8. Teacher Professional Growth and Increments for Blocks of Advanced Work
8.1: General Provisions
8.2: Courses in a Related Field
8.3: Certification in a Specialized Field
8.4: Approval of Courses
8.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. Application and Course Approval Process for Increment Payments
In order for teachers to receive a salary increment in the following year for advanced work, these two requirements must be met:
1. All requests for approval of courses must be submitted electronically on the District intranet account no later than 15 days (“calendar” days during the summer) after said course(s) begins. All requests for approval of on-line and one-day courses must be submitted electronically no later than 15 days after the registration date. Indicate on the form if the courses will be taken during the summer. Any dispute which arises as to timelines or accuracy of a request for approval will be resolved according to the date it was electronically submitted.
a. Requests so submitted which satisfy this requirement will be processed by the Office of Human Resources within 15 days (“calendar” days during the summer) after date of receipt or automatic approval will be granted.
b. These requests for approval will be requested and stored by intranet indicating either (1), (2), or (3) as below stated. In those instances where incremental credit is not approved, the teacher shall be given specific written reasons for the denial.
(1) Approved for incremental credit;
(2) Disapproved for incremental credit;
(3) More information needed before a decision can be reached.
2. Official transcripts substantiating such training received prior to September 1 must be filed in the Office of Human Resources on or before November 1. Additionally, the Incremental Request form must also be filed electronically by November 1 through the 17-18 school year. The final step, which is the Incremental step form, will be eliminated beginning in the 18-19 school year. (This requirement will be waived in those particular instances where the institution has failed to provide the Office of Human Resources with such transcripts as per teacher request and the written request to the institution has been copied to the Office of Human Resources prior to October 1.)
Upon determination that such requests are accurate and the official transcript received, payment will begin with the second payroll following submission of said request or the second payroll following ratification in bargaining years.
B. Updating of Knowledge:
The Association and the Administration shall cooperatively establish opportunities by which teachers and administrators may increase or update their knowledge of their teaching field or in general areas of education designed to enhance the educational program of the District.
C. Undergraduate Courses:
Undergraduate courses generally will not be approved for incremental purposes on the salary schedule. They may be approved in unusual circumstances and as an exception to policy; however, if related to some of the special concerns and/or situations noted herein, and with prior approval of the Superintendent.
D. Limitation for Hours Earned:
Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, teachers taking university credit courses shall be limited to a maximum of 20 hours approved for incremental credit during the regular school year. Hours earned over this amount will be held for movement until the next fiscal year and not counted towards the 20 hour maximum for that fiscal year. The 20 hour maximum also applies to movement to the master’s column.
E. Time Limitations for Incremental Credit:
Courses for which incremental credit is approved must be utilized within eight years after completion of said course(s).
F. Additional Incremental Credit:
Incremental credit may be granted by the Superintendent for workshop attendance, in-service programs, or completion of designated projects.
G. Minimum Grade Requirement:
In order to receive incremental credit for an approved course the grade earned must be an “A” or a “B”, or the equivalent. In a pass/fail situation the grade must be “Pass”.
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8.2 COURSES IN A RELATED FIELD
Courses for which incremental credit is sought and which are taken in a related field will generally be approved if the teacher can justify the relevance of such course(s) to his/her instructional program. However, the course(s) must be approved by the Superintendent in advance of enrollment. A related field might include certain courses in areas such as:
1. Psychology
2. Guidance and Counseling
3. Audio-Visual Methods
4. Educational Statistics and/or Methods of Research
5. Administration and Supervision
6. Other general educational courses designed to enhance the teacher’s professional effectiveness in the area to which the teacher is assigned.
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8.3 CERTIFICATION IN A SPECIALIZED FIELD
Teachers who are working toward certification in a special field, e.g. Guidance and Counseling or Administration and Supervision, should not expect to receive credit for every course made available to them. An exception could be made, however, should the District, through the Superintendent, request that a teacher acquire special and/or additional preparation as a prerequisite to an anticipated and agreed upon future assignment. Even in the absence of such a District request, if the teacher were to be employed and assigned subsequently to a position utilizing such special and/or additional training, he/she will be given credit for the training at the time that such assignment and determination of salary are made.
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8.4 APPROVAL OF COURSES
Courses in a Graduate Degree Program:
1. Any teacher entering a graduate degree program in his/her major area of preparation or present teaching assignment will submit to the Superintendent information regarding the subject area of his/her degree program and verification of acceptance into the program. Once the Superintendent has verified acceptance into said degree program, courses and/or workshops taken which are part of the degree program will automatically be approved for incremental credit.
Courses Not in a Graduate Program:
1. Courses or workshops not in a graduate degree program but within the teacher’s present teaching assignment or major area of preparation will receive approval for incremental credit.
2. Courses or workshops not in a graduate degree program but which are in a related field, as defined in 8.2, will be submitted to the Superintendent for a decision as per 8.1A and will generally be approved if the teacher can justify the relevance of such course(s) to his/her instructional program.
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