How It Works
The PSD automated Professional Development Credit System and lane change process enable you to:
- View and keep track of all your credits – PSD lane change credits, college/university/SSP external credits – all in one location.
- Submit external credit requests for approval and deposit into your credit bank.
- With sufficient credit, easily apply for a lane change (salary advancement).
Lane change credit earned through PSD Professional Development is automatically added to your credit bank once coursework is completed and reconciled by the Professional Development Department.
External credit (college/university/SSP credit) is added to the credit bank through a submission process. Visit the , click on the external credit request tab in the top menu and submit a .
To move lanes, you need 18 graduate semester hours of college/university credit or 270 lane change/SSP credits (or a combination of both).
Opportunities for Lane Change Credit
Classes that qualify for lane change credit include university graduate courses and PSD lane change-approved classes.
University courses eligible for lane change credit
- Graduate level courses taken through a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of C- or better that are:
- In the subject area the licensed employee is working in currently or has been assigned, or related to the staff member's current or past assignment, or in a general education or interdisciplinary area; and
- Taken after the receipt of the initial educator license; and
- Taken after the conferral of the highest degree awarded.
Or:
- Undergraduate courses, with prior approval, taken through a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of C- or better that are related to the staff member's current or past assignment.
Or:
- Spanish or technology courses, taken through a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of C- or better. These courses do not need to be graduate level and do not need prior approval.
SSP qualifying courses
To be eligible for SSP lane change credit, the course/conference must be taken or attended during PSD employment and:
- Sanctioned/endorsed by the SSP's state or national professional organization, or
- Taken/attended by director's request.
SSP's include audiologists, counselors, mental health specialists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologists, school social workers, speech/language clinicians and vision mobility specialists.
Lane Details
If you were employed by PSD prior to the 2019-20 school year and have not done a lane change since that time, it may affect the number of credits needed for a lane change.
See a detailed explanation about the lanes here.
Prior to January 2020, lane changes required 195 lane change credits or 13 semester hours and had the following designations:
- B - Bachelors
- C - Bachelor’s + 13 semester hours
- D - Bachelor’s + 26 semester hours
- E - Bachelor’s + 39 semester hours
- F - Master’s or BA + 52 semester hours
- G - Master’s + 13 semester hours
- H - Master’s + 26 semester hours
- I - Master’s + 39 semester hours
- J - Master’s + 52 semester hours or EdS
- PhD
As of the 2020-21 school year, lane changes require 270 lane change credits or 18 university semester hours (or a combination of both) and have the following designations:
- BA
- BA18
- BA36
- MA
- MA18
- MA36
- MA54E (EdS)
- PhD
In 2019, if you were on:
- Lane C or G and have not done a subsequent lane change, you need 345 lane change credits or 23 university semester hours (or a combination of both) to move lanes. (Lane C was placed on BA18, lane G was placed on MA18.)
- Lane D or H and have not done a subsequent lane change, you need 150 lane change credits or 10 university semester hours (or a combination of both) to move lanes. (Lane D was placed on BA18, Lane H was placed on MA18.)
- Lane E, you were placed on BA36 and cannot move lanes without an earned/conferred master’s degree.
- Lane F and you had BA+52 and not an earned/conferred master’s degree, you were placed on BA36 and cannot move lanes without an earned/conferred master’s degree.
- Lane F and have an earned/conferred master’s degree, you were placed on MA.
- Lane I and have not done a subsequent lane change, you were placed on lane MA36 and will need 225 lane credits or 15 university semester hours (or a combination of both) to move lanes.
- Lane J or had an earned EdS, you were placed on MA54E and cannot move lanes without an earned/conferred PhD.
If you were hired after the 2019-20 school year, you need 18 university semester hours or 270 lane change credits (or a combination of both) to move lanes. Please note, if you qualify, you can move multiple lanes at one time.
To find the lane (index) you were on in the 2019-20 school year and the corresponding lane now, OR your current lane (index), please visit the - top right corner > click on your initials > click on Manage Profile. This is where you view available credits in your credit bank.
Applying for lane change
When you apply for a lane change, the credits needed are subtracted from your credit bank. If you have more credits in your bank than are needed for the lane change, they are re-added to your bank as carryover credits and can be used for a subsequent lane change.
Lane change applications can be found by logging in to the PSD website staff home page. Under Online Tools (second green box on the right of the staff home page), select TalentEd Perform -> Employee Records -> Available Forms.
Lane Change/Salary Adjustment Timeline
Adjustment Period 1
August - December
- Courses taken Jan. 1 – Aug. 31 (courses must be completed by August 31st)
- Salary adjustment effective Aug. 1 (paid on Aug. 31 paycheck)
- Submit lane change application by Dec. 10 (retroactive to August)
Adjustment Period 2
January - May
- Courses taken Sept. 1 – Dec. 31 (courses must be completed by Dec. 31)
- Salary adjustment effective Jan. 1 (paid on Jan. 31 paycheck)
- Submit lane change application by May 10 (retroactive to January)
Application deadlines and salary adjustment effective date
- All lane change applications must be submitted by the 10th of the month, to be paid on that month’s paycheck.
- Salary adjustment is effective the first day of the month and paid on the last working day of the month.
- Lane changes are not processed for the months of June and July.