Chapter 1: Understanding the Complexities Inherent in Large Scale Implementation of the Pds Model by an Urban Research Institution

Since the emergence of the professional development school (PDS) concept in the 1980s (Campoy, 2000; Holmes Group, 1986; Stallings & Kowalski, 1990) and the growing emphasis on university and public school collaborative efforts toward clinical teacher preparation and school reform into the new millennium (Darling-Hammond, 2006; NCATE, 2001), descriptions of the challenges encountered in establishing school partnerships have been pervasive in the literature. The importance and the difficulty of establishing trust (Darling-Hammond 2005; Ferguson, 1999; Robinson & Darling-Hammond 2005), of building relationships (Teitel, 2003), and of developing efficient and effective forms of communication (Robinson & Darling-Hammond, 2005) have been documented.