428.0 Guidelines for Salary Schedule Placement and Advancement

GUIDELINES FOR SALARY SCHEDULE PLACEMENT AND ADVANCEMENT
 OF K-12 AND SECONDARY VOCATIONAL TEACHERS

I.Credit for Prior Experience  (Experience credit is given only at the beginning of a school year assignment.  A maximum of one year of experience credit is allowed per school year, regardless of any cumulative excess of experience beyond that required for a single step credit.)

1. Recency of experience credited at time of placement
   1. Former employees (includes former part-time employees) are given full credit for experience previously credited and may be given credit for combined outside teaching and relevant work experience gained since the last District contract.
   2. New employees are placed on the salary schedule in accordance with initial placement guidelines.
2. Experience eligible for credit at the time of placement
   1. Work experience
      1. Work experience which is used to satisfy licensure requirements for secondary career and technical (vocational) instructors (up to a maximum of 6,000 hours) is not credited toward initial salary schedule placement.
      2. Health occupations instructors may require a formal registration/state licensure e.g., nurse, paramedic, surgical technologist, or any other programs requiring 2000 or more hours.
      3. Relevant, verified work experience equal to 2000 hours is considered to  equal  a full year.  Only 2000 hours of credit may be gained per year.  Hours worked in excess of 2000 hours will not carry forward into another fiscal year.
      4. Multiple part-time, relevant, verified hours of work experience may be summed to meet the 2000 hour requirement.  Work experience must be verified by hours worked from July 1 to July 1 of each year.
      5. The Anoka-Hennepin “Affidavit For Use with Self- or Family-Employment” may be necessary to verify hours of work experience.
   2. Teaching experience
      1. Out of district – Teachers’ contracts equal to or longer than one semester during a  regular school term (not including summer school) are considered  to equal a full year.
      2. In-District – Effective 7/1/99 (1) Contractual assignments of .25 FTE or greater are credited as full years of experience. (2) Part-time contractual assignments with greater than a .16 contract but less  than a .25 contract will advance one step after two years.
3. Types of prior experience eligible for placement credit consideration
   1. Types of experience
      1. All K-12 classroom teaching experience (in any field)
      2. Other student contact (non-classroom teaching) experience appropriate to the current assignment and for which similar minimal preparation and license are required (e.g., school psychology, media generalist/specialist, counseling, school administration, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker)
      3. All relevant, certified, paid work experience.
   2. Examples of settings from which teaching experience will be considered: 
      1. Public schools
      2. Private schools or institutions
      3. Related experience in educational programs sponsored by governmental agencies
      4. Colleges or universities.
4. Types of experiences eligible for credit toward step advancement
   1.  Full-time, full-year assignments covered by a teaching contract in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.
   2. Teachers on contract with a .25 contract or greater shall be given credit for one year step advancement; teachers with greater than a .16 contract but less than a .25 contract will advance one step after two years.
   3. Teachers employed on an hourly letter of agreement shall move to the next step if they work 500 or more hours in a school year; teachers with greater than 215 hours but less than 500 hours will advance one step after two years.
   4. Step advancement takes place at the start of the next school year.
   5. Teaching assignments reduced due to employment date, maternity leave, sick leave, or other unusual circumstances are credited based on annual FTE
       

II. Credit for Lane Placement and Advancement

Education - Course work enrolled in prior to the granting of a degree and in excess of the minimum requirements for that degree is considered to constitute part of that degree for purposes of initial placement or lane transfer.  Only credits earned after the degree has been granted may be applied toward the advanced salary lane.  This requirement pertains to both the Bachelors and Masters degrees.

1.Documentation required for validation of education credit

1. Official transcripts are required for initial placement and advancement to (or through) MA+60 classifications.
2. After initial placement, official certified degree documents may be accepted in lieu of transcripts as evidence of completion of a degree; however, official degree transcripts will be required before subsequent lane movement will be allowed.
3. Effective 7/1/2000, there will be no placements into the BA60 lane.  Effective 7/1/2001, the only teachers eligible for a lane change into the BA60 lane are those teachers who were on Career II Step as of June 30, 2000. 

2.Types of education for which credit is allowed

1. Types of institutions
   1. College credits earned for courses offered by a degree granting institution as applicable toward an appropriate accredited degree program currently listed by NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) or ACE (American Council for Education) or otherwise accepted as applicable toward licensure by the Minnesota Department of Education. Graduate credits must be granted by a graduate level degree institution.
      1. Teachers who have a bachelors degree and earn a second bachelors degree are classified BA+30, provided that an additional forty-five (45) credits were earned in obtaining the second degree.
      2. Teachers who have completed “five year” teacher preparation programs (e.g., St. Cloud, St. Thomas), one year of which was completed subsequent to the awarding of the Baccalaureate Degree, are classified at the BA+45 lane.
      3. Teachers who have a Master’s Degree and earn a second Master’s Degree are classified as MA+30.
      4. Teachers who have been granted a Specialist Degree or Doctorate are classified at MA+60.
         1. All college credits accepted (as described in a(1)) by degree granting institutions as applicable toward an appropriate degree program are applicable also for lane change.

       b. Level of course work

1. For degreed instructors
   1. A minimum of two-thirds of credits earned beyond the bachelors degree must be graduate level credits.  The only exception to this rule is allowed in the case of the second bachelors degree as described in (1)(a) above.  When such a classification is made, all subsequent credits toward BA+45 or BA+60 classifications must be graduate level credits earned after the second bachelors degree was granted.
   2. All course work beyond the masters degree must carry graduate-level credit.
   3. Effective July 1, 2001, the only teachers eligible for a lane change into the BA60 lane are those teachers who were on Career II Step as of June 30, 2000.
   4. Individuals who commence internships/practicums during or after the 2001-2002 school year will be allowed to apply credits associated with or earned in connection with internships/practicums towards salary lane advancement, even if the internship/practicum is paid by Anoka-Hennepin.
2. For nondegreed instructors
   1. Undergraduate credits, graduate credits, or a combination will be accepted for advancement up to and including BA+60. All undergraduate credits must be in a teacher’s field, in a closely related field, or in education.
   2. All credits earned beyond BA+60 must be graduate level credits.
   3. Individuals who commence internships/practicums during or after the 2001-2002 school year will be allowed to apply credits associated with or earned in connection with internships/practicums towards salary lane advancement.

      c. Field of course work

1. Course work primarily intended to prepare a teacher for another profession or trade outside of education will not be applied toward placement or lane advancement.
2. All undergraduate credits beyond the bachelors degree must be in the teacher’s field, in a closely related field, or in education.
3. A masters degree and credit earned beyond the masters degree must be in the subject the teacher teaches, education, curriculum, instruction, or a similar concentration normally offered through the graduate program of a college of education to qualify that teacher for a MA classification and MA lanes.
4. Credit will not be granted for courses bearing identical course titles or identification numbers or courses in other ways appearing similar, unless documentation is submitted which clearly demonstrates that such courses differ significantly in content.
5. Education credits granted by a degree-granting institution as transfer credits or equivalency credits based on experience do not apply toward lane change if any of the following situations apply:
   1. Such credits were earned or experience was obtained prior to the granting of a previous degree, or
   2. Experience credit or other education credit is granted for the same experience, or
   3. Experience was used to meet state licensure requirements for a vocational license

d. Specific education credit restrictions apply in the following areas for initial placement in the salary schedule and for lane advancement, whether or not these credits are included in degree programs:

1. Human relations courses submitted beyond those required to meet State licensure requirements will be applicable only if documentation is submitted to demonstrate that such courses substantially differ in content.
2. Drivers education
   1. If teacher’s primary assignment is driver’s education, an unlimited number of credits are allowed.
   2. If driver’s education is part of the teacher’s classroom assignment or is in an extracurricular assignment, a maximum of twelve (12) quarter credits are allowed. Consideration will be given to credits beyond twelve (12) if they are a necessary licensure requirement.
   3. A maximum of six (6) quarter credits may be applied to the bachelors degree lanes for others.  Consideration will be given to credits beyond six (6) if they are a necessary licensure requirement.
3. Coaching courses or clinics in methods or techniques taken for college credit
   1. If a teacher’s primary assignment is physical education, an unlimited number of credits are allowed.
   2. A maximum of six (6) quarter credits may be applied toward only the bachelors degree lanes for others.  Consideration will be given to credits beyond six (6) if they are a necessary licensure requirement.
4. Credit will not be allowed for courses if :
   1. fees are paid by Anoka-Hennepin, or
   2. paid time-off is granted by Anoka-Hennepin for attendance at such courses.
   3. Individuals who commence internships/practicums during or after the 2001-2002 school year will be allowed to apply credits associated with or earned in connection with internships/practicums towards salary lane advancement.

III. Licensure

1. Licensure required for a particular assignment is to be designated by the Director or other administrator responsible for hiring, in accordance with Minnesota Department of Education regulations or the Minnesota State Plan for Vocational Education.
2. Placement of teachers lacking documentation of Minnesota licensure
   1. If routine renewal or reciprocity is being processed, no written documentation to that effect is required in lieu of license 
   2. If teacher is already licensed to teach or if the above (B1) applies, but special licensure has not yet been completed and/or granted, a letter from the Minnesota Department of Education may be accepted until the license is printed.
   3.  If teacher/intern does not have a current license on file with the Minnesota         Department of Education, the teacher must provide at time of hiring:
      1. date-stamped copy of the license application, and a copy of all documents         required to meet licensing conditions, or
      2.  a letter from the Minnesota Department of Education may be accepted until the license is printed.
      3. New graduates must also provide proof of successful completion of student teaching and the Pre-Professional Skills Test.

IV. Mechanics of placements and lane changes

A. Timetable:

B.Validation of qualifications

1.  Licensure - A regular teacher’s contract is not issued to any individual who is not licensed/qualified for licensure to teach in Minnesota.
2. Education credit - It is the responsibility of the teacher to furnish all documentation and descriptive material (e.g., college catalogs, brochures, enrollment dates, level of course work, official degree transcripts).
3. Experience credit - It is the responsibility of the teacher to provide adequate documentation to verify appropriateness of experience for which placement or advancement credit is given.

C.Processing of placements, lane changes

1. Upon receipt of documentation of licensure/qualification for licensure, a teacher’s contract is issued and retroactivity to the date of eligibility is processed.  
2. Until required documentation of eligibility for educational credit is received, a teacher’s classification level is limited to the highest degree level for which certified degree documents have been submitted or to the BA level if such documents have not been submitted.  Upon receipt of official documentation of additional credits completed prior to placement/lane change cutoff date, retroactivity is processed.  Newly hired teachers will have 60 calendar days from first day of employment to provide required documentation to qualify for full retroactivity. 
3. Until experience verification is received, a teacher’s step placement is limited to step 1 or the highest step for which verification has been received.  Upon receipt of such verification, retroactivity for allowable experience is processed. Newly hired teachers will have 60 calendar days from first day of employment to provide required documentation to qualify for full retroactivity.
4. Effective 7/1/2000, there will be no placements into the BA60 lane.  Effective 7/1/2001, the only teachers eligible for a lane change into the BA60 lane are those teachers who were on Career II Step as of June 30, 2000.