Educator Professional Development Requirements

Educators must renew their professional license every seven years by completing 90 contact hours of professional learning (or six (6) semester hours of college/university coursework -- or any combination thereof) -- within the preceding seven years. While educators generally have carte blanche to determine which professional learning to pursue, they must align those choices to their endorsement areas, the Colorado academic standards, educator quality standards, school culture and climate, leadership or student safety and well-being.

Five initiatives stipulated professional development for some groups of educators. Three require the professional development as part of the 90 contact hours for licensure renewal, while both READ Act initiatives require districts to assure their teachers’ and principals'/administrators' completion of the professional development, which indeed fulfill part of the 90-hour renewal requirement. Jump to a matrix outlining what PD is required of which educators by when.

Professional Development Required for Professional License Renewal

Special Education and Behavioral Health Licensure RENEWAL Requirements

Who: All educators with professional licenses expiring on or after June 30, 2025.
When: Every seven (7) years upon renewal

As result of HB 20-1128 and HB 20-1312:

Special services providers, principals and administrators are required to complete a minimum of 10 contact hours of professional learning in:
- Increasing awareness of laws and practices pertaining to educating students with disabilities in the classroom, including but not limited to Child Find and inclusive learning environments.
Teachers are required to complete a minimum of 10 contact hours of professional learning - with a minimum of one (1) contact hour in each area - in:
- Behavioral health that is culturally responsive and trauma- and evidence-informed; and
- Increasing awareness of laws and practices pertaining to educating students with disabilities in the classroom, including but not limited to Child Find and inclusive learning environment.

Note: CDE does not have a list of approved coursework/trainings. Instead, educators should review the description of their selected coursework to ensure content aligns with the intentions described above.

English Language Learner Professional Development RENEWAL Requirement

Who: All educators with professional teacher licenses with an elementary, English language arts, math, science, social studies or middle-level endorsement
When: One-time upon renewal for licenses that expire on or after Sept. 1, 2025.

For More Information

SpEd/Behavioral Health

English Learner PD

E-Train

General PD Requirements

READ Act - Teacher

READ Act - Administrator

Effective Sept. 1, 2025, per Colorado State Board of Education rule, 45 contact hours of ELL professional learning is required of all educators renewing a professional teacher license with an elementary, English, math, science or social studies endorsement. This also includes middle-level endorsements. This requirement is mandatory regardless of what content the educator is currently teaching. These 45 hours may be used toward fulfilling the 90 contact hours for renewal, and an educator may meet the requirement by completing an approved program or by applying professional development or college coursework from any point in time (complete a matrix outlining this coursework -- this video shows you how).

Find an Approved ELPD Program

Educator Effectiveness Evaluator Training (E-Train) RENEWAL Requirement

Who: All educators applying for a principal or administrator license - or renewing such license that expires - on or after Aug. 1, 2024
When: One-time requirement; Aug. 1, 2024 and each Aug. 1 thereafter

Senate Bill 22-070 required changes to the state evaluation system along with requirements to enhance the experience for educators. Among the changes, all principals and administrators applying for a new principal or administrator license - or to renew such a license that expires - on or after Aug. 1, 2024, must first complete an approved training in order to receive the credential.

Find Out More About E-Train

Professional Development Required for Specific License Holders

READ Act - Teacher: Reading Professional Development DISTRICT Requirement

Who: All educators teaching reading to K-3 students or serving as reading interventionists in grades 4-12 in districts that receive READ Act funding
When: One-time requirement; Aug. 1 of each year

Pursuant to SB 19-199 and Colorado State Board of Education rule, all teachers employed in K-3 classrooms in Colorado must show evidence of competency in teaching science-based reading or complete 45 hours of professional development to fulfill requirements of the READ Act. This pertains to all educators teaching literacy in a K-3 classroom, regardless of the type of credential held or if they hold no credential at all.

READ Act - Administrator: Reading Professional Development DISTRICT Requirement

Who: All principals and administrators in districts that receive READ Act funding
When: One-time requirement; by Aug. 1, 2024 and every Aug. 1 thereafter.

Pursuant to SB-22-004 and Colorado State Board of Education rule, all principals and administrators must complete an approved 20-hour training or, if they already hold a READ Act-Teacher designation, an approved 5-hour training. This is a one-time requirement for currently employed principals and administrators in a school/district that received READ Act funding. Note: One must hold a principal or administrator credential in order to add the READ Act - Administrator designation to their license.

Matrix of Educator Professional Development Requirements

The following charts outline what professional development is required of which educators, by when, and who is responsible for meeting these educator professional development requirements.

Responsible Party

Special Education and Behavioral Health

10 contact hours

Timeline: Professional license renewal on or after June 30, 2025, and every 7-year renewal cycle thereafter.

English Language Learner

45 contact hours

Timeline: Professional licenses in effect for renewal on or after Sept. 1, 2025.

READ Act

Teacher: 45 hours
Principal/Administrator: 20 hours (or READ Act-teacher
designation and a 5-hour course)

Timeline: Districts are responsible for ensuring all their K-3 educators (regardless of credential held) have met this requirement by Aug. 1
and have applied for the designation by Aug. 15 (of each year) to receive READ Act per-pupil intervention funds.

Educator Effectiveness Evaluator Training

Timeline: Initial principal or administrator license applicants and anyone renewing a principal or administrator license that expires on or after Aug. 1, 2024.

Individual educators’ responsibility to renew their professional license

Schools/districts receiving READ Act funding

Grade Level or Content Area	Special Education and Behavioral Health 10 hours Who: All professional license-holders renewing licenses that expire on or after June 30, 2025, and every 7-year renewal cycle thereafter.	English Language Learner 45 hours Who: Professional licensed teachers with an elementary, English, math, science, social studies or middle-level endorsement - regardless of the content area taught -renewing licenses that expire on or after Sept. 1, 2025.	READ Act Teacher: 45 hours Principal/Administrator: 20 hours (or READ Act-teacher designation and a 5-hour course) Who: All principals and anyone employed to teach or provide reading instruction in grades K-3; by Aug. 1 (application submitted by Aug. 15) for the district to receive READ Act funding.	Educator Effectiveness Evaluator Training E-Train Parts 1 & 2 Who: All applicants applying for an initial principal or administrator license or seeking to renew a principal or administrator license that expires on or after Aug. 1, 2024.
Early Childhood	X		X
Kindergarten	X	X	X
1st	X	X	X
2nd	X	X	X
3rd	X	X	X
4th	X	X
5th	X	X
6th	X	X
English	X	X
Math	X	X
Social Studies	X	X
Science	X	X
Art/Music/PE	X
Special Education	X		*
Interventionist/ELL teacher	X		*
All Secondary Educators	X
All Special Service Providers	X		*
All Principals, Administrators	X		X	X

*These educator groups are required to complete the READ Act training requirement if they support reading instruction for K-3 students.

For general licensing questions, submit a support ticket to CDE's licensure office.

For questions about READ Act requirements, email the READ Act team.

For questions about the special education/behavioral health training, email the Educator Development Office.

For questions about educator effectiveness evaluator (E-Train) training, contact the Educator Effectiveness team.