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 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 22-60.5-101 — 22-60.5-121) › Section 22-60.5-121 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Educator preparation programs - requirements - advisory committee - report - rules - legislative declaration - definitions

(1)
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
"Candidate" means a person who is participating in an initial, advanced, or other educator preparation program.
(b)
"Educator preparation program" means a program that prepares educator candidates to meet the quality standards established pursuant to section
22-9-105.5 (10)
and the requirements for licensure endorsement adopted by state board rule pursuant to section
22-60.5-106
. For purposes of this section, an "educator preparation program" does not include an alternative teacher program that obtains approval from the state board of education pursuant to section
22-60.5-205 (3)
.
(c)
"Institution of higher education" means a state institution of higher education, as defined in section
23-18-102 (10)(a)
; a local district college, as defined in section
23-71-102 (1)
; an area technical college, as defined in section
23-60-103 (1)
; a private college or university, as defined in section
23-2-102 (11)
and authorized by the Colorado commission on higher education; and an out-of-state public institution, as defined in section
23-2-102 (9)
and authorized by the Colorado commission on higher education.
(d)
"Program" means a planned sequence of undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate courses and experiences for the purpose of preparing candidates to be effective educators in prekindergarten through twelfth-grade settings. A program may lead to a degree, an educator license, or both.
(2)
The state board shall adopt rules establishing the requirements for educator preparation programs, which, at a minimum, must ensure that each educator preparation program includes:
(a)
Program design around candidate proficiency and professionalism that supports decision-making about partnerships and the integration of curricula, learners, course work, and clinical experience;
(b)
Mapping, planning, development, assessment, and support of candidate proficiency, including a candidate's deep understanding of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, the content knowledge required for educating, and the dispositions and professional qualities necessary to be successful;
(c)
Course work that provides content knowledge as described in part 10 of article
7
of this title 22, specifically in teaching to the state content standards adopted pursuant to section
22-7-1005
;
(d)
Course work that is aligned with the "Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act", part 12 of article
7
of this title 22, and the foundational reading skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, including oral skills and reading comprehension, and the skills and strategies to apply to ensure that every student learns how to read. Reading course work and clinical practice opportunities must be a significant focus for teachers preparing for endorsement in elementary, early childhood, or special education.
(e)
Course work that provides educator candidates 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 federal "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act",
20 U.S.C. sec. 1400
et seq., as amended, and its implementing regulations; individualized education programs, as defined in section
22-20-103 (15)
; and child find, as defined in section
22-20-103 (4)
, and that teaches educators effective special education classroom practices, including, but not limited to, inclusive learning environments;
(f)
Intentional clinical experience, early on and throughout educator preparation, relating to predetermined state content standards that afford candidates multiple intentional experiences to learn from practice. Clinical experiences must be aligned with educator preparation program curricula so that candidates develop pedagogical skills and pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher preparation candidates shall complete a minimum of eight hundred hours in clinical experience, and principal and administrator candidates shall complete a minimum of three hundred hours of clinical experience. A teacher candidate shall complete the clinical experience hours while enrolled in an approved educator preparation program; except that an educator preparation program may review and accept clinical experience hours completed before enrolling an educator in the educator preparation program. A majority of the clinical experience hours must be completed through a continuous clinical placement. For every additional endorsement or advanced degree, a candidate shall complete an appropriate amount of supervised clinical experiences that relate to predetermined state content standards, including best practices and relevant national norms related to the candidate's endorsements.
(g)
A requirement that each teacher preparation candidate in an initial licensure program complete at least one semester or quarter-length course in behavioral health training and one semester or quarter-length course in using culturally responsive and trauma- and evidenced-informed practices;
(h)
A requirement that candidates for an elementary education endorsement, a middle school mathematics endorsement, or a secondary mathematics endorsement are trained in evidence-informed practices in mathematics, as defined in section
22-2-146.6
, including interventions to help students who are below grade level or struggling in mathematics; children with disabilities, as defined in section
22-20-103
; and students who are English language learners.
(i)
A requirement that each educator preparation candidate, prior to graduation, demonstrate the skills required for licensure, as specified by rule of the state board of education pursuant to section
22-2-109 (4)
, in the manner specified by rule of the state board of education; and
(j)
A requirement that educator preparation programs, to improve their outcomes, engage in continuous evidence-based cycles of review regarding the impact of the educator preparation programs on the candidates' development throughout the educator preparation program. The cycles must include data on current candidates enrolled in the educator preparation program and available data on educators who have completed the educator preparation program.
(3)
The state board shall adopt rules to ensure that each educator preparation program includes procedures to monitor and improve the effectiveness of the educator preparation program, as well as educator effectiveness of its graduates pursuant to section
22-9-105.5
, including, at a minimum, the following:
(a)
Periodic review of the educator preparation program to ensure that the educator preparation program meets the requirements specified by state board rule pursuant to this section;
(b)
A procedure for collecting and reviewing evaluative data concerning the educator preparation program, including periodic surveys of graduates and employers, and educator data collected pursuant to section
22-2-112 (1)(q)
in order to modify the educator preparation program as necessary in response to the data collected; and
(c)
A procedure for reviewing the scores achieved on the professional competency assessments required pursuant to section
22-60.5-203
and the data concerning multiple measures of assessing professional competencies required pursuant to section
22-60.5-203 (3)(e)
for candidates enrolled in and graduating from the educator preparation program and a procedure for modifying the educator preparation program as necessary.
(4)
(a)
(I)
The department shall review each educator preparation program as provided in subsection (4)(b) of this section and establish a schedule for review of each educator preparation program that ensures each educator preparation program is reviewed not more frequently than once every five years; except that, if an educator preparation program is placed on conditional approval or probationary status, the educator preparation program must receive an additional review within the five-year period, as determined by the department. A review of or decision made concerning an educator preparation program after it is placed on conditional approval or probationary status does not change the date of the educator preparation program's next five-year review.
(II)
Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a)(I) of this section, the department shall review any new educator preparation program no sooner than twelve months but not more than twenty-four months after the new educator preparation program is initially approved.
(III)
Any new educator preparation program or modification to an existing educator preparation program that significantly modifies the content, clinical experiences, or educator preparation program delivery must be submitted to the department for review pursuant to this section. The state board shall adopt rules and procedures for the review of new and modified educator preparation programs.
(b)
Each educator preparation program review conducted pursuant to subsection (4)(a) of this section must ensure that the educator preparation program meets the minimum requirements adopted pursuant to subsections (2) and (3) of this section. The review must be designed to ensure that educator preparation programs are implemented in a manner that enables candidates to meet the quality standards, as defined in section
22-9-103
(2.9), and the requirements for licensure endorsement adopted by state board rule pursuant to section
22-60.5-106
. The department shall recommend to the state board that an educator preparation program be approved, placed on conditional approval, placed on probation, or not be approved pursuant to this section.
(c)
The department shall work cooperatively with each educator preparation program to obtain any data requested by the department to determine the admission and enrollment patterns, completion rates, and effectiveness of educator preparation programs. In addition, each educator preparation program shall, upon request from the department, prepare and submit an annual report to assist the department in reviewing the educator preparation program pursuant to this section. The department shall collaborate with representatives from the governing boards of each institution of higher education that offers educator preparation programs in specifying the information to be included in the annual report.
(d)
(I)
Based on the department's recommendation that an educator preparation program not be approved or that it be placed on conditional approval or probation, the state board shall deny approval, grant the educator preparation program conditional approval, or place the educator preparation program on probation. The state board shall adopt rules specifying the procedures for denying approval or placing an educator preparation program on conditional approval or probation and the process by which the level of approval of an educator preparation program is reviewed and changed.
(II)
An educator preparation program that the state board places on conditional approval may continue to accept new candidates. An educator preparation program that the state board places on probation shall not accept new candidates until the department removes the educator preparation program from probationary status.
(III)
If the state board places an educator preparation program on conditional approval or probation, the state board shall consult with the department in determining whether the educator preparation program should subsequently be reapproved, conditionally approved, placed on probation, or terminated.
(IV)
Institutions of higher education offering educator preparation programs are subject to the requirements of sections
23-1-107
,
23-1-108
, and
23-1-125
. A private college or university, as defined in section
23-2-102 (11)
, and out-of-state public institutions, as defined in section
23-2-102 (9)
, that offer educator preparation programs in Colorado are subject to the requirements in article
2
of title
23
and related policies of the Colorado commission on higher education. In determining whether to initially approve or continue the approval of an educator preparation program, the state board shall consider any recommendations by the commission on higher education.
(e)
The state board shall adopt rules and procedures to terminate any educator preparation program if the program did not successfully graduate any candidates during the previous five years.
(5)
The department may establish a fee or reimbursement mechanism to be paid to the department by an entity that provides and applies for approval of an educator preparation program. The amount of the fee or reimbursement must reflect the direct and indirect costs of the department in administering the provisions of this section.
(6)
(a)
(I)
The general assembly finds and declares that a high-quality teacher is the most important in-school factor for student achievement and that students benefit from seeing a diverse group of educators in classrooms. However, the educator workforce in Colorado is not as diverse as the population of students it serves or will serve in the future.
(II)
Therefore, the general assembly declares that educator preparation programs must clearly and transparently show the first-time pass rates of candidates on the assessment administered pursuant to section
22-60.5-203 (3)(a)(I)
, especially those candidates whose gender, race, or ethnicity is underrepresented in the educator workforce, and that diverse educator candidates should have access to the necessary information to determine which educator preparation program gives the candidate the best chance of success at becoming an educator.
(b)
Notwithstanding section
24-1-136 (11)(a)(I)
, the department shall annually prepare a report concerning the enrollment in, graduation from, and effectiveness of the educator preparation programs authorized by the department. In addition, the report must include:
(I)
Data on the outcomes of graduates of educator preparation programs pursuant to section
22-2-112 (1)(q)
;
(II)
The percentage of educator candidates graduating from each educator preparation program during the preceding twelve months who applied for and received an initial license pursuant to section
22-60.5-201
;
(III)
The percentage of graduates who passed the assessment administered pursuant to section
22-60.5-203 (3)(a)(I)
, including the percentage of graduates who passed the assessment on the first attempt; and
(IV)
The percentage of graduates who did not take an assessment identified in section
22-60.5-203 (3)(a)(I)
and instead sought licensure through the multiple measure options in section
22-60.5-203 (3)(a)(II) or (3)(a)(III)
.
(c)
For purposes of completing the report required pursuant to subsection (6)(b) of this section, the department and the department of higher education shall share with one another any relevant data that complies with state and federal regulations. The department shall submit the report to the house of representatives education committee and the senate education committee, or their successor committees.
(d)
All data and information required to be reported annually pursuant to subsection (6)(b) of this section must be disaggregated by the gender, race, and ethnicity of the candidates and graduates, to the extent possible.
(e)
The department and the department of higher education shall post the annual report on their respective websites in the location relating to educator preparation programs and teacher licensure, if applicable.
(7)
The department is encouraged to collaborate with national accrediting bodies of educator preparation programs and to offer concurrent and joint site visits to educator preparation programs, to the extent feasible.
(8)
(a)
There is created an advisory committee to the state board of education and the department to provide input on relevant topics related to educator preparation and educator quality, including but not limited to:
(I)
Reviewing and providing feedback on the authorization and reauthorization process for new educator preparation programs, as well as added endorsement areas in already-approved programs;
(II)
Participating in stakeholder discussions concerning new or revised educator preparation standards;
(III)
Identifying ways to streamline applications for program authorization, reauthorization, and added endorsement areas;
(IV)
Identifying strategies to better intersect and support Colorado schools in a school's educator pipeline development; and
(V)
Articulating ways to increase the educator talent pipeline that meets Colorado's hiring needs, especially among underrepresented communities.
(b)
The advisory committee consists of the following eight members who are appointed by the commissioner of education in consultation with the executive director of the department of higher education through applications developed by the department:
(I)
One representative from an urban school district;
(II)
One representative from a rural school district;
(III)
One representative from a traditional educator preparation program;
(IV)
One representative from an alternative educator preparation program;
(V)
One member who is a recent graduate from a Colorado educator preparation program who is currently teaching in a Colorado school;
(VI)
One representative from the department;
(VII)
One representative from the department of higher education; and
(VIII)
One representative from the state charter school institute established in section
22-30.5-503
.
(c)
The members of the advisory committee shall select the chair.
(d)
The advisory committee shall meet as often as necessary to provide input to the state board of education and the department pursuant to this subsection (8). The department shall establish procedures to allow members to participate in the meetings remotely.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 490,§ 42, eff. 8/7/2024.
Added by 2023 Ch. 334,§ 2, eff. 8/7/2023.
2024 Ch. 490, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
2023 Ch. 334, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.