By Clay Shumate · Prices checked against each vendor’s own site
Short answer: Teachstone vs Teaching Channel comes down to who is buying. Teachstone sells CLASS observation training and certification, mostly to early childhood and Pre-K–3rd programs. Teaching Channel sells self-paced online courses, many for graduate credit, to individual PK–12 teachers. A middle or high school teacher who needs hours or credit should look at Teaching Channel.
Key takeaways
- Teachstone is the sole publisher of CLASS, an observation tool for teacher-child interactions, and most of what Teachstone sells is training around that tool.
- Teaching Channel sells more than 300 self-paced online courses for PK–12 teachers, with graduate credit issued through accredited university partners.
- Teaching Channel lists graduate courses at $289 to $489 and non-credit courses at $99 to $189, while Teachstone lists its Pre-K–3rd CLASS 2nd Edition hybrid observer training at $994.
- The Office of Head Start uses Pre-K CLASS in monitoring reviews and the Designation Renewal System, which is why early childhood programs train on Teachstone.
- Whether Teaching Channel graduate credit counts toward a salary lane is the district’s decision, so teachers should get written approval before enrolling.
Both companies are legitimate and well established. The mistake people make is comparing them as if they were two versions of the same subscription. They aren’t. Below is what each one actually sells, what it costs, and who should buy which. Confirm current prices on each company’s site before you buy, since both run frequent promotions.
My take, as a secondary social studies teacher: if you teach grades 6–12, Teaching Channel is the only one of these two worth pricing out. Teachstone does good work, but it isn’t built for a middle or high school classroom.
What is Teachstone, and what does it sell?
Teachstone is the publisher of CLASS (the Classroom Assessment Scoring System), and almost everything it sells is training around that observation tool.
CLASS measures the quality of teacher-child interactions. It was developed by Robert Pianta, Bridget Hamre, and Karen La Paro, and in 2016 Teachstone acquired the intellectual property for CLASS, becoming its sole publisher. The University of Virginia’s Licensing & Ventures Group lists Hamre and Pianta as Teachstone’s founders.
CLASS has versions for several age levels. A University of Arkansas summary lists Infant, Toddler, Pre-K, K–3, Upper Elementary (grades 4–6), and Secondary (grades 7–12). But the company’s newest products are focused on the younger end. The CLASS 2nd Edition Pre-K–3rd combines the old Pre-K and K–3 tools, and Teachstone’s training catalog offers 2nd Edition observation training only for Infant-Toddler and Pre-K–3rd. Upper Elementary and Secondary training still appears, but only under the older CLASS 2008 tools.
The biggest reason Teachstone matters: the Office of Head Start uses Pre-K CLASS in its monitoring reviews and its Designation Renewal System, with score thresholds that can determine whether a grantee has to compete for continued funding. That’s why so many early childhood programs train staff on it.
What Teachstone sells, in practice:
- Observer certification training. The Pre-K–3rd CLASS 2nd Edition Observation Training (Hybrid) was listed at $994. It runs three live Zoom days plus online coursework, includes the manuals and score sheets, and gives access to a reliability test.
- Short online courses for teachers. An older Teachstone Virginia state-contract price sheet showed primers at $43 and dimension courses at $66.50. Those are state-contract prices, so treat them as a rough guide, not a quote.
- A program-level subscription. The same sheet lists a CLASS Quality Improvement Subscription at $110 per subscription with a minimum of 25, which tells you it’s built for programs, not individuals.
- Trainer programs, coaching, manuals, and calibration. Aimed at coaches and program leaders.
What is Teaching Channel, and what does it sell?
Teaching Channel sells online continuing education courses to individual teachers, most of them available for graduate credit, plus a district-wide video and coaching platform.
The company absorbed Learners Edge; its own page says Learners Edge became part of Teaching Channel in 2023. The site footer credits K12 Coalition, and a K12 Coalition press release on launching Teaching Channel+ describes Teaching Channel as one of its products.
According to its course overview, Teaching Channel offers more than 300 fully online, self-paced courses for PK–12+ educators. Each course requires at least nine calendar days of engagement, and every course requires you to apply something in your classroom. Credit is issued through accredited university partners, including Southern New Hampshire University, American College of Education, and Concordia University, St. Paul.
Listed individual prices on its course pricing page:
- Graduate credit: $289 (1 credit), $389 (2 credits), $489 (3 credits)
- Non-credit (hours only, letter of completion): $99, $149, $189
- New-customer discounts, a 10% multi-course discount, and group pricing are also listed
For districts, Teaching Channel+ bundles 2,500+ classroom videos, 65+ self-paced PD courses, coaching tools, and audit access to the graduate course catalog. The press release puts annual pricing at $9,500 to $22,500 depending on district size.
How do Teachstone and Teaching Channel compare side by side?
Teachstone is an observation and coaching system sold mostly to early childhood programs, while Teaching Channel is coursework sold mostly to individual PK–12 teachers. The table lines the two up.
| Teachstone | Teaching Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | CLASS observation tool, observer certification, coaching | Self-paced online courses, graduate credit, district video platform |
| Main buyer | Early childhood programs, Head Start grantees, state quality systems | Individual teachers; districts for Teaching Channel+ |
| Grade focus | Infant through 3rd grade for current 2nd Edition tools; older tools reach grade 12 | PK–12, all subjects |
| Graduate credit | No; CEUs and certificates | Yes, through university partners |
| Typical price point | $994 for one hybrid observer training; program subscriptions with 25-seat minimums | $289–$489 per graduate course; $99–$189 non-credit |
| Can one teacher buy it alone? | Some short courses, yes; most products are built for programs | Yes, that’s the main model |
| Best at | Giving a program a shared, research-based language for observing interactions | Recertification hours and salary-lane credit on your own schedule |
Who should buy Teachstone?
Buy Teachstone if your program is observed with CLASS, or you coach teachers in a setting that uses it.
- Head Start and Early Head Start directors, education managers, and coaches
- Pre-K and K–3 programs in states that use CLASS in their quality rating systems
- Anyone who needs to become a reliable CLASS observer
- A Pre-K or K–3 teacher who wants to understand the tool their observers are using (the short primers fit this)
Teachstone is genuinely good at what it does: CLASS is one of the most widely used observation tools in early childhood, and the training is structured, with a real reliability test at the end. It is not a general PD library. A middle or high school teacher looking for recertification hours will get little out of it.
Who should buy Teaching Channel?
Buy Teaching Channel if you’re an individual teacher who needs credits, hours, or a structured course you can finish on your own time.
- Teachers renewing a license who need documented hours
- Teachers moving up a salary lane who need graduate credit
- Teachers who want a specific topic, such as classroom management or differentiation, in course form
- Districts wanting a video library and coaching platform for all staff (Teaching Channel+)
The catch: check with your district and state before you pay. Teaching Channel’s transcript page doesn’t promise that every district will accept its credits for salary advancement, and that decision belongs to your district, not the vendor. Get approval in writing first.
What are the alternatives to both?
If neither Teachstone nor Teaching Channel fits, start with free professional development and whatever platform your district already licenses.
- Your district’s existing PD platform. Many districts already license something. Ask before buying on your own.
- Free PD. This site keeps a list of free professional development for teachers, and Edutopia (from the George Lucas Educational Foundation) publishes free materials on topics like project-based learning.
- Other online course providers. Compare several before you commit; our guide to online professional development for teachers and professional development courses covers what to check.
- Continuing education through a university. See continuing education for teachers for how credits, CEUs, and hours differ.
One honest caution from the research: short PD rarely shows measurable effects on students. Our overview of teacher professional development walks through what the studies actually found. Buy courses for the credential or the specific skill, not because a course promises to transform your classroom.
Where does Elevate the Norm fit?
Elevate the Norm isn’t a PD subscription and doesn’t compete with either company. It’s this site’s own free, grades 6–12 positive-reinforcement classroom approach, built by a certified secondary social studies teacher. It hasn’t been independently evaluated. If what you really want is a classroom culture system rather than credit hours, compare the options in our classroom culture frameworks Q&A. All of our classroom resources are free with no email required.
How is this page kept accurate?
Every price and product detail on this page is checked against the vendors’ own sites or official sources and linked inline. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy. Neither company paid for or reviewed this page. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.
Sources
- Teachstone, press release on acquiring the CLASS intellectual property
- University of Virginia Licensing & Ventures Group, Teachstone Training
- University of Arkansas, CLASS age levels summary (PDF)
- Teachstone, CLASS 2nd Edition Pre-K–3rd
- Teachstone store, CLASS training catalog
- Teachstone store, Pre-K–3rd CLASS 2nd Edition Observation Training (Hybrid)
- Teachstone, Virginia state-contract price sheet (PDF)
- Office of Head Start, Use of CLASS in Head Start programs
- Teaching Channel, Learners Edge is now Teaching Channel
- K12 Coalition press release via EWA, launch of Teaching Channel+
- Teaching Channel, About our courses
- Teaching Channel, University partners and transcripts
- Teaching Channel, Payment options and course pricing
- Edutopia, project-based learning resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Teachstone or Teaching Channel better for a high school teacher?
Teaching Channel is the better fit for a high school teacher. Its self-paced online courses cover PK–12 and can be taken for graduate credit or for hours only. Teachstone’s current products center on CLASS observation for early childhood and Pre-K–3rd programs, so a high school teacher looking for recertification hours or salary-lane credit gets little from it.
How much does Teaching Channel cost?
Teaching Channel’s pricing page lists graduate-credit courses at $289 for 1 credit, $389 for 2 credits and $489 for 3 credits. Non-credit courses, which give hours and a letter of completion, cost $99, $149 or $189. The page also lists new-customer, multi-course and group discounts, so confirm the current price before you buy.
How much does Teachstone CLASS training cost?
Teachstone lists its Pre-K–3rd CLASS 2nd Edition Observation Training (Hybrid) at $994. That price covers three live online sessions, required online coursework, the manuals and score sheets, and access to the observer certification test. Shorter online courses and program subscriptions cost less per person, but most Teachstone products are sold to programs rather than individual teachers.
Who owns Teaching Channel now?
Teaching Channel is a K12 Coalition product, according to the Teaching Channel site footer and a K12 Coalition press release announcing Teaching Channel+. Learners Edge, a longtime provider of online continuing education courses for teachers, became part of Teaching Channel in 2023, so former Learners Edge courses now sit under the Teaching Channel name.
Does Head Start require CLASS?
The Office of Head Start uses the Pre-K CLASS tool in its monitoring reviews, as the Head Start Act requires, and applies it in the Designation Renewal System. Grantees whose average CLASS scores fall below a competitive threshold in any domain must compete for continued funding, which is why many Head Start programs train their staff on CLASS.
Will my district accept Teaching Channel graduate credits?
Acceptance of Teaching Channel graduate credit depends on your district and your state. Teaching Channel issues credit through accredited university partners such as Southern New Hampshire University, American College of Education and Concordia University, St. Paul, but whether that credit counts for salary advancement is the district’s decision. Get written approval before you enroll.
Does Teachstone offer CLASS for middle and high school?
CLASS has a Secondary version for grades 7–12 and an Upper Elementary version for grades 4–6, but Teachstone’s training catalog lists those only under the older CLASS 2008 tools. Current CLASS 2nd Edition observation training covers Infant-Toddler and Pre-K–3rd. A middle or high school team can still train on Secondary CLASS, just not on the newest edition.
Can I get graduate credit from Teachstone?
Teachstone does not sell graduate credit. Its observer trainings award a certificate of completion with CEUs, and passing the reliability test makes you a certified CLASS observer. Teachers who need graduate credit for a salary lane usually look at a course provider such as Teaching Channel, which issues credit through accredited university partners.
