Initial To Professional License

        Interim Authorization To Initial License

An Initial License is the first license issued to those persons who are new to Colorado’s licensing system-either as new graduates or out-of-state, experienced teachers with less than 3 years of experience.

New teachers will have taken and passed the appropriate content area exam of the P.L.A.C.E. or PRAXIS II to qualify for the Initial License.

Experienced teachers from out-of-state with less than three years of teaching will also be required to take and pass the content examination of P.L.A.C.E. or PRAXIS II.

Experienced teachers with three or more years of teaching who have an out-of-state teaching license or are eligible for a license in that state can apply for the Initial License without the P.L.A.C.E. or PRAXIS II exam.

Experienced teachers with three or more years of continuous service will be eligible for the Professional License.

·   Initial to Professional License process:

1.  Completion of Professional License application; and

2.  Documentation of completed approved Induction Program; and

3.  Submission of application fee.

·   Successfully complete the Induction Program with activities relating to the Colorado Professional Standards for Teachers.

·   There is no credit requirement to move from an Initial to a Professional License.

Interim authorizations are issued to out-of-state candidates who hold a current license or certificate in another state or are eligible to hold a license or certificate in that state. Candidates with less than three years of experience would receive an Interim Authorization. This authorization would allow that teacher to teach in Colorado one year from the date of issuance. In that year, the teacher must take and pass the content area P.L.A.C.E. or PRAXIS II exam. Candidates with three or more years of experience may apply for an Initial License and receive the Professional License. This authorization is valid for one year and is renewable once; renewal credit is not required for this renewal.

·   Successfully complete the appropriate content portion of P.L.A.C.E. or PRAXIS II exam.

·   The original Initial License application with C.D.E. will automatically generate the Interim Authorization. After the successful completion of the P.L.A.C.E. or PRAXIS II exam, C.D.E. will automatically issue the Initial License effective for three years if the interim authorization was valid on the test date.

P.L.A.C.E.—Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators

Candidates for initial educator licenses in Colorado are required to take and pass one or more of the P.L.A.C.E. content area assessments. This includes candidates for teaching, special services, principal and administrator license. There is no limit to the number of times you may retake any P.L.A.C.E. assessment. You can register on-line at www.place.nesinc.com

PRAXIS II

PRAXIS II assessments are available in the areas of Audiology, Elementary Education, English Language, Literature and Composition, Mathematics, School Psychologist, General Science, Social Studies and Speech-Language Pathology in lieu of the P.L.A.C.E. exam. You can register on-line at www.cts.org/praxis.html

·   Oath and consent forms are required but no longer need to be notarized.

·   It is permissible to hold and maintain different types of licenses.

·   Fingerprint cards, if required, are sent directly to CBI not CDE.

Beginning June 12, 2006, each applicant for a Colorado educator license, authorization or endorsement, including the renewal of a license or authorization, is required, at the time of application, to submit to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a complete set of his or her fingerprints, taken by a qualified law enforcement agency, and a fingerprint card processing fee.

An educator who applied for his or her initial Colorado educator license or authorization on or after January 1, 1991, already should have submitted a fingerprint card to CDE. An educator who applied for an initial Colorado Educator certificate or authorization before January 1, 1991 is unlikely to have submitted a fingerprint card to CDE and will be required to submit the card to Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

**As of June 12, 2006, all fingerprint cards are to be mailed directly to CBI. Fingerprint cards sent incorrectly to CDE will be returned and delay your application process.

Beginning in April 2007, all new and renewal applicants are required to submit the affidavit and notarized documentation for verification of lawful presence with the application packet to CDE.

A completed Induction Certificate must accompany your application materials for those applicants moving from an Initial License to a Professional License. This certificate is available through your Building Resource Teacher.