Short answer
How do Corona-Norco teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Corona-Norco has four classes. Class B takes 45 semester units after the bachelor's or a master's; Class C takes 60 units with a master's, or 15 beyond it; Class D takes 75 with a master's, or 30 beyond it. Units must be upper-division or graduate, and the raise starts the pay period after Board approval.
Source: 2026-27 Certificated Basic Work Year Salary Schedule and CNTA agreement, Article 16. Checked .
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How is the Corona-Norco teacher salary schedule organized?
The Human Resources salary schedules page posts the 2026-27 Certificated Basic Work Year Salary Schedule, built on a 185-day year. The Board approved it on June 23, 2026 and revised it on September 8, 2026 to carry a 4.31% increase effective July 1, 2026. Dollar figures are on the schedule itself; this guide covers the structure.
Columns are labeled Class A to Class D, and each class description on the schedule mixes units and degrees:
- Class A: a bachelor's plus up to 45 semester units.
- Class B: a bachelor's plus 45 semester units earned after the bachelor's date, or a master's.
- Class C: 60 units after the bachelor's with a master's, or a master's plus 15 units earned after it, or Master's Equivalency.
- Class D: 75 units after the bachelor's with a master's, or a master's plus 30 units after it, or Master's Equivalency.
Class A runs to Step 8, Class B to Step 9 and Class C to Step 10. Class D continues past Step 10 in two-year bands (11-12, 13-14 and so on through 23-24) and ends at Step 25. The schedule counts an Education Specialist degree as a master's.
Master's Equivalency is how long-serving teachers without the degree move up. From B-9, a teacher can enter Class C with any of these pairings of teaching years (as credited on the district's schedule) and semester units beyond the bachelor's: 15 and 75, 16 and 72, 17 and 69, 18 and 66, 19 and 63, or 20 and 60. From C-10, entry to Class D needs at least 20 years and at least 75 units. New hires receive up to ten years of prior experience on the step axis under Article 16.4. For help reading the grid, see how to read a salary schedule.
Which units count toward a Corona-Norco column change?
Article 16.6 sets the timing rule: coursework counts toward a class change only if it was completed after the date the degree was granted. Article 16.7 adds three more tests.
First, the institution. "Accredited college or university" means one accredited by an association that belongs to the American Council on Education, or by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Second, the level: all units must be upper-division or graduate. Third, the purpose. Each course has to do one of three things: relate to the teaching field, apply toward an advanced degree or credential in education, or apply toward a planned expansion of the education field.
Quarter units convert at two-thirds under Article 16.8, so 18 quarter units become 12 semester units. School nurses have a separate route in Article 16.9: continuing education hours required by the Board of Registered Nursing count at one semester unit per 15 hours. The quarter versus semester units explainer shows the conversion in more detail.
A worked example. A teacher in Class A has 38 upper-division semester units on file, all earned after the bachelor's. Seven more semester units from an accredited university, in courses tied to the subject she teaches, bring her to 45 and qualify her for Class B. If those seven units came from a quarter-system school, she would need 11 quarter units, since 10.5 is the exact equivalent and partial courses do not exist.
Does Corona-Norco require approval before you take a course?
Article 16 describes one advance sign-off. Lower-division units count only if the Deputy Superintendent, Human Resources approved them before enrollment. The agreement names no separate course approval form for upper-division or graduate work.
That does not make every upper-division course safe. The relevance test in 16.7 still applies, and the Board acts on the evidence after the course is done. A teacher who is unsure whether a course meets one of the three purposes can raise it with Human Resources before paying tuition. The will my district accept it guide lists the questions worth asking.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Corona-Norco has no once-a-year filing window in Article 16. Evidence goes to Human Resources whenever the units are complete: an official grade card, an official transcript, or a letter signed by the registrar on letterhead with the school's official stamp or seal.
The Board of Education then acts on the reclassification at its next regular meeting, and the higher class takes effect at the beginning of the next pay period after that approval. The agreement does not make the change retroactive to the date the course ended, so a transcript that sits in a drawer for a semester costs pay. Article 16.10 requires the district to give each teacher an annual statement of the units it has on file, which is the simplest way to catch a missing transcript. The transcript deadlines article covers why ordering transcripts early matters.
Do the same units count toward California license renewal?
No coursework is needed to renew a clear California credential. The Commission's leaflet CL-494 says clear teaching credentials renew every five years without additional course work. A preliminary credential cannot be renewed and has to be cleared. Units earned for Class B, C or D are a pay decision only; the California renewal section has the details.
Where can Corona-Norco teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Corona-Norco 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 Corona-Norco's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What Corona-Norco says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Corona-Norco: Upper-division or graduate, after the degree; quarter units × 2/3 | 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 | Corona-Norco: None fixed; file with Human Resources when complete | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Corona-Norco: Lower-division units only; Deputy Superintendent, Human Resources | 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 Corona-Norco has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Corona-Norco salary questions teachers ask
Does Corona-Norco accept quarter units?
Yes. Article 16.8 converts quarter units to semester units by multiplying by two-thirds, so 15 quarter units equal 10 semester units.
Can I get to Class C at Corona-Norco without a master's degree?
Yes, through Master's Equivalency. A teacher on B-9 qualifies with combinations such as 15 years and 75 units, 17 years and 69 units, or 20 years and 60 units beyond the bachelor's.
Do lower-division classes count for a Corona-Norco class change?
Only if the Deputy Superintendent, Human Resources approved them before you enrolled. Otherwise every unit must be upper-division or graduate.
How soon after I turn in my transcript does my pay change?
The Board acts at its next regular meeting, and the higher class starts at the beginning of the next pay period after approval.
Where can Corona-Norco teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Corona-Norco 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 Certificated Basic Work Year Salary Schedule (revised 09/08/26), Corona-Norco Unified School District. Checked
- Salary Schedules, Human Resources, Corona-Norco Unified School District. Checked
- Agreement with the Corona-Norco Teachers Association/CTA/NEA, July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027 (Article 16, Salaries), Corona-Norco Unified School District. Checked
- Collective Bargaining Agreements, Corona-Norco Unified School District. Checked
- Renewal and Reissuance of Credentials (CL-494), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error