Short answer
How do CPS teachers move to a higher lane on the salary schedule?
CPS teachers move from Lane I (bachelor's) to Lane II with a master's degree, then to Lanes III, IV and V with 15, 30 and 45 graduate semester hours beyond the master's, and to Lane VI with a doctorate. The teacher files the claim and official transcripts with the Talent Office; filed within 60 calendar days, the new lane dates from completion.
Source: CPS Policy 302.8, Compensation and Pay Plan, and CTU-CPS 2024-28 agreement, Article 36-6. Checked .
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How is the CPS teacher salary schedule organized?
Under Policy 302.8, a "Step" is "the vertical position upon the salary schedule" and a "Lane" is "the horizontal position upon the salary schedule at which a teacher is placed, based upon the training and education of such teacher." The salary schedules themselves are the ones in the collective bargaining agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, and a newly appointed teacher starts at the first step of the appropriate lane unless eligible for an adjustment.
Article 36-1 of the 2024-28 agreement puts the schedules in Appendix A and sets a cost-of-living adjustment each July 1: 4% for fiscal 2025, then 4% to 5% for fiscal 2026 through 2028, tied to the June CPI-U. The six lanes are:
- Lane I: a bachelor's degree.
- Lane II: a master's degree from an accredited college or university, or, for teachers in a special education position, 30 semester hours of approved graduate credit in special education.
- Lanes III, IV and V: a master's plus 15, 30 or 45 graduate semester hours from an accredited college or university beyond the master's.
- Lane VI: a Ph.D. or Ed.D., and since July 1, 2016 a clinical doctorate for current clinicians or a Juris Doctorate.
A teacher who earned Lane II through special education hours reverts to Lane I on leaving special education service, according to the same policy. For lane vocabulary across districts, see salary lane names.
Which units count toward a CPS lane change?
Policy 302.8 sets the test for the plus-hour lanes:
- Graduate hours after the master's. Lanes III to V count graduate semester hours "beyond the master's degree requirement." Hours used for the master's itself do not count again.
- Accreditation and field. All graduate credits "must have been successfully completed at a college or university fully accredited by a regional accrediting association and must be in a field for which a state teaching license is offered by the State of Illinois."
- Excluded fields. "No credit is granted for graduate courses in the field of medicine or theology." Since July 1, 2016, coursework in law is acceptable for Lanes III to V.
- CPS-offered courses. Teachers with a master's can earn Lane III to V credit for courses offered by CPS departments and approved in advance by the Talent Office, up to four semester hours per course.
- Undergraduate courses. These count only in named cases: courses that help teachers meet state special education qualifications, and up to 12 undergraduate semester hours of Spanish for teachers who are not fluent and work in schools with at least a 10% Spanish-speaking student population. Both need Talent Office pre-approval.
- Clinicians. School social workers, psychologists, nurses, speech pathology teachers and, since March 1, 2020, school counselors may also use continuing education units in their field, with the Talent Office setting the credit-hour equivalency.
The policy speaks of "graduate credit," so check how a course appears on the university's transcript before you count it. Our article on graduate-level credit and degree credit explains the difference, and master's or credits compares the two routes.
Does CPS require approval before you take a course?
Not for ordinary graduate coursework at a regionally accredited university: Policy 302.8 sets the accreditation and field test and leaves the review to the Talent Office when you file. Advance approval is required in three cases under Policy 302.8: CPS-offered courses, the undergraduate special education and Spanish courses above, and subject-related industry workshops or training sessions. For workshops, Article 36-6.6 says requests go in writing "sufficiently far in advance to permit appropriate investigations," and a Board reviewing committee decides credit for programs "which do not bear university credit" and sets their credit-hour equivalency.
We did not find a published CPS application form for lane changes; the policy says the Chief Talent Officer sets the procedures. See pre-approval forms for questions worth asking HR in writing.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new lane take effect?
CPS has no fixed calendar deadline; the clock runs from completion. Under Policy 302.8, the new lane takes effect on the date the degree or the 15, 30 or 45 hours were completed, "provided, however, that proper claim and documentary proof are on file with the Talent Office, within sixty (60) calendar days." After 60 days, the effective date is the date the claim and proof are on file. "The full burden of responsibility for submitting such claim and for filing documentary proof to substantiate such claim with the Talent Office rests upon the teacher."
Article 36-6 adds the processing side. Lane adjustments are made "no later than forty-five days" after the Talent Office receives the claim and official transcripts, and the completion date for the plus hours "shall be determined by the regionally accredited college or university or the Talent Office." The Board acknowledges each claim in writing within 25 days and notes any deficiency, if the teacher included a stamped, self-addressed envelope. More on timing is in transcript deadlines.
Do the same units count toward Illinois license renewal?
Renewal is a state rule with its own test. A Professional Educator License renews with 120 hours of professional development every five years under 105 ILCS 5/21B-45, and one semester hour of education-related college coursework from a regionally accredited institution counts as 15 hours under 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.805(c), reported in ELIS with a transcript. The Illinois renewal section of our Illinois guide has the details.
Where can CPS teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, CPS 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 CPS's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
At CPS, graduate hours move a teacher only after the master's degree: Lane II requires the master's itself, and Lanes III, IV and V add 15, 30 and 45 graduate semester hours beyond it (see units that count). A teacher still on Lane I moves by finishing a master's, not by stand-alone courses, except for special education teachers in the cases Policy 302.8 names. Units can still count toward the 120 hours for Illinois renewal; see the renewal section.
Before you enroll: CPS Policy 302.8 says graduate credits "must have been successfully completed at a college or university fully accredited by a regional accrediting association and must be in a field for which a state teaching license is offered by the State of Illinois," and that "No credit is granted for graduate courses in the field of medicine or theology." Check the subject and the institution of any course against that rule, and ask the Talent Office if you are unsure, before you enroll.
| Question | What CPS says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | CPS: Graduate semester hours beyond the master's; regionally accredited, licensed field | 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 | CPS: 60 calendar days after completion; to keep the completion date | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | CPS: Only for CPS courses, workshops and undergraduate exceptions; Talent Office | 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)
- PD Courses (University of La Verne): online or pdf, semester-based, units through University of La Verne; $420 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Teaching Channel: self-paced, units through a choice of eight universities; $489 for 3 credits (price notes)
- TLC Graduate Credits: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo; $425 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Upward Teachers: self-paced, 1 to 6 months, letter grade, units through UMass Global; $240 sale 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 CPS has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
CPS lane questions teachers ask
Do graduate hours earned before a master's count toward a CPS lane?
Not toward Lanes III to V. Policy 302.8 counts hours "beyond the master's degree requirement," so the master's comes first. Special education teachers can reach Lane II with 30 approved graduate hours in special education.
How long do CPS teachers have to file for a lane change?
Sixty calendar days from completion keeps the completion date as the effective date. After that, the new lane starts on the date the claim and proof are on file with the Talent Office.
How fast does CPS process a lane adjustment?
Article 36-6 of the CTU agreement says no later than 45 days after the Talent Office receives the claim and official transcripts.
Does CPS count undergraduate courses for a lane change?
Only in the cases Policy 302.8 names, such as special education qualifications or Spanish courses for teachers in schools with at least a 10% Spanish-speaking population, and only with Talent Office pre-approval.
Where can CPS teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
CPS 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, PD Courses (University of La Verne), Teaching Channel, TLC Graduate Credits and Upward Teachers. 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
- Policy 302.8, Compensation and Pay Plan (adopted February 26, 2020), Chicago Board of Education. Checked
- Article 36-6, Step and Lane Adjustments, 2024-28 agreement, Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Board of Education. Checked
- Article 36-1, Salaries, Compensation and Remuneration Provisions, 2024-28 agreement, Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Board of Education. Checked
- 105 ILCS 5/21B-45, Professional Educator License renewal, Illinois General Assembly. Checked
- 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25, Educator Licensure, Illinois State Board of Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error