California CSTP Teacher Evaluation Software
Run evaluations on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, all 6 standards and their elements, built for the local evaluation process California districts bargain under the Stull Act.
The CSTP is the entry point, not the whole story. In EX in Education, CSTP observations connect to coaching, goals, PD, and retention, so every educator moves from hired to thriving.
CSTP Classroom Observation
In short: The CSTP, California's Standards for the Teaching Profession, describe effective teaching across 6 standards. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing adopted an updated CSTP in 2024 with 28 elements; the earlier 2009 version, still used in many local systems, had 38. California has no single statewide rating scale, evaluation is locally bargained under the Stull Act, so districts set their own cycle and labels, usually anchored in the CSTP.
Run this in your district
Reviewed for 2026-27 state requirements. Configure EX to your district's local process, or start from a ready-made observation form.
California's CSTP Evaluation Framework
California does not run a single statewide evaluation scale. Districts design their own evaluation process, locally bargained under the Stull Act, and most anchor it in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. In EX in Education, those standards are the doorway into a connected system for coaching, PD, and retention.
CSTP: 6 Standards and Elements
The California Standards for the Teaching Profession come pre-configured in EX, so evaluators observe and score against the elements without rebuilding forms.
- Engaging and supporting all students in learning
- Creating and maintaining effective environments
- Understanding and organizing subject matter
- Planning instruction and designing learning experiences
- Assessing students for learning
- Developing as a professional educator
Local Evaluation, Common Standards
Under the Stull Act, each district sets its own cycle, forms, and rating language through collective bargaining. EX adapts to the process your district uses, with the CSTP as the shared language underneath.
- District-defined evaluation cycle and cadence
- Your rating scale, or the CSTP Continuum of Teaching Practice
- Bring your own rubric, or start from the CSTP
- Consistent evidence across every school
Complete CSTP Coverage
All 6 California Standards for the Teaching Profession and their elements are pre-built in EX in Education, so California evaluators can observe, score, and generate evidence from day one. The breakdown below maps the 2009 CSTP (38 elements), still used in many local evaluation systems; the current 2024 CSTP keeps the same 6 standards and updates the elements to 28.
Engaging & Supporting All Students
Six elements covering how teachers connect with and engage every learner.
- 1.1 Using knowledge of students to engage them
- 1.2 Connecting learning to students' lives
- 1.3 Connecting subject matter to real-world contexts
- 1.4 Using a variety of instructional strategies
- 1.5 Promoting critical thinking
- 1.6 Monitoring student learning
Effective Environments for Learning
Six elements covering culture, environment, and classroom management.
- 2.1 Promoting social development and responsibility
- 2.2 Creating physical and virtual environments
- 2.3 Establishing and maintaining classroom routines
- 2.4 Creating a rigorous learning environment
- 2.5 Developing shared norms and values
- 2.6 Employing classroom management strategies
Understanding & Organizing Subject Matter
Six elements covering content knowledge and how it is organized for learning.
- 3.1 Demonstrating subject matter knowledge
- 3.2 Applying knowledge of student development
- 3.3 Organizing curriculum for student understanding
- 3.4 Utilizing instructional strategies and resources
- 3.5 Developing academic language and literacy
- 3.6 Addressing the needs of all learners
Planning Instruction & Designing Learning
Five elements covering planning and the design of learning experiences.
- 4.1 Using knowledge to plan instruction
- 4.2 Establishing and articulating learning goals
- 4.3 Developing and sequencing instructional plans
- 4.4 Planning instruction that incorporates assessment
- 4.5 Adapting instructional plans for all students
Assessing Students for Learning
Eight elements covering the full range of assessment practice.
- 5.1 Applying knowledge of purposes and uses of assessment
- 5.2 Collecting and analyzing assessment data
- 5.3 Reviewing and using data to inform instruction
- 5.4 Using technology to support assessment
- 5.5 Involving students in self-assessment
- 5.6 Using formative assessment
- 5.7 Using summative assessment
- 5.8 Communicating student progress
Developing as a Professional Educator
Seven elements covering reflection, collaboration, families, and growth.
- 6.1 Reflecting on teaching practice
- 6.2 Establishing professional goals and growth
- 6.3 Collaborating with colleagues and the community
- 6.4 Working with families to support learning
- 6.5 Engaging local communities
- 6.6 Managing professional responsibilities
- 6.7 Demonstrating professional responsibility and ethics
Local control under the Stull Act: California teacher evaluation is set through local collective bargaining under Education Code sections 44660 to 44665. The number of observations, the evaluation cycle, and the final rating language vary by district. EX supports the CSTP standards and the observation structure your district uses, and adapts as your plan changes.
The CSTP Continuum of Teaching Practice
Many California districts describe practice on the Continuum of Teaching Practice, a developmental progression aligned to the CSTP. It is a growth tool, not a mandated statewide rating. EX records whichever scale your district uses and carries it forward so growth is visible from one cycle to the next.
Innovating
Creates new approaches that extend learning and model best practice
Applying
Consistent, effective practice that supports all students
Integrating
Regular practice with growing effectiveness for most students
Exploring
Beginning to implement practices with some consistency
Emerging
Initial awareness and early attempts at implementation
Because evaluation is locally bargained, a California district may use the Continuum, its own rating labels, or a simple meets or does-not-meet standard. EX in Education keeps each teacher's history, evidence, and any improvement plans in one place, and routes the educators who need support into coaching cycles, so an evaluation leads to next steps, not just a score.
Built for California's Evaluation Process
EX in Education gives California districts what they need to run CSTP-aligned evaluation the way their Stull Act agreement defines it, then connects that evidence to coaching, PD, goals, and retention across every school.
CSTP-Aligned Forms
Observation forms pre-built for all 6 CSTP standards and their elements, on your district's rating scale.
- • All elements included
- • Your scale or the Continuum
- • Evidence collection tools
Mobile Observations
Conduct walkthroughs and formal observations on any device, with offline support and automatic syncing.
- • Any device, any classroom
- • Offline capture
- • Formal and informal visits
Coaching Handoff
Turn what an observation surfaces into a coaching cycle, so feedback leads to real support instead of a filed form.
- • Evidence to coaching
- • Structured feedback
- • Follow-up visits
Growth Analytics
Track progress across all elements, tied to individual goals and PD plans across the district.
- • Element-level trends
- • School and district views
- • Linked to goals and PD
Growth Goals
Set professional goals tied to what the evaluation surfaced, tracked in the same module that follows a teacher across the year.
- • Goal setting tools
- • Progress tracking
- • Linked to PD
District-Ready Reports
Generate the documentation your district needs for evaluation records, alongside the rest of your educator-experience data.
- • Evaluation records
- • Calibration across evaluators
- • Exportable summaries
Why California Districts Run CSTP Evaluation Inside EX in Education
Run evaluation the way your Stull Act agreement defines it, then use what the observation surfaces to actually grow and keep your teachers. Evaluation is the doorway. Educator growth and retention is the product.
Less admin, more coaching
Structured workflows and feedback tools free evaluators to spend more of their time in coaching conversations, not paperwork.
Consistent across schools
Shared CSTP language and calibration tools help administrators score consistently, whether it is one site or the whole district.
Growth you can see
Ratings, goals, and coaching history sit together, so progress is visible over time instead of scattered across files.
Retention, not just ratings
When feedback connects to PD, goals, and support, teachers keep developing, and districts keep the ones they worked hard to hire.
How AI Supports CSTP Evaluations
AI in EX in Education helps evaluators work through CSTP observations faster while keeping every judgment in human hands. It drafts and organizes, evaluators decide.
Draft Feedback From Evidence
Turn observation notes into clear, CSTP-aligned feedback that the evaluator reviews and edits before it is shared.
Organize Evidence by Element
Sort notes and artifacts against the 28 CSTP elements, so nothing is missed when it is time to score.
Suggest Growth Next Steps
Surface coaching moves and PD ideas tied to what an observation revealed, ready for the evaluator to assign.
Bring CSTP Into the Bigger Picture
See how EX in Education runs CSTP-aligned evaluation the way your district defines it, then connects evaluations to coaching, PD, goals, and retention across every school.
Tracking license renewal too? California professional development and renewal requirements.
Built for the CSTP and local Stull Act evaluation. Bring your own rubric, or start from ours. Connected to coaching, PD, and goals.
California CSTP: frequently asked questions
What are the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP)?
The CSTP are California's teaching standards, adopted by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), that most districts anchor teacher evaluation to. They describe effective practice across six standards. The Commission adopted an updated CSTP in 2024 that keeps the same six standards while refreshing the elements beneath them.
How many standards and elements does the CSTP have?
The CSTP has six standards, each broken into multiple elements. The current 2024 version defines 28 elements, while the earlier 2009 version, still used in many local evaluation systems, had 38. The six standards are: engaging and supporting all students in learning; creating and maintaining effective environments for learning; understanding and organizing subject matter; planning instruction and designing learning experiences; assessing students for learning; and developing as a professional educator.
How does teacher evaluation work in California?
California does not run a single statewide evaluation scale. Each district designs its own evaluation process, locally bargained under the Stull Act (Education Code sections 44660 to 44665), and most anchor it in the CSTP. The number of observations, the evaluation cycle, and the final rating language vary from district to district.
What rating scale does California use?
Because evaluation is locally bargained, there is no single statewide rating scale. Many districts describe practice on the Continuum of Teaching Practice, a developmental growth tool aligned to the CSTP, while others use their own rating labels or a simple meets or does-not-meet standard.
Part of EX in Education
One piece of the educator experience.
California CSTP evaluations are one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, they connect to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.