Focused Professional Learning
Professional learning should answer a real problem of practice and return to evidence of student experience; attendance alone is not growth.
The official Element
Element 6B: Teachers amplify their expertise with ongoing professional learning experiences that address subject-matter content, instruction and assessment, social–emotional support, and equitable practices, that enable each student—including historically and persistently underserved students—to reach identified goals.
What this Element asks of an educator
Professional learning should answer a real problem of practice and return to evidence of student experience; attendance alone is not growth.
Read together, these indicators ask educators to make focused professional learning visible in planning, teaching, student experience, and follow-through. The aim is not to display every indicator in every lesson, but to understand the full range of the Element and select a focused practice to develop with evidence.
Official Example Indicators—and an SDLA reading
The Commission presents Example Indicators as illustrations rather than a comprehensive or required checklist. Their sequence shows the breadth of this Element and gives teachers, mentors, and coaches a shared language for focused development.
Use reflection and feedback to create professional goals
Official indicator: Use reflection and feedback to create professional goals, at each stage of their careers, that are challenging and relevant to continuous growth as an educator.
Engage in professional learning
Official indicator: Engage in professional learning, focused on current, evidence-based content and pedagogy, offered through the county, district, school or by outside agencies.
Choose professional learning opportunities and experiences that incorporate relevant
Official indicator: Choose professional learning opportunities and experiences that incorporate relevant, active, and ongoing learning and that address the need to ensure that every student makes progress.
Establish peer-to-peer learning that capitalizes on observation and feedback…
Official indicator: Establish peer-to-peer learning that capitalizes on observation and feedback designed to bolster their own and other educators’ improvement in key areas.
Deepen their cultural responsiveness and anti-bias capabilities by appropriately…
Official indicator: Deepen their cultural responsiveness and anti-bias capabilities by appropriately using approaches and tools that build on students’ backgrounds, interests, and experiences and that positively affect students’ learning and well-being.
Developing the practice
Name a precise growth problem
Turn a broad aspiration into one observable practice, an action, and evidence to revisit.
Learn with other people
Use students, families, colleagues, specialists, mentors, and community partners as sources of knowledge and feedback.
Protect trust and sustainability
Attend to ethics, equity, legal responsibilities, professional boundaries, follow-through, and personal well-being.
Evidence worth noticing
- a focused professional goal connected to student experience
- reflection records showing a decision, action, evidence, and revision
- collaboration artifacts documenting roles, feedback, and follow-through
- an ethical, equity, or workload decision with its reasoning and observed effect
Evidence caution: No single artifact proves accomplished practice. Interpret evidence in context, center student experience and learning, use multiple sources, and avoid collecting identifiable information that is not necessary.
A pinch of data integration and digital learning
Digital systems can organize information, improve access, coordinate work, or shorten a feedback loop. They are valuable only when the educator can explain the human decision they support, the information they require, and how privacy, accessibility, equity, and professional responsibility are protected.
Curriculum Coordinator job description
Connect individual growth goals with a district role that organizes curriculum and professional learning.
Questions for reflection and coaching
- Where is focused professional learning already visible in my practice, and what evidence supports that judgment?
- Which students experience the current approach differently from the way I intend?
- Which official indicator names the most important next area for growth?
- What is one affordable, manageable adjustment I can test, and what will I look for afterward?
- Whose perspective—student, family, colleague, specialist, or community partner—would improve the next decision?
Continuum of Teaching Practice: Element 6B
This Element-specific continuum describes how practice develops from Emerging through Innovating. Compare the teacher-practice descriptions with the related evidence in students’ experience, then identify a current strength and a purposeful next step.
How to understand and use this continuum for professional growth
- Begin at Emerging and read across. Practices described at earlier levels carry forward even when they are not repeated.
- Use evidence gathered over time to identify the description that most closely reflects current practice.
- A teacher may be at different levels in different Elements, regardless of years in the profession.
- Changes in students, content, grade level, school, or responsibilities may appropriately shift practice in either direction.
- Use the continuum for reflection and goal setting, not as a stand-alone observation or evaluation instrument.
Select a level to expand it. Select it again to return to the full comparison.
Teacher practice
The teacher uses the CSTP to set basic professional goals based on limited reflection and feedback.
The teacher participates in required professional learning.
Teacher practice
The teacher uses the CSTP, reflection, and feedback to create relevant professional goals.
The teacher engages in professional learning focused on evidence-based content and pedagogy.
Teacher practice
The teacher uses the CSTP and feedback to set challenging goals aligned with continuous growth needs.
The teacher chooses active, ongoing learning experiences that support progress for every student and begins collaborative learning among peers.
Teacher practice
The teacher uses the CSTP, reflection, and feedback to set strategic goals for improvement.
The teacher engages in targeted peer observation and feedback.
The teacher pursues professional learning to deepen cultural and linguistic responsiveness and anti-bias capabilities.
Teacher practice
The teacher models continuous growth and strategic goal-setting using the CSTP.
The teacher helps shape professional learning offerings to meet student needs.
The teacher consistently applies culturally and linguistically sustaining practices and anti-bias approaches.
The teacher leads peer learning initiatives.
Source and attribution: Continuum language reproduced from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Continuum of Teaching Practice (2025), aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (2024). This publication by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing is not copyright. It may be reproduced in the public interest, but proper attribution is requested.