Salary Schedule Advancement

Step 1: Check to see if the university is an accredited institution.

Ensure the college/university which the employee wants to attend is an accredited educational institution. Accreditation used for salary advancement can be found on the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). Please Note: Degrees and coursework must have been completed while the institution was regionally accredited in order for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to consider them for credentialing purposes. Regional accreditation can be found on CTC-approved Regional Accrediting Bodies.

Step 2: Check in with HRD

Check in with an HRD Credential Analyst if there are any questions about unit counts or specific requirements to salary schedule advancement at: hrdtranscripts@vusd.org

• Upper division or graduate semester units taken after the BA/BS must show upper division/graduate semester units with term date after bachelor's degree conferral date.
• Units completed as a part of a concurrent (i.e. "hybrid program") program must be submitted for Assistant Superintendent approval. Along with the other criteria listed below, the following will be considered in determining post-baccalaureate unit approval.
  1. Transcripts indicate post-baccalaureate credit for courses.
  2. In absence of transcript clarity, a letter from the registrar's office indicating the specific courses in the program the employee received post-baccalaureate credit, would be accepted.
• Professional Development Units - a maximum of 15 semester units may be counted as "professional development units" over the course of your career. These units must be:
  1. Accrued after January 1, 2018.
  2. Earned at an accredited educational institution.
  3. Upper division or graduate level units.
• Lower Division Units - lower division units must be submitted for Assistant Superintendent approval to be counted towards PD units. The following will be considered in determining post-baccalaureate unit approval.
  1. Type of unit (e.g. semester unit).
  2. Conferring institution (e.g. college or university).
  3. Relationship to professional role (e.g. board goals, site/dept. goals, CSTP's/PD goals). Note: lower division courses that are redundant to compulsory training are typically not accepted (e.g. sexual harassment, bullying, mandated reporting/child abuse).

Step 3: Selection of Courses

Once an employee selects courses they are interested in pursuing they may contact HRD Credential Analyst by emailing hrdtranscripts@vusd.org with the following information:

• College/University Accreditation
• Course - Title and Number
• Course Numbering System - Transcript Legend or Key
• Credit Values

  i) Quarter or Semester (all units are converted into Semester units). Unit Calculator

Step 4: HRD Review

Following receipt of the information listed above, an HRD Credential Analyst will review the submitted documentation and respond to the employee within two weeks, indicating one of the following:

1. Units are eligible for credit towards salary schedule advancement.
   • Response would also provide determination of course/unit type (e.g. semester/quarter, graduate/upper division/professional development, etc.)
2. Units are NOT eligible for credit towards salary schedule advancement.
   • Response would include rationale for determination.
3. Additional information is needed to determining whether units are eligible for credit towards salary schedule advancement.
   • Response would indicate the necessary details/documentation.

Submit Official Transcripts

Once coursework has been completed, employees must submit official transcripts to HRD, verifying course completion and award of units. Electronic submission of official transcripts may be sent from the college/university directly to the recipient email address: hrdtranscripts@vusd.org. Hard copies may be mailed to or dropped off in a university-sealed envelope to be considered official.