Professional Development and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Accepted Renewal Activities (90 clock hours required for renewal)

Generally speaking, educators may choose the activities they deem best suited to their needs and, when completed within the seven-year span of their professional license (or, if the license has expired, within the seven years preceding their date of application), use them for renewal of their license. Please visit the Educator Professional Development Requirements page for a detailed explanation of certain categories of professional development (English learner, special education and behavioral health, educator evaluator) that must be obtained for some educators.

I. In-service Education

7.02(1)(a)* In-service education: A Colorado school district or BOCES are approved entities for in-service education programs. One semester hour of credit may be granted for every15 clock hours of participation. In-service certificates issued by the sponsoring school district or BOCES shall be submitted as evidence of completion of in-service education.

Out-of-state applicant please note: Colorado-license holders who presently reside and work in another state may use their out-of-state district in-service credit only when it is applicable to their endorsement area or teaching practice. For example, strategies for integrating literacy into any content area or managing challenging student behaviors would be appropriate; training on administering their state's assessment program or implementing the district's new attendance system would not.

Documentation required:

• Completion of the renewal summary portion of the online application.
• Optional: To support professional development entries, a certificate with participant’s name, name/title of in-service, name of agency providing in-service, location, dates and contact hours, signature of provider verifying participant attendance and completion of workshop may be uploaded. District “transcripts” are also accepted. Credit must be listed as contact hours. Should the evaluator have questions about the alignment of the professional development and educator standards, a full audit will be conducted and the educator will be asked to submit this back up documentation.

II. College or University Coursework

7.02(1)(b)* College or university credit: Credit may be earned from accepted institutions of higher education or accepted community, technical or junior colleges. Courses must be directly related to the standards for professional development as provided in section 7.02 of these rules. Copies of official transcripts must be submitted as evidence of completion of college credit.

Documentation requires:

• Completion of the renewal summary portion of the online application.
• A copy of either an official paper transcript or official electronic transcript from the college/university that shows the course name, credit earned and grade may be uploaded. Should the evaluator have questions about the alignment of the professional development to educator standards, a full audit will be conducted and the educator will be asked to submit this back-up documentation.

III. Involvement in School and/or District Performance

• 7.02 (1)(d)* Involvement in school and/or district performance: One semester hour of credit may be accepted for every 15 clock hours of participation. When verified by the license-holder's supervisor, activities may include, but are not limited to:
• 7.02(1)(d)(i) Membership on school site or district accountability or improvement committee(s);
• 7.02(1)(d)(ii) Curriculum, standards or assessment development or implementation, in the license-holder's endorsement content area;
• 7.02(1)(d)(iii) Implementation of standards;
• 7.02(1)(d)(iv) Development or implementation of a literacy or numeracy improvement program(s); and
• 7.02(1)(d)(v) Professional development in the area of culturally and linguistically diverse education.

Documentation requires:

• Completion of the renewal summary portion of the online application.
• Submission of documentation that includes a written log of meeting times and signed letter from committee chair verifying participation and number of meeting hours attended. Credit by meeting hours.

IV. Internships/Externships

12.02(1)(e)* Internships/externships: Advanced field experiences offered as part of graduate study or other professional training designed to acquire knowledge or enhance the skills of the educator may qualify as an intern- or externship. The intership must be directly related to the standards for professional development as provided in section 7.02 of these rules. One semester hour of credit may be accepted for every15 clock hours of participation. Official transcripts or supervisor verification must be submitted as evidence of completion.

Documentation requires:

• Completion of the renewal summary portion of the online application.
• Official transcripts or supervisor verification as evidence of completion.

V. Educational Travel

7.02(1)(c)* Educational Travel: To be accepted as a professional development activity, educational travel must be directly applicable to the endorsement area of the license-holder, as documented by the licensee and accompanied by supervisor verification. One semester hour of credit may be accepted for every15 clock hours of involvement. Travel time to and from the intended destination must not be included in the clock hours accumulated.

Example: Accepted travel experiences would include experiences such as the field hours a science teacher spends completing an environmental study program in Kenya or hours that a teacher spends in immersion classes during a summer in Guadalajara. Travel taken by individuals who are not presently teaching (and therefore cannot integrate it into their teaching experience) generally is not accepted. Time spent in transit to and from a site is never accepted.

Documentation requires:

• Completion of the renewal summary portion of the online application.
• Submission of documentation that verifies actual travel to a site and participation in specific activities (e.g. plane or train tickets, museum tickets). Includes a written log of specific activities and relation to subject or students that you teach, and your integration of your learnings and experience into your lesson plans.

VI. Ongoing Professional Development

7.02(1)(f)* Ongoing professional development and training experiences must occur within the license-holder's present or future endorsement content area(s) or in the areas of evidence-based practices for teaching reading, literacy or numeracy and may include, but are not limited to: attendance or presentation at professional conferences; service on statewide or national educational task forces or boards; professional research and publication; supervision of student teachers or interns; mentorships; and pursuit of national educator certification.

Documentation requires:

• Completion of the renewal summary portion of the online application.
• Submission of documentation of activity and contacts hours.
  1. Workshops or Academies: Certificate with participant’s name, name of workshop/Academy, name of agency providing workshop, location, dates and contact hours, signature of provider verifying participant attendance and completion of workshop. Credit by contact hours.
  2. Conference Attendance: Copy of conference registration and listing of conference sections attended (for each session include date, time session met, title of session, and names of the presenters). Credit by contact hours.
  3. Research: Written log and description of educational research or investigation of educational innovations accompanied by a signed letter from supervisor verifying project and contact hours.
  4. National or State Conference Presentation: Copy of conference registration and copy of session description from conference program. Include description of time spent in preparation of presentation.
  5. Publication: Citation of published work and copy of first page of publication. Include description of time spent in preparation of publication. For dissertation or thesis you must also provide transcripts.
     1. Completed Doctoral Dissertation (90 hours - courses cannot be older than 5 years)
     2. Completed Master’s thesis (courses cannot be older than 5 years)
     3. Book with ISBN number (90 hours)
     4. Chapters or professional journal articles
     5. Published results of action research in a professional journal
  6. Service on national and state educational task forces or boards: Letter from task force or board chair verifying participation and number of meeting hours attended. Credit by meeting hours.
  7. Supervision of a student teacher or mentorship of an alternative teacher candidate: A log of hours completed in conference with and in formal observation of student teacher or alternative candidate that is verified by a signed letter from the school of education or alternative designated agency. Credit by scheduled conference and formal observation hours.

*Please note: Rules promulgated by the Colorado State Board of Education are subject to revision and change. While we do our best to keep this Web site current, please consult the Colorado Secretary of State's website for the official rule as it is filed.

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