English Learner Educator Professional Development Requirements

The page below contains information on how educators can complete the English Learner Professional Development requirements for licensure. If you are a PD provider interested in becoming a pre-approved pathway for ELPD, please navigate to this page: Become an ELPD provider

Overview of English Learner Professional Development Requirements

To help better support students in Colorado who are English language learners, the State Board of Education adopted new rules in June 2018 requiring educators with elementary, math, science, social studies and English language arts (and any middle-level, such as middle school math (grades 6-8) or MIDL) endorsements to complete Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education training or professional development (PD).

Who: Educators holding an elementary, math, science, social studies or English language arts (or any middle-level) endorsement on a professional license. Educators who hold an endorsement in CLD, CLD Bilingual, LDE or LDE Bilingual are deemed to have already met this requirement.

Important note: This requirement is based solely on the endorsement(s) held; it is not based on the content area the educator is presently teaching or if they are teaching at all. For example, a teacher who also holds both a science and a music endorsement will be required to complete ELPD even if only teaching music. Individuals who are serving in other positions (as a principal, for example) or not presently employed in education and who still wish to renew their teacher license with one of the identified endorsements must meet this requirement.

What: 45 clock hours of professional learning aligned to the CLD standards

When: At any renewal of a professional teaching license within elementary, math, science, social studies or English language arts on or after Sept. 1, 2025.

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What Are the Standards?

Below are the standards related to addressing the needs of English learners to which professional development activities must align.

5.09 Quality Standard I: Educators are knowledgeable about CLD populations

5.09(1) ELEMENT A: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand, and able to apply the major theories, concepts and research related to culture, diversity and equity in order to support academic access and opportunity for CLD student populations.

5.09(2) ELEMENT B: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand, and able to use progress monitoring in conjunction with formative and summative assessments to support student learning.

5.10 Quality Standard II: Educators should be knowledgeable in first and second language acquisition.

5.10(1) ELEMENT A: Educators are able to understand and implement strategies and select materials to aid in English language and content learning.

5.10(2) ELEMENT B: Educators are knowledgeable of, understand, and able to apply the major theories, concepts and research related to culture, diversity and equity in order to support academic access and opportunity for CLD student populations.

5.11 Quality Standard III: Educators should understand literacy development for CLD students.

5.11(1) ELEMENT A: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand, and able to apply the major theories, concepts and research related to literacy development for CLD students

5.11(2) ELEMENT B: Educators understand and implement strategies and select materials to aid in English language and content learning.

5.12 Quality Standard IV: Educators are knowledgeable in the teaching strategies, including methods, materials, and assessment for CLD students.

5.12(1) ELEMENT A: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand and able to use the major theories, concepts and research related to language acquisition and language development for CLD students.

5.12(2) ELEMENT B: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand, and able to use progress monitoring in conjunction with formative and summative assessments to support student learning.

Pathways for Completing ELPD Requirements

What is the English Learner PD requirement

Educators must demonstrate completion of training or professional development activities equivalent to 45 clock/contact hours or three semester hours in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education. Educators with previous CLD training or past experience can count it toward meeting their:

new English Learner Professional Development requirement,
and
their 90 clock hours of professional development requirement for renewing their educator license.

For more detailed information on the process for renewing a professional teaching license and how to document professional development, please see the Professional Teacher Renewal Checklist.

Below are three pathways to meeting this requirement.

I am a teacher that already has some relevant PD completed...

The English Learner PD Standards Matrix must be completed and submitted with the professional license renewal application.
Past PD can be counted, even if it was already used to satisfy license renewal requirements.
PD does not have to be pre-approved by CDE to count toward this requirement.
For a list of free PD opportunities by standard, please visit the Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education page.
Of the 45 clock/contact hours CLD requirement, up to 10 clock hours (equivalent) of relevant work experience can be counted toward this requirement. For work experience, a signed letter from the relevant supervisory verifying the work experience must be submitted along with the matrix.
- Relevant work experience is defined as implementing one or more of the standards as part of one's teaching assignment.

I don't have any of the relevant PD completed yet...

Teachers have the option to complete an approved English Learner Professional Development program to meet this new requirement and will be issued a single certificate to submit with their license renewal application.
Only programs that satisfy the requisite 45 contact hours and address all elements within the required standards will be pre-approved by CDE.
An updated list of CDE-approved English Learner Professional Development programs can be found here .

I am currently enrolled in a teacher prep program or have recently graduated...

Teachers will have the option to complete training through an educator preparation program to meet their English Learner Professional Development requirement.
Upon completion of an educator preparation program that has been verified by CDE to meet the new standards, the educator will receive an Approved Program Verification (APV) form denoting that the educator has satisfied the new requirements.

Once you are ready to submit paperwork for your designation, visit the Add a Designation checklist to ensure you have the necessary documentation and then login to the COOL Licensing System to submit.

Future Educators

Since the adoption of the new rules in June of 2018, educator preparation programs have been in the process of demonstrating to CDE they have incorporated 90 clock hours of coursework/practicum that address these new standards. Future graduates will receive an Approved Program Verification (APV) form from their educator preparation program indicating they met the new English Learner Professional Development requirement.

Waivers

Audience

This webpage is for superintendents or principals of charter schools authorized by the Charter School Institute (CSI) only who are interested in seeking a waiver from English learner professional development requirements for their educators. (District-authorized charter schools fall under their district.) If you are a teacher seeking information on how to complete English learner professional development requirements, proceed to this page.

Overview

According to State Board of Education rule 1 CCR 301-37 7.02(11)(b-c), a district superintendent or principal of a charter school authorized by CSI may annually request a waiver from the English learner professional development requirements for educators presently employed in their district (or charter school) who hold an elementary, math, science, social studies or English language arts endorsement on a professional teacher license they are seeking to renew if the district or CSI charter school has had an average of 2% or fewer identified English language learners in the three years immediately preceding such request, as identified in the Department’s annual Student October Pupil Enrollment data collection.

This waiver process allows an educator to renew their license for one renewal period without completing the English language learner professional development requirements.

Eligibility

School districts and principals of CSI charter schools may apply for an ELPD waiver on behalf of their presently employed educators endorsed in elementary, math, science, social studies or English language arts if the district or school has an average of 2% or fewer identified English language learners in each of the three preceding school years based on October count data. 2025 waiver applications are based on October count data from the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 school years.

Please refer to your October count data in the data pipeline in order to determine your district or CSI charter school’s eligibility. Note that charter schools authorized by a school district will utilize district data and the district waiver process.

You may review the eligibility list below to determine if your district or CSI charter school is eligible for the waiver. Eligibility was calculated using the following steps:

Added all categories of multilingual learners in your October count data from the 2022-23 school year (NEP, LEP, M1, and M2).
Divided your total number of multilingual learners by the total number of students in your district or CSI charter school. Multiply by 100. This will give you a percentage. Round the number to the nearest hundredth (two decimal places).
Checked to see that your percentage is 2.00% or fewer for the 2022-23 school year. If it is 2.01% or higher, your program is not eligible for the waiver. If it is less than 2.01%, proceed to step 4.
Repeated steps 1-3 with the school year 2023-24 data. If the % of MLL in 2022-23 is 2.01% or higher, your program is not eligible for the waiver. If that % is less than 2.01%, proceed to step 5.
Repeated steps 1-3 with the school year 2024-25 data. If the % of MLL in 2023-24 is 2.01% or higher, your program is not eligible for the waiver. If that percentage is less than 2.01%, proceed to step 6.
Now the % of MLL in each of the past three school years has been calculated. If all three numbers were 2.00% or fewer, you are eligible to apply for a waiver.

Application Process

The ELPD waiver is an annual process. Only superintendents and CSI principals may apply at any time but the approved waiver will only be valid for the current calendar year. For instance, an application made on Sept. 1, 2024 will be valid for the 2024 calendar year, expiring on Dec. 31, 2024. An application made on Jan. 15, 2025 will be valid for the 2025 calendar year. An application must be made each year based on the last three years’ data from the data pipeline. For instance, applications made in 2025 would use 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 school years.

Waivers and Educator License Renewals

Districts or CSI charter schools that have met eligibility requirements will receive a waiver on behalf of their teachers. An educator may submit the approved waiver with their license renewal application in order to waive the ELPD designation requirement for that renewal cycle only. The waiver must be valid at the time the educator submits their renewal application, and the educator must currently be employed in the school or district holding a valid waiver. For example, a 2025 waiver would be valid only for renewal application submitted from Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025.

Note that an ELPD waiver does not waive the ELPD requirement indefinitely for the license-holder, but only for that renewal period.

An educator who holds an elementary, math, science, social studies or English language arts endorsement on their professional teacher license must complete the English Learner professional development requirement or submit a waiver in order to renew, regardless of the content area(s) taught. An endorsement may not be removed from a license to avoid satisfying this requirement.

Eligible School Districts and CSI Charter Schools

School Districts

Campo RE-6

Creede School District

Custer County School District C-1

Dolores County RE No.2

Eads RE-1

Frenchman RE-3

Hi-Plains R-23

Hinsdale County RE 1

Karval RE-23

Kim Reorganized 88

La Veta Re-2

North Conejos RE-1J

Pawnee RE-12

Plateau RE-5

Pritchett RE-3

Revere School District

San Juan BOCES

Springfield RE-4

Weldon Valley RE-20(J)

West End RE-2

Woodlin R-104

Swink 33

Genoa-Hugo C113

Briggsdale RE-10

Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1

Otis R-3

Crowley County RE-1-J

Manitou Springs 14

Elbert 200

Rangely RE-4

Cotopaxi RE-3

Vilas RE-5

Platte Canyon 1

Prairie RE-11

Walsh RE-1

Huerfano Re-1

Centennial R-1

Canon City RE-1

Arriba-Flagler C-20

Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind

Sanford 6J

Aguilar Reorganized 6

Las Animas RE-1

Fowler R-4J

Primero Reorganized 2

Gilpin County RE-1

Plateau Valley 50

Cheraw 31

Trinidad 1

Fremont RE-2

Dolores RE-4A

Mountain Valley RE 1

Branson Reorganized 82

Liberty J-4

Edison 54 JT

Sargent RE-33J

Expeditionary BOCES

Upper Rio Grande School District C-7

Ridgway R-2

CSI Charter Schools (not district-authorized charter schools)

Kwiyagat Community Academy

Monument View Montessori Charter School

Colorado Early Colleges Windsor

Golden View Classical Academy

Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado

Animas High School

Salida Montessori Charter School

Colorado Early Colleges Online Campus

Steamboat Montessori

Caprock Academy

Mountain Middle School

Prospect Academy

Application

For district superintendents and CSI charter school principals only: If you believe that your district or CSI charter is eligible for an ELPD waiver, you may apply for a waiver on behalf of your educators. Applications will be processed in an ongoing fashion. You can expect a response within 20 working days.

Note that districts can pull a report in the COOL system to see which educators have completed ELPD.

For questions about these requirements, contact the Educator Development Office.