Public School Partnership

The Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership (BYU-PSP) is a joint venture between the McKay School of Education and the School Districts of Alpine, Jordan, Nebo, Provo and Wasatch. This 24 year- old partnership is a setting of the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER). The foundational principal of the NNER and the BYU-Public School Partnership states that the improvement of public education requires teacher training institutions and public schools to work simultaneously to affect positive change in teacher education and student learning.

The participating districts include about one third of Utah’s school children or approximately 180,000 students and employ over 7,000 teachers. Brigham Young University annually graduates approximately 900 teachers and 40 administrative candidates.

The facilitating arm for the initiatives of the BYU-PSP is the Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES). The CITES office is located on the BYU campus, within the McKay School of Education.

A Governing Board that includes each Superintendent of the five participating school districts, the Dean of the McKay School of Education at BYU, and the Executive Director of CITES, directs the BYU-PSP. This Board collectively identifies the areas of need that can be most effectively addressed by the combined efforts of the University and the School Districts. Initiatives in the partnership fall under four categories: professional development, partnership programs, grants and funding, and research and publications.

The effectiveness of the partnership is based on mutual trust and respect. In the partnership, relationships are built, resources are shared, and collaboration and honest communication takes place. Through this process and consensus, growth and improvement has occurred, thus bringing about positive changes in teacher education as well as student learning, both at the university and public school levels.