Short answer
How do Aldine ISD teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
By completing a graduate degree. Aldine's 2026-2027 placement schedule lists Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate columns for 0 to 30+ years on 187 days, but the two advanced columns are the bachelor's figure plus a degree stipend. Pay changes on the next payroll after HR receives an official transcript, or back to the start date within 60 days.
Source: 2026-2027 Compensation Plan and Certified Teacher Salary Schedule, Aldine ISD. Checked .
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How is the Aldine ISD teacher salary schedule organized?
Aldine posts three 2026-2027 files on its Compensation Information page: a Certified Teacher Salary Schedule, an Associate Teacher Salary Schedule and the full Compensation Plan, revised November 10, 2026. The certified schedule is titled "Classroom Teacher Initial Compensation Placement Schedule." Rows are completed years of experience from 0 to 30 and over. The three columns show a 187-day base salary for a bachelor's, a master's and a doctorate.
Two notes under the table change how it reads. The first says the Master's Degree salary includes a stipend and the Doctorate Degree salary includes a larger one, so the gap between columns is the stipend and nothing more. The second says the state Teacher Retention Allotment is already inside the base salaries shown. The schedule also states that compensation plans are reviewed every year, that "salary advancement is not guaranteed," and that pay increases depend on the budget the Board of Trustees approves.
The plan explains the rest of the structure:
- Teachers are paid on a schedule that correlates salary with total creditable years of service in education, with credit for up to 30 years at hire.
- New certified teachers are placed by years of experience and highest degree held.
- Duty calendars run from a 187-day, 10-month contract to a 226-day, 12-month contract, and daily rates stay the same across them.
- Career and technical education teachers may count up to two years of related industry experience.
- Associate teachers have their own schedule, grouped as 0-2, 3-4 and 5+ years, with the same degree-stipend columns.
Each year, under Board policy DEA (Local), the superintendent recommends a pay increase within the budget, and the Compensation Department adjusts the pay structures at the start of the fiscal year. Our guide on salary lane names covers why a "Master's" heading does not always mean a separate lane.
Do graduate-level hours raise pay at Aldine ISD?
Not until they become a degree. Section G of the plan, "Education," says teachers with a graduate degree are eligible for a degree stipend based on the degree level. It describes no payment for a set number of hours beyond the bachelor's, and the placement schedule has no column between Bachelor's and Master's.
The plan's accreditation test is specific. Only degrees conferred by institutions that were accredited or otherwise approved by a state Department of Education, a recognized governmental organization or a regional accrediting organization at the time the degree was conferred are accepted, and HR checks status against the Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education database. Employees whose pay depends on a degree must submit official transcripts to receive full credit.
Other employee groups are treated differently. Administrators and professionals who earn a doctorate receive a one-time step increase rather than a stipend, and non-exempt staff in jobs that do not require a degree may receive a one-time step increase for a college degree from an accredited university. For a teacher weighing loose coursework against a degree program, our article on which units count lays out the general rules.
Does Aldine ISD require approval before you take a course?
The compensation plan does not describe a pre-approval step for degree coursework. Its requirements apply when the degree is finished: an official transcript, a qualifying accredited institution, and receipt by the Human Resources Department. The plan's "Reclassification" process is for job classifications, not individual teachers' degrees, and runs on the March-to-June budget cycle. Once a stipend is added, the plan recommends checking the My Pay Information tab in the Frontline Employee Service Center and contacting the Human Resources Compensation Department about any error.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
The plan sets the timing precisely. Salary credit for an advanced degree is adjusted on the payroll run following receipt of official documentation by Human Resources. If the documentation arrives within 60 calendar days of the employee's annual start date, the adjustment is effective back to that start date. Pay adjustments are not made for prior school years.
Two examples show the effect. A teacher whose master's is conferred in early August and whose transcript reaches HR within 60 days of the annual start date receives the stipend for the whole year. A teacher whose degree is conferred in December gets the higher figure from the next payroll after HR has the transcript, with no back pay to August. Aldine pays salaried staff on the 5th and 20th of each month, and 187-day teachers receive their first check on September 5. See our article on transcript deadlines for how this compares with districts that use a single annual cutoff.
Do the same units count toward Texas license renewal?
Yes, and they count whether or not a degree follows. Texas renews standard certificates on a five-year cycle, and classroom teachers need 150 continuing professional education hours. Section 232.11(b) of 19 TAC credits each semester credit hour from an accredited college or university as 15 CPE hours, which means two three-hour graduate-level courses plus a 60-hour workshop load would meet a full cycle. Required topics are listed in the Texas renewal section, and the Texas state guide explains the state minimum schedule.
Where can Aldine ISD teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Aldine ISD included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: license renewal, an added endorsement or a degree program. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Aldine ISD's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Aldine ISD pays by completed degree, certificate level or rating rather than by units, so courses short of a degree do not change a Aldine ISD salary on their own (see units that count). Where graduate-level units still help is license renewal, explained in the renewal section, and any other purpose Aldine ISD or Texas names in writing.
| Question | What Aldine ISD says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Aldine ISD: Completed graduate degree, accredited | 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 | Aldine ISD: 60 days from annual start date for back pay | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Aldine ISD: None in the plan | 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
For renewal, or for a future move to a district that pays for units, many providers issue graduate-level units through accredited universities. 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)
- 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)
- For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo 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 Aldine ISD has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Aldine ISD salary questions teachers ask
Does Aldine ISD have a master's column?
The placement schedule shows one, but the footnote says the master's salary is the bachelor's figure plus a degree stipend. The doctorate column works the same way with a larger stipend.
How far back does an Aldine ISD degree stipend go?
To the annual start date if HR receives the official documentation within 60 calendar days of it. Otherwise it starts on the next payroll run after receipt, and no adjustment is made for prior school years.
Does Aldine ISD accept a degree from any college?
Only from an institution accredited or approved by a state Department of Education, a recognized governmental organization or a regional accreditor when the degree was conferred.
Is the Teacher Retention Allotment included in Aldine salaries?
Yes. The 2026-2027 schedule says TRA is included in the base salaries listed and paid as part of regular salary.
Where can Aldine ISD teachers take graduate-level courses for license renewal?
Aldine ISD does not raise pay for units short of a degree, so check the renewal rules on this page and confirm with human resources or the state agency before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Connected Classroom Courses, Credits for Teachers, Dominican CA Online and For Teachers By Teachers. 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
- Compensation Information: 2026-2027 Compensation Plan (rev. November 10, 2026, Sections 2 and 3), 2026-2027 Certified Teacher Salary Schedule and 2026-2027 Associate Teacher Salary Schedule, Aldine ISD Human Resources. Checked
- 19 TAC Chapter 232, Subchapter A, §232.11, Texas Education Agency. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error