Interns at the Springfield Public School District 186 PDS are exposed to rural, urban, and suburban schools within one district. The Springfield PDS intern will get to experience a lower grade, an upper grade, and a middle school grade during their first semester placements. The second semester student teaching will be in one of the first semester placements. This ensures that the intern will already have a relationship with the teacher and students in that classroom.
The ninth largest school district in Illinois, it educates 15,000 students in 26 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools and three other educational centers. The district is known for its cutting-edge technology. Site leadership teams work collaboratively to make responsible decisions for their school and its students. The Springfield partnership focuses on school improvement by using the PDS model to train Illinois State interns to become professional educators they hope to retain and continue to to develop professionally.
Located in central Illinois, Springfield has a culturally diverse population of approximately 113,000 citizens and offers a small town feel with city-like opportunities. Interns are immersed in the school culture as well the community. If a student chooses to live in the area, the Springfield site has located safe, affordable, and convenient housing for PDS participants.