee. During the preconference, UNF and partner schools shared about their successful partnership with NAPDS attendees. After learning more about these partnerships, attendees enjoyed lunch and visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA).

Tiger Academy: Alex Capobianco, Jessie Didier, Dr. Elizabeth Hale

UNF Preschool: Dr. Adrien-Malek Lasater, Dr. Georgina David

Kings Trail Elementary and Jacksonville Teacher Residency: Jennifer Saoud, Dr. Rachelle Curcio

River City Science Academy: Roshanda Jones

This year’s Conference Give Back supported three local UNF partner schools, including Kings Trail Elementary (DCPS), Tiger Academy, and River City Science Academy, by providing donations for school supplies.

NAPDS Follow-up Think Tank

Clinical Practice and Educational Partnerships hosted a PDS Think Tank session as a follow up to the NAPDS annual conference. Fifteen school partners, three Resident Clinical Faculty, and three UNF faculty attended. San Jose Elementary JTR Clinical Residency Mentors, Stephanie Weathington, Leah Teuschel, Thomasena Thompson, and Amy Boyter gave a dynamic presentation at NAPDS titled “Burst That Bubble: Creating and Sustaining a Teacher-Led Professional Learning Community.” They shared how the group of lifelong learners create their own vertical learning community in grades K-3. They shared what they have learned as they began to bridge the reading gap between primary and intermediate grades through teacher reflection journals, standards alignment among grade levels, data collection and technology use. They were excited to brainstorm at the NAPDS Think Tank and create the next steps for their team. They look forward to continuing the work and sharing their learning at San Jose and other outlets.

Undergraduate Research Published in Pandion

UNF’s Exceptional Student Education faculty have mentored five students to publish their inquiry projects in Pandion: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas. Pandion is an online and print journal featuring the results of faculty-mentored and faculty-endorsed student research from all colleges and majors at the University of North Florida.Other ESE students have presented at NAPDS and the Florida Council for Exceptional Children Conference.

COEHS Faculty and Staff Represent UNF at the annual Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Conference

COEHS faculty, students and PDS (Professional Development Schools) partners represented UNF at the ATE (Association of Teacher Educators) 2023 Annual Meeting. ATE is the only national, individual membership organization devoted solely to the improvement of teacher education for school and university-based teacher educators.

Several UNF PDS and Partner School partners served on the ATE Robert J. Stevenson Lecture Panel, including Dr. Brandie Berry (DCPS), Dr. Jennifer Shepard (CCDS), Dr. Rudy Jamison (UNF), Caran Mullins (DCPS) and Easter Brown (Tiger Academy) on Monday, March 27. Dr. Diane YendolHoppey (UNF) graciously opened the panel with a few words.

Presenters from our UNF community included Dr. Wendy Baker, Dr. Carolyne Ali-Khan, Maria Beattie, Dr. Jamey Burns, Dr. Rebecca West Burns, Dr. Rachelle Curcio, Dr. Gigi Morales David, Dr. Katrina Hall, Katherine Herndon, Jeania Jones, Dr. Wanda Lastrapes, Dr. Megan Lynch, Dr. Adrien Malek-Lasater, Dr. Inger McGee, Dr. Raven Robinson-Wilson, Dr. Paul Parkison, Jennifer Saoud, Dr. Nile Stanley, Dr. Madalina Tanase, Robin Thomas, Dr. John White, and Dr. Hope (Bess) Wilson.

This year’s Conference Give Back supported Alfred I. duPont Middle School.

ATE's Inquiry Initiative

Drs. Wendy Baker, Shaqwana Freeman-Green, Katrina Hall, and Megan Lynch participated in the ATE Inquiry Initiative, a three-year collaborative inquiry for professional educators (scholars and practitioners) to collectively examine a common focus: closing the educational “opportunity gaps'' created by disparities within society. Their participation in the inquiry initiative is supported by the Holzendorf Urban Budget.

Clinical Practice Fellows

Shaundricka Medlock was invited into Clinical Practice Fellows, a community of school and university based teacher educators focused on centering clinical practice and developing schooluniversity partnerships within teacher education programs.

Fellows are selected through a competitive application process. Shaundricka Medlock joined Drs. Rebecca West Burns, Shelly Curcio, and Megan Lynch for the 2023 Clinical Practice Fellows Symposium.

National Association for Music Education and the Florida Music Educators Association

Dr. Tim Groulx and Dr. Julie Song have presented at multiple conferences including the National Association for Music Education. Under Drs. Groulx and Song’s supervision, students also actively participated and presented at the same conferences. One highlight was the annual Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) conference in Tampa in January 2023, where UNF music education had the largest institutional representation (14 presenters). FMEA’s Conference is one of the largest music education professional development events in the US, with more than 10,000 attendees.

Spotlight on Specialized Programs

Jacksonville Teacher Residency

This year, the Jacksonville Teacher Residency (JTR) welcomed Jennifer Saoud, professional development supervisor with Duval County Public Schools, as a boundary-spanning teacher educator and liaison between DCPS and UNF.

Jacksonville Teacher Residency, Professional Learning with Clinical Residency Mentors

DCPS, in collaboration with Dr. Rachelle Curcio and Dr. Wanda Lastrapes, held quarterly professional learning opportunities for the JTR Clinical Residency Mentors (CRM). The professional learning time was a space for the team to check in, provide support with JTR deliverables and requirements, and to facilitate ‘bite-sized’ professional learning opportunties. During the ‘bite sized’ professional learning, topics such as defining the co-teaching role, identifying spaces for coaching, mentoring on the move, providing coaching stems to support coaching conversations, and identifying specific areas of growth for our teacher candidates were discussed.The year ended with a wrap up and reflection day to reflect on the year and plan for another cohort of JTR residents. The JTR team looks forward to continuing the professional learning with the new group of CRMs in the fall!

Secondary JTR Teacher Residents and Mentor Teachers Present and Lead Service Projects

RCFs Renee Riley and Robin Renelus co-presented with Lake Shore Middle School Duo, Michaela Hewitt (JTR Teacher Resident) and Valerie Ibanez (JTR Mentor Teacher), at NAPDS on “A Classroom Ran by Two: Facing Biases and Relationship Building.” Michaela Hewitt and Valerie Ibanez, along with Dylan Sheppard, another JTR Teacher Resident at Lake Shore Middle, began a book club at school with students to spread the love of literacy as part of their service project this year.

A team from Alfred I. duPont Middle School (DCPS) including Principal Marilyn Barnwell and former JTR resident Joseph Diaz (with pre-conference support from RCF Robin Renelus) co-facilitated a session at NAPDS highlighting one teacher’s journey from the Jacksonville Teacher Residency Program to full time teaching in a comprehensive Title I middle school. Principal Barwell collaborated and brainstormed with others who attended NAPDS Think Tank about ways to continue supporting both teacher candidates and the teachers at her school site.

JTR MAT Residents at Kings Trail Elementary

The 2022-2023 school year was a busy one at Kings Trail Elementary (KTE). This year, Kings Trail hosted UNF Jacksonville Teacher Residents during their year-long residency experience. Throughout the year, residents were immersed in the life of teaching alongside their mentors, and Kings Trail welcomed each JTR Resident into the KTE family. From team planning to Trunk or Treat to afterschool tutoring, the JTR Residents and KTE faculty were engaged in high-quality teaching, learning, and teacher preparation. Thank you, Kings Trail Elementary, for your partnership in teacher education!

New Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership Grant: Project PREP (Partnering to Renew Educator Pipeline)

In October 2022, UNF and Clay County District Schools launched Project PREP. PREP is a systemic approach to building an educator pathway to enhance the recruitment, preparation, induction and retention of teachers and teacher leaders across the teacher pipeline. To meet these goals, PREP has five components that extend from a high school teaching academy to school and district leadership professional learning. Under Dr. Rachelle Curcio's direction as principal investigator, PREP and its five components are led in collaboration with UNF and Clay County faculty.

PREP supports the COEHS’s high school teaching academy in Clay County high schools, including Orange Park Senior High School. PREP supports innovations in the elementary education program through a yearlong professional internship. Through PREP, clinical practice will not end with teacher preparation. PREP collaborates with Clay County’s professional development team and UNF teacher education faculty to seamlessly blend Clay’s induction program with PREP’s resources for three years of early career professional learning through coaching and mentorship for early career teachers. PREP is also supporting teacher, school, and district leadership by collaborating on graduate-level coursework tailored to the needs of Clay County through the MEd in Elementary Education, MEd in Educational Leadership, and the EdD in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership.