Colorado teachers must renew their license once every five years, but the state gives them many options to reach that goal. One of the most convenient involves taking professional development classes from a college or university.
Fresno Pacific University gives teachers that opportunity. The university offers Colorado teaching license renewal courses through its online education portal that meets the state’s PD standards.
The school has hundreds of courses taught by experts in every field, many of them fellow classroom teachers. Colorado teachers can earn the credits needed for license renewal in graduate-level courses such as elementary art, coaching and 3D Printing for Teachers.
Other popular choices for Colorado teaching license renewal courses include digital technology in classrooms, social emotional learning, English, math, science, STEM and social studies.
What Colorado Teachers Must Do to Renew Their License
Colorado teachers start their careers earning a three-year initial license that they can renew once. They then earn a professional license that they must renew every five years through PD credits.
Teachers must submit six semester hours of coursework or 90 clock hours of PD to renew their license, according to guidelines from the Colorado Department of Education. Under state rules, one semester hour equals 15 clock hours.
Teachers also can combine the two. For example, they can earn the required credits by taking 30 clock hours of PD with four semester hours of coursework.
A course for a certificate at Fresno Pacific University is worth one to three graduate-level credits.
The College or University Coursework Option
Colorado provides teachers many options for earning license renewal credits. Unlike some other states, teachers have a great deal of freedom in professional development.
On this issue, the website for the Colorado Department of Education notes: “We leave it very much to the individual educator to know what is best for them.” They add that teachers must indicate “how the professional development meets their specific endorsement areas and what educational standards it addresses.”
Fresno Pacific’s online courses fall under the College or University Coursework option. Teachers can access Fresno Pacific classes through the online portal and earn clock hours from wherever they have an internet connection.
Fresno Pacific also provides, upon request, a transcript of any PD course completed through the school to submit to the Colorado Department of Education.
The state of Colorado allows the following license renewal options in addition to College or University Coursework.
- In-service Education
- Involvement in School and/or District Performance
- Internships/Externships
- Educational Travel
- Ongoing Professional Development
The Ongoing Professional Development option includes workshops and academies. Fresno Pacific offers onsite workshops geared toward providing educators professional development credits.
With the freedom granted by the state, Colorado teachers have options when they decide how to renew their licenses. Fresno Pacific offers them Colorado teaching license renewal courses that feature high-quality coursework and the flexibility of online learning.