Colorado moving ahead with 4-tier teacher rating system that makes it easier to fire educators |

Colorado officials are taking final action on a teacher rating system that could make it easier to fire teachers who don't meet testing standards.The Board of Education was poised to approve the system Wednesday. The standards create a four-tier grading system for teachers and principals. The grades are "highly effective," ''effective," ''partially effective" and "ineffective."

Educators rated "ineffective" for two consecutive years would lose tenure. New teachers would need three consecutive years of "effective" ratings to make tenure.

The standards won't be in place for many just yet. They will be tested at pilot schools, and state lawmakers have to sign off next year.

AP