UPK Provisional Qualification Design Team

Upon the completion of the  UPK Recommendations, an interagency workgroup began meeting to plan for the UPK Workforce; this group included individuals from the Governor’s Office, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, the Colorado Department of Education, and the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.  The goal of this interagency group was to identify actionable strategies for interagency work to ensure an effective and thriving UPK workforce - both in numbers of teachers as well as ensuring they have the preparation and support needed to be successful in the classroom. A design team has been convened to provide input and guidance on a potential provisional qualification pathway for UPK teachers. While UPK standards and staff qualification requirements are not yet determined and will, ultimately, be finalized through the CDEC rule making process, the deliverable of this design team is to provide a recommendation to the CDEC senior leadership team for a UPK Provisional Qualification process that aligns to the following Colorado Universal Preschool Recommendations:

  • a simplified process for the workforce and providers to attain credentials and qualifications

  • clearly articulated competencies and aligned systems of professional learning

  • an induction model that could decrease the time it takes to get a teacher in a classroom by using an onboarding process to meet regulations and requirements.

Requirements in HB22-1295 (page 178-181)

  • IN DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND RETAINING A WELL-COMPENSATED, WELL-PREPARED, HIGH-QUALITY STATEWIDE EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE PURSUANT TO SECTION 26.5-6-101, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENSURE THAT THE PLAN SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING AND SUPPORTING THE PRESCHOOL WORKFORCE, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO: (a) SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS FOR ATTAINING CREDENTIALS, MEETING QUALIFICATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES; (b) MINIMIZING REGULATORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS TO ENTRY, INCLUDING BARRIERS FACED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO SPEAK LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH; (c) INCREASING DIVERSITY IN THE PRESCHOOL WORKFORCE; (d) ESTABLISHING GOALS FOR INCREASING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS OVER TIME, INCLUDING STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF SUPPORTING INCREASED ATTAINMENT OF BACCALAUREATE DEGREES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD OR BACCALAUREATE DEGREES WITH SUPPLEMENTAL EARLY LEARNING CREDENTIALS FOR LEAD TEACHERS EMPLOYED BY PRESCHOOL PROVIDERS; AND (e) RECRUITING, COMPENSATING, PROVIDING CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR, AND RETAINING INDIVIDUALS IN THE PRESCHOOL WORKFORCE, INCLUDING STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF COMPENSATING THOSE INDIVIDUALS AT A LIVING WAGE

  • QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRESCHOOL TEACHERS. THE QUALITY STANDARDS MUST NOT REQUIRE PRESCHOOL TEACHERS TO BE LICENSED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 60.5 OF TITLE 22 AND MUST ALLOW A PRESCHOOL PROVIDER TO EMPLOY A NONLICENSED PRESCHOOL TEACHER AS LONG AS THE TEACHER MEETS OTHER QUALIFICATIONS ESTABLISHED IN DEPARTMENT RULE. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ENSURE THAT A PRESCHOOL EDUCATOR MAY MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRESCHOOL EDUCATORS BY DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE WITH THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR AN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHING LICENSE ENDORSEMENT PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

  • REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS EMPLOYED BY A PRESCHOOL PROVIDER, WHICH MUST BE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING TEACHER-CHILD INTERACTIONS AND QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION, INCLUDING IMPROVING FIDELITY IN IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULA AND STUDENT OUTCOMES, AND MAY ALLOW FOR TRAINING IN EARLY LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT AND THE SCIENCE OF READING THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND COMPARABLE TO THE TRAINING REQUIRED FOR EARLY GRADE TEACHERS PURSUANT TO THE "COLORADO READ ACT", PART 12 OF ARTICLE 7 OF TITLE 22. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ALLOW, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, A TEACHER WHO IS LICENSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO USE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED TO RENEW THE TEACHING LICENSE TO ALSO MEET THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR TEACHERS EMPLOYED BY A PRESCHOOL PROVIDER.

Goal: Ensure streamlined entry into the classroom while providing the preparation and support new teachers need to be effective and successful.