Short answer
How do Anchorage teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
By earning pre-approved semester credits after the bachelor's degree. The columns are B00, B18, B36, B54 and B72. B36 needs 12 graduate-level credits; B54 and B72 need 30 and 42 graduate-level credits at grade B or higher. Credits are approved in Frontline Professional Growth first, then claimed on form HR 509 with transcripts, one column per academic year.
Source: ASD–AEA Negotiated Agreement, July 1, 2026–June 30, 2029, Sections 105, 115 and 120. Checked .
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How is the Anchorage teacher salary schedule organized?
Section 105 of the 2026–2029 agreement prints the schedule. For 2026-27 it has five columns, and each column has its own number of steps:
- B00, a bachelor's degree: steps 0 to 10
- B18: steps 0 to 12
- B36: steps 0 to 15
- B54: steps 0 to 17
- B72: steps 0 to 20
Section 110 credits a year of service for 140 or more instructional days and limits vertical movement to two steps in any year. Step and educational attainment are provided "in each year of this agreement effective July 1," and members on a plan of improvement the prior year are not eligible. Degrees are paid as supplements rather than columns: a master's or doctorate as highest degree earns an annual percentage supplement, and degrees outside education count only if they are in or relevant to the member's current teaching subject. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains how uneven step counts like these work.
Which units count toward an Anchorage column change?
Semester hours earned after the bachelor's degree, under Section 115 of the agreement. Section 115.A says credits "must be in the member's major or minor field, present teaching area, or a District certificated employment area and earned from an accredited college or university, or Continuing Education Units." The column requirements are:
- B18: 18 semester hours after the bachelor's degree.
- B36: 36 semester hours, 12 of them graduate level. Type C or M certificated members may substitute courses related to their present assignment for this column only.
- B54: 54 semester hours, 30 of them graduate-level credit "reflecting grade 'B' or higher."
- B72: 72 semester hours, 42 of them graduate-level credit at B or higher.
Section 115.E requires college credit to be accredited by one of six regional associations, including the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Section 115.D lets the district refuse off-campus credit when it can show the member "has not received at least 15 hours of instruction per semester hour of credit." Credit for non-college work sponsored by the Teaching and Learning Department, at 15 contact hours to one credit, "may be granted by the District." Our article on quarter versus semester units covers conversions if a transcript shows quarter hours.
How does Anchorage pre-approve courses?
Before you enroll. Section 115.B says "to be applicable for salary movement, all credits must be pre-approved." Courses offered through the Teaching and Learning Department count without further review. Other courses are reviewed individually, and the agreement requires approvals "within ten (10) working days of receipt by the District when registration deadlines require." The Senior Director of Teaching and Learning weighs how closely a request matches district initiatives and the member's current assignment, and whether it will improve the member's teaching performance.
ASD's guidance for course approval, salary advancement and DEED recertification describes the steps. Courses listed in Frontline Professional Growth "are considered pre-approved." For a university course not offered by ASD, submit a "My Credit Form" for each course; once it is approved in Frontline, the course "is considered 'pre-approved' and eligible for salary advancement." When the course ends, mark it complete in Frontline. The AEA salary advancement support page links that guidance and says course approval "may take up to 10 business days to process in Frontline." Our article on pre-approval forms explains why this step matters.
When does an Anchorage column change take effect?
The agreement sets no single filing date. Under Section 120 of the agreement, a member who has met the requirements gets a contract adjustment "within 30 calendar days following the necessary verification in the Talent Management Department." The raise starts the month after the adjustment is issued, provided the member returns the signed adjustment by the first working day of that month.
The request needs transcripts and form HR 509, AEA Salary Advancement Request. ASD's guidance asks for "official, legible college transcripts," says clean scans are acceptable, and asks teachers not to send transcripts to Teaching and Learning. Section 120.B adds that movement for educational attainment "is limited to one column per academic year," so time a large batch of credits with that in mind. One fixed date does apply: hours from ASD's Teacher Institute Seminar Series convert to continuing education units only on a request filed by June 15 each year. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for ordering transcripts.
Do the same units count toward Alaska certificate renewal?
Often, but the district does not decide. ASD's guidance says "ASD does not review or approve courses for teacher recertification." That is the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), which accepts university or college transcripts or CEU certificates, not Frontline transcripts.
DEED's renewal page says "six renewal credits are required to renew or reinstate a regular five-year certificate," and a semester hour from an accredited institution is one credit. The Alaska renewal section has the full rule, and the Alaska state guide covers other districts.
Where can Anchorage teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Anchorage included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Anchorage's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Section 115.D of the 2026–2029 agreement says "The District will not be required to accept off-campus credit from accredited colleges and/or universities when it can show that the member has not received at least 15 hours of instruction per semester hour of credit," and Section 115.B says "all credits must be pre-approved." A self-paced course, including one carrying University of the Pacific credit, should go through a My Credit Form in Frontline Professional Growth and be approved before you register.
| Question | What Anchorage says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Anchorage: Semester hours after the bachelor's; in the teaching area; graduate-level credit at B or higher for B54 and B72 | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | B or higher on graduate-level credit for B54 and B72 | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Anchorage: None set; HR 509 plus transcripts; one column a year | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Anchorage: Required, in Frontline Professional Growth; My Credit Form for non-ASD courses | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
With those rules in hand, compare providers on the same points. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Teachers: self-paced, 6 months, units through Valley City State, Adams State, UMass Global or CSU Pueblo; from $349 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Dominican CA Online: self-paced, units through Dominican University of California; $477 for 3 credits (price notes)
- For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo for 3 credits (price notes)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Anchorage has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Anchorage salary questions teachers ask
Do Anchorage credits have to be graduate-level?
Not for B18. B36 needs 12 graduate-level hours, B54 needs 30 graduate-level credits at B or higher, and B72 needs 42 graduate-level credits at B or higher, all earned after the bachelor's degree.
Do I need approval before I take a course?
Yes. The agreement says all credits must be pre-approved. Courses in Frontline Professional Growth are pre-approved; for others, submit a My Credit Form for each course before you register.
Can I move two columns at once?
No. Section 120.B limits movement for educational attainment to one column per academic year.
When does my raise start after I file?
Talent Management issues a contract adjustment within 30 calendar days of verifying the request, and the increase is paid the following month if you return the signed adjustment by the first working day of that month.
Where can Anchorage teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Anchorage decides which courses count, under the rules on this page, so check with human resources before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Credits for Teachers, Dominican CA Online, For Teachers By Teachers and Fresno Pacific University CE. They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- ASD–AEA Negotiated Agreement, July 1, 2026–June 30, 2029, including the Section 105 salary schedule, Anchorage School District. Checked
- Bargaining units and current contracts, Anchorage School District. Checked
- AEA salary advancement support, Anchorage School District. Checked
- Guidance for course approval, salary advancement and DEED recertification, Anchorage School District Teaching and Learning. Checked
- Renewal and reinstatement, Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error