As a regulatory body, the mission of the Commission on Professional Standards in Education (COPS) is to set standards for licensing educational personnel in the State of Nevada and, facilitating a quality education for all students.

COPS is the only regulatory commission that sets licensure standards for educational personnel. Its membership reflects the key components of the educational establishment. It develops regulations based on accepted standards for the professional staff in schools and governing examinations for the initial licensure of teachers and other educational personnel. Of particular interest to the Commission is ensuring that Nevada's educators are both highly qualified and highly effective in the teaching of Nevada's students.

The mission of the Commission on Professional Standards in Education is to create rigorous regulations for the licensing of educational personnel in the State of Nevada with the overall goal of contributing to the professionalism of teaching through its selection of educator testing instruments and facilitating a quality education for all students.