Become a Bilingual Educator

At CU Denver, teacher licensure with an elementary education emphasis has a CLD-BE endorsement embedded within the regular coursework for the program. It qualifies you to support and teach bilingual students in bilingual education classroom settings.

The CLD endorsement prepares educators from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including bilingual learners, in any program model. The CLD-BE endorsement includes the CLD endorsement but extends it with a focus on teaching bilingual learners in the context of bilingual education or dual language bilingual education programs. Coursework and field experiences within the CLD-BE pathway are designed bilingually in Spanish and English.

When you start the teacher licensure with an emphasis in elementary education + CLD-BE program, we expect you to have an intermediate level of proficiency in Spanish. Throughout the program, we will support your on-going language and literacy development in Spanish and English. We accept the Seal of Biliteracy as one way for you to show biliteracy proficiency. If you did not receive the Seal of Biliteracy from your district, no worries! We will conduct an intake interview with you that will also include a written sample in Spanish to gauge your proficiency level in Spanish. You may show your proficiency through other exams or coursework you have taken.

 Yes, the Seal of Biliteracy can be used as evidence of bilingual proficiency.

Since the CLD-BE endorsement is embedded within the elementary education teacher licensure concentration, many of your classes will be in English. However, we have specifically designed the bilingual pathway to integrate Spanish-language course materials and assignment into five courses and an anchor course which focuses on bilingual teaching methods is primarily taught in Spanish.

Requirements typically include:

• Strong proficiency in English and a second language
• Completion of CLD-BE endorsement coursework
• Teacher licensure (usually elementary education)
• Field experiences with bilingual students

Full list of CDE endorsement requirements.

No. The endorsement is embedded in the elementary education emphasis, and it does not typically add extra time to your degree. Advising can provide a personalized timeline.

If you already have a bachelor's degree and a teaching license, you can pursue the CLD-BE added endorsement through our MA in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education.

As a non-education major at CU Denver, you have the option to get a teaching minor. The Teacher Education minor gets you access to a 4+1 program that helps you earn a degree in your current major, a Master’s in Teaching, and a Colorado teaching license. This initial teacher licensure program does not include coursework that leads to the CLD-BE endorsement. To add the CLD-BE endorsement to your teaching license, you will need to take additional courses and then apply for the endorsement through the Colorado Department of Education.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree but not a teaching license, you can pursue the Master’s in Teaching program with specializations such as elementary education or secondary math and science. Another alternative is ASPIRE to Teach, a teacher preparation program in Colorado eligible for the PreK-12 education endorsement.

More info about Alternative Licensure.

Currently, the CLD-BE endorsement is designed to be completed alongside the teacher licensure program with an emphasis in elementary education licensure at the master’s level. You may be able to fulfill the requirements of the CLD and CLD-BE endorsements by taking additional courses and then applying for the endorsements through the Colorado Department of Education.