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Endorsement Requirements
Colorado Endorsements
Please note: The information on this page pertains to endorsement requirements for candidates only. Applicants also must meet all other requirements for the license sought; programs completed outside Colorado will be evaluated against Colorado's endorsement standards for comparability.
- Worksheets provide general guidelines for coursework requirements for adding endorsements to valid Colorado teacher licenses
- Worksheets are not for use for program development
- Please refer to general licensure requirements for more details about what is needed for a Colorado educator license.
Colorado endorsements are issued based on the competency requirements set forth by the Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991 and the Rules and Regulations associated with those statutes.
For Grades 7-12 and Some K-12 Endorsements:
You may meet competency requirements by:
- a bachelor's or higher degree in the content area (earned at a regionally accredited college/university) OR
- completing at least 24 semester hours of specific coursework from a regionally accredited college/university (as determined by transcript review via the worksheets hyperlinked below) OR
- passing the appropriate Colorado State Board of Education-approved content exam(s).
- Rule 3.03(4) of 1 CCR 301-101 states that applicants have a maximum of five years from the discontinuation date of a content assessment - if taken during the time the exam was approved - to use the successful assessment score to fulfill endorsement criteria (discontinued endorsements excepted). A chart of all previous content exams is listed at the link above.
For All Other Endorsements:
- Please refer to the charts below for specific requirements.
- If you do not see the endorsement(s) on your out-of-state license listed below, visit our Out-of-State Endorsement FAQ page.
- Important Note: If you completed a program in a state outside Colorado, you must hold or be eligible to hold a license in the area of preparation in the state that approved the program.
- To view a searchable database of programs by endorsement area, region served, grade level or program type, visit the Educator Preparation Searchable Database
- If you are seeking a Career and Technical Education Authorization endorsement, visit our CTE page.
- If you are seeking an alternative teacher license, refer to the available endorsement areas on our Alternative Licensing page.
To apply, click the button at the bottom of the page.
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Endorsements Earned Via Degree, Specific Coursework or Content Exam
The following endorsements may be earned in one of three ways:
- an earned bachelor's or higher degree in the content area from a regionally accredited college/university (or the equivalent as determined by a NACES member organization)
- 24 semester hours of specific coursework as outlined on the worksheet provided
- a passing score on a Colorado-approved content exam (listed in the chart below)
- View the list of all previous versions of Colorado approved content assessments and discontinuance dates.
Please note*: The worksheets linked below are for use by candidates seeking to add an endorsement to an existing Colorado teaching license and who HAVE NOT completed a degree or approved program in the endorsement area sought. The corresponding rule for each endorsement is listed and linked next to each endorsement name.
Endorsement Worksheet - Rules for endorsement |
Accepted PRAXIS Exam (Required Minimum Score) |
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---|---|---|
Agriculture and Natural Resources Education (7-12) (PDF) - 4.03 (PDF) |
5701 (147) |
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5101 (154) or 5561 (157) |
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5652 (149) | ||
5641 (153) |
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5038 (167) |
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5122 (153) |
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5551 (155) |
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Mathematics Middle School (6-8) (PDF) - 4.23 (PDF)
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5164 (157) or 5169 (165) if taken between 09.01.2018 and 08.31.2022; accepted thru 08.31.2027
5165 (159) or 5161 (152) if taken between 09.01.2016 and 08.31.2022; |
|
5113 (161) |
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5091 (148) |
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5435 (152) |
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5081 (150) |
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5051 (159) |
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5135 (158) |
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World Languages (K-12) (PDF) - 4.10 (PDF) (American Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish) |
**PRAXIS exams presently are not available for |
Endorsements With Additional Requirements
Endorsement | Requirements |
---|---|
Adapted Physical Education (ages 3-21) - 6.03 (PDF) |
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Early Childhood Education (ages 0-8) - 4.01 (PDF) |
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Elementary Education (K-6) (PDF) - 4.02 (PDF) |
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Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12) (PDF) - 4.21 (PDF) |
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Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Bilingual Education Specialist (K-12) (PDF) - 4.22 (PDF) |
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Gifted Education Specialist (PreK-12) - 5.07 (PDF) |
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Mentor Teacher (K-12) - 4.24 (PDF) |
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Reading Specialist (K-12) - 6.04 (PDF) |
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Teacher Librarian (K-12) - 6.02 (PDF) |
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Special Education Teacher Endorsements
Endorsement | Requirements |
---|---|
Early Childhood Special Education (ages 0-8) - 5.09 (PDF) |
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Early Childhood Special Education Specialist (ages 0-8) - 5.05 (PDF) |
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Special Education Specialist (ages 5-21) - 5.02 (PDF) |
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Special Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ages 0-21) - 5.04 (PDF) |
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Special Education Specialist: Visually Impaired Ages (ages 0-21) - 5.03 (PDF) |
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Special Services Endorsements
Endorsement | Requirements | Content Exam (Min. Score) |
---|---|---|
School Audiologist (ages 0-21) - 7.01 (PDF) |
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PRAXIS 5343 (162) or PRAXIS 5342 (170) accepted thru Aug. 31, 2026 |
School Counselor (PreK-12) - 7.09 (PDF) |
Hold a CACREP-accredited master's degree in clinical counseling? Complete a certificate program to meet endorsement requirements. |
PRAXIS 5421 (156)
|
School Nurse (ages 0-21) - 7.05 (PDF) |
*CCNE- and ACEN-accredited programs also accepted. |
N/A |
School Occupational Therapist (ages 0-21) - 7.02 (PDF) |
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School Orientation and Mobility Specialist (ages 0-21) - 7.03 (PDF) |
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School Physical Therapist (ages 0-21) - 7.04 (PDF) |
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N/A |
School Psychologist (ages 0-21) - 7.06 (PDF) |
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PRAXIS 5402 (147) OR |
School Social Worker (ages 0-21) - 7.07 (PDF) |
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Master's/Clinical/Advanced Generalist only |
School Speech-Language Pathologist (ages 0-21) - 7.08 (PDF) |
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PRAXIS 5331 (162) OR
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Principal and Administrator Endorsements
Endorsement | Requirements | Content Exam (Min. Score) |
---|---|---|
Principal (K-12) - 3.03 (PDF) a building-level leadership endorsement |
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PRAXIS 5412 (146) OR PRAXIS 5411 (145) if taken before Aug. 31, 2019; accepted thru Aug. 31, 2024
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Administrator (K-12) - 3.04 (PDF) a district-level leadership endorsement |
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PRAXIS 6991 (162) |
Special Education Director (K-12) - 6.05 (PDF) a district-level leadership endorsement |
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PRAXIS 6991 (162)
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Gifted Education Director (K-12) - 6.06 (PDF) a district-level leadership endorsement |
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PRAXIS 6991 (162)
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Discontinued Endorsements
Endorsement | Additional Information |
---|---|
Business (7-12) |
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Gifted & Talented Specialist (P-12) |
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Instructional Technology (K-12) / Instructional Technology Specialist (K-12) |
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Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12) / Linguistically Diverse Bilingual Education (K-12) |
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Marketing (7-12) |
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Reading Teacher (K-12) |
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School Librarian (K-12) |
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Speech (7-12) |
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Trade and Industry (7-12) |
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