Educator Professional Standards

California has set standards and expectations to guide educator policies, programs, and personnel excellence. Each set of standards serves a unique function and is complementary to the other sets of standards. Curriculum frameworks, teacher (PDF) and administrator (PDF) professional standards, and professional learning standards work in tandem with student content standards to establish an outcome for educator preparation and support, increasing educator capacity to assist all students in reaching positive learning outcomes.

Teacher Standards

California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) (PDF)
The CSTP were jointly developed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and the California Department of Education (CDE). These standards, which set forth the expectations for current classroom teachers, were adopted by the Commission and approved by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2024.

• California Teaching Performance Expectations (PDF)
  The Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) describe the set of knowledge, skills, and abilities beginning teachers should have and be able to demonstrate.
• Continuum of Teaching Practice 2025 (PDF)
  California’s Continuum of Teaching Practice is based on foundational work of the CTC, the CDE, and the New Teacher Center. The 2025 Continuum of Teaching Practice is aligned with the CSTP, builds on California’s pre-service TPEs and sets forth a description of teaching that respects the diverse ways teachers pursue excellence in teaching and learning.

Administrator Standards

California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL) (PDF)
The CPSEL are the standards against which clear credential candidates are measured to indicate sufficient mastery of the clear induction program content. A full copy of the standards, their elements, and sample indicators can be found in the document.

Professional Learning Standards

Quality Professional Learning Standards
Quality professional learning standards identify characteristics of professional learning that are most likely to support educators in building individual and collective capacity to meet professional, school, and student performance expectations.

Professional Learning Programs

Information regarding grant programs administered by the CDE to support teachers and leaders to provide high-quality instruction so that all students can learn and thrive.

Additional Resources

• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
  The CDE actively supports teachers in their efforts to achieve advanced certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
• Classified Staffing Ratio Workgroup
  The CDE will convene the Classified Employee Staffing Ratio Workgroup pursuant to California Education Code Section 45118.