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Professional Learning Opportunities

2022-2023 WIDA Self-Paced Workshops 

  • Virtual Self-Paced Workshops are available September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023 for Colorado K-12 public school educators with a school district email address. 
  • 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 eWorkshops available this school year. 
  • The Workshops are aligned to the English Learner Quality Standards. To view a list of the Workshops and which standards they align to, please read the WIDA Self-Paced Workshop FAQs
  • Certificate of Completion can be printed and/or downloaded once an Workshop is completed. CDE will not be able to reproduce certificates or verify participation.

2022-2023 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, the professional learning opportunity will be rescheduled and those registered will be notified. To obtain presentation materials or attendance certificates associated with each training on this webpage, please contact Request Materials or Certificates.


WIDA Facilitated Workshops

Colorado K-12 public school educators have access to attend virtual and in-person 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 2023: WIDA Teacher Leaders: Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A multi-part hybrid learning opportunity hosted by Mesa County Valley School District. Includes a pre-workshop activity, one webinar and in-person workshop on February 1st for teacher leaders, coaches, and those that provide local professional development and support for using the WIDA ELD Standards Framework (2020 edition) to plan instruction at the unit level. Participants will be able to integrate content and language learning by researching the architecture of a content unit, set unit language goals through unit and text analysis, and identify how language functions and features help students convey meaning more effectively in content learning. Registration Closed

January 2023: Planning with the ELD Standards Framework: A two part virtual workshop designed for educators and leaders who are responsible for language development within content learning and implementation of the WIDA ELD Standards. Educators and leaders will learn how the various components of the 2020 edition of the WIDA English Language Development Standards work together to support equitable access to high quality learning opportunities for multilingual learners. This workshop consists of two live webinars on January 12 & January 19 from 3:30pm-5:00pm. Registration Closed

December 2022: WIDA Collaboration Practices and Potentialities Workshop: A one day in-person workshop hosted by Durango School District on December 1st. Educators will investigate practices that support language development and equitable instruction through teacher collaboration, student collaboration, and leadership support.  Participants will have access to tools and resources to support a plan for collaboration that promotes language development for multilingual learners. Registration Closed

October 2022: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (ICMEE): The purpose of this virtual workshop is to create an online Professional Learning Community (PLC) that supports participants’ collaboration and fosters ownership of their learning. Beginning October 24th and running 15 weeks, participants engage in 5 modules and one live webinar on January 10, 2023. All members of school or district MTSS teams are encouraged to participate as a PLC. This virtual workshop promotes collaboration and multidisciplinary teaming throughout the course. Registration Closed

October 2022: Working towards Meaningful Sensemaking in Science with Multilingual Learners: This virtual, self-paced workshop will move participants through three key themes central to science engagement for multilingual learners (Connecting through Phenomena; Sensemaking; Developing Language for Science) to investigate their practice, try out new approaches and strategies, and reflect with others through digital platforms to deepen their understanding and strengthen their practice. Course begins October 1st and must be completed by August 31, 2023. Request Registration


Obligations to Educate Multilingual Learners

This training will provide an overview of state and federal laws that impact the methods in which districts, schools, and charter schools provide academic instruction and services for multilingual learners. Participants will gain an understanding of the statutory obligations they are held accountable for in order to effectively implement programs, instruction, and supports for multilingual students. 

Intended Audience – District ELD Directors, Coordinators, and other Administrators that are new to ELD program requirements in Colorado, or who would like a refresher.

Virtual training dates: Please register for one session only

Thursday, September 29, 2022 from 1:30 pm-4:30 pm 

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 from 9:30 am–12:30 pm 

To inquire about District/School/Charter School Obligations to Educate Multilingual Learners virtual training, please contact the presenter.


Standardized Identification and Redesignation Work Sessions

CLDE Office will be hosting Identification/Redesignation work sessions to support districts, schools, and public charter schools’ implementation of Colorado’s Standardized Identification and Redesignation procedures, including development and implementation of processes and procedures at the local level. Districts, schools, and public charter schools are encouraged to bring current district and/or school guidance and forms regarding local processes to discuss with CDE staff and colleagues around the state. The goal for these work sessions will be to clarify requirements of multilingual learner Identification and Redesignation and provide support in strengthening processes in Colorado districts, schools, and public charter schools. 

In-person Meeting –  Thursday, September 22, 2022 from 9:30 am–12:00 pm 

Virtual Meeting – Wednesday, October 5, 2022 from 9:30 am–12:00 pm 


Identification & Data Coding for Multilingual Learners 

A focus on Colorado's Standardized and Interim Identification Procedures for SY22-23.  Intended for new or veteran district data and program coordinators and personnel who identify and code multilingual students.

Virtual Training Dates: Please register for one session only

Thursday, September 1, 2022 from 2:00pm-3:30pm

Friday, September 9, 2022 from 12:30pm-2:00pm

To inquire about Identification & Data Coding for Multilingual Learners virtual trainings, please contact the presenter.


WIDA Screener and WIDA Screener for Kindergarten

Training prepares new test administrators to complete WIDA's online self-paced modules and quizzes before becoming certified to administer and score the WIDA Screener for students in grades 1-12 and WIDA Screener for Kindergarten students.  Participants will examine protocols and procedures to administer and score assessments to identify multilingual learners. Certification must be obtained directly from WIDA and is not issued after attending these trainings. For more information about the certification process, please view the WIDA Screener Assessment page

Virtual Training Dates: Please register for one session only

WIDA Screener (grades 1-12): Tuesday, August 16, 2022 from 1:00pm-2:30pm

WIDA Screener for Kindergarten: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 from 10:30am-12:00pm 

WIDA Screener for Kindergarten: Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 10:00am- 1:30am 

WIDA Screener for Kindergarten: Friday, May 20, 2022 - 9:00am-10:30am

To inquire about WIDA Screener or WIDA Screener for Kindergarten virtual trainings, please contact the presenter.


An Introduction to WIDA’s 2020 Edition of the ELD Standards: What’s Changed?  What’s the Same?

This new professional learning opportunity will provide educators with a 90-minute overview of WIDA’s latest instructional resources and how to apply them to instruction, student goal setting, and progress monitoring English Language Proficiency.  Whether educators are familiar with WIDA’s resources or not, this professional learning opportunity will be helpful for learning which WIDA resources are available and how and when to use each resource. 

Intended Audience: District ELD Directors/Coordinators, ELD Teachers/Coaches, Instructional Coaches, Classroom Teachers, and any other educator who works with English learners

Aligned to English Learner PD Quality Standard II, Element A and Standard IV, Element B

Virtual Offerings: Please register for one session only

  • Tuesday, March 15, 2022, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
  • Friday, March 18, 2022, from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
  • Monday, March 28, 2022, from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
  • Wednesday, March 30, 2022, from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

To inquire about An Introduction to WIDA’s 2020 Edition of the ELD Standards, please contact the presenter


Welcoming and Engaging Multilingual Newcomer Students

​Participants will explore foundational principles to welcome and engage newcomers and their families into classrooms and schools. Areas of focus for this training include: laws that protect newcomers, culturally responsive teaching and metacognition in the classroom, factors that influence language acquisition, and the importance and value of communicating with families.

Virtual Training Date: 

Friday, October 8, 2021 - 9:30am-12:00pm

To inquire about Newcomers virtual training, please contact the presenter.


Teaching Science to English Learners
through the Colorado English Language (CELP) Standards 

This is a two-part virtual professional learning opportunity that provides K-12 science and classroom teachers, as well as ESL/bilingual educators, a foundational knowledge of English language development and explores tools and strategies for making science more accessible to English learners through teaching the Colorado English Language Proficiency (CELP) standards.

Participants must attend both sessions.

To inquire about hosting a virtual session, please have your principal or district coordinator contact the presenter and include the name of the requested workshop.


Teaching Math to English Learners
through the Colorado English Language (CELP) Standards  

This is a two-part virtual professional learning opportunity that provides K-12 math and classroom teachers, as well as ESL/bilingual educators, a foundational knowledge of English language development and explores tools and strategies for making math more accessible to English learners through teaching the Colorado English Language Proficiency (CELP) standards.

Participants must attend both sessions.

To inquire about hosting a virtual session, please have your principal or district coordinator contact the presenter and include the name of the requested workshop.


Implementing District Systems to Support Quality ELD Programs

Colorado Department of Education (CDE) researchers studied fifteen districts and identified nine leading indicators for quality English Language Development (ELD) programs. Using these nine leading indicators, researchers developed the District-Level Quality ELD Program Implementation Rubrics to use as a tool in developing, modifying, and/or evaluating systems in support of English learners. In this workshop, participants will learn the background and methodology of the study, as well as the utility of the rubrics within a school/district context. Participants are encouraged to bring local district-level data that will support them in engaging in conversations regarding improvement of systems to support ELD programs.

This workshop is designed for a team of educators from a school or district (intended audience - district directors, coordinators, and administrators - teacher leaders are encouraged to attend with principal approval)In order to obtain the most benefit from this workshop, it is highly recommended that at least two educators from a school or a district attend as a team. One member of the team should register all members of the team.  Training certificates will indicate Alignment to English Learner PD Quality Standard IV (Elements A&B).

To inquire about Implementing District Systems to Support Quality ELD Programs, please contact the presenter.


CLDE Professional Development on Teaching, Learning, and Trauma

The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) is pleased to partner with author, Beth Kelley, MA, LPC, to offer professional development in the area of Teaching, Learning, and Trauma for Colorado district administrators, coordinators, coaches, counselors and teachers. The content focus of this five-session course will intersect the importance of teaching, learning, and mental health in areas of understanding adolescent learners with chronic stress and trauma, foundations of effective practice, healthy relationships in complicated times, and conflict resolution. All sessions will take place virtually on Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:30p.m. beginning November 5, 2020 through February 18, 2021. Upon completion of the entire professional learning and required assignments, participants will be eligible for a maximum of 10 Professional Development Hours. For more information about this professional development, information found in the Course Syllabus (PDF) or how to Purchase Book, please contact Alice Collins.


The ABCs of Long-Term English Learners

Colorado educators have an opportunity to participate in professional development provided by the Colorado Department of Education CLDE Office and Beth Skelton focused on meeting the needs of students classified as Long-term English Learners (LTELs). This professional learning outlined in the Course Syllabus (PDF) is meant for general educators, content area teachers, and English Language Development Specialists and will focus on research-based practices that best support LTELs. All sessions will take place virtually, beginning with an introductory “Live” Taster session on Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 4:00-4:45pm. Upon completion of all five sessions and required assignments, participants will be eligible for 10 hours of credit. For more information about this professional development, please contact Alice Collins.


Linking Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) to Colorado English Language Proficiency (CELP) Standards

Intended Audience - K-12 Teachers, Content/Classroom teachers as well as ESL/bilingual educators

The standards session provides instructional staff (content/classroom teachers as well as ESL, bilingual educators) a foundational knowledge of English language development and the connection between academic standards and the CELP standards. Linking the CAS to the CELP Standards PowerPoint.


English Language Proficiency (ELP) Growth Across State and Federal Accountability

Intended Audience - District Directors, Coordinators, and Administrators

This session will compare and contrast State and Title III accountability calculations based on English language proficiency (ELP) growth. Presenters will provide guidance and support on how districts can use these accountability results to inform local programming.


EL Data Dig Tool

Intended Audience - District Directors, Coordinators, and Administrators

This session will provide attendees training and support on the structure, logistics, and intended use of the EL Data Dig Tool. Additionally, presenters will demonstrate where districts can obtain data that is available through CDE resources. Mock data will be used to engage attendees in experiential learning and practical application. Data Diving to Support ELs Powerpoint.


District ELD Program Rubrics: A Self-Assessment to Improve ELD Programs

Intended Audience - District Directors, Coordinators, and Administrators

Colorado Department of Education (CDE) researchers studied fifteen districts and identified nine leading indicators for quality English language development (ELD) programs. Using these nine leading indicators, researchers developed the ELD Program Rubrics for districts to use as a tool in developing, modifying, and/or evaluating systems in support of English Learners. In this session, participants will learn the background and methodology of the study, as well as the utility of the rubrics within a school/district context. ELD Program Rubrics Powerpoint.


Progress Monitoring Language Development through Formative Assessments

Intended Audience - Content area teachers, classroom teachers, coaches, co-teaching teams, grade level teams, and school teams

This session will focus on progress monitoring for language development through formative assessment. Participants will utilize the WIDA performance definitions to review student work samples for language development. All attendees should bring at least one sample of student work. Samples can be in any format (exit tickets, essays, videos, etc.). Formative Assessment Powerpoint.


Language, Literacy, and Access to Content 101

Intended Audience - Classroom teachers, Literacy Teachers, ELD specialists/coaches, administrators.

This workshop will provide a foundational knowledge of first and second language acquisition and literacy development for secondary English learners and will explore tools for making literacy and content more accessible to English learners. Attendees will receive 6 contact hours of training aligned to English Learner PD Quality Standards II (Element A) & III (Elements A&B). Please note – this workshop will not meet the training required by the Colorado READ Act. Information regarding the Colorado READ Act requirements and trainings can be found at READ Act - SB 19-199 Amendment Updates.