The general assembly has found that in order to implement standards-based education in the public school system, state supported institutions of higher education must ensure that individuals preparing to enter the education profession learn their profession in accordance with the principles of standards-based education. The commission on higher education shall adopt the necessary policies and procedures to ensure the inclusion of precepts of standards-based education in the curriculum for persons preparing to enter the teaching profession. C.R.S. § 23-1-121

H.B. 98-1209 stated that such policies and procedures shall not limit the authority of the state board of education to evaluate and approve the programs of teacher preparation offered at Colorado institutions of higher education and it required the state board of education in its evaluation of teacher preparation to include an assessment of how well each program trains teachers in standards-based education.

According to C.R.S. § 22-60.5-116, effective July 1, 1999, every two years, teachers employed by the school districts who completed their preparation at accepted institutions of higher education in this state shall evaluate their program during their first and third years of teaching. Additionally, the administrative staff of the each school district shall be provided forms for the evaluation of approved programs of preparation of teachers of graduates of Colorado teacher preparation institutions. Such evaluations shall include assessments of the extent to which the teacher preparation programs sufficiently addressed and prepared teachers to implement standards-based education. The completed forms are to be returned to the department of education for compilation, review by the educator professional standards board and the state board, and dissemination to teacher preparation institutions. Copies of the compiled results are to be provided to house and senate education committees.

The state board of education shall (c) adopt rules that prescribe standards for the evaluation of teacher preparation programs, including the extent to which such teacher preparation programs prepare teachers to teach in accordance with the goals of standards-based education... (o) notify the Colorado commission on higher education of any programs for preparation by higher education institutions which the state board has refused to approve and to recommend the termination of such programs. C.R.S. § 22-2-109

The department of education may issue a provisional teacher license to any applicant who: (a) holds an earned baccalaureate degree or has satisfactorily completed five or more years of work experience in the specific occupational area in which instruction is to be given; (b) has completed an approved program of preparation for teachers or an alternative teacher program; and (c) has demonstrated professional competencies in subject areas as specified. A provisional teacher license is valid in any school district that provides an approved induction program for teachers or that has obtained a waiver. The provisional license is valid for three years and may be renewed only once for an additional three years, except where the licensee is unable to complete an induction program for reasons other than incompetence. C.R.S. § 22-60.5-201

Any approved induction program of a school district for provisional teacher licensees may include, but not be limited to, supervision by mentor teachers, ongoing professional development and training, including ethics, and performance evaluations. School districts may enter into agreements with accepted institutions of higher education in regard to the organization, management, and operation of an approved induction program. C.R.S. § 22-60.5-204

Section 22, Article 60.5 is known as the "Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991". Under C.R.S. § 22-60.5-111, the department of education is authorized to issue the following types of authorizations:

• Type I — adjunct teacher, certifies that a person possesses outstanding talent in a particular area of specialization. A person may qualify for a Type I authorization regardless of whether he or she has obtained any postsecondary education; except that, if the person has not obtained at least a baccalaureate degree, he or she must have been successfully employed in the area of specialization for at least five years.
• Type II — intern, certifies that a person has been awarded at least a bachelor's degree but whose program of preparation requires completion of a supervised internship.
• Type III — emergency, authorizes school districts to employ a person to teach or to perform services as a principal, administrator, or special services provider, at a particular grade level or in a special subject or service area when an emergency exists due to a demonstrated shortage.
• Type IV — extension, authorizes school districts to employ a person to teach or to perform services as a principal, administrator, or special services provider, if such person, prior to expiration of an educator license, fails to complete the necessary professional development activities because of extreme hardship. (H.B. 97-1058 changed the Type IV authorization from "transitional" to "extension".)
• Type V — substitute, authorizes school districts to employ a person to teach on a substitute basis.
• Type VI — temporary, authorizes a school district to employ a person who is certified or licenses as a teacher, special services provider, principal or administrator in another state and has not successfully completed the assessment of professional competencies to a obtain a provisional license. A temporary authorization is valid for two years and may not be renewed.

  According to C.R.S. § 22-60.5-201, the department of education is designated as the sole agency authorized to issue the following teacher licenses to persons of good moral character:

• Alternative teacher license — [See Alternative Certification]
• Provisional teacher license — [See Induction]
• Professional teacher license — May be issued to applicants who: (a) holds a valid provisional license; (b) has completed an approved induction program and has been recommended for licensure by the school district; and (c) has demonstrated professional competencies in subject areas as specified. Professional teacher licenses are valid for 5 years; licenses held in conjunction with a master certificate are valid for 7 years. Master Certification recognizes those who are involved in ongoing professional development and training and who have advanced competencies or expertise or who have demonstrated outstanding achievements.During the first three school years that a teacher is employed on a full-time continuous basis by a school district, such teacher shall be considered to be a probationary teacher whose contract may be subject to nonrenewal. An employment contract with a probationary teacher shall not exceed one school year. C.R.S. § 22-63-203

Section 22, Article 9 of the C.R.S. is known as the "Certificated Personnel Performance Evaluation Act" (H.B. 84-1338). The Act mandated that every school district and Board of Cooperative Services (BOCS) in the state adopt a written system and procedures for the performance evaluation of all certificated personnel. [After July 1, 1999, all references to certificates and certificated personnel will be changed to licensed and licensed personnel.] According to Education Week (Quality Counts '98, January 1998, pg. 116) the legislature appointed the task force in 1997 (S.J.R. 97-14) in response to some officials' argument that it is so time-consuming and costly to dismiss incompetent teachers that it isn't worth it. As of 1997, only five teachers had been fired in the previous three years. The task force was composed of legislators, teachers, union leaders, parents, and business officials.

Two 1998 laws, H.B. 98-1089 and H.B. 98-1090, were passed based on task force proposals:

H.B. 98-1089 (C.R.S. § 22-9-101-109) calls for student performance to be factored into teacher evaluations. The law leaves it up to schools to determine how to do that. Establishes consistent, statewide requirements for principal and administrator preparation programs. Each standards-based education program would be required to include training in teaching and learning styles, communication, conflict mediation, attention to individual differences, people skills development, counseling, student performance and assessment, data collection and documentation and school district standards and state mandates.

Requires each school district's performance evaluation system to include two documented observations and one evaluation that results in a written report per year for probationary teachers and one observation each year and evaluation that results in a written report every 3 years for nonprobationary teachers.

Specifies that one of the standards set by a school district for measuring teacher performance shall be directly related to classroom instruction and shall include multiple measures of student performance. Allows the evaluation report to include peer, parent, or student input obtained from standardized surveys.

The state standards and assessments development and implementation council shall propose, as part of a plan for the implementation of standards-based education, model professional educator development materials and pilot professional educator development programs for use by districts at their discretion. C.R.S. § 22-7-405 (1dIII)

After districts adopt content standards, they shall develop a plan for providing professional educator development in standards-based education. C.R.S. § 22-2-109

C.R.S. § 60.5-110 addresses the renewal of licenses. Any provisional license may be renewed upon submitting an application for renewal, payment of the statutory fee, and evidence of satisfying any requirements established by rule and regulation of the state board of education.

Any professional license may be renewed upon submitting an application for renewal, payment of the statutory fee, and evidence of satisfactory completion by the applicant of ongoing professional development. Employment as a professional educator shall not constitute a requirement for renewal of a professional license.

C.R.S. § 22-60.5-111 addresses the issue of teacher shortages. The state department of education is authorized to issue the following authorization to persons of good moral character meeting the qualifications described:

Type III authorization — emergency, authorizes school districts to employ a person to teach or to perform services as a principal, administrator, or special services provider, at a particular grade level or in a special subject or service area when an emergency exists due to a demonstrated shortage of teachers, principals, administrators, or special services providers. A Type III emergency authorization is valid for one year and may be renewed. It shall not be renewed unless the state board determines that the establishment of an alternative teacher program by the board of education is not a practicable solution to such demonstrated shortage.

The department of education is authorized to issue an alternative teacher license to any applicant of good moral character who: (a) holds an earned baccalaureate degree from a fully accredited institution of higher education; (b) has demonstrated basic competency in oral and written English and mathematics; (c) has been recommended by an accepted institution of higher education has having met subject matter requirements and knowledge; and (d) agrees to participate fully in the alternative teacher program provided by the school. Also the department may, in its discretion, issue an alternative teacher license to any applicant who: (a) has satisfactorily completed five or more years of work experience in specific occupational area; and (b) has met the standards of the state board of education concerning academic and professional preparation and performance. C.R.S. § 22-60.5-201

Any alternative teacher program shall include, but not limited to, supervision by mentor teachers, performance evaluations, and two hundred twenty-five clock hours of planned instruction activities, which shall include training in dropout prevention. C.R.S. § 22-60.5-205

For alternative teacher programs, the state board of education shall promulgate rules and regulations for the following: application procedures for proposed programs; criteria for approval of programs; criteria relating to the designation of mentor teachers for programs; procedures and criteria for evaluating approved programs; and procedures and criteria for performance evaluations of alternative teachers. C.R.S. § 22-60.5-115(1)

The department of education shall provide technical assistance to all school districts and accredited independent schools as necessary; review and submit to the state board for approval applications made by designated agencies to provide alternative teacher programs; and evaluate approved alternative teacher programs.

Article 67 is known as the "Teacher Salary Policy Planning Grants Act". According to C.R.S. § 22-67-102, the general assembly declared there is a need to assist school districts in establishing innovative salary policies for teachers. They found that, while performance pay for teachers may be a useful approach for school districts in Colorado, plans for performance pay will be more readily accepted and better suited for each school district if the plans are created cooperatively within school districts. The general assembly found that it is appropriate that school districts be provided with grants to assist districts in the preparation and implementation of teacher salary policy plans for the school districts.

Article 81 is known as the "Pre-K-16 Mathematics, Science, and Technology Improvement Act of 1990". The Colorado general assembly declared that there exist in the state unmet educational needs in the areas of mathematics, science, and the use of technology. Among the state's responsibilities is the responsibility to improve teacher training in mathematics, science, and technology. C.R.S. § 22-81-102

Article 83 states that the Colorado Mathematics-Science-Technology commission appointed by the governor intends to facilitate and assist with developing plans for the restructuring of mathematics, science and technology programs in pre-K through 12 and postsecondary education. C.R.S. § 22-83-101