Short answer
How do Cranston teachers earn more pay for graduate study?
Cranston adds an annual advanced-degree stipend to the step salary at five levels: BA+36, MA, MA+30, CAGS and doctorate. Teachers hired after September 1, 1989 must reach B+36 to qualify. The request and a letter from the college must reach the School Department Personnel Office before October 15 for a full increment, or before March 1 for a half increment.
Source: Cranston master agreement 2025-2028, Article XXVII and Appendix A, Cranston Public Schools. Checked .
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How is the Cranston teacher salary schedule organized?
The master agreement between the Cranston School Committee and the Cranston Teachers' Alliance, Local 1704, posted on the district's contracts page, runs from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2028. Appendix A sets one annual salary scale of 11 steps.
The agreement reshaped the scale. From the 2025-26 school year, the old steps 1 and 2 were eliminated and every teacher moved to the new step one number lower. For 2026-27 and 2027-28, steps 1 through 10 do not increase and only step 11 rises.
Advanced study is paid on top of the step, in an "Advanced Degrees" table with five levels:
- BA +36
- MA
- MA +30
- CAGS (Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study)
- Doctorate
Appendix A notes that "those hired after September 1, 1989 must get a B+36 in order to be eligible for the stipend," and that advanced-degree amounts do not increase for the length of the 2025-2028 agreement. The agreement also pays an annual stipend for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification, plus separate stipends for several national certifications held by nurses, psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. Pay figures are in the agreement. Our article on a master's versus added credits compares the two routes.
Which units count toward a Cranston advanced-degree stipend?
The agreement names the levels by credit hours and degrees but does not list course rules. It gives one conversion: "For the purpose of calculating advanced degree stipends, the committee recognizes that fifteen (15) approved CEU's is the equivalent of one (1) credit hour."
The agreement does not say who approves CEUs or hours, or whether the hours toward BA+36 or MA+30 must be graduate-level. Article VI requires every Cranston teacher to hold at least a bachelor's degree "from an accredited college or university." Because the written rules are short, ask the School Department Personnel Office how a course will be counted before you enroll. Our article on graduate-level course types explains the labels transcripts use.
Does Cranston require approval before you take a course?
The agreement does not set a course pre-approval step for advanced-degree stipends. The only approval it names is in the CEU rule, which counts "approved" CEUs. Article VII also provides a professional development program through the Professional Academy for Cranston Educators (PACE), "developed collaboratively between the CTA and the CPS." Keep a record of any approval the Personnel Office gives you. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to keep.
When are the Cranston advanced-degree deadlines?
Article XXVII F of the agreement sets the dates: "Full or half increments only (advanced degree and longevity) will be paid providing the requests and documentation (letter from college or university) is received in the School Department Personnel Office prior to October 15 and March 1 respectively."
- Before October 15: request and college letter received for a full increment.
- Before March 1: request and college letter received for a half increment.
The documentation is a letter from the college or university, so ask the registrar for it as soon as the degree or hours are posted. Our transcript deadlines article has tips.
Do the same units count toward Rhode Island certificate renewal?
They can. Rhode Island renews certificates with professional learning units (PLUs) under 200-RICR-20-20-1, which counts "University coursework at accredited institutions of higher education" and says "one (1) college credit is equal to fifteen (15) professional learning units." The superintendent or a designee approves PLUs for district teachers. A course that earns stipend hours can therefore also count toward renewal, but the two are approved separately. The Rhode Island renewal section has the full rules, and the Rhode Island state guide covers the state's other districts.
Where can Cranston teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Cranston 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 Cranston's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Cranston's agreement says "fifteen (15) approved CEU's is the equivalent of one (1) credit hour" for advanced-degree stipends, but it does not say who approves hours or whether they must be graduate-level (master agreement, Appendix A). Ask the School Department Personnel Office how a course will count toward BA+36 or MA+30 before you enroll.
| Question | What Cranston says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Cranston: Credit hours; 15 approved CEUs = 1 credit hour; graduate level not specified | 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 | Cranston: Before October 15 (full); before March 1 (half) | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Cranston: Not set by the agreement | 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)
- Dominican CA Online: self-paced, units through Dominican University of California; $477 for 3 credits (price notes)
- For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo 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)
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 Cranston has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Cranston salary questions teachers ask
Does Cranston have BA+15 or BA+30 columns?
No. Cranston pays one step scale and adds an advanced-degree stipend that starts at BA+36, then MA, MA+30, CAGS and doctorate.
Do CEUs count toward the Cranston stipend?
The agreement counts fifteen approved CEUs as one credit hour when calculating advanced-degree stipends.
When is the Cranston advanced-degree paperwork due?
Before October 15 for a full increment, or before March 1 for a half increment, with a letter from the college or university.
Who is eligible for the BA+36 stipend in Cranston?
The agreement says teachers hired after September 1, 1989 must reach B+36 to be eligible for the stipend.
Will the Cranston advanced-degree amounts rise during this contract?
No. The agreement says advanced-degree amounts do not increase for the duration of the 2025-2028 agreement.
Where can Cranston teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Cranston 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, Dominican CA Online, For Teachers By Teachers, Fresno Pacific University CE and Graduate Credit Courses. 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 agreement, Cranston School Committee and Cranston Teachers' Alliance Local 1704, AFT, 2025-2028, including Appendix A, Cranston Public Schools. Checked
- Contracts page, Cranston Public Schools. Checked
- 200-RICR-20-20-1, certification regulations, Rhode Island Department of Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error