History of TILA

TILA has functioned as a designated agency for alternative teacher licensure since 2001 and has been approved by the Colorado Department of Education until 2009 when it will then seek renewal. The agency can recommend licensure for teachers seeking endorsements in elementary education, special education and a variety of secondary content areas. Approval is pending for Linguistically Diverse Education and Principal Licensure.

Since its inception, TILA has recommended licensure for over 100 teachers in a variety of endorsement areas, the majority being in special education. The program has grown significantly over the last five years and is a recent recipient of a federally sponsored Department of Education Transition to Teaching grant and will support over 175 classroom teachers in the Alternative Teacher Licensure program in the 2007-2008 school year statewide.

The program has developed a strong partnership with the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC) that enables licensure candidates to earn 9 graduate credits at the University. These credits will directly transfer into one of two M.A. programs (Curriculum and Instruction with a Focus on Language, Literacy and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Special Education) at UCDHSC. The cost of these credits is included in the TILA fee schedule. Candidates cannot opt out of their required participation in the earning of or paying for these credits for a reduced rate or workload. The path to the graduate credits is embedded into the State-approved TILA program and negotiated into the agreement between TILA and UCDHSC.