First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
ENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 25-0432.01 Alana Rosen x2606
SENATE BILL 25-154
Senate Committees House Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING ENHANCING ACCE SS TO EDUCATOR PATHWAYS .101
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
The bill requires an early childhood special education, elementary,
or special education generalist licensure endorsement candidate who
meets the minimum coursework standards by successfully completing a
content-based or a performance-based assessment (assessments) to
successfully complete certain assessments.
A candidate for an early childhood special education licensure
endorsement must successfully complete no more than 2 assessments that
measure:
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 10, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Kipp,
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hamrick,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. ! Knowledge and skills important for the safe and effective
practice of a special education teacher who serves students
from birth through third grade; and
! Knowledge and skills that an initial teacher must have to
support the reading and writing development of students in
kindergarten through sixth grade.
A candidate for an elementary licensure endorsement must
successfully complete no more than 2 assessments that measure:
! Mathematical knowledge and skills that are essential for
students in kindergarten through sixth grade; and
! Knowledge and skills that an initial teacher must have to
support the reading and writing development of students in
kindergarten through sixth grade.
A candidate for a special education generalist licensure
endorsement must successfully complete no more than 2 assessments that
measure:
! Basic principles of general special education and the
application of those principles to realistic situations; and
! Knowledge and skills that an initial teacher must have to
support the reading and writing development of students in
kindergarten through sixth grade.
The bill clarifies that 4-year institutions of higher education that
offer programs of off-campus instruction and that have courses included
in the guaranteed transfer pathway matrix or that are part of a statewide
degree transfer agreement may participate in the teacher recruitment
education and preparation program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
2
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-60.5-203, amend3
(6) introductory portion, (6)(a), and (6)(b) introductory portion; and4
add (7) as follows:5
22-60.5-203. Assessment of professional competencies -6
multiple measures to assess professional competencies - rules. (6) For7
purposes of establishing minimum competency in a licensure8
endorsement area, the state board of education shall establish minimum9
course work COURSEWORK standards that align with the quality standards10
154-2- established by the state board of education pursuant to section 22-2-1091
(3). Attainment of the minimum course work COURSEWORK standards2
may be shown in one of the following ways:3
(a) For early childhood education, early childhood special4
education, and elementary teachers CANDIDATES, including special5
education generalist teachers CANDIDATES, demonstration of6
competencies using the multiple measures set forth in subsection (3)(a)7
of this section;8
9
(b) For secondary teachers CANDIDATES:10
(7) (a) C
URRENTLY LICENSED COLORADO TEACHERS SEEKING TO
11
ADD AN EARLY CHIL DHOOD EDUCATION ENDORSEMENT , EARLY12
CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION E NDORSEMENT , ELEMENTARY13
EDUCATION ENDORSEMENT , OR SPECIAL EDUCATION GENERALIST14
ENDORSEMENT MAY DEMONSTRATE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES BY15
SUBMITTING EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH EDUCATION16
COURSEWORK GRADES ON COURSEWORK ALIGNED WITH RELEVANT17
STANDARDS AS APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT .18
(b) I
F THE ONE THOUSAND APPLICANT SPOTS DESCRIBED IN
19
SUBSECTION (3)(b) OF THIS SECTION HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED, CURRENTLY20
LICENSED COLORADO TEACHERS WHO ARE SEEKING ADDITIONAL21
LICENSURE ENDORSEMENTS MAY DEMONSTRATE PROFESSI ONAL22
COMPETENCIES USING THE MULTIPLE MEASURES SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION23
(3)(a)
OF THIS SECTION.
24
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35-108.5, add (8)25
as follows:26
22-35-108.5. Teacher recruitment education and preparation27
154
-3- (TREP) program - objectives - selection criteria - rules.1
(8) I
NSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT OFFER A PROGRAM OF2
OFF-CAMPUS INSTRUCTION AND THAT HAVE COURSES INCLUDED IN THE3
GUARANTEED TRANSFER PATHWAY MATRIX , AS DEFINED IN SECTION4
23-1-108.5
(2), OR THAT ARE PART OF A STATEWIDE DEGREE TRANSFER5
AGREEMENT, AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 23-1-108 (7), MAY PARTICIPATE6
IN THE TREP PROGRAM ONLY IF THE COURSES ARE OFFERED AT A TUITION7
RATE THAT DOES NOT EXCEED THE TUITION RATE ESTABLISHED BY THE8
STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OCCUPATIONAL9
EDUCATION.10
SECTION 3.
In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35-110, amend11
(1) as follows:12
22-35-110. Exclusions. (1) The provisions of EXCEPT FOR13
COURSES OFFERED AS PART OF THE TREP PROGRAM PURSUANT TO14
SECTION 22-35-108.5, this article 35 shall DOES not apply to any course15
that is offered as part of a program of off-campus instruction established16
pursuant to section 23-1-109 (1) to (5).17
SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act18
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the19
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except20
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V21
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this22
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take23
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in24
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the25
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.26
154
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