Educator Talent - About Us

Educator Career Navigation

The Educator Recruitment and Retention team was established through Senate Bill 21-185 to promote the education profession, provide individual career navigation support and partner with the education community to recruit and retain a skilled, supported and diverse education workforce across all ages and grade levels.

The regionally based team prioritizes a creative,  service-oriented and differentiated approach to developing short-, medium- and long-term solutions for complex staffing challenges. Members of the ECN Team serve in various capacities to strengthen educator workforce development and build systems that help educators thrive. 

Educator Career Navigation Data

CDE and TEACH Colorado partner to attract and support future educators. Together, the team has held 160 outreach and recruitment events and has provided career navigation services to more than 3,000 current and future educators.

For K-12 assistance, contact: educator_recruitment@cde.state.co.us

For early childhood assistance, contact: EceCareerNav@cde.state.co.us

Learn more on the ECN Webpage

Educator Preparation

Program accountability and support: Authorization and reauthorization

The Educator Preparation team oversees all 54 educator preparation entities in the state of Colorado. Historically this office oversaw the universities and colleges that have traditional preparation programs in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), until Senate Bill 23-258 ,  moved this responsibility solely to CDE (see CRS 22-60.5-121). As part of this work, the office maintains a comprehensive system of review and support for educator preparation programs with the ultimate goal of ensuring high-quality preparation pathways for every Colorado educator in order to support academic success for students.

CDE reviews each educator preparation program for content, rigor and completeness to ensure it addresses the requisite educator and endorsement standards established by the Colorado State Board of Education and presents these findings to the state board for its consideration to either authorize new programs or reauthorize existing programs, every five years. This work pertains to the state’s approved colleges and universities as well as the designated agencies for alternative teacher preparation.

Twenty-three traditional educator preparation programs at colleges and universities, and 31 designated agencies for alternative educator preparation are currently approved. Since fall 2018, the office looks closely at the depth to which all programs are aligned to the reading standards specified in the elementary, early childhood and special education endorsement standards to ensure future teachers are prepared to teach reading aligned to the scientifically based reading requirements outlined in state statute and rule. In 2023, this office began developing and implementing the teacher degree apprenticeship pathway.

Educator preparation program administrators attend an annual spring convening to which both traditional and alternative program leaders are invited. Sessions cover CDE updates, program-led roundtable discussions, teacher apprenticeship, collaboration with colleagues and engagement with the department. More than 42 programs were represented at the 2025 event. To stay connected, up-to-date and to collaborate with one another, designated agencies are also encouraged to join monthly virtual office hour opportunities.

Contact Educator Preparation: educator_preparation@cde.state.co.us

Learn more on the Educator Preparation webpage

Educator Development

The Educator Development Unit supports educators in their pre-service preparation, early career induction and mentoring as well as their career-long professional development. The team works with districts to ensure high-quality educator development experiences including induction, mentoring and support. 

Educator induction programs

Educator Development designs and administers the process for approving and renewing district, BOCES, charter school and non-public school-operated educator induction programs. These programs support and develop teachers, special services providers, principals and administrators who hold an initial license or are new to their position. Induction programs are critical to ensuring that these educators have the support they need to be effective in their roles. Resources and process details regarding induction programs are available on the Induction Programs webpage.

The review process ensures that local programs are aligned with state statute and rule; it also provides a vehicle for peer feedback that is oriented toward improving program quality. All CDE-approved educator induction programs must be reviewed and renewed every five years. CDE supports induction program leaders through support opportunities including coaching, professional learning communities, webinars and resources based on current research. 

English learner professional development programs

To better support Colorado’s students who are English language learners, the State Board of Education adopted rules in June 2018 requiring teachers who hold professional licenses with an elementary, math, science, social studies or English language arts endorsement to complete professional development (PD) in culturally and linguistically diverse education. Districts, BOCES, charter schools and PD providers may support teachers in meeting the this requirement by creating training programs aligned to the adopted standards. Details on this process are available on the English Learner Requirements – Information for Programs webpage.  Programs must be renewed every three years. A complete list of approved programs is available on the Approved English Learner Professional Development Programs webpage.

Contact Educator Development: educator_development@cde.state.co.us

Learn more on the Educator Development webpage

Principal Leadership Institute

House Bill 19-1002 created the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) and House Bill 22-1248 codified the program focusing on principal development.

PLI is a two-year program featuring job-embedded, actionable leadership seminars, monthly workshops, site visits and biweekly coaching sessions focused on developing the leadership capacity of principals via one of three pathways – Distributive Leadership, Early Literacy (Science of Reading) Implementation or First-Year Principals.

Principal participants work alongside exemplary principal coaches using a Cognitive Coaching℠ framework and receive high levels of support throughout the program to sustain and integrate the skills and behaviors learned during the seminars.

School leaders learn to use distributive leadership practices to optimize their schoolwide systems to promote collaborative problem solving and decision making, as well as strategies to create ownership and a sense of responsibility among staff as they strive to achieve high levels of student outcomes for each learner.

Contact PLI: educator_development@cde.state.co.us

Learn more on the PLI webpage

Grant Administration

The Quality Teacher Recruitment Program (QTRP) authorizes CDE to award grants to organizations collaborating with school districts, charter schools, or BOCES to recruit, select, train and retain licensed teachers in areas that historically have had difficulty attracting and keeping teachers. Grant program details, including annual reports, are available on the Quality Teacher Recruitment Grant Program webpage.

Under the Educator Recruitment and Retention (ERR) program, qualified applicants can apply for up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs if they commit to teaching in a shortage area for three years.

More than 80% of educators awarded ERR financial assistance in the first two cohorts (2021-22 and 2022-23) are still teaching in a shortage area or working as a paraprofessional. When surveyed, 52% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that "without the financial assistance, I would not have become an educator." Almost 80% of respondents considered dropping out or delaying their educator preparation before receiving this assistance.

Program details can be found on the ERR Program webpage. 

Educator Effectiveness

The Great Teachers and Leaders Act (Senate Bill 10-191) was passed with the idea that every child in every community deserves excellent classroom teachers and building leaders who are supported in their professional growth. To support school districts with implementation of educator evaluations, CDE worked with a variety of stakeholders to design, develop and pilot the Colorado State Model Evaluation System. Rules promulgated by the State Board of Education allow local education agencies the option to use the Colorado State Model Evaluation System or to create their own system, as long as that system adheres to state statute and rules. The Educator Effectiveness office offers support to all school districts and BOCES in implementing their educator effectiveness systems, whether the state model system or a locally created one.

Passed in 2022, Senate Bill 22-070, the Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Licensed Personnel Performance Evaluations Act, updated and refined educator evaluation in Colorado. Implementation of the updated statutory requirements, and the associated State Board rules 1 CCR 301-87, began in the 2023-24 school year. 

Educator Effectiveness Regional Support

In 2017, the Educator Effectiveness Office  created a team of regional specialists to provide direct support to districts and BOCES working to enhance their evaluation implementation practices. This approach to support delivery increases CDE’s ability to honor continuous improvement in the evaluation system, provide responsive assistance and build capacity. The regional specialist model supports districts and BOCES — regardless of the evaluation system used — to provide an integrated, systematic approach to evaluation and support the ongoing professional growth of their educators. Each regional specialist forms a distinct partnership with their districts/BOCES and provides resources and support through site visits, side-by-side coaching, and problem-solving that is aligned to local values and decisions. The regional team also provides professional learning opportunities and dissemination of information and resources across the state.

Evaluator Training

Senate Bill 22-070 established the statutory requirement that the department provide training to ensure that all evaluators have the skills necessary to observe and evaluate licensed personnel (i.e., teachers, special services providers and principals/APs) The legislation also created the requirement that beginning Aug. 1, 2024, an evaluator must complete the training prior to renewing an existing license or obtaining a principal or administrator license. CDE launched the two-part evaluator training, E-Train, in fall 2023. Districts and BOCES also have the option to become an authorized provider of CDE’s E-Train content or develop and submit for approval their own evaluator training aligned with the evaluator training standards specified in state board rule.

From the more than 3,000 completed exit tickets from E-Train Part II sessions delivered by CDE's Educator Effectiveness Office as well as authorized district/BOCES providers, approximately 96% of responses agree (67% strongly agree) the training is applicable to their role as an evaluator and that they will use content from the training in their practice as an evaluator.

Colorado Performance Management System

The Colorado Performance Management System (COPMS) in RANDA is an optional, free tool to support districts in the implementation, data collection and effective use of the Colorado State Model Evaluation System. The system features an electronic interface, data collection tools, final effectiveness ratings and aggregate reports to support principals and district leaders in providing actionable feedback and professional development opportunities for educators.

Evaluator Designee Training

As required in state law, all performance evaluations for licensed personnel (i.e., teachers, special services providers and principals/APs) must be conducted by an individual who holds a Colorado principal or administrator license or who has completed CDE-approved training and been certified as an evaluator designee. CDE-approved training providers offer training and certification for individuals who will be an evaluator and do not hold a required license. Districts and BOCES have the opportunity to use evaluator designees when evaluating licensed personnel.

Contact Educator Effectiveness: educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us

Educator Licensure and Investigations

The Educator Licensure and Investigations offices process and evaluate all applications for educator credentials and provide service and support to applicants, candidates, school district human resources and BOCES staff and educator preparation program administrators.

Application evaluation and customer support

The Educator Licensure Office presently offers 19 applications for a variety of educator credentials. Four primary license types – teacher, special services, principal and administrator – are issued with one or more of 60-plus endorsements, depending on license type and applicant qualifications. We also offer 17 authorizations, including 39 career and technical education (CTE) credentials.

In addition to answering questions, evaluating qualifications and helping candidates navigate the application process, licensure consultants collaborate with both the Educator Development and the Educator Career Navigation teams to coach and consult with potential and current educators, striving to usher new teachers into the profession, thereby helping to address the state’s educator content and geographical shortages.

Investigations

CDE's Investigations Office plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of Colorado's schools. The team reviews all the fingerprint-based criminal history background checks of applicants seeking a Colorado educator credential. They also research and review complaints about and misconduct information of current credential-holders and take appropriate action with the state board when necessary to ensure that educators continue to meet the requirements for licensure. 

Contact either Educator Licensure or Investigations: Licensing Support Request Form 

Research and Impact

The Educator Research and Impact office uses data to tell the story of the educator pipeline in Colorado with the goal of improving the recruitment, retention and development of high-quality educators. The team deploys sills in research, analysis, data visualization, communication and collaboration to partner with internal and external stakeholders in understanding current challenges, designing interventions and measuring impact.

Educator preparation program report

A strong pipeline of high-quality and diverse educators is, in part, dependent upon a knowledgeable and skilled educator workforce emerging from Colorado's educator preparation programs. The Colorado Educator Preparation Programs report (EPP Report) provides information about the effectiveness of programs that train teachers, principals and special services providers in Colorado. Detailed information about program enrollment and completion as well as employment, employment context, performance and retention of new teachers in Colorado from 2015-16 to the most recent academic year available is presented in the interactive EPP Report dashboard.

Educator shortage survey

Each year, Colorado school districts must fill open teacher, principal, special services provider (SSP) and paraprofessional positions. Hiring qualified candidates can be challenging in certain content areas and roles and/or geographic locations, such as rural and small rural districts. Annually, the division surveys all school districts and BOCES to identify the number of positions filled by specific shortage mechanisms (including long-term substitutes, retired educators, alternative licensure program candidates and emergency authorization holders), the number of positions that went unfulfilled and recruiting strategies used. An interactive dashboard maps the results of the Educator Shortage Survey for each school district in the state. Shortage data are provided separately for teacher, SSP, principal/assistant principal and paraprofessional positions. 

Colorado educator workforce geographic information systems maps

A comprehensive project developed to portray the statewide educator pipeline, the Colorado Educator Workforce Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Maps illustrate several education datasets simultaneously -- school and district staff employment, shortage areas, turnover, working conditions, grant funding, performance indicators and P-12 student demographics -- and incorporate economic data, including unemployment rates and median local income. Visualizing these datasets by district and school via Colorado “heat maps” helps capture the complexity of educator workforce issues and how they vary across the state. 

Educator effectiveness metrics

Annually, Colorado teachers and principals are evaluated on two criteria: a set of quality standards that define teacher or principal effective professional practices, and measures of student learning. The Educator Effectiveness Metrics reflect these annual performance evaluation ratings for teachers and principals for the most recent years of available CDE data. 

Educator effectiveness assurances

The assurances for educator evaluation systems were designed to ensure that school districts and BOCES across Colorado implement written evaluation systems aligned with state statute and rule. Annually, the division collects assurances from all districts and BOCES indicating how licensed personnel are evaluated; the educator evaluation model(s) used; the weights assigned to the four professional practices quality standards; implementation of the Advisory Personnel Performance Evaluation Council; and the date by which all educators will be trained on the system that will be used for their evaluation. Interactive displays of evaluation system information may be viewed in the Educator Effectiveness Assurances dashboard.

Program evaluation of educator workforce initiatives, including grants

To ensure a comprehensive review and support of all Educator Talent Division initiatives, the Research and Impact Office leads both internal and external program evaluation efforts. These evaluations help measure the impact of the division's work and identify opportunities for improvement. Internally, the office focuses on activities such as developing logic models, collecting data and conducting surveys. Externally, it supports the evaluation of grant-funded programs including the Quality Teacher Recruitment Program (QTRP) and the Educator Recruitment and Retention program (ERR) as well as other program evaluations with partners, such as the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE).

Contact Research and Impact: EdTalentResearch@cde.state.co.us