Here’s how to become a math teacher in Colorado: earn a bachelor’s degree, finish an approved preparation program with student teaching, and prove your math knowledge, usually with a 159 on Praxis Mathematics (5165). You then apply to the Colorado Department of Education for a three-year initial license and finish induction to earn a seven-year professional license.
Your first decision is the grade band. Colorado endorses math teachers for middle school (grades 6-8) or secondary (grades 6-12), and the band you pick decides which Praxis test you take. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) issues every teaching license, and the four steps below show how to become a math teacher in Colorado, whether you’re finishing a college program or changing careers (requirements checked October 2026).
- Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and an Approved Preparation Program
- Prove Your Math Content Knowledge
- Submit Fingerprints and Apply for Your Initial License
- Finish Induction and Earn Your Professional License
Step 1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and an Approved Preparation Program
You need a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. CDE keeps a list of the regional accrediting organizations it accepts, so check your school against it before you apply.
For the traditional route, you also complete a Colorado-approved teacher preparation program that includes student teaching. Many students do both at once in a math education bachelor’s program. If you already hold a degree, you can enter a post-baccalaureate program or an alternative program instead (see Step 3). CDE’s Educator Preparation Office links to its search tool for approved programs. For the national picture, see our guide to certification requirements for math teachers.
Step 2. Prove Your Math Content Knowledge
Colorado gives first-time license applicants several ways to show they know the math. A test is only one of them. Under the multiple measures rules in House Bill 22-1220, applicants for a middle school math or 6-12 endorsement can qualify through any one of the following, per CDE’s Multiple Measures of Content Competency page:
- A passing score on the Colorado-approved Praxis test for your endorsement
- A bachelor’s or higher degree in math
- 24 semester hours of math coursework aligned to the endorsement, with a B-minus or better in every course
- A portfolio review of evidence, submitted on CDE’s multiple measures worksheet
Here’s how the two math endorsements compare, from CDE’s teacher endorsement requirements (checked October 2026):
| Endorsement | Grades | Praxis Test and Colorado Score | Other Ways to Qualify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (Secondary) | 6-12 | Praxis Mathematics (5165): 159 | Math degree, or 24 semester hours on the secondary math worksheet |
| Mathematics (Middle School) | 6-8 | Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164): 157 | Math degree, or 24 semester hours on the middle school math worksheet |
Older scores still count for a while. CDE accepts Praxis 5161 (152) for secondary math if you took it between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2022. It accepts Praxis 5169 (165) for middle school math if you took it between September 1, 2018 and August 31, 2022. Both expire on August 31, 2027.
If you take the Praxis, register through ETS’s Colorado requirements page. If you test outside Colorado, or your Praxis profile has an out-of-state address, add the Colorado Department of Education (code 7040) as a score recipient. Otherwise CDE won’t get your scores. ETS lists Praxis Mathematics (5165) at $130 (checked October 2026). ETS labels that test Mathematics (7-12) on its Colorado page, but the CDE endorsement it satisfies covers grades 6-12.
Step 3. Submit Fingerprints and Apply for Your Initial License
Every application runs through COOL, CDE’s online licensing system. Create your COOL account first, under your full legal name and Social Security number. You’ll need it before you’re fingerprinted, because CDE posts your background check results to that account.
Next, get fingerprinted through a CBI-approved vendor for the Educator Licensing Act. Prints taken for a school district or another job don’t transfer. You can submit your application as soon as you’ve had your fingerprint appointment. You don’t have to wait for the results. If CDE receives your results and no qualifying application follows within 30 days, you’ll have to be fingerprinted again. CDE’s fingerprint requirements page lists the vendors. Were you fingerprinted for student teaching in a Colorado traditional program? Those results work for your first license if you apply by August 1 after a spring finish, or March 1 after a fall one.
The initial teacher license checklist asks for the following:
- A valid government-issued ID
- An official transcript from every college you attended, uploaded to the application (CDE shreds transcripts mailed to it)
- An approved program verification (APV) form signed by your preparation program’s registrar or certification officer
- Your content knowledge proof from Step 2: a Praxis score report, an endorsement worksheet, or a multiple measures approval notice
- Your work history and any required self-disclosures
The application fee is $90 and isn’t refundable. Once you start an application in COOL, submit it within 14 days or the system deletes it, so gather your documents first. CDE generally evaluates complete applications within 45 business days, though it can take longer in busy periods, especially May through September. Your initial license lasts three years and can be renewed once. Questions go to CDE Educator Licensing at (720) 739-3304.
The Alternative Route for Career Changers
If you have a bachelor’s degree but no teacher preparation, you can teach full time while you complete a one-year or two-year alternative program run by a CDE-approved designated agency. CDE’s alternative teacher pathway page describes two credentials:
- Alternative teacher license: for candidates who already show content knowledge through a math degree, qualifying math coursework or a passing Praxis score. If you plan to use other multiple measures evidence, such as a portfolio, confirm with CDE that it works for the alternative route. This license lasts the length of your program.
- Interim authorization: for candidates who haven’t shown content knowledge yet and will do it during the program. It lasts one year and can be renewed for a two-year program.
Either way, you need a math teaching job that matches your endorsement, an agreement with the designated agency, and a Statement of Assurance signed by you, your employer and the agency. Alternative license applicants can apply before the job and agency agreement are final, then upload those documents within 60 days of CDE’s notice that they qualify. Interim authorization applicants need the job and program enrollment in place before they apply. Once you finish the program, you advance to an initial or professional license.
Step 4. Finish Induction and Earn Your Professional License
Your initial license moves to a professional license when you complete a CDE-approved induction program. Your school district, BOCES, charter school or nonpublic school provides it, and it usually pairs you with a mentor teacher during your first years. Ask your district’s HR office how its program works. An induction program completed in another state doesn’t count.
When you finish, the provider gives you an induction certificate. Upload it with the initial to professional license application in COOL and pay the $90 fee. Induction is the only requirement for this move. You don’t need renewal credits. The professional license is valid for seven years. Once you’re licensed, see what the job pays on our Colorado math teacher salary page.
Renewing Your Professional License
To renew, you document 90 contact hours of professional development, or six semester hours of college coursework, completed during the seven years your license is active. One semester hour equals 15 contact hours. Two topic requirements sit inside those 90 hours, per CDE’s professional license renewal checklist:
- Special education and behavioral health: at least 10 of the 90 hours must address behavioral health and educating students with disabilities, with at least one hour on each topic. This applies at every renewal of a license that expires on or after June 30, 2025.
- English learner professional learning: a one-time, 45-hour requirement for math endorsements, applied to professional licenses renewed on or after September 1, 2025. Once you hold the designation, you don’t repeat it. The 45 hours count toward your 90, past training counts even if you used it for an earlier renewal, and up to 10 hours can come from relevant work experience.
Districts and CSI charter schools where 2% or fewer students are English learners can request a waiver of the English learner requirement, but a waiver covers only one renewal. See CDE’s English learner PD requirements for the details.
The renewal fee is $90. Math-specific professional development counts toward your hours, and these groups offer it:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I become a math teacher in Colorado without an education degree?
Yes. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in any field, you can enter an alternative program and teach on an alternative teacher license or interim authorization while you train. An alternative teacher license requires demonstrated content knowledge before CDE issues it. An interim authorization lets eligible candidates demonstrate content knowledge during an approved alternative program.
Do I have to take the Praxis to teach math in Colorado?
Not always. First-time applicants can qualify with a math degree, 24 semester hours of aligned math coursework with a B-minus or better, or a portfolio review instead. The Praxis is the fastest option if you don’t have a math degree: 5165 with a 159 for grades 6-12, or 5164 with a 157 for grades 6-8.
How long is a Colorado teaching license valid?
An initial license is valid for three years and can be renewed once. A professional license is valid for seven years and renews with 90 contact hours of professional development. An alternative teacher license lasts the length of your alternative program.
I’m licensed in another state. What do I do?
Apply through CDE’s teachers from outside Colorado checklist. You must hold, or be eligible to hold, a license in the state that approved your program. CDE then evaluates your preparation, licensed experience and Colorado’s math endorsement requirements, so an out-of-state license doesn’t transfer automatically. The fee is $110, and the license you receive lasts one, three or seven years depending on your qualifications. Still weighing a neighboring state? Compare our guides for Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.
Do I have to wait for my fingerprint results before I apply?
No. You can submit your COOL application once you’ve had your fingerprint appointment. Apply within 30 days of CDE receiving your results, or you’ll need a new set of prints.
- Pick your grade band first: Colorado’s secondary math endorsement covers grades 6-12 and its middle school endorsement covers grades 6-8.
- The test has alternatives: for a first license, a math degree, 24 semester hours of math with a B-minus or better, or a portfolio can replace Praxis 5165 (159) or 5164 (157).
- Fingerprints start a 30-day clock: you can apply right after your appointment, but you must apply within 30 days of CDE receiving your results. Budget $90 for the application.
- Induction unlocks the professional license: your three-year initial license becomes a seven-year professional license once you finish a CDE-approved induction program.
- Career changers can teach while training: an alternative license or interim authorization puts you in a paid classroom during a one-year or two-year program.
If you’re starting from scratch in Colorado, the program you choose decides whether you finish student teaching on a set calendar or move into an alternative route sooner. The schools listed here include math education programs you can compare by format, length and endorsement area.