"Professional Development Schools are innovative institutions formed through partnerships between university professional education programs and preK-12 schools. Their mission is professional preparation of candidates, school and faculty development, inquiry directed at the improvement of practice and enhanced student learning. Baylor students (teacher candidates) will work with mentor teachers in the classroom to bring together experience and innovation for the preparation of new teachers and the improvement of education for children.

Through the Baylor-PDS partnerships, a university liaison, who is a Baylor School of Education faculty member, along with a jointly employed site coordinator, works with Baylor teacher candidates on site. In collaboration with the school principal and school faculty, they work together to advance the education of children at participating Professional Development Schools.

To learn more about Professional Development Schools nationally, visit NAPDS.org (National Association of Professional Development Schools)."

https://www.baylor.edu/soe/index.php?id=935464

Waco ISD Baylor Professional Development Schools:

Elementary Level:

• Bell’s Hill Elementary
• Hillcrest Professional Development School

Secondary Level:

• Cesar Chavez Middle School
• University High School

"Baylor teacher candidates begin their field work in area schools during the freshman year and spend significant and progressively more time on school campuses. During the junior year, teacher candidates serve in PDS campuses every day as Teaching Associates. As seniors, Baylor teacher candidates are in schools full-time on a daily basis to observe, assist, practice, and teach. This clinical approach prepares teachers with almost two full years of experience in classrooms — in a co-teach situation with the classroom mentor during the senior year — before graduation and job placement. Mentor teachers and clinical instructors, who are experienced classroom teachers, benefit from teacher candidates’ presence in the classroom and learn new teaching techniques and technology from their interns. Students in the district benefit from all parts of the partnerships — having more time one-on-one with instructors, experiencing different teaching styles, and learning from new, creative lessons."

https://www.baylor.edu/soe/index.php?id=935463

Elementary Level:

• Bell’s Hill Elementary
  • Kristie Ingram, Principal
  • Tina Anderson, Site Coordinator
• Hillcrest Elementary
  • Haley Dean, Principal
  • Kimberly Coe, Site Coordinator

Secondary Level:

• Cesar Chavez Middle School
  • Lena Ortiz, Interim Principal
  • Vicki Stone, Site Coordinator
• University High School
  • Alonzo McAdoo, Principal
  • Belinda Rubio, Site Coordinator

Bell's Hill Elementary Aquaponics Research, 2022-23

Hillcrest Elementary Handwashing Research, 2022-23

NAPDS Vision, Mission & History

NAPDS Brochure

NAPDS.org