2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 22 - Education
General and Administrative
Article 2 - Department - Commissioner
Part 1 - Department of Education - Commissioner
§ 22-2-109. State board of education - additional duties - teacher standards - principal standards

(1) The state board of education shall:

(a) Repealed.

(b) to (f) (Deleted by amendment, L. 99, p. 1186, § 2, effective June 1, 1999.)

(g) Adopt rules that prescribe performance-based standards of qualification, preparation, training, or experience that are required for the issuance of all licenses, master certificates, and authorizations, as provided for in article 60.5 of this title;

(h) Adopt rules that prescribe performance-based standards for endorsements deemed appropriate for each type of license or authorization;

(i) Utilize representatives from all levels of education in the development of performance-based standards of qualification, preparation, and experience for all licenses, master certificates, authorizations, and endorsements;

(j) Conduct or arrange for research pertinent or essential to implement the provisions of article 60.5 of this title, including but not limited to educator licensure and educator preparation programs in institutions of higher education;

(k) and (l) (Deleted by amendment, L. 99, p. 1186, § 2, effective June 1, 1999.)

(m) Repealed.

(n) and (o) (Deleted by amendment, L. 99, p. 1186, § 2, effective June 1, 1999.)

(p) Adopt rules to ensure that administrator programs of preparation meet the requirements concerning instruction in evaluating licensed personnel specified in section 22-9-108;

(q) Adopt rules that require the reporting between school districts of the enrollment of any students who have transferred to another school or school district within the state. Such rules shall improve the ability of school districts to accurately identify which students have in fact dropped out of school and which students have merely transferred to another school or school district. Such rules shall also set forth uniform standards for determining which school or school district shall count a dropout as part of its own dropout count.

(r) Repealed.

(2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 99, p. 1186, § 2, effective June 1, 1999.)

(3) On or before July 1, 2000, the state board of education by rule shall adopt performance-based teacher licensure standards, which at a minimum shall include a requirement that each candidate for an initial teacher license shall have and be able to demonstrate the following skills:

(a) The ability to align instructional objectives with adopted student learning standards;

(b) The ability to teach in a manner that addresses individual student needs and enables the student to improve his or her performance;

(c) Proficiency in measuring and monitoring each student's progress toward achieving learning standards;

(d) The ability to adjust instructional practices and methods when necessary to stimulate or enhance student progress;

(e) The ability to engage parents as learning partners to promote student learning;

(f) The ability to integrate technology into instruction at the grade level for which the teacher expects to be endorsed;

(g) The ability to assess student performance;

(h) The ability to demonstrate a high level of content area knowledge and professional competencies in the areas identified by rule of the state board pursuant to section 22-60.5-203.

(4) In adopting the performance-based teacher licensure standards pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, the state board shall also adopt rules specifying the methods by which a teacher candidate may demonstrate that he or she has achieved the specified skills and the manner in which such demonstrations may be documented for submission when the teacher candidate applies for licensure.

(5) (a) The state board shall review the content of educator preparation programs offered by institutions of higher education within the state. Such review shall be designed to ensure that the content of each program is designed and implemented in a manner that will enable a candidate to meet the requirements specified by the state board pursuant to subsection (3) of this section and the requirements for licensure endorsement adopted by rule of the state board pursuant to section 22-60.5-106. The state board shall recommend to the Colorado commission on higher education that a program not be approved pursuant to section 23-1-121, C.R.S., if it determines that the program content does not meet the requirements specified in subsection (3) of this section or the endorsement requirements.

(b) Upon the request of a nonpublic institution that provides an educator preparation program, the state board shall review the content of the program to determine whether the program content is designed and implemented in a manner that will enable a candidate to meet the requirements specified by the state board of education pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, and the requirements for licensure endorsement adopted by rule of the state board pursuant to section 22-60.5-106. Upon completion of the review, the state board shall notify the Colorado commission on higher education concerning whether the program content meets said requirements.

(6) (a) On or before January 1, 2003, the state board of education by rule shall adopt performance-based principal licensure standards to guide the development of principal preparation programs offered by institutions of higher education. The state board of education shall develop said standards in collaboration with institutions of higher education that offer principal preparation programs, superintendents and local boards of education, and the commission on higher education. The state board of education shall ensure that said standards are consistent with national standards for principal preparation. Said standards must include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(I) Strong leadership development that shall include but need not be limited to decision-making, communication, and human relations skills; and

(II) Instructional skills and knowledge and the use of data necessary to lead and organize a standards-based school that is characterized by student proficiency in literacy and the state content standards as described in section 22-7-1005.

(b) Repealed.

(7) (a) Beginning with the 2006-07 school year and annually thereafter, the state board shall direct the department to survey the superintendents of the school districts of the state who employ principals who hold a principal authorization or an initial principal license or who obtain a professional principal license without first holding an initial principal license and who are in their first three years of employment as a principal. The department shall base the survey questions on the performance-based principal licensure standards adopted by the state board pursuant to subsection (6) of this section. The department shall design the survey to solicit information by which to measure the quality and effectiveness of principal preparation programs and other alternative forms of principal preparation and to solicit information from superintendents concerning the principal licensure standards.

(b) The state board shall submit annually to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, a written summary report of the results of the survey conducted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (7). In submitting the report, the state board shall ensure that the report for the current year and the preceding year's report, if one exists, are available to the education committees for consideration at the biennial joint meeting held pursuant to section 22-60.5-116.5. The state board shall also submit the report annually to the governor, the Colorado commission on higher education, and the institutions of higher education that operate principal preparation programs.

(c) The costs incurred by the department in implementing this subsection (7) shall be paid from moneys appropriated from the educator licensure cash fund created in section 22-60.5-112 (1).