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) 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 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 course work/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

A waiver from the requirements will be made available for educators teaching in districts or charter schools authorized by the Charter School Institute (CSI) with an average English learner population over a three year period of 2 percent or less. The waiver can be requested by the district superintendent or principal of a CSI-authorized charter school on behalf of individual teachers seeking license renewal. More detailed information will be made available regarding the waiver process in the spring of 2025.

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.