Short answer
How do Elk Grove Unified teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Elk Grove Unified pays Class A (BA) through Class G (BA+90, or BA+75 with a master's), plus Class H. Units must come from regionally accredited schools; quarter units count as 2/3. Class G requires 15 "G approved" semester units after hire, Class H another 5 approved units renewed every 10 years.
Source: Certificated Salary Schedule #10, 2026-2027, Elk Grove Unified. Checked .
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How is the Elk Grove Unified teacher salary schedule organized?
Certificated Salary Schedule #10 covers teachers, librarians and counselors represented by the Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA). The 2026-2027 edition was board approved on June 23, 2026 and is effective July 1, 2026. It has eight columns, called Classes:
- Class A: BA.
- Class B: BA+15.
- Class C: BA+30.
- Class D: BA+45, or BA plus a master's.
- Class E: BA+60, or BA+45 including a master's.
- Class F: BA+75, or BA+60 including a master's.
- Class G: BA+90, or BA+75 including a master's.
- Class H: Class G plus additional approved units.
Rows are Steps 1 through 22. The schedule places entering teachers with up to 15 years of prior contracted experience, counting a year as 75% of the contract, calendar or requested year. Class placement at entry is based on semester units from regionally accredited colleges and universities shown on official transcripts, with quarter units worth two-thirds of a semester unit. A doctorate verified on an official transcript earns a bonus calculated from the beginning step. Teachers new to reading a grid can start with how to read a salary schedule.
Which units count toward an Elk Grove Unified column change?
For Classes B through F the unit counts above do the work, subject to the EGEA contract's Educational Advancement rules (Article 19.6 in the 2022-2024 edition the district posts on its Union Contracts page):
- All college and university units must come from an accredited institution.
- College units and in-service units are treated equally but may not be counted twice. In-service participation earns one semester unit per 15 hours and counts only when it happens outside the teacher's established work day.
- Travel can earn semester units when the site administrator approves it: 6 for a year, 3 for a half year, 2 for at least six weeks and 1 for less than six weeks.
- Units and hours must be pre-approved and must fit current district priorities and instructional goals.
Classes G and H carry their own conditions, printed on the 2026-27 schedule. A teacher cannot be placed on Class G until the required units were earned after contracted employment with the district, and advancing to G takes 15 semester units of "G approved" coursework. A master's degree alone does not unlock Class G if those 15 units were not completed after the hire date. Class H requires 5 "Class H approved" semester units, and the placement must be renewed every 10 years. The posted contract describes the same step as 75 hours, which at 15 hours per unit equals the five units on the schedule, and says the H course list is revised each year.
Worked example: a teacher hired with a master's and 75 total units starts on Class F rather than Class G, because the G units have to come after hire. Once the teacher completes 15 G approved units in the district, Class G opens up. The units that count guide explains why districts tie top columns to post-hire work.
Does Elk Grove Unified require approval before you take a course?
Yes, and that is the defining feature of the Elk Grove system. The posted contract says units and hours must be pre-approved by Curriculum Professional Learning according to current district priorities. District criteria for salary credit are reviewed every year by the Professional Learning Advisory Committee, and apply to courses completed on or after July 1, 2009.
For Class H, the contract adds that district and non-district courses alike must be pre-approved, that outside courses follow the same prior approval process used for Steps B through G, and that credit in areas not on the H list may be granted case by case. Section numbers on the 2026-27 schedule (19.609 for Class G, 19.611 for Class H) differ from the numbering in the posted 2022-2024 edition, so quote the schedule's wording when you ask Human Resources about either class. Our pre-approval forms guide explains what to keep on file.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
The posted contract sets one date: official transcripts for all advancement units must reach the Human Resources Department no later than October 1 of the contract year in which the change is made. Degree dates must be verified in writing to Human Resources by the accredited institution.
Two more rules shape the timing. If approved units are enough for more than one class, a teacher may move more than one class in a school year (a provision effective July 1, 2015). And experience steps are separate: one step per school year in which at least 75% of the work year was completed, never more than one step per year.
Example: a Class C teacher who finishes 15 approved units over the summer and gets the transcript to Human Resources by October 1 qualifies for Class D in that contract year. If the same teacher had 30 approved units, Class E would be possible in one move. For the general logic of filing windows, see transcript deadlines.
Do the same units count toward California license renewal?
Class H has its own ten-year renewal, but the credential does not. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing's CL-494 leaflet says a clear credential renews online with no added course work, and the application may go in up to a year before expiration. Our California state guide sets out the credential renewal steps.
Where can Elk Grove Unified teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Elk Grove Unified 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 Elk Grove Unified's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What Elk Grove Unified says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Elk Grove Unified: Regionally accredited semester units; quarter unit = 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 | Elk Grove Unified: October 1 of the contract year | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Elk Grove Unified: Yes, by Curriculum Professional Learning | 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 Elk Grove Unified has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Elk Grove Unified salary questions teachers ask
Does a master's degree put me on Class G in Elk Grove?
Not by itself. The schedule says completing a master's does not guarantee Class G if the 15 G approved semester units were not completed after your contracted hire date.
When are Elk Grove transcripts due for a class change?
By October 1 of the contract year in which the change is made, under the EGEA contract posted on the district's Union Contracts page.
Does Elk Grove accept quarter units?
Yes, at two-thirds of a semester unit each.
How long does Class H last?
Ten years. Class H requires 5 Class H approved semester units, and the placement must be renewed every 10 years.
Where can Elk Grove Unified teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Elk Grove Unified 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
- Certificated Salary Schedule #10, Teachers, Librarians and Counselors, 2026-2027, Elk Grove Unified School District. Checked
- EGEA Collective Bargaining Contract, July 1, 2022–June 30, 2024, Article 19, Elk Grove Unified School District (edition linked from the district's Union Contracts page). Checked
- Union Contracts, Human Resources page, Elk Grove 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