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Elementary Teacher Education (ETE) Program

University of Delaware/Milford School District Professional Development School

Thanks to a unique partnership between the University of Delaware and the Milford School District, University of Delaware ETE majors can complete their degree in southern Delaware at the University of Delaware/Milford Professional Development School (UD/Milford PDS). University of Delaware students are welcome to participate in this program after successfully completing their Associate in Arts Degree in Education in Georgetown or the first two years of their BSED Degree on our main campus in Newark. Students in this program complete their junior and senior years at the UD/Milford PDS Center located in the Milford School District while participating in intensive internships in district schools.

Program Highlights

The UD/Milford PDS meets the same high standards as the ETE program on the University of Delaware main campus in Newark. The difference comes in field experiences and course delivery. Program components include:

• Immersion in the schools as a teacher intern for two years.  Interns complete their junior and senior level courses while spending more than 1500 hours in the classroom. This intense field experience is the cornerstone of the PDS program offering student interns extended time in the field with many opportunities to practice all of the responsibilities of a teacher including teaching and professional development. Interns follow a teacher schedule, beginning in the classroom during inservice activities and  first days of school in the fall, with junior interns in the classroom half of each week and senior interns in the classroom every day throughout the school year.
• Strong connection with the Milford School District. Milford School District plays a strong role in this program. All of the partnership schools are rated as “Superior” by the Delaware Department of Education and in 2008 this district was number one overall in achievement in the Delaware Student Testing Program.  Interns have the opportunity to work with a group of mentor teachers who not only are dedicated to the learning of their students, but to the education of the interns as well. District teachers and administrators from this high quality district serve as mentor teachers, course instructors, guest lectures, program developers, and advisors for this program.
• Reflection as a major learning tool.  With interns spending so much time in the field, they use their experiences as a major part of their learning in their UD courses. Interns share their classroom experiences to enrich what they have heard and read for their courses.  There is a strong connection between theory and practice in this program with the emphasis on connecting learning and assignments directly to the interns’ work in the schools.
• Courses delivered through variable credit.  Courses in this program are offered in one-two credit increments over multiple semesters. This allows the interns to scaffold their learning over time as they gain more knowledge in the classroom and connect it to the theory presented in their courses.
• Class sizes are small and taught by a core group of University of Delaware faculty. Interns form a cohort when they come to the PDS, building strong working relationships in their courses and out in the schools. Faculty work to integrate courses to provide an interdisciplinary approach that increases efficiency and integrates instructions and field experiences.  Faculty also work with the interns out in the schools which allow them a holistic view of the strengths and needs of each intern.  Faculty use this knowledge to inform course instruction and to individually assist each intern in becoming an effective teacher.
• Graduates are eligible for K-6 regular and special education certification in the state of Delaware.

Testimonials

The following links provide insight into the dynamism and quality of the programs at the Milford Professional Development School.

Admission to the Program

Follow this link for an application packet:

For More Information

For more information about this program or to get help applying for admission, contact:

Dr. Laurie Palmer
UD/Milford PDS
310 Lovers Lane
Milford, DE 19963
(302) 424-6461
lpalmer@udel.edu