Short answer
How do Springdale teachers move to a higher lane on the salary schedule?
Springdale's 2026-27 schedule has seven lanes: BACH, BACH+15, MASTERS, MAST+15, MAST+30, EDS and Doctorate. Hours completed after the bachelor's degree count toward the bachelor's +15 lane, and hours after the master's count toward the master's +15 and +30 lanes. To be paid in the current year, file the lane application and an official transcript with the Business Office by the last working day in August.
Source: Springdale School District policy 3.1, Licensed Personnel Salary Schedule. Checked .
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How is the Springdale teacher salary schedule organized?
The 2026-27 certified salary schedule is built on a 190-day contract. It has seven lanes, BACH, BACH+15, MASTERS, MAST+15, MAST+30, EDS and Doctorate, and its steps follow years of experience as recorded in APSCN, the state's school data system, from zero years up.
Policy 3.1 in the district policy manual (adopted April 13, 2021, last revised April 8, 2025) says "base salary is determined by degree and allowable experience," and that a teacher has worked a "year" with at least 160 days. A master's degree or higher counts if it is "related to education, guidance counseling, or the teacher's content area." Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains lanes and steps.
Which units count toward a Springdale lane change?
Two kinds, under the policy manual:
- University credit. Policy 3.1 says "only hours which are completed after the Bachelor's degree is received will count toward the 'BSE+15' lane," and "only hours which are completed after the Master's degree is received will count toward the 'MED+15' and the 'MED+30' lanes." (The schedule labels these lanes BACH+15, MAST+15 and MAST+30.)
- Staff Development Institute (SDI) credit. Policy 6.4.1 says "earned SDI credits will apply toward educational lanes on the salary schedule." University courses count at "the number of transcript hours of credit awarded," and workshops at 15 hours of direct instructional contact time per credit.
SDI credit has limits. It cannot "supersede or circumvent a degree level," and moving to a second successive non-degree lane takes "a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of college/university credit beyond any other type of SDI credit applied to the first non-degree level." Policy 3.1 also says "under no circumstances will a teacher be allowed to move to the Master's lane on the basis of SDI credit." Our article on clock hours, CEUs and semester credits compares these units.
Does Springdale require pre-approval?
Policy 3.1 does not require approval before a university course; it asks for proof after the work is done. SDI credit is different. Under Policy 6.4.1 of the policy manual, the employee "must make proper application, which shall include verification of participation and rationale for how the activity will promote professional growth," within one calendar year of finishing the activity. New employees seeking SDI credit for activities before their first working day "should get prior approval from their principal/supervisor."
If you are unsure whether a course fits your lane, ask the Business Office before you enroll. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to ask for in writing.
When is the Springdale lane change deadline?
The last working day in August. To qualify in the current school year for any lane above the bachelor's, Policy 3.1 says the teacher must have on file in the Business Office:
- An application for the appropriate lane.
- For university credit, "an official transcript showing the additional hours or the advanced degree or a letter on University letterhead" from a university official stating the requirements have been met.
- For SDI credit, a completed SDI application and a verification of SDI participation form.
Timing matters because "all salary changes will be on a 'go forward' basis, and no back pay will be awarded," according to the policy. Summer courses need to post in time for an August transcript. Our transcript deadlines article has tips.
Do the same units count toward Arkansas license renewal?
Partly. Arkansas counts professional development hours rather than credits at renewal. Under 6 CAR pt. 183, section 183-104(g), "five (5) hours of credit for professional development shall be given for every one (1) hour of college credit for a graduate-level course," and up to 15 of those hours may be credited to the professional development requirements for licensure; hours above 15 may count toward other professional development requirements "if approved by the school district in a professional development plan." DESE's memo LIC-25-001 sets 36 PD hours a year and makes districts responsible for tracking them.
The Arkansas renewal section has the full rules, and the Arkansas state guide compares Springdale with Bentonville.
Where can Springdale teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Springdale 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 Springdale's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What Springdale says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Springdale: Hours after your last degree; university credit or SDI credit | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Springdale: Last working day in August | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Springdale: Not required for university credit; SDI application within a year | 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)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Graduate Credit Courses: self-paced, units through Cal Poly Humboldt; $570 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Model Teaching: self-paced, 1 year, units through a choice of six universities, including University of the Pacific; $359 for 3 credits (price notes)
- PD Courses (University of La Verne): online or pdf, semester-based, units through University of La Verne; $420 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 Springdale has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Springdale salary questions teachers ask
Does Springdale pay for credits beyond a degree?
Yes. The 2026-27 schedule has BACH+15, MAST+15 and MAST+30 lanes, reached with hours completed after the bachelor's or master's degree.
What is the Springdale lane change deadline?
The last working day in August. The application and an official transcript, or a letter on university letterhead, must be on file in the Business Office by then to qualify in the current school year.
Will I get back pay if I file late?
No. Policy 3.1 says all salary changes are on a go-forward basis, with no back pay.
Can workshop hours move me to the master's lane?
No. SDI credit can move a teacher to a non-degree lane between degree levels, but a second successive non-degree lane takes at least 15 hours of college or university credit, and the master's lane requires a completed master's degree.
Where can Springdale teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Springdale 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, Fresno Pacific University CE, Graduate Credit Courses, Model Teaching and PD Courses (University of La Verne). 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
- 2026-27 certified salary schedule, Springdale School District. Checked
- Board policy manual, including 3.1 Licensed Personnel Salary Schedule and 6.4.1 Staff Development Institute, Springdale School District. Checked
- 6 CAR pt. 183, professional development, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
- Licensure memo LIC-25-001, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error