Professional Learning Opportunities

WIDA Self-Paced Workshops

Virtual Self-Paced Workshops are available September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025 for Colorado K-12 public school educators with a school district email address. Educators must complete SY24-25 workshops by August 31, 2025 to receive credit.
No cost and no participant limit. Participants can log in at any time, from any place where they have access to internet services.
To participate educators must have a WIDA Secure Portal account. To assist with this process, districts must create and send a bulk upload list with educators' names and email addresses to the WIDA Client Services Center (CSC) at help@wida.us. Once WIDA CSC receives and processes the bulk upload, an automatic email will be sent to the educators on the list inviting them to create an eLearning account through the Secure Portal. Download Bulk Upload Template.
Log into WIDA Secure Portal, open the Professional Learning tab to view self-paced, online workshops available each school year.
Workshops are aligned to the English Learner Quality Standards. To view a list of the workshops and which standards they align to, please review the WIDA Self-Paced Workshop FAQs.
Certificate of Completion can be printed and/or downloaded once a workshop is completed. CDE will not be able to reproduce certificates or verify participation.

WIDA Virtual Workshops

Colorado K-12 public school educators have access to attend virtual WIDA Facilitated Workshops at no cost. These opportunities are available to educators with WIDA Secure Portal accounts during the current school year. Registration for each Facilitated Workshop may have participant limits. If you registered and are unable to attend or you would like to request information about WIDA Secure Portal Accounts, please email CLDE.

February 2025: Nurturing Speaking Growth encourages participants to explore the connection between the ACCESS Speaking Test and classroom practices that promote oral language development. In the webinars, educators will engage in meaning making activities that provide ways to nurture students’ speaking growth. This workshop is unique in that participants will be asked to speak and share ideas with colleagues during the webinars. Two live webinars occurring from 2:30pm-4:00pm on February 19 and March 5. Registration Closed.

During SY25-26, WIDA will be offering free live virtual learning opportunities on a variety of topics relevant to educators of multilingual learners. Attendees will be able to engage with WIDA's expert staff, researchers and facilitators, dive into specific topics crucial for multilingual education, and ask questions and interact in real time during live sessions. These webinars will be recorded and readily available for convenience through the WIDA Secure Portal account. More information and registration details are found on WIDA Webinars.

Supporting Writing Growth for Multilingual Learners on August 28, 2025 at 11am (MST): Writing instruction is an integral part of supporting multilingual learners’ academic growth. This webinar explores how to leverage the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework to guide explicit language instruction. Educators will leave with practical strategies to help multilingual learners build the skills they need to be confident and effective writers.
Instruction and Collaboration to Support Multilingual Learners With Disabilities on October 17, 2025 at 10am (MST): Explore instructional planning and collaborative practices designed to meet the diverse strengths and needs of multilingual learners with disabilities. Educators will gain tools to support both language development and accessibility, along with strategies for fostering collaborative planning that brings together multiple perspectives to better understand the intersection of language and disability.
2025-2026 Professional Learning Opportunities

Colorado educators can register for Professional Learning Opportunities through the registration link associated with each date below. In the event that there are fewer than ten people registered for a CLDE professional learning opportunity, it will be rescheduled and those registered will be notified.

Project Momentum Professional Development

Project MOMENTUM has partnered with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to provide an approved program for completing the 45 hours of required professional development related to multilingual learners. Participants who complete the Project MOMENTUM 45 hour PD program will be issued a single certificate to submit with their license renewal application. Already completed some of your required PD? Colorado Educators may use Project MOMENTUM courses toward meeting the 45 hour requirement. This professional learning is high-quality, engaging, and open to all Colorado educators!

Office of CLDE - Instructional Strategies for Multilingual Learners Training with Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner of SupportEd

The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education and Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner of SupportEd will offer a three-day virtual training on September 11, 18, 25, 2025, form 4:00 – 5:30pm. The sessions will focus on supporting ML in reading and writing across the curriculum, activating, and developing background knowledge, and effective instruction for Newcomers.

September 11, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (MT), Session 1: Supporting MLs in Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
September 18, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (MT), Session 2: Activating and Developing MLs’ Background Knowledge
September 25, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (MT), Session 3: Effective Instruction for ML Newcomer Students

This professional learning is open to Colorado educators of K -12 schools. CE credits will be given for full attendance of the day.

Supporting Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)

A toolkit curated and organized by the Massachusetts SLIFE Community of Practice and its members is a resource for classroom teachers, multilingual learner specialists, paraprofessionals, school and district leaders, and other educators who work closely with SLIFE and their families. It is a dynamic, living resource which outlines a 4-step process for identifying and supporting SLIFE by bridging theory and practice and supports educators to implement the guidance in their unique contexts. National experts from SupportEd have developed a three-part module series for educators of SLIFE in Massachusetts: these self-paced professional learning sessions are designed for educators with all levels of experience in teaching students identified as SLIFE, from novice to expert.

Colorado Professional Development Corner Hosted by CBOCES

In partnership with CDE and other educational organizations, Centennial BOCES has developed free, online modules that are available to all Colorado educators. Access Centennial BOCES professional development offerings to learn more about courses and registration information.

Screener Information & Resources

Meetings will provide information for new test administrators about standardized identification procedures, obtaining test materials, locating test resources, accessing scoring calculators, and completing WIDA's online self-paced modules and quizzes before becoming certified to administer and score the WIDA Screener for Grades 1-12 and/or WIDA Screener for Kindergarten. A brief overview of protocols and procedures to administer and score will also be discussed during information & resources meetings. A certification to administer and/or score Screener will not be issued after attending meetings, it must be obtained after completing and passing self-paced WIDA online training modules. For more information about the certification process, please view the WIDA Screener Assessment page.

Content and materials presented during the June meeting will be repeated in August. Register to attend Wednesday, June 18, 2025 from 9:30am-10:30am or Thursday, August 21, 2025 from 1:00pm-2:00pm.

Identification & Data Coding for Multilingual Learners

ACCESS Overall and Literacy scores from the current test year will be added to Multilingual Learner (ML) reports found in CEDAR/COGNOS to assist districts and schools in meeting the civil rights and educational needs for students, and to provide accurate reporting of student’s language proficiency level. An inquiry into prior ML history and English language proficiency assessment scores provided by CDE is an important step districts and schools take to avert students from being redesignated prematurely and/or losing language assistance upon enrollment, therefore, increasing a student’s ability to succeed in the classroom. Please join a webinar hosted by CLDE and Data Services on Wednesday, July 23rd at 9am to learn more about SY25-26 ML Enrollment updates and ML data reports used to make designation and coding decisions prior to determining student’s location on the language progression sequence for Student October and End of Year Data Pipeline collections. Additional webinar dates to learn about updates to ML Enrollment are listed below for educators who are unable to attend the July meeting (information presented during July will be repeated in August and September):

A focused webinar on Colorado's Standardized Identification Procedures for SY25-26 is intended for new or veteran district data and program coordinators and personnel who identify and code multilingual students. SY25-26 Virtual Training Date Coming Soon!

New English Language Development Coordinators

The CLDE Office will be hosting monthly meetings to support the implementation of Colorado standardized procedures at the local level. The goal during office hours will be to build federal and state knowledge around requirements for Multilingual Learners (MLs), provide support to strengthen district processes and procedures, and establish networks between districts and schools. If you are a new English Language Development (ELD) coordinator, director, educator, or have recently been asked to support with the instructional programs for MLs in your district or school, please consider joining monthly meetings held on Tuesdays at 12:30pm -1:30pm. Complete this short form to request SY25-26 new ELD coordinator meeting links.

CLDE Office Hours

The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) hosts virtual office hours to support educators in the instruction of Multilingual Learners (MLs).The topics will be generated, in part, based on feedback and surveys from the field, including topics of interest throughout the school calendar year. The goal of these meetings will be to clarify legal obligations and requirements, provide support in strengthening processes, and to share bright spots and promising practices in Colorado districts, schools, and public charter schools. See the CLDE Webinar Website for office hour dates, topics and registration information.