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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.
- 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:
- completing an approved program at a regionally accredited institution of higher education (and being eligible to hold a license or endorsement in the state in which the program is approved) 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.
- 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, Approved Program, Specific Coursework or Content Exam
The following endorsements may be earned in one of four ways:
1. 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)
2. completion of an approved preparation program in the content area (and eligibility for licensure or endorsement in the state in which the program is approved)
3. 24 semester hours of specific coursework as outlined on the worksheet provided
4. a passing score on a Colorado-approved content exam.
- Effective June 9, 2016, the Colorado State Board of Education approved the adoption of PRAXIS exams for most Colorado endorsement areas.
- 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 an 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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5641 (153) |
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5038 (167) |
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5122 (153) |
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5551 (155) |
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5652 (149) 5651 (166) if taken prior to Aug. 31, 2018; accepted thru Aug. 31, 2023 only |
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Mathematics |
5169 (165) or 5164 (157) available Sept. 1, 2022 5161 (152) or 5165 (159) available Sept. 1, 2022 |
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5113 (161) |
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5091 (148) |
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5435 (152) |
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5081 (150) |
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5221 (146) |
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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 ASL or Italian. These endorsements may be obtained via a bachelor's or higher degree in the content area, completion of an approved program in the content area or 24 semester hours of specific coursework as outlined on the worksheet (at left).**
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Endorsements with Additional Requirements
Endorsement | Requirements |
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Early Childhood Education (ages 0-8) (PDF) - 4.01 (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) (PDF) - 5.07 (PDF) |
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Instructional Technology Specialist (K-12) - 6.07 (PDF) |
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Mentor Teacher (K-12) - 4.24 (PDF) |
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Reading Teacher (K-12) - 6.03 (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 Service Provider Endorsements
Endorsement | Requirements | Content Exam (Min. Score) |
---|---|---|
School Audiologist (ages 0-21) - 7.01 (PDF) |
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PRAXIS 5343 (162) PRAXIS 5342 (170) thru Aug. 31, 2026 only |
School Counselor (ages 0-21) - 7.09 (PDF) |
Pathway 1 (initial or professional SSP license/school counselor):
Pathway 2 (Temporary Educator Eligibility authorization/school counselor) :
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PRAXIS 5421 (156)
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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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Leadership Licenses
License | Requirements | Content Exam (Min. Score) |
---|---|---|
Principal (This is a building-level leadership endorsement) - 3.03 (PDF) |
Principal endorsement
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PRAXIS 5412 (146) OR PRAXIS 5411 (145) if taken before Aug. 31, 2019; accepted thru Aug. 31, 2024 only
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Administrator (This is a district-level leadership endorsement) - 3.04 (PDF) |
School Administrator ("superintendent") endorsement
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PRAXIS 6991 (162) |
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Special Education Director endorsement 6.05 (PDF)
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PRAXIS 6991 (162)
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Gifted Education Director endorsement 6.06 (PDF)
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PRAXIS 6991 (162)
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Discontinued Endorsements
Endorsement | Additional Information |
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Business (7-12) |
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Gifted & Talented Specialist (P-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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School Librarian (K-12) |
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Trade and Industry (7-12) |
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