Office of Professional Practice (OPP)
The Office of Professional Practice (OPP) in the School of Education is located on the second floor of the north wing of Marrs McLean Science Building.
OPP provides guidance and support for students in all educator preparation programs at Baylor University to ensure that they successfully complete program requirements and are eligible to be recommended for certification upon completion of their academic endeavors.
Components of educator preparation handled by faculty and staff in OPP include:
Certification through the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
OPP handles educator certification for all programs across the university, including those for teacher candidates as well as professional (principal and superintendent) graduate candidates. OPP also handles certification with the Texas Education Agency for any Baylor students pursuing programs outside of the School of Education — Deaf Education, Music Education, Physical Education (PE), and Sports Pedagogy.
For Certification Information, contact:
Sandra Parnell
Associate Director of Certification and Program Accountability
Office: MMS 216
Sandra_Parnell@baylor.edu
254-710-6153
For more information, click Certification Information.
Professional Development Training
OPP offers training for all teacher education candidates as well as for professional teachers who serve as clinical instructors or mentors for Baylor School of Education undergraduate teacher candidates. Each Baylor senior also has an intern supervisor, who is trained by OPP.
For Professional Development Training, contact:
Lisa Osborne
Associate Director of Assessment and Professional Development
Office: MMS 215
Lisa_Osborne@baylor.edu
254-710-3190
Facilitated Field Experiences
OPP makes placements for teacher-preparation field and clinical experiences in local schools and provides support for students during their field and clinical assignments.
For information on Field Experiences, contact:
Dr. Kylah Clark-Goff
Director of Clinical Experiences & School-Based Partnerships
Office: MMS 214
Kylah_Clark@baylor.edu
254-710-6171
Certification Testing
OPP coordinates all educator certification testing for students across the university. Services include test preparation, administration of representative diagnostic tests and approval for TEA certification testing.
For Testing Information, contact:
Lisa Osborne, Associate Director of Assessment and Professional Development
Office: MMS 215
(254) 710-3190
Lisa_Osborne@baylor.edu