Los Cerritos and California Lutheran University collaborate annually for their Professional Development School relationship. The benefits for our Los Cerritos students continue to be significant as we apply Active Collaborative Transformative Learning in the classroom under the guidance of Dr. Michael McCambridge, Department of Teacher Education from CLU. 

In 2021, the National Association for Professional Development Schools awarded Los Cerritos Middle School and Professional Development School (PDS) partner California Lutheran University’s Graduate School of Education, as part of the California University PDS Network, with the Exemplary PDS Achievement Award.

As part of the Professional Development School, teacher candidates from California Lutheran University’s Graduate School of Education are embedded into classrooms and paired with Los Cerritos Middle School teachers who have volunteered to be partners and mentors for the teacher candidates beginning on day one of the school year. This partnership between teacher candidates and LCMS teachers stay in effect throughout the course of the entire school year, similar to a residency in the medical field.

This unique program between California Lutheran University and LCMS is now in its fifteenth year. The program mission focuses on creating a shared, common vision of teaching and learning grounded in research and best professional practices.

NAPDS is the pre-eminent national organization supporting the critical linkage between higher education and public schools in the clinical preparation of teachers.  The Association presents its awards to partnerships that demonstrate they are learning communities in support of improved student learning, teacher preparation, reciprocal professional development, and shared inquiry.

With the 2021 honors, the National Association for Professional Development Schools will have recognized partnerships involving 28 different universities and their affiliated public-school colleagues since the award program began in 2009.

Since its inception in 2007, the California Lutheran PDS Network has prepared nearly 500 new teachers and provided professional development to more than 100 veteran teachers and college professors. 

Click here to visit the CLU website.