Common Standards Glossary
Adopted by the COA January 2016 

TermCommon Standard Definition 
Authority1An individual or individuals to whom the institution has granted the power to manage the human and fiscal resources needed to meet all educator preparation program goals. The program authority is usually, but not always, limited to the dean at an IHE, or an associate superintendent/director of a local education agency. (See also Unit Leadership) 
Broader Educational Community1Refers to agencies, institutions, and others external to the program sponsor that are also involved with education, such as educational services, advocates, P-12 schools, IHEs, district offices, specialists, SELPAs, special education program managers, local business and industry, counseling services, social services, professional organizations, and parents.
California Public Schools 1, 3Refers to public schools, charter schools, and non-public schools serving students with special needs; Public schools are assigned a CDS code from the California Department of Education (Does not include private or faith-based schools).
Candidate 1, 2, 3, 4, 5An individual participating in a credential program, including for both teaching credentials and services credentials, whether for an initial or second-tier credential or authorization.
Certified 3Refers to a California educator holding a valid credential appropriate to his/her role and/or responsibility.
Clinical Experiences 1,3Refers to student teaching, internships, and/or clinical practice that provide candidates with an intensive and extensive culminating activity. Synonymous with Field Work. Within the field-based/clinical experiences, candidates are immersed in the learning community and are provided opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the professional roles for which they are preparing. Field-based experiences are provided to the candidate under the supervision or guidance of an experienced individual who has the knowledge and skills the candidate is working to attain. (See also Field Work) 
Clinical Personnel 3P–12 school personnel and/or professional education faculty responsible for instruction, supervision, support, and/or assessment of candidates during field experiences and clinical practice. (See also Clinical Experiences and Field Work) 
Evaluate3, 5 To assess candidate knowledge, skills, and performance for the purposes of helping the candidate satisfy the relevant program competency requirements. Does not include evaluation for employment purposes; also
To analyze data from multiple candidate assessments, program completer surveys, and other stakeholder surveys for the purposes of identifying program strengths and areas needing improvement. 
Excellence 1Refers to academic and professional achievement of a high caliber that exemplifies exceptional professional ethics and a strong commitment to highest quality of educator preparation. 
Faculty 1Refers to individuals employed by a college, university, school district, county office of education, including graduate teaching assistants, and/or by a Commission-approved partnering entity, who teach one or more courses in education, provide services to candidates (e.g., advising, support), provide professional development, supervise clinical experiences, and/or administer some aspect of the educator preparation unit. 
Field-Based Supervision1Refers to supervisory activities undertaken to evaluate a candidate’s competence by a qualified person designated to assist a candidate in mastering the required knowledge, skills and abilities expected of the candidate, and/or to support the candidate during clinical/field-based activities. (see also Supervision) 
Field Work3Refers to student teaching, internships, and/or clinical practice that provide candidates with an intensive and extensive culminating activity. Synonymous with Clinical Experiences. Within the field based/clinical experiences, candidates are immersed in the learning community and are provided opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the professional roles for which they are preparing. Field-based experiences are provided to the candidate under the supervision or guidance of an experienced individual who has the knowledge and skills the candidate is working to attain. (See also Clinical Experiences) 
Institution1, 5 The university, college, school district, county office of education, program sponsor or other entity approved by the Commission to offer educator preparation programs. An institution may be a regionally accredited institution of higher education (IHE) or a local educational agency (LEA) approved to sponsor educator preparation program(s). 
Instructional Personnel4Individuals employed by a college or university, school district, county office of education or other approved entity who may teach one or more courses to candidates, provide services to candidates such as advising, provide professional development, supervise clinical experiences, and/or administer some aspect of the unit. 
Key Stakeholders 4Refers to those having a particular interest and/or involvement in the operation and/or outcomes of the educator preparation program, and who are also impacted by and/or have a professional interest in an educator preparation program or institution, such as candidates, parents, community members, local business/industry, school employers, district/county offices, and community special education services providers. (see also Stakeholder)
Multiple Measures 5 Refers to multiple sources of information used to determine whether an applicant possesses the requisite characteristics, knowledge, skills and abilities required for the credential, including knowledge of and sensitivity to California’s diverse population, communication skills, academic knowledge and skills in the area of the credential, and prior experiences that help document a strong potential for effectiveness as a professional educator. 
P-12 4Refers to the entire range of grades in which preschool, elementary and secondary students are enrolled, including preschool through 12th grade.
P-12 Students 3 Refers to students enrolled in preschool through 12th grade
Partners3, 4Refers to agencies, institutions and others who enter into a voluntary collaborative arrangement to provide services to educator candidates (for example, academic and/or credential preparation departments of colleges/universities, schools, county offices of education, and school districts). 
Positive Impact on … Teaching And Learning 5Refers to having a beneficial effect on student achievement, including academic, social and/or behavioral impacts. 
Professional Development 1Refers to learning opportunities for individuals to attain and develop new knowledge and skills such as in-service education, conference attendance, intra-and inter-institutional visits, fellowships, collegial work, and work in P–12 schools.
Program 1, 2 , 3, 4 , 5 Refers to a planned sequence of courses and/or experiences for the purpose of preparing teachers and other school professionals to work in prekindergarten through twelfth grade settings, and which leads to a credential. 
Program Completer4An individual who has completed a credential program.
Qualified Persons 1Individuals whose background and experience are appropriate for the role to which they are assigned and who receive initial and ongoing professional development consistent with their assigned responsibilities.
Range of Students 3Refers to a group of students as identified within specific program standards. 
Resources 1Refers to the range of supports for programs, including financial support, information resources, technology, qualified staff, building space and materials.
Scholarship1Refers to a process of systematic inquiry into the areas related to teaching, learning, and the education of teachers and other school professionals, including but not limited to traditional research and publication, the systematic study of pedagogy, action research, and the application of current research findings in new settings.
Service 1Refers to faculty contributions to college or university activities, P-12 settings, communities and professional associations in ways consistent with the individual’s specialized knowledge and the institution and unit’s mission as preparers of educators.
Significant Experience3Refers to an extensive amount of activities, field work and/or clinical practice provided to a candidate working with the range of students in California schools relevant to the credential sought. 
Site-Based Supervisor 3An individual from a Commission-approved program or employing district assigned to provide supervision and/or to assess candidates during field experiences and clinical practice. (not applicable to second tier credential programs)(see also Supervisor)
Stakeholder 1Any individual or institution such as a college, university, or school district that is impacted by and/or that has a professional interest in an educator preparation program or institution. (see also Key Stakeholder) 
Student 3, 5 Refers to an individual enrolled in a district or county office of education preschool, kindergarten through 12th grade, or adult education program. 
Supervise 1Refers to guiding, directing, and/or evaluating candidates in a credential program. (This activity does not apply to evaluation for employment purposes) 
Supervisor3An individual from a Commission-approved program and/or employing district assigned to provide supervision and support and/or to assess candidates during field experiences and clinical practice. (see also Site-Based Supervisor)
Supervision3Activities undertaken to evaluate a candidate’s competence by a qualified person designed to assist a candidate in mastering the required knowledge, skills and abilities expected of the candidate. (see also Field-Based Supervision)
Support 1, 2, 3 ,4Refers to professional guidance provided by a qualified individual acting as a mentor and/or coach to a candidate in his/her early teaching or service that includes collecting and analyzing evidence relating to the candidate’s competence for the purpose of helping the candidate satisfy knowledge and skill requirements. (These individuals do not supervise or evaluate the candidate.)
Unit1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Refers to the college, school, department, or other administrative body in colleges, universities, school districts, county offices of education, or other organizations with the responsibility for managing and coordinating all aspects of Commission-approved educator preparation programs offered for the initial or advanced preparation of educators, regardless of where these programs are administratively housed in an institution.
Unit Leadership1Refers to individuals designated by the institution to be responsible for administering aspects of all the Commission-approved educator preparation programs offered by the institution, and who have been granted by the institution the authority to manage the human and fiscal resources needed to meet all educator preparation program goals. The program authority is usually the dean at an IHE, or a director of teacher education, district superintendent or County Office of Education Superintendent or designee. (See also Authority)

 

 

 
Updated June 16, 2023