2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 22 - EDUCATION (§§ 22-1-101 — 22-108-109) › TEACHERS (§§ 22-60-101 — 22-69-106) › Article 60.5 - COLORADO EDUCATOR LICENSING ACT (§§ 22-60.5-101 — 22-60.5-404) › Part 2 - TEACHERS AND SPECIAL SERVICES PROVIDERS (§§ 22-60.5-201 — 22-60.5-218) › Section 22-60.5-205 - One-year and two-year alternative teacher programs - standards and evaluation - duties of department - duties of the state board of education - fees - rules - legislative declaration

(1)
(a)
The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:
(I)
Many school districts face a shortage of teachers and often struggle to find qualified persons to teach their students;
(II)
The increased use of emergency authorizations to hire persons who do not have teacher licenses and, in some cases, have not received any form of teacher preparation or education potentially jeopardizes a school district's goal of providing a quality education for each student; and
(III)
Often, persons with experience in areas other than education can help alleviate the teacher shortage faced by many school districts, so long as these persons receive adequate supervision and education in teaching methods and practices.
(b)
The general assembly therefore declares that it is in the best interest of the state of Colorado to allow designated agencies to create one-year and two-year alternative teacher programs pursuant to the provisions of this section with the intent that these programs provide a vehicle for designated agencies to customize the preparation of teacher candidates, reduce the number of persons employed under emergency authorizations, and help designated agencies recruit and employ nontraditional teacher candidates, while maintaining teacher preparation program standards, delivering high-quality educational services, and protecting the interests of students.
(2)
Designated agencies are authorized to implement one-year alternative teacher programs or two-year alternative teacher programs, which two-year programs were formerly known as teacher in residence programs, as follows:
(a)
A one-year alternative teacher program shall be designed to be completed within one year. However, the employing school district, nonpublic school, charter school, or the institute may extend an alternative teacher's participation for one additional year based on unforeseen circumstances and the expectation that the alternative teacher will complete the program in the second year.
(b)
An alternative teacher program shall include, but need not be limited to, supervision by mentor teachers, performance evaluations, and a program minimum of two hundred twenty-five clock hours of planned instruction and activities, which shall include training in dropout prevention. The total number of hours of planned instruction and activities may be modified by the alternative teacher support team, as described in section
22-60.5-206
, for an alternative teacher based upon his or her qualifications, knowledge, and experience.
(c)
A designated agency that chooses to implement an alternative teacher program may collaborate and contract with an entity that provides an approved educator preparation program. A contract entered into pursuant to this subsection (2)(c) must include, but need not be limited to, the provision of educator preparation courses and subject matter courses as necessary to comply with the educator preparation program requirements established by the department pursuant to section
22-60.5-121
.
(d)
(I)
A person employed as an alternative teacher must hold an alternative teacher license issued pursuant to section
22-60.5-201 (1)(a)
, or an interim authorization pursuant to section
22-60.5-111 (7)
. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(d)(II) of this section and section
22-60.5-207 (2)
, a person may be employed as an alternative teacher for a total of two years. A person employed as an alternative teacher must meet the content-area education requirements specified by rule of the state board of education.
(II)
A person may be employed as an alternative teacher for a total of three years for the purpose of receiving a special education teaching endorsement pursuant to section
22-60.5-106 (2)
.
(III)
(A)
A person with a professional teacher license may continue in the person's current position while participating in an alternative teacher preparation program for the purpose of receiving a special education teaching endorsement pursuant to section 22-60.5-106 (2).
(B)
The state board of education shall promulgate rules to establish the amount and type of experience working with students with disabilities a professional teacher participating in an alternate teacher preparation program must complete to receive a special education teaching endorsement pursuant to section 22-60.5-106 (2).
(e)
Upon completing an alternative teacher program, the alternative teacher shall obtain an initial teacher license pursuant to section
22-60.5-201 (1)(b)(I)
in order to be employed by a school district as a teacher.
(f)
An alternative teacher shall complete his or her induction program prior to receiving a professional license.
(g)
(I)
Within thirty days after employing a person as an alternative teacher, a school district, nonpublic school, or charter school shall notify the department of the alternative teacher's name, address, and any other information that may be necessary to assist the department in providing pertinent information under the requirements of subsection (2)(g)(II) of this section.
(II)
The department shall provide information to each alternative teacher concerning the requirements for teacher licensure as specified in section
22-60.5-201
and by rule of the state board of education.
(h)
An alternative teacher program must meet the quality standards adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section
22-2-109 (3)
.
(i)
An alternative teacher program must include course work that provides alternative teachers with an overview of Title II of the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990",
42 U.S.C. sec. 12101
et seq., as amended, and its implementing regulations; section 504 of the federal "Rehabilitation Act of 1973",
29 U.S.C. sec. 701
et seq., as amended, and its implementing regulations; the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act",
20 U.S.C. sec. 1400
et seq., as amended, and its implementing regulations; individualized education programs; and child find and that teaches effective special education classroom practices, including but not limited to inclusive learning environments.
(3)
(a)
A designated agency that chooses to implement an alternative teacher program pursuant to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section shall notify the department and submit a description of the alternative teacher program to the department. The department shall review the alternative teacher program to ensure that it meets the requirements specified in subsection (2) of this section and shall recommend to the state board of education approval or disapproval of the alternative teacher program. Within ninety days after the designated agency submits the alternative teacher program description to the department, the state board of education shall notify the implementing designated agency that it has either approved or disapproved the alternative teacher program.
(b)
(I)
The state board of education shall, at its discretion, approve an application by a designated agency seeking to provide an alternative teacher program. The application must meet the requirements of this section and any rules established by the state board of education. The state board of education is authorized to resolve any differences that may arise between school districts and accepted institutions of higher education regarding alternative teacher programs.
(II)
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the state board of education is authorized, for good cause, to waive any requirements imposed by law regarding a designated agency's alternative teacher program if, in its discretion, it deems the waiver necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section.
(4)
The department shall:
(a)
Provide technical assistance upon request to all designated agencies as necessary to implement the provisions of this section; and
(b)
Review and submit to the state board of education for approval all applications made by designated agencies to provide alternative teacher programs pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.
(5)
Not more than every five years, the department shall perform an on-site evaluation of each alternative teacher program to ensure that it meets the requirements of this section. An alternative teacher program that does not meet the requirements of this section shall be subject to disapproval by the state board of education. An alternative teacher program that is disapproved by the state board of education shall be terminated by the implementing designated agency on completion of the academic year in which the alternative teacher program is disapproved; except that the designated agency may continue to operate the alternative teacher program if, prior to the end of said academic year, the designated agency redesigns the alternative teacher program to meet the requirements of this section and the state board of education approves the redesigned alternative teacher program.
(6)
A designated agency that is not an institution of higher education may charge an alternative teacher in an alternative teacher program a fee in such amount as to generate sufficient revenue to offset the direct and indirect costs to the designated agency for the development and administration of the alternative teacher program. Any fees collected pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (6) shall be used for the purposes set forth in this section and shall not be expended for any other purpose.
(7)
A designated agency that is an institution of higher education may establish program fees in accordance with its existing policies. A public institution of higher education shall establish program fees in accordance with existing state laws and rules established by the Colorado commission on higher education.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 112,§ 2, eff. 4/19/2024.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 334,§ 9, eff. 8/7/2023.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 239, § 7, eff. 5/26/2022.
Amended by 2020 Ch. 86, § 4, eff. 3/24/2020.
Amended by 2018 Ch. 97, § 7, eff. 8/8/2018.
Amended by 2017 Ch. 5, § 7, eff. 8/9/2017.
L. 91: Entire article added, p. 487, § 1, effective June 6. L. 2007: (1) amended, p. 56, § 3, effective March 14. L. 2009: Entire section R&RE, (SB 09-160), ch. 1451, p. 1451, § 6, effective May 21. L. 2011: (2)(c) amended, (SB 11-245), ch. 849, p. 849, § 11, effective August 10. L. 2017: (3)(b)(I) amended, (SB 17 -052), ch. 11, p. 11, § 7, effective August 9. L. 2018: (2)(a) and (2)(g)(I) amended, (SB 18-160), ch. 762, p. 762, § 7, effective August 8. L. 2020: (2)(i) added, (HB 20-1128), ch. 345, p. 345, § 4, effective March 24.
2023 Ch. 334, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
For the legislative declaration in the 2011 act amending subsection (2)(c), see section 1 of chapter 201, Session Laws of Colorado 2011. For the legislative declaration in HB 20-1128, see section 1 of chapter 86, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.