Colo. Rev. Stat. § 22-60.3-201 – Definitions.

As used in this part 2, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Department means the department of education created and existing pursuant to section 24-1-115.
(2) Educator preparation program means an approved program of preparation, as defined in section 22-60.5-102 (8), or an alternative teacher program, as defined in section 22-60.5-102 (5), or other organization that provides educator preparation for a qualified program participant and is approved by the department.
(3) Educator recruitment and retention program or program means the educator recruitment and retention program created in section 22-60.3-202.
(4) Local education provider means a school district, a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title 22, a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22, or a board of cooperative services created and operating pursuant to article 5 of this title 22 that operates one or more public schools.
(5) Member of the armed forces means a member of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, or any of the armed forces' active reserve components, or of the National Guard.
(5.5) Paraprofessional means a person who is trained to assist a licensed teacher.
(6) Qualified program participant means an individual who meets the program criteria and is either a member of the armed forces or a nonmilitary-affiliated educator candidate.
(7) 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.
(8) Separation means honorable discharge, release from active duty, release from custody and control of the armed forces, or a similar change in active or reserve status.
(9) Small rural school district means a school district in Colorado that the department 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 that enrolls fewer than one thousand students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.
(10) State board means the state board of education created and existing pursuant to section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.

Source: L. 2021: Entire part added, (SB 21-185), ch. 246, p. 1329, § 6, effective September 7. L. 2025: (5.5) added, (HB 25-1307), ch. 443, p. 2553, § 1, effective August 6.