Preparation Office

Preparation Office

The Educator Preparation Office oversees program approval and re-authorization for institutions of higher education. The process is carried out collaboratively by the Colorado Department of Higher Education and CDE and includes initial approval and re-authorization not more than once every five years. Initial approval and re-authorization are required for any institution offering educator preparation programs leading to endorsement in Colorado, including public and private entities.

Alternative teacher preparation programs offered via designated agencies must also meet standards defined in statute, rules and policy. The approval process is carried out solely by the Colorado Department of Education and includes initial authorization and re-authorization not more than once every five years. 

Rules for the Administration of the Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991 (1 CCR 301-37) can be found here. Rules for the Administration of Educator License Endorsements (1 CCR 301-101) can be found here.

 

New Reading Resources for Teacher and
Principal Preparation webpage available!

News

• Call for Peer Reviewers for Educator Preparation Programs 

  • CDE invites educators, faculty at Colorado institutions of higher education and CDE content experts to review the content of Colorado educator preparation programs and its alignment to endorsement standards. Complete this form by Monday, June 12 to sign up.

  • The Educator Preparation team will provide the resources necessary to conduct the peer reviews. A training video will be available on the Ed Talent webpage to help answer questions. Reviews will occur on a rolling basis, are estimated to take two to five hours to complete and will be conducted individually. Reviewers will be notified when content is available for review and a due date will be assigned at that time.

     
• Grant Opportunity for Teachers in Rural Areas​
  • ​​The Educator Recruitment and Retention Program allows qualified applicants to apply for up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance to pay for their preparation program fees. Recipients must commit to teaching in a rural or small rural district for three years. Click the link above for more detailed information.

• New Equity Resources for Schools and Districts webpage

  • As school and district leaders work to address the learning impacts that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, broader and newfound equity gaps will undoubtedly emerge. With this in mind, a CDE-wide, cross unit team collaborated to curate internal and external resources to assist educators in addressing these challenges. The Equity Resources for Schools and Districts webpage provides tools and resources to help educators bring an equity lens to their systems, policies and everyday work.​

• TEACH Colorado resources for Educator Preparation Programs

  • TEACH Colorado's mission is to increase the quality, quantity and diversity of the state’s teacher pipeline. TEACH Colorado partners with Colorado’s school districts, educator preparation programs, state agencies and business and nonprofit groups to provide a comprehensive digital platform that helps recruit talented Coloradans into the teaching profession and provides the support they need to enroll in an educator preparation program. For additional information about the tools and resources (in addition to the ones below) available through TEACH Colorado, contact Kate Hudnut or Elizabeth Cordova.
    • TEACH Colorado is excited to announce The Future Depends on Teachers, a new PSA campaign for K-12 schools to inspire future teachers to explore the profession, celebrate the hard work of current teachers, and elevate the teaching profession among the general public.  A social media toolkit includes resources to help promote the PSA through social media channels.

• ​Educator Preparation Program Reports

  • ​​​​The Educator Preparation Programs Report, featuring an interactive dashboard, is available with information about the effectiveness of Colorado programs training teachers, principals and special services providers, as well as information about new teachers entering the workforce.