Short answer
How do Buffalo teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Buffalo pays a differential for every 10 semester graduate hours completed after the bachelor's, up to BA+60, and for up to 30 hours past a master's. Undergraduate hours are not credited. File the ACD form within 30 days after a course ends, and the adjustment takes effect at the start of the next semester, in September or February.
Source: Advanced Credit Differentials form, Buffalo Public Schools and BTF–BPS agreement, Article XXV.F. Checked .
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How is the Buffalo teacher salary schedule organized?
Appendix E of the BTF–BPS agreement prints salary schedules through 2025–26. The teacher schedule has twelve columns: BS, BS+10, BS+20, BS+30, BS+40, BS+50, BS+60, MS, MS+10, MS+20, MS+30 and DR. The schedule notes that graduate hours are paid "in units of 10 hours" and that new hires start on step 2.
Article XLII says the agreement runs through June 30, 2026, and the BTF contract page does not yet post a successor. Under New York's Taylor Law, it is an improper practice for a public employer "to refuse to continue all the terms of an expired agreement until a new agreement is negotiated" (Civil Service Law §209-a(1)(e)), so the column rules below carry forward until a new agreement replaces them. For help with any grid like this, see our guide to reading a salary schedule.
Which units count toward a Buffalo column change?
The district's ACD form states the rule: "teachers will receive a salary differential for 10 semester graduate hours (to a maximum of 60 hours) completed after the award of the baccalaureate degree." It adds, "Undergraduate hours will not be credited." Past the master's, the form's columns run to Masters + 30. Courses are listed in units of ten, in date order, all taken after the bachelor's degree.
The agreement adds a content test. Article XXV.F(2) of the BTF–BPS agreement says courses taken after September 1968 must be "(a) Certified by an appropriate degree granting institution as being part of a recognized program leading to a certificate of advanced degree, or (b) Approved by the Superintendent of Schools as directly relating to the field in which the teacher is working, or as making a reasonable contribution to the teacher's performance as a teacher." Under XXV.F(3), in-service courses run by outside agencies count "if the course is approved in advance by the Board of Education."
District courses count too. The Buffalo Teacher Resource Center (BTRC) says each BTRC class earns one district credit and 15 CTLE hours, each seminar earns three CTLE hours, five seminars equal one district credit (up to 25 seminars), and 10 district credits qualify for a salary increase, up to a master's plus 30. Our article on how lane changes work covers the general pattern.
Does Buffalo require approval before you take a course?
It depends on the course. A course that a degree-granting institution certifies as part of a recognized advanced-degree program qualifies under Article XXV.F(2)(a) without a separate sign-off. A course outside such a program needs the Superintendent's approval under XXV.F(2)(b), and an in-service course from an outside agency needs the Board's approval in advance under XXV.F(3) (BTF–BPS agreement).
For BTRC credits, teachers can track district credits on their PGS transcript, and the BTRC says it does not process ACD forms: teachers file the form with Human Resources themselves. Study leave under Article XXX of the agreement is limited to study at an accredited institution. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to keep from any approval.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Article XXV.F(1) of the agreement makes each adjustment effective "at the beginning of the school semester next succeeding the date of the conclusion of the course," provided the teacher notifies the Board within 30 days after the course ends, on the Board's form. The Board may hold the payment until a certificate of satisfactory completion reaches the Personnel Office.
The ACD form names the two start points, the semester beginning September 1 or the semester beginning in February, and asks for the official transcript and proof of the degree date to be sent by the college. So a course that ends in August, with the form filed within 30 days, is paid from September. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for ordering transcripts early.
Do the same units count toward New York CTLE?
New York teachers with a professional certificate complete 100 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) every five years. BTRC classes count for both: one district credit and 15 CTLE hours each, the BTRC says. College credit converts to CTLE hours only when the college is an approved CTLE sponsor; the New York renewal section has the conversion and the rules, and the New York state guide compares other districts.
Where can Buffalo teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Buffalo 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 Buffalo's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Buffalo's agreement with the BTF counts courses only if they are "(a) Certified by an appropriate degree granting institution as being part of a recognized program leading to a certificate of advanced degree, or (b) Approved by the Superintendent of Schools as directly relating to the field in which the teacher is working, or as making a reasonable contribution to the teacher's performance as a teacher" (Article XXV.F(2)). Ask Human Resources how a specific course will be reviewed before you enroll.
| Question | What Buffalo says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Buffalo: Semester graduate hours after the bachelor's; up to BA+60 and MS+30; no undergraduate hours | 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 | Buffalo: ACD form within 30 days of course end | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Buffalo: Superintendent, for courses outside a degree program; Board, in advance, for outside in-service | 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)
- 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)
- VESi: self-paced online, 2- or 3-unit courses on special-needs instruction, units through University of the Pacific; $444 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 Buffalo has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Buffalo salary questions teachers ask
How many credits move a Buffalo teacher to the next column?
Ten semester graduate hours completed after the bachelor's. Buffalo pays up to BA+60, and up to 30 hours past a master's. Undergraduate hours are not credited.
When do I file the Buffalo ACD form?
Within 30 days after the course ends. The adjustment takes effect at the start of the next semester, in September or February.
Do Buffalo courses need approval?
Courses in a recognized advanced-degree program qualify. Others need the Superintendent's approval as related to your field or teaching, and outside in-service courses need the Board's approval in advance.
Is Buffalo's teacher contract still in effect?
The agreement ran through June 30, 2026. New York law requires its terms to continue until a new agreement is negotiated.
Where can Buffalo teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Buffalo 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, TLC Graduate Credits, Upward Teachers and VESi. 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
- Agreement between the Buffalo Board of Education and the Buffalo Teachers Federation, including Appendix E salary schedules, Buffalo Teachers Federation. Checked
- BTF–BPS contract, Buffalo Teachers Federation. Checked
- Advanced Credit Differentials (ACD) form, teachers and administrators, Buffalo Public Schools. Checked
- Advanced credit differential directions, Buffalo Teacher Resource Center, Buffalo Public Schools. Checked
- Civil Service Law §209-a, improper employer practices, New York State Senate. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error