In 1989, the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington started the Model Clinical Teaching Project and the Consortium for the Advancement of Public Education's School Reform Initiative (CAPE). Since that time, the partnership system has grown to include 146 schools across twelve traditional school districts and three charter schools. Within this partnership system, a more intensive partnership network with four elementary schools has been established. This network consists of schools referred to as ''Block'' schools because they host elementary teacher candidates in a year-long residency experience. Four schools are a part of this network--John J. Blair Elementary, Castle Hayne Elementary, Ogden Elementary, and Pine Valley Elementary. The Block network is mutually beneficial in many ways--elementary teacher education candidates engage in extensive clinical experiences (including a service learning component); the teachers in these schools work more closely with educators in the governance of the partnership; faculty collaborate with partnership teachers to shape the learning experiences for teacher candidates; professional development is provided for teachers, teacher candidates, and university faculty; and the partnership results in the creation of strong professional communities that include partnership teachers, teacher candidates, and university faculty. The NAPDS Nine Essentials for Professional Development Schools serve as constant reminders of the larger purpose of Professional Development Schools, their critical role in educational reform, and the diligence that must be established to maintain to protect them. The mission and achievement of these Professional Development Schools is presented in this article.