Short answer
How do North Clackamas teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
North Clackamas has five columns, B (BA), C (BA+30), D (MA), E (MA+24) and F (MA+45), all counted in quarter hours, with one semester hour equal to 1.5. Register new hours with Human Resources by September 10, November 10, February 10 or May 10, and the district issues a contract on the new column.
Source: Board/NCEA Agreement 2023–2025, Sections 26.11 and 26.12. Checked .
TeacherPayGuide is not affiliated with or endorsed by North Clackamas School District. This guide summarizes the district's published documents as read on ; those documents and the district's human resources office decide your placement. It is general information, not legal or employment advice. Disclaimer Report an error
How is the North Clackamas teacher salary schedule organized?
The newest schedule the district has posted is the 2025–2026 Licensed Salary Schedule, built on a 193-day contract. It has five lettered columns:
- Column B: BA
- Column C: BA+30
- Column D: MA
- Column E: MA+24
- Column F: MA+45
The grid has an unusual left edge. An Experience Credit column, labeled for placement only, maps years of verified experience to steps, and the steps begin at 3, not 1. A teacher with no experience starts on step 3; one with three or four years starts on step 6. Columns B and C end at step 13, Columns D and E continue to step 15, and only Column F reaches step 16. For a bachelor's-level teacher, then, the higher column brings two things: a higher rate at every step, and more steps to climb.
Below the grid the district notes that employees pay the 6% PERS contribution themselves, and that special education teachers and dual immersion teachers receive stipends set as percentages of the BA step 3 cell, 9.65% and 6.20%. A year of experience under Section 26.11.D means 135 consecutive days or more at half-time or greater. For more on grids with placement-only columns, see how to read a salary schedule.
On contract status: the 2023–2025 agreement was extended to June 30, 2026 by a memorandum of understanding signed in February 2024, which also set the 5% increase behind the 2025–26 schedule. The district's bargaining page says NCSD and NCEA are meeting to set a successor agreement, and no 2026–27 schedule had been posted when we checked.
Which units count toward a North Clackamas column change?
Section 26.11.A states that all column references are to quarter hours and that one semester hour equals 1.5 quarter hours. Six semester hours therefore register as nine quarter hours toward the 30 needed for Column C. Our quarter versus semester units guide runs through more conversions.
The rules on what counts:
- Grades: "C" or better, or "Pass" under a pass/fail option. Audited courses are not recognized.
- Hours past the master's: for anyone employed on or after July 1, 1999, hours used for Columns E and F must be earned after the master's degree was granted and cannot have been part of it.
- Longer-serving teachers: those employed before July 1, 1999 may count extra hours earned before the advanced degree if they relate to teaching or the subject taught and a Human Resources administrator approves them. Teachers hired on or before November 1, 1997 can move across without a master's, where MA+24 equals BA+75 and MA+45 equals BA+105.
- District in-service: Section 26.13 counts North Clackamas University (NCU) courses at ten hours of coursework per quarter credit. Supervisor-approved vocational experience tied to the assignment earns credit at the same rate.
- CEUs and workshops: Article 27 says CEUs approved by the supervisor apply toward advancement, and workshops and CTE courses approved in advance count at ten clock hours per credit hour.
CTE teachers and some licensed specialists are placed under Section 26.14, where hours from a college, university or approved district in-service course all count toward columns. Before enrolling, run through the checklist in which units count.
Does North Clackamas require approval before you take a course?
For college credit used only for column placement, Article 26 sets no advance approval; the review happens when the documents are filed. Advance approval comes in through Article 27, the tuition fund. Supervisor permission is required before enrolling in any course paid from that fund, and teachers are not limited to their teaching areas. Workshops, CTE courses and teacher-planned programs need that sign-off before they start, and a teacher-planned program needs the principal's approval.
Other Article 27 rules worth knowing:
- The district reimburses or prepays tuition after supervisor approval; Human Resources processes approved requests within ten business days.
- Community college courses qualify when numbered 100 or higher.
- Claims are due by June 30 of the fiscal year in which the class ends. If proof will not be ready by then, a Human Resources administrator must be told in writing so funds can be held.
- Unused funds can roll forward one year if a written request with building administrator approval reaches Human Resources by May 15.
Our pre-approval forms article explains how to document a supervisor's sign-off.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Section 26.12.A sets four registration dates, each the 10th of the month after a college quarter ends: September 10, November 10, February 10 and May 10. Acceptable proof includes transcripts, letters from supervising department chairs and recommendations from committees that approve projects.
The teacher has to start the process. The contract makes it the teacher's responsibility to tell the Human Resources administrator in writing that advancement has been earned, and to submit the Request for Revision of Individual Licensed Contract form with the credit documents. The district then issues a new contract showing the salary on the new column. Article 26 does not state a retroactive date, so the revised contract is the document that shows when the new rate starts.
The quarter-based timing works in teachers' favor. A summer course with a grade posted in late August can be registered by September 10, a fall course by November 10 or February 10, and so on. See transcript deadlines for help timing official transcripts.
Do the same units count toward Oregon license renewal?
Oregon's licensing agency, TSPC, is not collecting professional development units from teachers whose licenses expire before July 1, 2029. From that date forward, an expiring license needs 75 PDUs (Preliminary) or 125 PDUs (Professional). TSPC counts a quarter credit as 20 PDUs, a semester credit as 30 and a clock hour as one.
The two systems do not share a ledger. NCU in-service hours that move a North Clackamas teacher's column are a district rule, while TSPC sets its own PDU values. The license renewal section of our Oregon guide has the details, and the Oregon guide lists other districts' column rules.
Where can North Clackamas teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, North Clackamas 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 North Clackamas's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What North Clackamas says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | North Clackamas: Quarter hours, C or better; NCU in-service at 10 hours per credit | 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 | North Clackamas: Sept 10, Nov 10, Feb 10 or May 10 | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | North Clackamas: Supervisor, for tuition fund use | 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)
- 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)
- 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 North Clackamas has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
North Clackamas salary questions teachers ask
Does North Clackamas use quarter or semester hours?
Quarter hours. Section 26.11.A converts one semester hour to 1.5 quarter hours for column placement.
When can I turn in credits for a North Clackamas column change?
By September 10, November 10, February 10 or May 10, with transcripts or other accepted documents and the Request for Revision of Individual Licensed Contract form.
Do NCU in-service classes count toward salary advancement?
Yes. Ten hours of North Clackamas University coursework equal one quarter credit under Section 26.13.
Is there a 2026–27 North Clackamas salary schedule?
Not yet posted. The latest is the 2025–26 schedule, and the district and NCEA are bargaining a successor agreement.
Where can North Clackamas teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
North Clackamas 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, Teaching Channel, 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
- Board/NCEA Agreement 2023–2025, North Clackamas School District. Checked
- Memorandum of Understanding between NCEA and NCSD (agreement extended to June 30, 2026), North Clackamas School District. Checked
- 2025–2026 Licensed Salary Schedule, 193 Day Contract, North Clackamas School District. Checked
- NCEA–NCSD Bargaining, North Clackamas School District. Checked
- Renewal information, Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error