Endorsement Requirements

Agriculture and Natural Resources Education (7-12)  (PDF) - 4.03 (PDF)

40

5701 (147)

Business/Marketing (7-12) (PDF) - 4.05 (PDF)

34 or 35

5101 (154)  or  5561 (157)

Drama Theater Arts (K-12) (PDF) - 4.07 (PDF)

30

5641 (153)

English Language Arts (7-12) - 4.09 (PDF)

07

5038 (167)

Family and Consumer Sciences (7-12) (PDF) - 4.12 (PDF)

36

5122 (153)

Health (K-12) (PDF) - 4.11 (PDF)

31

5551 (155)

Instructional Technology (K-12) (PDF) - 4.08 (PDF)

51

5652 (149)
or  5651 (166) if taken prior to Aug. 31, 2018

Mathematics

     Middle School (6-8) (PDF) - 4.24 (PDF)

     Secondary (7-12) (PDF) - 4.14 (PDF)

n/a

04

5169 (165)

5161 (152)

Music (K-12) (PDF) - 4.15 (PDF)

29

5113 (161)

Physical Education (K-12) (PDF) - 4.16 (PDF)

32

5091 (148)

Science (7-12) (PDF) - 4.17 (PDF)

05

5435 (152)

Social Studies (7-12) (PDF) - 4.18 (PDF)

06

5081 (150)

Speech (7-12) (PDF) - 4.19 (PDF)

19

5221 (146)

Technology Education (7-12) (PDF) - 4.13 (PDF)

37

5051 (159)

Visual Arts (K-12) (PDF) - 4.04 (PDF)

28

5135 (158)

World Languages (K-12) (PDF) - 4.10 (PDF) (American Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish)

• French 08
• German 10
• Italian 11
• Japanese 15
• Latin 12
• Mandarin Chinese: NES
• Russian 14
• Spanish 09

**There is no PLACE exam for ASL.**

• French 5174 (162)
• German 5183 (163)
• Japanese 5661 (156)
• Latin 5601 (152)
• Mandarin Chinese 5665 (164)
• Spanish 5195 (163)

**PRAXIS exams presently are not available for ASL, Italian or Russian. These endorsements may be added to a valid Colorado license via approved program or 24 semester hours of specific coursework as outlined on the worksheet (at left).**

• For an initial license:*
  • a bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood education; completion of an approved program for the preparation of early childhood educators; and PRAXIS 5205 (159); OR
  • a bachelor's degree in any content area along with 24 semester hours of early childhood education-specific coursework as identified on the worksheet (via link at left); completion of an approved program for the preparation of early childhood educators; and PRAXIS 5205 (159); OR
  • a bachelor's degree in any content area; completion of an approved program for the preparation of early childhood educators; PRAXIS 5024 (160) or PLACE 02 (220); and PRAXIS 5205 (159)
• Existing Colorado teacher license-holders may add the endorsement in one of the following ways:
  • 24 semester hours of early childhood education-specific coursework as identified on the worksheet (via link at left) and PRAXIS 5205 (159); OR
  • PRAXIS 5024 (160) and PRAXIS 5205 (159)

*Individuals enrolled in a Colorado early childhood education preparation program as of Sept. 30, 2021 who have attempted the PRAXIS 5024 by Sept. 30, 2021 will not be required to take the PRAXIS 5205 as long as they submit a complete application for their initial license or added endorsement by Dec. 31, 2022.

Elementary Education (K-6) (PDF) - 4.02 (PDF)

• For an initial license: an earned bachelor's or higher degree from a regionally accredited college/university, completion of an approved preparation program in elementary education and passing scores on one (1) of the following test combinations:*
  • PLACE 01 (220) AND PRAXIS 5205 (159); OR
  • PRAXIS 5901 series (as outlined below) AND PRAXIS 5205 (159)
    • Mathematics 5903 (157) - 5003 also accepted
    • Social Studies 5904 (155) - 5004 also accepted
    • Science 5905 (159) - 5005 also accepted
• Existing Colorado teacher license-holders may add the endorsement via content exams only.

*Individuals enrolled in a Colorado elementary preparation program as of Sept. 30, 2021 who have attempted at least one subtest of the PRAXIS 5001 series by Sept. 30, 2021 may complete the entire 5001 series and will not be required to take the PRAXIS 5901 series or PRAXIS 5205 as long as they submit a complete application for their initial license or added endorsement by Dec. 31, 2022.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12) (PDF) - 4.22 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; applicant must hold or be eligible to hold a Colorado teacher license in another endorsement area.
• Completion of a Colorado-approved program or 24 semester hours of specific coursework completed at a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Bilingual Education Specialist (K-12) (PDF) - 4.23 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; applicant must hold or be eligible to hold a Colorado teacher license in another endorsement area.
• Completion of a Colorado-approved program OR the coursework for a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse endorsement (see worksheet in previous section) AND fulfillment of competency requirements outlined on the CLD Bilingual worksheet (at left).

Dance (K-12) (PDF) - 4.20 (PDF)

• A bachelor's or higher degree in dance and completion of an approved teacher preparation program in dance OR a bachelor's or higher degree in any content area along with 24 semester hours of specific coursework (identified on the worksheet (at left) and completion of an approved teacher preparation program in dance.

Gifted Education Core (PreK-12) (PDF) - 5.06 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; applicant must hold a valid Colorado teacher license.
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for the preparation of gifted education educators, including prescribed field experience and student teaching requirements, or 24 semester hours of specific coursework requirements outlined in the Gifted Education worksheet at left.
• PRAXIS Gifted Education 5358 exam (min score: 157)

Gifted Education Specialist (PreK-12) (PDF) - 5.07 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; must hold a valid Colorado teacher license with a Gifted Education Core endorsement.
• Master’s degree in Gifted Education from an regionally accredited institution including prescribed field experience and student teaching requirements.

Instructional Technology Specialist (K-12) - 6.07 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; must hold a valid Colorado teacher license and have three or more years of full-time, fully licensed teaching experience.
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for instructional technology specialists that shall include a supervised practicum or internship as an instructional technology specialist.

• requirements coming soon!

Reading Teacher (K-12) - 6.03 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; must hold a valid Colorado teacher license and have two or more years of full-time, fully licensed teaching experience.
• Completion of an approved graduate program from a regionally accredited institution including a supervised practicum or internship as a reading teacher.
• Please note: Most out-of-state reading specialist programs fulfill the requirements for this endorsement. Determination of qualification for either the "reading teacher" or "reading specialist" endorsement will by made upon evaluation of application.

Reading Specialist (K-12) - 6.04 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; must hold a valid Colorado teacher license and have three or more years of licensed teaching experience.
• Completion of an approved graduate program from a regionally accredited institution for reading specialists including a supervised practicum or internship as a reading specialist.
• Please note: Most out-of-state reading specialist programs do not fulfill the requirements for this endorsement. Determination of qualification for either the "reading teacher" or "reading specialist" endorsement will by made upon evaluation of application.

Teacher Librarian (K-12) - 6.02 (PDF)

• Added endorsement only; must hold a valid Colorado teacher license.
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution in library science, media science or similar area, including a supervised practicum or internship which includes both elementary and secondary school library experience.

Early Childhood Special Education (ages 0-8) - 5.09 (PDF)

• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution in early childhood special education that includes student teaching and practicum.

Early Childhood Special Education Specialist (ages 0-8) - 5.05 (PDF)

• Completion of an approved graduate-level degree or non-degree program from a regionally accredited institution in early childhood special education that includes field-based experience or practicum.

Special Education Generalist (ages 5-21) (PDF) - 5.08 (PDF)

• Completion of an approved program for the preparation of special education generalists from a regionally accredited college or university or 24 semester hours as determined by CDE via a transcript review (worksheet available at left).
• Passing score on three content exams--Elementary Education, Special Education Generalist and Teaching Reading--as specified below:*
  • Special Education Generalist
    • PLACE 20 (220) if taken after Sept. 1, 2008 OR
    • PRAXIS 5354 (151)
  •  Elementary Education
    • PLACE 01 (220) OR
    • PRAXIS 5901 series (as outlined below) 
      • Mathematics 5903 (157) - 5003 also accepted
      • Social Studies 5904 (155) - 5004 also accepted
      • Science 5905 (159) - 5005 also accepted
  • Teaching Reading
    • PRAXIS 5205 (159)

*Individuals enrolled in a Colorado special education preparation program as of Sept. 30, 2021 who have attempted at least one subtest of the PRAXIS 5001 series by Sept. 30, 2021 may complete the entire 5001 series and will not be required to take the PRAXIS 5901 series or PRAXIS 5205 as long as they submit for their initial license or added endorsement by Dec. 31, 2022.

Special Education Specialist (ages 5-21) - 5.02 (PDF)

• Must already hold a Colorado license with a Special Education Generalist endorsement.
• An earned master’s or higher degree in special education from a regionally accredited institution.
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for the preparation of special education specialists.

Special Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ages 0-21) - 5.04 (PDF)

• A master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution in special education deaf/hard of hearing or its equivalent, as determined by the department.
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for special education specialists: deaf/hard of hearing that includes prescribed field experience requirements.

Special Education Specialist: Visually Impaired Ages (ages 0-21) - 5.03 (PDF)

• A master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution in special education visual impairment or its equivalent, as determined by the department.
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for special education specialists: visually impaired that includes prescribed field experience requirements.

School Audiologist (ages 0-21) - 7.01 (PDF)

• AuD or PhD in audiology
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution in audiology
• Practicum or internship in a school setting, equivalent to a minimum of 8 weeks, full time (320 hours) under the supervision of a professionally licensed or master's level licensed audiologist
• Passage of the PRAXIS 5342 audiology exam

PRAXIS 5343 (162)

PRAXIS 5342 (170) thru Aug. 31, 2026 only

School Counselor (ages 0-21) - 7.09 (PDF)

Pathway 1 (initial or professional SSP license/school counselor):

• Master's or higher degree in School Counseling as defined by accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling for Related Educational Programs (view information about CACREP Accreditation)
• Minimum of 100 clock-hour practicum
• Minimum of 600 clock-hour internship, with multiple grade levels of students under the supervision of a licensed school counselor
• Passage of the Colorado state approved content exam

 Pathway 2 (Temporary Educator Eligibility authorization/school counselor) :

• Master's or higher degree in a clinical counseling domain (e.g., mental health, etc.) or social work
• A valid counseling (LPC) or social work  (LSW, LCSW) license issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
• Three or more years' full-time, fully licensed experience as a LPC-, LSW- or LCSW-licensed clinical counselor or social worker
• Enrollment in a school counselor program or coursework (you will need your district's approval for this authorization; together you can work with CDE to determine what coursework will be needed)

PLACE 41 (220)

OR

PRAXIS 5421 (156)

School Nurse (ages 0-21) - 7.05 (PDF)

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution* OR three (3) or more years of licensed, practical experience as an RN with school-aged children
• A valid RN issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies or an RN in a state that is participating in the nurse licensing compact agreement
• Successful completion of field experiences and a supervised practicum as prescribed by the preparing institution, including experiences with school-age children in a community health/public health or school setting

*CCNE- and ACEN-accredited programs also accepted.

None

School Occupational Therapist (ages 0-21) - 7.02 (PDF)

• Bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Completion of an American Occupational Therapy Association-accredited college or university program in occupational therapy
• Completion of a practicum or internship as required by the school of occupational therapy attended, which may be held in a variety of settings
• A valid occupational therapy license issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
• Passage of the occupational therapy national registration examination administered by the national board for certification in occupational therapy

NBCOT

School Orientation and Mobility Specialist (ages 0-21) - 7.03 (PDF)

• Bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Completion of an approved preparation program from a regionally accredited institution for school orientation and mobility specialists
• Completion of practicum or internship, which must be in a school setting and equivalent to a minimum of 320 hours, full time, under the supervision of an Academy of Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) licensed orientation and mobility specialist.
• Passage of the ACVREP exam
• A valid ACVREP orientation and mobility certificate

ACVREP

School Physical Therapist (ages 0-21) - 7.04 (PDF)

• Bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Completion of American Physical Therapy Association’s Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education-accredited physical therapy program
• Completion of practicum or internship, as required by the physical therapy program attended
• A valid physical therapy license issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies

School Psychologist (ages 0-21) - 7.06 (PDF)

• Successful completion of an approved specialist-level program from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum of 60 graduate-level semester hours or an approved doctoral program for the preparation of school psychologists, serving children/students ages birth-21, at an accepted institution of higher education
• Successful completion of practicum consisting of a sequence of closely supervised on-campus or field-based activities, designed to develop and evaluate a candidate’s mastery of distinct professional skills, consistent with program and/or course goals
• Successful completion of internship consisting of a full-time experience over one year, or half-time over two years with a minimum of 1,200 clock hours, of which 600 must be in a school setting
• The internship may include, beyond the 600 hours in the school setting, other acceptable internship experiences, including in private or state-approved educational programs or in other appropriate mental health or education-related programs.
• Passage of the national school psychology exam OR hold a valid NCSP credential, issued by the national school psychology certification board

PRAXIS 5402 (147)

OR

National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) certification

School Social Worker (ages 0-21) - 7.07 (PDF)

• Master’s or higher degree in social work from a regionally accredited institution
• Documented evidence of completion of coursework in the areas of school and special education law, including content covering functional behavior assessment and the development of behavior intervention plans.
  • Out-of-state applicants: Please review this addendum to find out how you complete this coursework if you haven't already done so.
• Completion of a supervised 900 clock-hour practicum in the field of social work, which shall have been completed in a school, social service agency, mental health clinic or facility and/or hospital setting
• Completion of at least one field experience with school age children/students
• Passage of a Colorado-approved content exam or a valid Colorado DORA-issued LSW or LCSW license.

PLACE 47 (220)

OR

ASWB

Master's/Clinical/Advanced Generalist only

School Speech-Language Pathologist (ages 0-21) - 7.08 (PDF)

• Master’s or higher degree in communication disorders or speech-language pathology from a regionally accredited institution
• Completion of an approved speech-language pathology program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in audiology and speech-language pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• Practicum or internship, with children and students ages birth-21 in a school setting, equivalent to 8 weeks, full time (320 hours) under the supervision of a professionally licensed SLP
• Passage of PRAXIS 5331

PRAXIS 5331 (162)

OR

ASHA certification

Principal (This is a building-level leadership endorsement) - 3.03 (PDF)

• Bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Three years of licensed experience in a public elementary or secondary school or three years' experience in a nonpublic elementary or secondary school
• Completion of an approved program at a regionally accredited institution for the preparation of principals
• Passage of the Colorado-approved content exam for building-level leaders

PLACE 80 (220)

OR

PRAXIS 5411 (145)

if taken before Aug. 31, 2019

OR

PRAXIS 5412 (146)

Administrator (This is a district-level leadership endorsement) - 3.04 (PDF)

School Administrator ("superintendent") endorsement

• Bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Completion of an approved graduate program at a regionally accredited institution for the preparation of district-level administrators
• Passage of the Colorado-approved content exam for district-level leaders
• NOTE: The PLACE 81 and the PRAXIS 5411 may not serve in lieu of the PRAXIS 6991, as the quality standards have been revised and the prior tests do not align to the updated standards.

PRAXIS 6991 (162)

Special Education Director endorsement 6.05 (PDF)

• Master’s or higher degree in special education from a regionally accredited institution or demonstrate knowledge and application of standards for the specialist (as determined by the department)
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for the preparation of special education directors that includes a supervised field-based experience OR an approved program for district-level administrators and an approved master’s degree in special education
• Two or more years' full-time experience working with students with disabilities.
• Passage of the Colorado-approved content exam for district-level leaders

PRAXIS 6991 (162)

Gifted Education Director endorsement 6.06 (PDF)

• Master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution in gifted education or demonstrate knowledge and application of standards for the specialist (as determined by the department)
• Completion of an approved program from a regionally accredited institution for preparation of gifted education directors that includes a supervised field-based experience OR an approved program for district-level administrators and an approved master’s degree in gifted education
• Two or more years' full-time experience working with gifted students
• Passage of the Colorado-approved content exam for district-level leaders

PRAXIS 6991 (162)

• Discontinued May 30, 2019.
• Qualifying first-time candidates and renewing license-holders will receive the business/marketing combined endorsement.

• Discontinued March 30, 2016. 
• Issued only upon renewal of an existing, valid Colorado teacher license.
• Please see the gifted education core / gifted education specialist endorsements above for current gifted education endorsement requirements.

Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12) / Linguistically Diverse Bilingual Education  (K-12)

• Discontinued Dec. 31, 2012.
• Issued only upon renewal of an existing, valid Colorado teacher license.
• Please see the culturally and linguistically diverse / culturally and linguistically diverse bilingual endorsements above for current endorsement requirements.

• Discontinued May 30, 2019.
• Qualifying first-time candidates and renewing license-holders will receive the business/marketing combined endorsement.

School Librarian (K-12)

• Discontinued March 30, 2016.
• Issued upon renewal of an existing, valid Colorado teacher license or if earned by completing a Colorado-approved program that was initiated in fall 2016.
• Please see the teacher librarian endorsement above.

Trade and Industry (7-12)

• Discontinued Nov. 13, 2019. 
• Issued only upon renewal of an existing, valid Colorado teacher license.
• Please see the business/marketing endorsement above or our CTE credential page.