How often do teachers get evaluated in California?

Under California Education Code Section 44664, probationary teachers are evaluated at least once a year and permanent (tenured) teachers at least every other year. Permanent teachers with 10 or more years and a positive prior evaluation may be evaluated every five years by mutual agreement.

How many classroom observations are required in California?

California sets evaluation frequency in statute but leaves the number, duration, and format of classroom observations to districts and their collective bargaining agreements.

What are the six California Standards for the Teaching Profession?

The CSTP cover engaging and supporting all students, creating effective learning environments, understanding and organizing subject matter, planning instruction and designing learning experiences, assessing students, and developing as a professional educator.

Can Observation Copilot generate CSTP- or Danielson-aligned feedback for California?

Yes. Choose your district's rubric and Copilot maps your observation notes to its standards or domains, drafting aligned feedback in minutes.

All States

AI-Powered Observations for California Principals

California evaluates teachers using CSTP, Danielson FFT (2013), and Marzano.

Generate CSTP-aligned feedback from your observation notes in seconds - built for California principals working within the largest state education system in the country.

Education in California

Education Landscape

California is the largest state education system in the nation, serving approximately 5.5 million students across roughly 1,000 school districts with approximately 286,000 classroom teachers. The California Department of Education (CDE) and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) jointly set statewide standards through the CSTP, while districts retain significant local control over evaluation design and implementation.

Observation Requirements

Under California Education Code Section 44664, probationary teachers must be evaluated at least once each school year. Permanent (tenured) teachers must be evaluated at least every other year. Permanent teachers employed for 10 or more years who received a positive evaluation may be evaluated every five years by mutual agreement. Observation frequency, duration, and format are determined locally by districts and collective bargaining agreements.

State policy facts verified 2026-06-01 against the official source. View the official policy

Framework Spotlight

Supported Frameworks in California

Continuum of Teaching Practice (CSTP) 2025

California's Continuum of Teaching Practice is built on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). The 2025 edition defines six standards that describe what effective teaching looks ...

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Danielson Framework for Teaching (2013)

Developed by Charlotte Danielson, the Framework for Teaching is one of the most widely used teacher observation frameworks in the United States. It defines effective teaching through four domains and ...

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Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model (2017)

Robert Marzano's Focused Teacher Evaluation Model concentrates on the instructional elements that research shows have the greatest impact on student achievement. The focused model simplifies evaluatio...

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California uses the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) as the statewide foundation for teacher evaluation, with six standards spanning student engagement, learning environments, subject matter, instructional planning, assessment, and professional development. Districts have significant local control over evaluation implementation, and many adopt or adapt nationally recognized frameworks like Danielson FFT or Marzano alongside the CSTP. Observation Copilot supports Danielson and Marzano out of the box, helping California principals generate feedback aligned to whichever rubric their district uses.

Why Observation Copilot

Built for California School Leaders

Aligned to California Frameworks

Whether your district uses CSTP-based rubrics, Danielson FFT, Marzano, or a locally developed model, Copilot generates feedback organized by the domains and standards your evaluation system requires.

Same-Day Feedback for Teachers

California principals using Copilot turn raw observation notes into structured, evidence-based feedback in under 10 minutes - delivering it the same day instead of weeks later.

Built for the Scale of California

With nearly 1,000 districts and nearly 300,000 teachers statewide, California principals need tools that save time without sacrificing quality. Copilot handles the write-up so you can focus on coaching.

How Observation Copilot Helps