Short answer
How do Boston Public Schools teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Boston's grid has nine lanes: Bachelor's, B+15, Master's, M+15, M+30, M+45, M+60, M+75 and Doctorate. Teachers move across with graduate credits from an accredited institution, up to 30 BPS in-service credits, and district Academic Ladder Credits. Each move is requested on form PS-03 with official transcripts. Teachers hired after September 1, 2013 need prior approval for courses used to go beyond the M+15 lane.
Source: BTU contract 2024-2027, Article VIII, and Superintendent's Circular HRS-PP01. Checked .
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How is the Boston teacher salary schedule organized?
The contract between the Boston School Committee and the Boston Teachers Union runs from September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2027, and the union posts it on its contracts page. Article VIII, Section C sets three salary grids, one for each contract year, with steps 1 through 9 down the side and nine lanes across the top:
- Bachelor's and Bachelor's + 15 credits.
- Master's, then M+15, M+30, M+45, M+60 and M+75.
- Doctorate. Since September 1, 2022, the contract places employees with a Juris Doctor degree in the doctorate lane.
A separate "Schedule A" grid applies to teachers at schools on the longer Schedule A workday; it uses the same lanes. The contract also keeps older letter names for groups of lanes (Columns A to D), and its Column C definition is the one the other lanes borrow: a master's degree plus "a total of thirty (30) additional graduate credits or a law degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by the Committee." Section D.5 says credit toward the B+15, M+15, M+45 and M+60 lanes is granted "on the same basis" as for the M+30 lane. The current dollar figures are in the contract; we do not reproduce them here. If the grid is new to you, see how to read a salary schedule.
Which credits count toward a Boston lane change?
Article VIII, Section D.5(c) says credit "shall be granted for salary purposes for in-service courses and all graduate courses taken at an institution of higher learning accredited by the Committee," and that the School Department may disapprove courses "unrelated to the field of education in the Boston Public Schools, or to subjects taught therein, or which do not enhance advancement up the educational career ladder." HRS-PP01 turns that into four tests for college courses:
- The college or university must be listed on the Accredited Institutions of Post-Secondary Education registry and be "deemed acceptable by the American Council on Education."
- "Courses must award graduate credit." If the transcript does not clearly say a course is graduate level, you supply a letter from the institution "verifying the course is offered for graduate credit."
- Courses are counted by the semester hour. Quarter hours convert at the institution's own rate, or at .75 to 1.0 if it states none.
- Courses must clearly relate to the field of education in the Boston Public Schools.
Boston also counts credit it issues itself. BPS in-service courses count, but HRS-PP01 says no more than 30 in-service credits may be used for lane advancement over a career. Academic Ladder Credits (ALCs) are district-designed, tuition-free courses; the contract (Section D.6) awards one ALC per 12 hours of instruction, treats ALCs as interchangeable with in-service credits, and exempts them from the 30-credit cap. HRS-PP01 adds that an ALC is awarded only after you submit a final product, such as a lesson plan, video or student work analysis. The contract lets you combine graduate credits, in-service credits and ALCs, "However, a teacher must possess a Master's degree to advance to the Master's lanes and must possess a Doctorate degree to advance to the Doctorate lane."
Two narrower rules complete the list. Continuing education contact hours count at 15 hours per credit, up to 30, but HRS-PP01 limits this to nurses, speech and language pathologists, school psychologists, social workers, counselors, occupational and physical therapists, vision teachers and lead sign language interpreters. And professional development points (PDPs) "are not applicable for salary lane advancement"; they serve license renewal only.
Worked example without dollars: a teacher on the M+15 lane needs 15 more graduate credits for M+30. Five three-credit graduate courses, or a mix of graduate credits and ALCs, close the gap, provided each meets the tests above and, for a teacher hired after September 1, 2013, each course was approved in advance. Our guide to graduate-level credit vs. graduate credit explains why test 2 matters.
Does Boston require approval before you take a course?
It depends on when you were hired and which lane you are moving to. Article VIII, Section D.5(c) says a teacher hired after September 1, 2013 "shall not advance a lane on the salary grid beyond the Master's +15 lane" unless the course has "received prior approval for lane advancement from the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources." For those teachers, prior approval is a condition of pay for the M+30 lane and above.
For everyone else, approval is optional but available. HRS-PP01 reserves the right to approve lane advancement only for courses related to education or the career ladder, and says "Requests for pre-approval of any courses shall be responded to by the Office of Human Resources promptly." A written answer before you enroll is the safest record of how a course will be treated. Our pre-approval forms guide covers what to include.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new lane take effect?
HRS-PP01 says lane changes "are not made automatically." The Office of Human Resources policies page lists the steps: review HRS-PP01, mail original transcripts to the Office of Human Resources or have the college send official electronic transcripts directly, and file form PS-03 with the salary lane box checked. Graduate transcripts must show a passing grade or a degree conferred date, and BPS in-service and ALC certificates must be printed from Vector; a transcript summary is not accepted. HRS-PP01 asks you to file only when you cross a lane threshold, not one course at a time.
Timing under HRS-PP01:
- By September 30: a complete application received by the close of business is processed retroactively to September 1.
- October to May 31: the change takes effect on the first day of the month after all documentation is in.
- After May 31: the change takes effect at the start of the following school year.
The circular says approved applicants can expect the change in their pay within 3 to 4 pay periods, that processing is slower from June to October, and that a denial comes by e-mail with the reason. Our page on transcript deadlines explains why ordering transcripts early protects the September 30 date.
Do the same credits count toward Massachusetts license renewal?
Usually, but they are counted in a different unit. Massachusetts renews a professional license every five years with 150 professional development points under 603 CMR 44.00, which treats one semester hour as 15 PDPs. HRS-PP01 states the reverse is not true for pay: PDPs on their own do not move a Boston lane. The topic requirements, the supervisor-approved plan and the ELAR filing steps are in the Massachusetts renewal section of our Massachusetts guide.
Where can BPS teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, BPS 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 BPS's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Boston's lane-change circular, HRS-PP01, says "Courses must award graduate credit. If the transcript does not clearly state the course is at graduate level, then the applicant must supply a letter from the institution verifying the course is offered for graduate credit." The 2024-2027 BTU contract adds that a teacher hired after September 1, 2013 does not move beyond the Master's +15 lane "unless he or she takes course(s) that have received prior approval for lane advancement from the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources." Graduate-level professional development units, such as those transcripted by the University of the Pacific, are not part of a degree program, so check how the transcript will describe them and ask the Office of Human Resources about the specific course, in writing, before you enroll.
| Question | What BPS says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | BPS: Graduate courses, accredited, education-related; plus up to 30 in-service credits and ALCs | 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 | BPS: September 30 for retro to September 1; after May 31: next school year | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | BPS: Required beyond M+15 if hired after September 1, 2013; available to everyone on request | 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)
- CE Credits Online: self-paced, 180 days, units through Valley City State, Augustana, Adams State or Cal Poly Humboldt; from $449 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Connected Classroom Courses: self-paced, letter grade, units through CSU Pueblo; $389 + university fee 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)
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 BPS has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Boston salary lane questions teachers ask
Do Boston lane changes happen automatically?
No. HRS-PP01 says lane changes are not made automatically; you file form PS-03 with official transcripts or certificates.
How many in-service credits can count toward a Boston lane?
No more than 30 over a career with Boston Public Schools, according to HRS-PP01. Academic Ladder Credits are not subject to that cap.
What is the deadline for a retroactive Boston lane change?
September 30. An application received by the close of business that day is processed retroactively to September 1.
Do I need prior approval for courses in Boston?
Teachers hired after September 1, 2013 need prior approval from the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for courses used to move beyond the Master's +15 lane. Others may ask for pre-approval, and HRS-PP01 says the office responds promptly.
Do PDPs move a Boston salary lane?
No. HRS-PP01 says PDPs are not applicable for salary lane advancement; they count toward license renewal.
Where can BPS teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
BPS 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, CE Credits Online, Connected Classroom Courses, Credits for Teachers and Dominican CA Online. 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
- Contract, September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2027, Boston School Committee and Boston Teachers Union, Article VIII, Sections C and D. Checked
- Contracts, Boston Teachers Union. Checked
- Superintendent's Circular HRS-PP01, Contractual Benefits: Career Awards, Salary Lanes, Salary Steps, Academic Ladder Credits, Boston Public Schools (reviewed October 15, 2025). Checked
- OHR policies by topic, Boston Public Schools Office of Human Resources. Checked
- Form PS-03, Boston Public Schools. Checked
- Policies and procedures: Superintendent's circulars, Boston Public Schools. Checked
- 603 CMR 44.00, Educator License Recertification, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error