Project MOMENTUM has partnered with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to provide English Language Learner Professional Development RENEWAL Requirement.
Colorado educators with professional teacher licenses with an elementary, English language arts, math, science, social studies or middle-level endorsement are required to complete 45 contact hours of EL professional learning to renew their license. These 45 hours may be used toward fulfilling the 90 contact hours for renewal. For more information, visit the Colorado Department of Education English Learner PD Requirements - Information for Educators page.

Option 1: Project MOMENTUM Colorado Pathway

Project MOMENTUM has partnered with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to provide an approved program for completing the 45 hours of required professional development related to multilingual learners. Participants who complete the Project MOMENTUM 45 hour PD program will be issued a single certificate to submit with their license renewal application. 

This professional development course includes 3 modules:

Module 1: Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Classrooms

This module provides educators with the knowledge and tools to create inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive learning environments for multilingual learners. Participants will:

• Build a foundational understanding of terms related to multilingual students and the programs that support their success.

• Explore trends within the multilingual learner community and consider their implications for instructional practices and program planning.

• Describe basic processes of multilingual development and identify factors influencing language acquisition at various stages of life.

• Consider how social and cultural factors shape classroom interactions and learning experiences, identifying practices that foster linguistic and cultural pluralism.

• Discover actionable strategies for creating classroom environments that respect and amplify the voices of multilingual learners.

• Learn about schools' legal obligations to provide meaningful communication with multilingual families, and develop tools and strategies to support language accessibility in educational settings.

Module 2: Language & Literacy Instruction for Multilingual Learners

This module equips educators with the tools and knowledge to support multilingual learners in developing language and literacy skills across diverse educational contexts. Participants will:

•  Gain insights into the science of reading movement and evidence-based literacy practices, tailored to the needs of multilingual learners.

• Examine the unique literacy profiles of multilingual learners, including Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) and Recently Arrived English Learners (RAELs), such as students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). Learn to leverage their individual strengths and experiences to build literacy skills in English.

• Develop strategies for integrating language and content instruction using the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework

• Analyze grade-level materials to identify language demands and design instruction that supports multilingual learners in developing academic language across all domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

• Learn to create authentic, engaging opportunities for multilingual learners to hear and use academic language in meaningful contexts.

Module 3: Instruction and Assessment of Multilingual Learners

This module focuses on creating inclusive, equitable, and effective instructional and assessment practices for multilingual learners. Participants will:

• Examine WIDA English language proficiency levels and learn strategies for interpreting them to inform instruction that supports language development.

• Learn how to design instruction that is both comprehensible and engaging for multilingual learners, ensuring they can access grade-level content and fully participate in classroom activities.

• Develop skills to scaffold daily lessons, integrating language development with content knowledge.

• Practice writing content and language objectives aligned with standards and explore various instructional techniques that support multilingual learners' language acquisition and academic growth.

• Learn to differentiate assessments to meet diverse linguistic and learning needs.

• Discover strategies for incorporating student voice and choice, collaboration, and multimodal assessment opportunities to ensure assessments are equitable and inclusive.

• Engage in activities that build the skills necessary for effective interdisciplinary collaboration.

Directions:

1. Enroll: Enroll in the course. You will need to create an account with Proserva.

2. Complete Course: Complete the full course.

3. Download Certificate: Upon completion, a certificate of completion will be available for download within the Proserva system.

4. Submit to CDE: Submit the certificate to CDE with your professional license renewal application  to receive the English Learner Professional Development designation on your certificate.

Option 2: Individual Courses

Already completed some of your required PD? Colorado Educators may use Project MOMENTUM courses toward meeting the 45 hour requirement. Use the EL Professional Learning Matrix to select individual courses according to your needs. You will need to complete your own Colorado EL Professional Learning Matrix to outline your coursework and how they met professional learning requirements.

Directions:

1. Choose a Course: Select a course from the options below that align with your professional learning needs. While some Project MOMENTUM courses may feature Minnesota-specific data, statutes, policies, and other localized content, they also encompass universal best practices and strategies that are broadly applicable to multilingual learners in any context.

2. Enroll: Enroll in the course. You will need to create an account with Proserva.

3. Complete Course: Complete the full course.

4. Download Certificate: Upon completion, a certificate of completion will be available for download within the Proserva system.

5. Add to your EL Professional Learning Matrix: Fill out the English Learner Professional Learning Standards Matrix with the course information.

   • View a tutorial video on completing the matrix!

6. Submit to CDE: After completing 45 hours, submit the matrix with your professional license renewal application.