The PDS partnership between Baylor University and Waco Independent School District commenced in 1993 in the context of a national conversation about innovations for improving teacher preparation and practice. During its 25-year history, the partnership has garnered national recognition, with Hillcrest PDS serving as one of 18 representative PDS partnerships to pilot the NCATE PDS standards project in 1995, its governance structure being shared as an exemplary model in the NCATE Blue Ribbon Report (NCATE, 2010), and most recently, recognized by NAPDS as one of three recipients of the 2018 Award for Exemplary Professional Development Achievement. The Baylor University and Waco Independent School District partnership continues to focus on the "NAPDS Nine Essentials" as it works diligently to address its core functions of student learning, pre-service teacher education, professional development, and research for the improvement of educational practice.