Recognizing the critical relationship between educator effectiveness and student outcomes, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) convened the California Educator Excellence Task Force, which published the Greatness by Design: Supporting Outstanding Teaching to Sustain a Golden State (Gbd) (PDF) report. In partial fulfillment of the recommendations outlined in Chapter 5 of GbD ("Opportunities for Professional Learning"), the CDE convened a group of educators from across the state to guide the development of the QPLS.
Approved by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson in December 2013, the QPLS identify a clear outcome for professional learning – to continuously develop educators' capacity to teach and lead so that all students learn and thrive – and seven interdependent professional learning standards that focus on:
- Content and Pedagogy
- Design and Structure
- Collaboration and Shared Accountability
- Alignment and Coherence
By utilizing the QPLS, educators, policymakers, education officials, and other stakeholders will share a common understanding regarding the features of high quality professional learning and how best to support it. The standards are not meant to be used to evaluate any educator in any aspect of his or her work.
Quality Professional Learning Standards (QPLS)
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.