C.R.S. Section 23-1-121.8
Department directive

  • workgroup on diversity in the educator workforce
  • duties
  • recommendations
  • report
  • legislative declaration
  • definitions
  • repeal

(1)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

The general assembly finds and declares that:

(I)

A high-quality teacher is the most important in-school factor for student achievement;

(II)

Further, students benefit from seeing a diverse group of educators in school classrooms;

(III)

In Colorado in 2019, seventy-six percent of all teachers were women and sixty-seven percent of all teachers in Colorado identified as White women;

(IV)

However, the student demographics in Colorado are significantly more diverse and will continue to become more diverse. For example, in 2019, nearly forty-seven percent of all public school students identified as non-White and fourteen percent of students considered themselves to be English language learners.

(b)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

The general assembly further finds and declares that there are many barriers to preparing, recruiting, and retaining a high-quality, diverse educator workforce.

(II)

One barrier is how teachers are licensed. A study by the national council on teacher quality reported that only forty-six percent of elementary school teaching candidates pass their licensing test on the first try. Moreover, only thirty-eight percent of Black teaching candidates, fifty-four percent of Hispanic teaching candidates, and seventy-five percent of White teaching candidates pass the licensing test, even after multiple attempts and even though they completed and graduated from an accredited teacher preparation program.

(c)

Therefore, the general assembly declares that an important step to increasing diversity among Colorado’s educators is to task the Colorado department of higher education and the Colorado department of education to investigate barriers to and effective strategies for preparing, recruiting, and retaining a diverse educator workforce that better reflects the diversity of Colorado’s students.

(2)

As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)

“Department of education” means the department of education created in section 24-1-115.

(b)

“Diverse educator workforce” means teachers and special services providers who have a disability or who are of a gender, ethnicity, or race that is underrepresented in the educator workforce relative to the disability, gender, ethnicity, or race of Colorado students served by the educator workforce.

(3)

The department of higher education, in conjunction with the department of education, shall convene a workgroup to investigate barriers to the preparation, recruitment, and retention of a diverse educator workforce and to recommend effective strategies for preparing, recruiting, and retaining a diverse educator workforce.

(4)

The department of higher education and the department of education shall select workgroup members and may seek recommendations or nominations from interested stakeholders. The workgroup members must be representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of the Colorado student population, as determined by the department of education, by ensuring that at least fifty percent of the workgroup is comprised of persons from historically underrepresented minority groups. The workgroup may consist of members from other workgroups within the department of higher education or department of education. At a minimum, the selected workgroup members must include but are not limited to one or more of the following persons or organizations, or their representatives:

(a)

A representative of the department of higher education;

(b)

A representative of the department of education;

(c)

Deans of teacher preparation programs at state institutions of higher education;

(d)

Directors of alternative teacher programs;

(e)

Representatives from community colleges governed by the state board for community colleges and occupational education;

(f)

Teachers serving in traditional district schools who hold an initial or professional teacher’s license pursuant to article 60.5 of title 22;

(g)

Teachers serving in district charter schools;

(h)

Principals or school leaders of traditional district schools or district charter schools, including schools that have a diverse educator workforce;

(i)

Graduates of teacher preparation programs, who may include graduates who did not pass the licensing test on the first try;

(j)

Researchers with expertise in the preparation, recruitment, or retention of a diverse educator workforce; and

(k)

Nonprofit or other organizations that have expertise in the preparation, recruitment, or retention of a diverse educator workforce.

(5)

The workgroup shall investigate barriers to the preparation, retention, and recruitment of a diverse educator workforce and shall consider strategies to increase diversity in the educator workforce. The issues considered by the workgroup may include but are not limited to:

(a)

The data and recommendations from the December 16, 2014, report prepared for the department of education by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates titled “Keeping Up with the Kids: Increasing Minority Teacher Representation in Colorado”;

(b)

Effective strategies to build a strong local pipeline for students, especially diverse students, who are or may consider becoming educators, including paid mentorships and teaching and volunteer opportunities;

(c)

Educator preparation programs and how they may inhibit or promote success for diverse educator candidates;

(d)

Effective strategies to assist paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, and noncertified educators who are engaged in the profession but who are not licensed due to financial difficulties, difficulty in passing the state-certified content test, distance to testing location, preparation and testing fees, or for other reasons;

(e)

Whether creating partnerships between school districts that serve minority students and minority-serving institutions will increase the diversity of the educator workforce; and

(f)

Effective strategies to retain the existing diverse educator workforce in Colorado, including diverse educators in hard-to-staff schools, which strategies may include financial incentives, such as stipends or bonuses, and robust professional development opportunities.

(6)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

On or before September 30, 2022, the department of higher education and the department of education shall submit a written report from the workgroup to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, concerning:

(I)

The workgroup’s findings, including identification of existing barriers to the preparation, recruitment, and retention of a diverse educator workforce;

(II)

The relevance of the findings and recommendations set forth in the December 16, 2014, report referenced in subsection (5)(a) of this section;

(III)

Effective strategies for preparing, recruiting, and retaining a diverse educator workforce in Colorado; and

(IV)

The workgroup’s recommendations, including any necessary changes to statutes or agency rules.

(b)

The workgroup may submit interim findings and recommendations for consideration during the 2022 regular legislative session prior to the completion of the final written report pursuant to subsection (6)(a) of this section.

(7)

This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2024.

Source: Section 23-1-121.8 — Department directive - workgroup on diversity in the educator workforce - duties - recommendations - report - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-23.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

23‑1‑101
Legislative declaration 23‑1‑101.1
Definitions 23‑1‑102
Commission established - terms of office 23‑1‑103
Advisory committee to the Colorado commission on higher education 23‑1‑104
Financing the system of postsecondary education - report 23‑1‑105
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to appropriations 23‑1‑105.5
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to student fees - report on tuition and fees 23‑1‑106
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to capital construction and long-range planning - legislative declaration - report - definitions 23‑1‑106.3
Duties and powers of the commission - capital construction projects - federal mineral lease revenues fund - higher education institutions financed purchase of an asset cash fund 23‑1‑106.7
Duties and powers of the department with respect to technology transfers 23‑1‑107
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to program approval, review, reduction, and discontinuance 23‑1‑108
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to systemwide planning - reporting - definitions 23‑1‑108.5
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to common course numbering system - council of higher education representatives - definitions - repeal 23‑1‑109
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to off-campus instruction - provision of concurrent enrollment programs - legislative declaration - definitions 23‑1‑109.3
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to student data - memorandum of understanding 23‑1‑109.7
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to the provision of educational services 23‑1‑109.8
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to employment first policies 23‑1‑110
Organization, meetings, and staff 23‑1‑112
Tuition - reciprocal agreements 23‑1‑113
Commission directive - admission standards for baccalaureate and graduate institutions of higher education - policy - report - definitions 23‑1‑113.2
Department directive - admission standards for students holding international baccalaureate diplomas - legislative declaration 23‑1‑113.3
Commission directive - developmental education courses - report 23‑1‑113.5
Commission directive - resident admissions - report - definitions 23‑1‑113.7
Commission directive - nursing programs - employer-based gift and scholarship fund - reporting requirement - legislative declaration 23‑1‑119
Department directive - transition between K-12 education system and postsecondary education system 23‑1‑119.1
Department directive - notice of postsecondary educational opportunities and higher education admission guidelines 23‑1‑119.2
Commission directive - notice of college preparatory courses for high school students 23‑1‑119.3
Department directive - exchange of student records 23‑1‑119.5
Online career platform - appropriations from Colorado work force development council 23‑1‑120
Commission directive - incentives for improvement initiative grants 23‑1‑121.2
Department directive - educator preparation pathways - public information 23‑1‑121.7
Commission directive - paraprofessional programs 23‑1‑121.8
Department directive - workgroup on diversity in the educator workforce - duties - recommendations - report - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal 23‑1‑125
Commission directive - student bill of rights - degree requirements - implementation of core courses - competency test - prior learning - prior work-related experience 23‑1‑126
Commission directive - nursing programs 23‑1‑127
Commission directive - regional education providers - criteria 23‑1‑128
Commission directive - American sign language in higher education institutions 23‑1‑129
Commission directive - student loans 23‑1‑131
Commission directive - associate degree completion program - legislative declaration - definitions 23‑1‑131.5
Commission directive - Colorado re-engaged (CORE) initiative - four-year institutions - associate degrees - report - definitions 23‑1‑132
Commission directive - tuition waivers for exonerated persons 23‑1‑133
Commission directive - bachelor of science degree in nursing program - Aims community college - approval 23‑1‑134
Commission directive - open educational resources - course notice - report - definitions 23‑1‑135
Department directive - undergraduate degree and certificate programs - annual return on investment report - definition - repeal 23‑1‑136
Department directive - federal student loan repayment and forgiveness program information 23‑1‑137
Prohibition on use of American Indian mascots - exemptions - definitions 23‑1‑137.5
Tribal regalia at college graduation ceremonies - definitions 23‑1‑139
Department directive - contract for use of online platform for public benefits 23‑1‑140
Commission directive - statewide student success measures - definitions 23‑1‑141
Student success data system - student success data transparency - appropriation - definition - repeal 23‑1‑142
Commission directive - expansion of forestry and wildfire mitigation degree and certificate programs - simulator - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 23-1-121.8’s source at colorado​.gov