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Salary Advancement Information
The Certification Unit in the Department of Certification & Continuing Education, determines the applicability of all degrees and credits for placement on the various salary schedules. Acceptable courses (grade "C" or better) and degrees would be those that are relevant to the professional assignment and/or to the anticipated professional responsibility and taken beyond the normal workday. All graduate credits taken through a regionally accredited college/university and MSDE approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits earned after the completion of the bachelor's degree are acceptable toward advanced salary placement.
If you are unsure about what completed and verified course work is in your certification file that is applicable toward salary advancement, please see additional information on the Post-Baccalaureate Record information page.
Procedure for Requesting Advanced Salary Placement
PLEASE NOTE: Placement on advanced salary lanes is not automatic. It is the professional's responsibility to request advanced salary placement.
- Submit the original Form 475-1, Request for Advanced Salary Placement, (faxes and email requests are not acceptable) to the Department of Certification & Continuing Education/Certification Unit.
Important Note: This form is to be used ONLY when you qualify for a salary lane change. Do NOT use this form to submit original, official coursework to be added to your certification file unless you are qualified for a salary lane change at that time.
- The request will be processed only when successful completion of all course work has been verified (Professional Development Online [PDO] printouts are NOT acceptable). Credit verification forms are automatically filed for all MCPS CPD courses, but completion of a university or college course must be verified by submitting an original, official transcript to the Department of Certification & Continuing Education/Attn: Certification Unit (photocopies, computer printouts, faxes and PDO printouts are NOT acceptable). MSDE approved CPDs must be submitted to the Professional Development Liaison in the Department of Certification & Continuing Education/Attn: Continuing Education for approval and distribution.
Qualifying for Advanced Salary Placement
Employees who qualify for a salary lane change will move to the new lane and receive a one-time lump sum payment of $1,200 (prorated for part-time educators). There will be no retroactive payment. Salary lane changes will occur no later than the second pay period after all required and verified official documentation of eligibility is submitted to the Department of Certification & Continuing Education/Attn: Certification Unit. Yearly "salary schedules" can be accessed on the ERSC Web site.
For information concerning qualifications for placement on advanced salary schedules, please refer to Policy GHC: Salaries and Other Benefits of Professional Personnel or contact the Certification Unit.
Overview of Salary Lanes
The following chart reflects an overview of the salary lanes. Click on the applicable salary lane for more information related to that salary lane.
| Bachelor’s |
Master’s or
Master’s Equivalent |
| Bachelor’s degree or non-degree T & I (Trades and Industry)* |
A minimum of 30 post-baccalaureate credits, 15 of which must be graduate; the remaining 15 may be graduate or CPD; or
Two bachelor’s degree conferrals with a minimum of 30 credits in the second degree
|
Master’s+30 or
Master’s Equivalent+30 |
Master’s+60 or
Master’s Equivalent+60 |
| A minimum of 60 post-baccalaureate credits, 15 of which must be graduate; the remaining 45 may be graduate or CPD |
A minimum of 90 post-baccalaureate credits, 15 of which must be graduate; the remaining 75 may be graduate or CPD |
Important Notes
- The terms "credit" refers to semester hours. Quarter hour credits are converted to semester hour credits with three quarter hours equaling two semester hours.
- Acceptable courses (grade "C" or better) and degrees are those that are relevant to the professional assignment and/or to the anticipated professional responsibility and are taken beyond the normal workday.
- Only graduate and CPD credits count toward advanced salary placement. Undergraduate and equivalent credits are not applicable toward advanced salary placement.
- Graduate credits earned prior to the granting of a bachelor's degree, even though not required for the undergraduate degree, will not be accepted as graduate credit unless an advanced degree has been granted and the credit was part of the advanced degree program (not a prerequisite).
- *Trades & Industry employees should contact the Certification office regarding salary advancement.
- An employee who has earned a second bachelor's degree after the granting of the first bachelor's degree should refer to the information on the MEQ salary lane.
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