As used in this article 60.3, unless the context otherwise requires: …

• (4) "Cultural competence" means the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures, including understanding one's own cultural views and developing a positive attitude toward cultural differences.

(1) Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, the department shall contract with up to three institutions of higher education and up to three alternative teacher programs, each of which operates a proven and successful teacher residency program in Colorado, to operate the pilot teacher residency programs for the teacher residency expansion program. In selecting the institutions of higher education and the alternative teacher programs, the department shall ensure that the teacher residency programs that they operate have demonstrated success in training and retaining effective teachers and responsiveness to statewide needs in geographically diverse communities and are operating in partnership with a school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services that operates a public school. The selected institutions of higher education and alternative teacher programs shall expand their teacher residency programs on a pilot basis with local education providers, alternative teacher programs, and institutions of higher education, which expansion must, at a minimum, include documentation of the tuition model, course scope, mentoring supports, models for paraprofessional development, and multiple staffing models. The pilot programs shall also share these components with the department, which shall share them with other local education providers, alternative teacher programs, and institutions of higher education that are not participating in the pilot programs. ...

(3) After the pilot programs described in this section have operated for one school year, and annually thereafter, the department shall review the information collected from the pilot programs to determine whether the pilot programs are effective in increasing retention of the teachers employed by the participating local education providers and raising the cultural competence of the teacher residents who participate in the pilot programs. In measuring the effectiveness of the pilot programs, the department shall consider:

• (a) The developmental progress, including levels of cultural competence, of the teacher residents participating in the pilot program before, during, and after participation in the pilot program ...

… (c) In selecting professional development activities for the renewal of a professional license pursuant to this section, each licensee shall choose those activities that will aid the licensee in meeting the Standard for a professional educator, including but not limited to the following goals: ...

• (IV) Recognition, appreciation, and support for ethnic, cultural, gender, economic, and human diversity to provide fair and equitable treatment and consideration for all ...