As used in this article 60.5, unless the context
otherwise requires:
(1) Accepted institution of higher education means an institution of higher
education that offers at least the standard bachelor's degree and is recognized by
one of the following regional associations: The western association of schools and
colleges; northwest association of schools, colleges, and universities; north central
association of colleges and schools; New England association of schools and
colleges; southern association of colleges and schools; or middle states association
of colleges and secondary schools.
(2) Repealed.
(3) Administrator means any person who administers, directs, or supervises
the education instructional program, or a portion thereof, in any school, school
district, or nonpublic school in the state and who is not the chief executive officer or
an assistant chief executive officer of such school.
(3.5) Affiliated bachelor's degree program means the bachelor's degree
that is identified in the instruction plan submitted by the teacher apprenticeship
program sponsor.
(4) Alternative teacher contract means a contract, as described in section
22-60.5-207, entered into for an alternative teacher position by a person who holds
an alternative teacher license pursuant to section 22-60.5-201 (1)(a), or an interim
authorization pursuant to section 22-60.5-111 (7), and a school district, board of
cooperative services, or nonpublic school that provides, or charter school that
provides or participates in, a one-year or two-year alternative teacher program.
(5) Alternative teacher program means a one-year or two-year program of
study and training for teacher preparation, as described in section 22-60.5-205, for
a person of demonstrated knowledge and ability who holds an alternative teacher
license pursuant to section 22-60.5-201 (1)(a), or an interim authorization pursuant
to section 22-60.5-111 (7). An alternative teacher program must meet the
standards of and obtain the approval of the state board of education and, upon
completion, lead to a recommendation for licensure by the designated agency
providing the alternative teacher program.
(6) Alternative teacher support team means a team established by the
designated agency for each holder of an alternative teacher license, or an interim
authorization pursuant to section 22-60.5-111 (7), employed as an alternative
teacher. At a minimum, each alternative teacher support team shall be composed of
the alternative teacher's mentor teacher and the principal and a representative of
an accepted institution of higher education.
(6.5) Apprentice mentor teacher means a professionally licensed teacher
in good standing, designated by the apprenticeship program sponsor, who provides
exemplary modeling and counseling to a teacher apprentice, who is trained in the
apprenticeship model, and who takes responsibility for the training, mentoring, and
progress of the teacher apprentice.
(7) Approved induction program means a program of continuing
professional development for initial licensees that meets the standards of the state
board of education and that upon completion leads to a recommendation for
licensure by the school district or districts, charter school, the institute, or
nonpublic school providing such induction program.
(8) (a) Approved program of preparation means a program of study for
preparation that is approved by the department pursuant to section 22-60.5-121 and
that upon completion leads to a recommendation for licensure.
(b) Every approved program of preparation for principals or administrators
shall include proficiencies in the principles of business management and budgeting
practices and in the analysis of student assessment data and its use in planning for
student instruction.
(8.5) Board of cooperative services or BOCES has the same meaning as
set forth in section 22-5-103.
(9) Board of education means the governing body authorized by law to
administer the affairs of any school district in the state except junior and
community college districts. Board of education includes a board of cooperative
services organized pursuant to article 5 of this title.
(9.1) Certificate of apprenticeship completion means a certificate that has
been issued by the United States department of labor or the apprenticeship agency
that certifies a teacher apprentice has satisfactorily gained the skills, abilities, and
competencies, and completed the requirements of an apprenticeship.
(9.3) Charter school means a charter school authorized by a school district
pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title 22 or a charter school authorized by
the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22.
(9.5) Department means the department of education, created in section
24-1-115, C.R.S.
(10) Designated agency means a school district or districts, a board of
cooperative services, an accepted institution of higher education, a nonprofit
organization, a charter school, the institute, a nonpublic school, or any combination
thereof, that is responsible for the organization, management, and operation of an
approved alternative teacher program or an approved alternative principal program.
(11) Endorsement means the designation on a license or an authorization of
grade level or developmental level, subject matter, or service specialization in
accordance with the preparation, training, and experience of the holder of such
license or authorization.
(11.5) Institute means the state charter school institute created pursuant to
section 22-30.5-503.
(12) Mentor administrator means any administrator who is designated by
the school district or districts, charter school, the institute, or nonpublic school
providing an approved induction program for initial administrator licensees and who
has demonstrated outstanding administrative skills and school leadership and can
provide exemplary modeling and counseling to initial administrator licensees
participating in an approved induction program.
(13) Mentor principal means any principal who is designated by the school
district or districts, charter school, the institute, or nonpublic school providing an
approved induction program for initial principal licensees and who has
demonstrated outstanding principal skills and school leadership and can provide
exemplary modeling and counseling to initial principal licensees participating in an
approved induction program.
(14) Mentor special services provider means any special services provider
who is designated by the school district or districts, charter school, the institute, or
nonpublic school providing an approved induction program for initial special
services licensees and who has demonstrated outstanding special services provider
skills and school leadership and can provide exemplary modeling and counseling to
initial special services licensees participating in an approved induction program.
(15) Mentor teacher means:
(a) A teacher designated by the school district, charter school, or nonpublic
school employing an alternative teacher and who has demonstrated outstanding
teaching and school leadership and can provide exemplary modeling and
counseling to alternative teachers participating in an alternative teacher program;
or
(b) Any teacher who is designated by the school district or districts, charter
school, the institute, or nonpublic school providing an approved induction program
for initial teacher licensees and who has demonstrated outstanding teaching and
school leadership and can provide exemplary modeling and counseling to initial
teacher licensees participating in an approved induction program.
(15.5) Nonpublic school means any independent or parochial school that
provides a basic academic education, as defined in section 22-33-104 (2)(b). Neither
the state board of education nor any local school board of education has
jurisdiction over the internal affairs of any independent or parochial school in
Colorado.
(16) Principal means any person who is employed as the chief executive
officer or an assistant chief executive officer of any school or nonpublic school in
the state and who administers, directs, or supervises the education instructional
program in such school or nonpublic school.
(16.5) Rural school district means a school district in Colorado that the
department of education determines is rural, based on the geographic size of the
school district and the distance of the school district from the nearest large,
urbanized area, and the total student enrollment is six thousand five hundred
students or fewer students.
(17) School means any of the public schools of the state.
(18) School district means any school district organized and existing
pursuant to law, but it does not include junior or community college districts.
School district includes a board of cooperative services organized pursuant to
article 5 of this title.
(19) Special services provider means any person other than a teacher,
principal, or administrator who is employed by any school district, charter school,
the institute, or nonpublic school to provide professional services to students in
direct support of the education instructional program.
(20) State board of education or state board means the state board of
education established by section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.
(21) Teacher means any person employed to instruct students in any school
or nonpublic school in the state.
(22) Teacher apprentice means a student who is registered and enrolled in
an approved teacher degree apprenticeship program, is enrolled in an affiliated
bachelor's degree program from an accredited institution, and has obtained a
Colorado teacher apprenticeship authorization pursuant to section 22-60.5-111. A
teacher apprentice can also mean a student enrolled in an approved teacher
degree apprenticeship program who is registered before August 7, 2023.
(23) Teacher apprenticeship program sponsor means an entity responsible
for the registration, administration, and operation of a teacher degree
apprenticeship program that has been approved by the United States department
of labor or the state apprenticeship agency and has been authorized by the state
department of education. A teacher apprenticeship program sponsor can also mean
an entity serving as a sponsor for an apprenticeship program that is registered
before August 7, 2023.
(24) Teacher degree apprenticeship program means a teacher education
program containing all of the elements of a competency-based, registered
apprenticeship program required by the United States department of labor as
evidenced by approval by the United States department of labor office of
apprenticeship or a state apprenticeship agency and approved by the state
department of education and sponsored by a teacher apprenticeship program
sponsor or a teacher apprenticeship program approved prior to August 7, 2023.