Short answer
How do Davenport teachers move to a higher lane on the salary schedule?
Davenport teachers move across BA, BA+15, MA, MA+15, MA+30 and MA+60 lanes with graduate-level semester hours related to their teaching area or endorsement. Each course must be submitted for pre-approval in Employee Online within 30 calendar days of its start, intent to advance is due February 15, and the request form and transcript are due August 31.
Source: Master Contract with the Davenport Education Association, 2025-2028, Article IV. Checked .
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How is the Davenport teacher salary schedule organized?
The 2025-2028 master contract between the district and the Davenport Education Association, posted on the district's Human Resources employee resources page, sets pay on the schedules in Exhibits A and A-1, paid in twelve equal installments (Section 4.1). The posted contract includes an FY27 total salary schedule with BA, BA+15, MA, MA+15, MA+30, MA+60 and Nurse columns.
Section 4.4.3 defines the training levels. BA+15 means at least 15 semester hours of graduate work earned after the bachelor's in teaching/education was conferred; MA means a master's conferred in teaching/education; MA+15, MA+30 and MA+60 mean 15, 30 or 60 graduate semester hours earned after that master's. A specialist's or doctor's degree must be conferred in education. See how to read a salary schedule for the general layout.
Which units count toward a Davenport lane change?
Section 4.4 of the master contract sets the test:
- Graduate level only. "All credit hours must be earned in courses which are graduate level or above. No undergraduate coursework will be accepted for advancement," except that the Superintendent may allow undergraduate credits or industry credentials for CTE teachers when it benefits the district (4.4.4).
- Provider. Coursework "must be offered through an accredited university or college, or entity with the right to offer teacher licensure credit in Iowa and must be in semester hours"; other units are converted by formula (4.4.4). Section 4.4.2 recognizes graduate credit "from an educational institution having an advanced degree program in education or other field directly related to the employee's field of employment."
- Related to your work. "The only credits/courses that will be accepted for horizontal advancement are credits/courses directly related to the employee's current teaching area or licensure endorsement(s)." Courses for an administrative degree or a new teaching endorsement count as related; courses related only to a supplemental assignment do not (4.4.7). Content graduate credit "must be related to an area taught in the Davenport School District."
- District-mandated coursework required of a group of teachers in a grade level or content area is accepted (4.11).
Section 4.4.8 says credits for any degree earned before the bachelor's in teaching/education count only if the Superintendent finds them beneficial to the teaching assignment. The next line reads: "Horizontal Credit - Employees will be eligible to earn a maximum of 15 such hours throughout the entire course of their employment with the District." The contract does not say more about which hours that limit covers, so ask Human Resources how it applies to you. Our article on graduate-level credit and degree credit explains the terms.
Does Davenport require approval before you take a course?
Yes, with a hard window. Section 4.11 of the master contract says "All courses must be submitted through the electronic coursework pre-approval system in Employee Online within 30 calendar days of the commencement of the course," and a decision is made, to the extent possible, within 14 workdays. Building-initiative courses need the same pre-approval; coursework required for a conditional or executive decision license does not, though anything beyond that requirement does.
Missing the window has a cost: graduate coursework not approved within these rules "will not apply toward eligibility for advancement credit until the staff member taking the coursework completes a graduate program with a degree and/or certificate in hand." Under Section 4.4.5, the Superintendent may also approve any course in advance that is "of special benefit to the teacher." See pre-approval forms for what to keep on file.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new lane take effect?
Section 4.11 of the master contract sets the year's calendar:
- February 15, 4:30 p.m.: written intent to advance lanes for the following school year, to the Director of Human Resources. The district decides by March 15 and notifies teachers by email, with an explanation for any denial.
- August 31: all graduate coursework must be complete, and the "Request for Advancement on Teacher Salary Schedule" form and a certified transcript or official grade report are due by 4:30 p.m. Section 4.12 says incomplete forms will not be accepted.
- October 1: approved increases go to the Board for final approval and are included "no later than the October 1st paycheck."
A course that ends after August 31 waits for the next year's cycle. More on timing is in transcript deadlines.
Do the same units count toward Iowa license renewal?
Renewal follows state rules. Iowa's five-year Standard Teaching License renews with six renewal credits plus mandatory reporter training, and Iowa's renewal guidance counts college semester hours toward those credits. A graduate course approved for a Davenport lane move can count for renewal too. The Iowa renewal section of our Iowa guide has the details.
Where can Davenport teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Davenport 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 Davenport's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Davenport's 2025-2028 master contract, Section 4.11 says "All courses must be submitted through the electronic coursework pre-approval system in Employee Online within 30 calendar days of the commencement of the course," and Section 4.4.7 accepts only "credits/courses directly related to the employee's current teaching area or licensure endorsement(s)." Submit the course in Employee Online within that window, and check that it fits your teaching area or endorsement.
| Question | What Davenport says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Davenport: Graduate level or above, semester hours; related to teaching area | 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 | Davenport: Intent February 15, proof August 31; 4:30 p.m. | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Davenport: Within 30 days of course start; Employee Online | 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 Davenport has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Davenport lane questions teachers ask
How long do I have to get a Davenport course pre-approved?
Thirty calendar days from the start of the course, through the coursework pre-approval system in Employee Online.
Does Davenport accept undergraduate credit for a lane change?
No, except that the Superintendent may allow undergraduate credits or industry credentials for CTE teachers when it benefits the district.
What are the Davenport lane change deadlines?
Intent by 4:30 p.m. on February 15, coursework complete and the request form and transcript in by 4:30 p.m. on August 31, with approved raises on the October 1 paycheck at the latest.
Do courses for a new endorsement count in Davenport?
Yes. Section 4.4.7 treats courses taken for a new teaching endorsement or an administrative degree as related to the teaching assignment.
Where can Davenport teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Davenport 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
- Master Contract with the Davenport Education Association, 2025-2028, Davenport Community School District. Checked
- Current employee resources, Davenport Community School District Human Resources. Checked
- Standard Teaching License, Iowa Department of Education. Checked
- More renewal information, Iowa Department of Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error