The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is giving 82 public schools around the state a chance to show what they can do to improve student achievement through reduced state regulation and increased flexibility. The project referred to as the Partnership Schools Initiative teams local school campuses with regional education services and the TEA for a 3-5 year period. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the faculty and administrators of Bean Elementary School in Lubbock decided to experiment with a voluntary professional growth program designed to replace mandated teacher evaluations for most teachers. This program used peer coaching and collegial support teams (CSTs). Twelve CSTs of classroom and support teachers were organized. Each team member was required to develop a teacher professional development contract, which included the teacher's goals for professional growth. At the end of the 1992-93 school year, a formal evaluation of each CST was conducted by the principal. Although the full import on student achievement is not yet known, the first year of using CSTs for professional growth was very successful as perceived by both teachers and administrators. Some selected references and resources used in planning and operating the program along with samples of teacher professional development contracts are provided. (LL)