EDU 600: Teaching and Administering in Colorado and the States

Overview

Teacher and administrator candidates seeking licensure in the State of Colorado must qualify by meeting the Colorado State Board of Education’s (SBE) licensing rules and regulations and by presenting evidence of content/endorsement expertise. In Colorado, only educator preparation programs that are approved by the state may prepare candidates for educational licensure. Students completing approved preparation programs may qualify to seek a license in Colorado or in other states that, by reciprocity agreements or other means, recognize state-approved preparation programs leading to state licensure.

Jones International University’s educator preparation programs are approved by the Colorado Department of Education. However, only the licensure preparation degree programs – Principal and Administrator Licensure Degree (PALD) and Teacher Licensure Degree (TLD) – prepare students to meet initial licensure in Colorado.

Colorado, like many states, has developed performance-based standards for teachers and principals as well as model content curriculum standards for grades K–12. In addition, Colorado has adopted statewide student and school achievement standards under its Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). To be licensed in Colorado, teacher and administrator candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of state standards.

In this course, students learn how teaching, learning, and administering in Colorado are informed by the state’s standards-based education principles and expected assessment outcomes, how Colorado’s standards fit within the context of voluntary national standards or guidelines created by national education organizations, and how Colorado’s standards compare with those established in other states. Students also learn how to qualify for state licensure.

Course participants develop and complete a Portfolio Project directly related to their interest in becoming a licensed elementary or secondary teacher, or a licensed principal or administrator. The purpose of the project is to help students learn about Colorado’s content and performance standards and those of other states and provide a useful resource students can carry with them as they pursue their educational goal of becoming a licensed professional.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe Colorado’s rules, regulations, and statutes for licensing educators, and compare those with any other state(s) where the student wishes to seek an educational license.
• Describe the Colorado State Board of Education’s licensure and endorsement areas for teachers and administrators, and what procedures to follow to obtain licensure and endorsements.
• Identify the eight performance-based standards for Colorado teachers and eleven performance standards for principals.
• Identify Colorado Model Content Standards for K-12 curricula and compare these with recommended national guidelines and standards established in other states.
• Describe how Colorado’s Student Assessment Program (CSAP) exams relate to the national assessment standards of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
• For Teacher Candidates: Use data-driven assessment and evaluation methods for teaching and learning. For Principal and Administrator Candidates: Use data-driven measurements to evaluate personnel performance and for school accountability purposes.
• Locate additional resources for state standards and licensing requirements.

Course Requirements

• Power Point (if you choose to complete your project using this software program.)

Required Texts
EDU 600 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore