ועדת היגוי כמובילת מדיניות במערך ה-PDS

The steering committee is one of the organizational structures established in professional development schools (PDS) in order to strengthen the partnership between the school and the college of teacher education. The purpose of this study is to examine the development of utilizing steering committees in order to lead PDS policy. A content analysis of the protocols of steering committees over 10 years was performed, yielding categories and subcategories. The findings indicate: A steady increase in the number of partner schools, representatives, and officials; Changes in the characteristics of the protocols' contents from a focus on procedures to a focus on needs in the field, from ad hoc troubleshooting to long-term systemic planning, from passivity to activity on the part of the school staff, and from realizing solely the interests of the college to realizing the mutual interests of both the college and the school. The findings reinforce the importance and contribution of the steering committee in structuring and implementing the partnership policy in the PDS.