Code: GBA(5)

160-5-2-.05 EXPERIENCE FOR SALARY PURPOSES.

(1) DEFINITIONS.

(a) Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) –program of study

featuring concentrations developed to provide students rigorous core elements,

performance standards, and skills necessary after high school graduation to go

straight into the workforce or postsecondary educational programs. (This may include

programs such as agriculture, construction, business and computer, culinary arts,

healthcare science, transportation and others.)

(b) Certified Personnel –individuals trained in education who hold Teaching (T),

Leadership (L), Service (S), Technical Specialist (TS), or Permit (P) certification

issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

(c) Charter school – a public school that is operating under the terms of a charter,

including, but not limited to, charter schools authorized by the Georgia Charter

School Commission and charter schools not operating under a local board of

education.

(d) Clear Renewable Certificate – the certificate issued by the Georgia

Professional Standards Commission which indicates all Special Georgia

Requirements and other conditions have been met.

(e) Creditable Year of Experience – a year of experience that meets the

requirements of this rule.

(f) Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) – the state agency charged with

the fiscal and administrative management of certain aspects of K-12 public education,

including the implementation of federal and state mandates. Such management is

subject to supervision and oversight by the State Board of Education.

(g) Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) – the state agency

created by O.C.G.A. § 20-2-983 and authorized to assume full responsibility for the

certification, preparation and conduct of certified, licensed or permitted personnel

employed in Georgia, and the development and administration of teacher certification

testing.

(h) Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) – the state agency

mandated by O.C.G.A. § 20-14-26 to create a uniform performance-based

accountability system for K-12 public schools that incorporates both state and federal

mandates, including student and school performance standards.

2

(i) Investing in Educational Excellence (IE2) – local education agency that

contracts for flexibility, and accountability that allows LEAs to request increased

flexibility from certain state laws, rules, and regulations in exchange for increased

accountability and defined consequences through a contractual agreement with the

State Board of Education under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-80.

(j) Leadership Position – a position in which an individual has the authority and/or

responsibility, in a supervisory role, for LUA approved educational programs and/or

personnel required to hold certification for their assigned job as determined by

Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC).

(k) Local Educational Agency (LEA) – local school system pursuant to local board

of education control and management.

(l) Local Unit of Administration (LUA) – a local education agency or a regional

educational service agency.

(m) Recognized Accrediting Agency – an entity, recognized by the

U.S.Department of Education (US ED), responsible for granting accreditation to

public and private schools and school districts throughout the United States, or the

Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC).

(n) Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) - an agency established

under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-270 to provide shared services to improve the effectiveness of

educational programs and services of LEAs and to provide direct instructional

programs to selected public school students.

(o) Salary Schedule Categories BT and T – The two categories on the State Salary

Schedule referred to as BT and T that correspond to the certified personnel’s

certificate title held. Placement in the BT category is determined by certificate titles

where content requirements have been completed for the field but pedagogy

requirements have not been completed, with the exception of Special Georgia

Requirements. An example of an educator who would be placed on the BT category

of the State Salary Schedule would be a teacher who had a Bachelor’s degree in Math

(met content requirement) but had not yet completed their teacher preparation

program through either a college or any of the alternate routes (not met pedagogy

requirement).All other certificate titles issued by the PSC shall be paid according to

the T category of the State Salary Schedule. Certified personnel holding at least one

category T certificate title are paid according to the T category. It should be noted

that the “B” in the BT column was the letter used to represent the former

“provisional” certificate title that is not currently used.

(p) Salary Step – The column on the State Salary Schedule that corresponds to

certified personnel’s creditable years of experience.

3

(q) State Board of Education (SBOE) – constitutional authority which defines

education policy for public K-12 education agencies in Georgia.

(r) State Salary Schedule – the document developed pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-

212 that details the minimum state salary for certified personnel that has been

approved by the State Board of Education and funded by the Georgia General

Assembly.

(s) State Supplement – any salary enhancement or stipend that certified personnel

are to receive by state law or State Board of Education rule in addition to the salary

the certified personnel are entitled to receive as set by the State Salary Schedule.

(2) RESPONSIBILITY FOR VERIFYING AND AWARDING EXPERIENCE.

(a) LUAs are responsible for evaluating, verifying, documenting and awarding

experience for placement of certified personnel on the State Salary Schedule in

accordance with this rule. The LUA may require the employee to submit any

documentation the LUA deems necessary to verify, evaluate, and award employee

experience. The chairperson of the local board of education shall verify and

document the experience of the district superintendent. The chairperson of the

Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) board of control shall verify and

document the experience of the RESA director.

(b) Employees may contest the LUA, evaluation, verification and award of

experience under the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1160.

(c) LUAs shall adopt policies to provide for the consistent identification and

definitions of certified positions and how such definitions are applied to employees.

The policy must be consistent with reporting requirements established by GaDOE.

(3) REQUIREMENTS FOR VERIFYING AND AWARDING EXPERIENCE.

(a) The LUA shall place each employee holding a renewable certificate or nonrenewable

certificate on the State Salary Schedule that corresponds to the employee’s

creditable years of experience.

(b) Certified personnel shall earn one creditable year of experience for each year in

which the employee worked full time in a position listed in paragraph (4)(a), (4)(b),

and (4)(c) of this rule.

1. For the purpose of crediting years of experience for work in an LUA, a full time

year is defined as a minimum of 63% of the LUA defined school year for certified

personnel.

2. For the purpose of crediting years of experience in a college or university, full

time is defined as teaching 15 quarter hours each quarter for three consecutive

4

quarters or nine semester hours each semester for two consecutive semesters or

holding a fulltime contract for a professional position from the institution.

3. For the purpose of crediting years of experience for all other prior service listed in

paragraph (4)(c) of this rule as eligible experience that is not service in an LUA,

charter school, school operating under an IE2 partnership contract, college or

university, full time shall have the meaning as defined by the LUA.

(c) Certified personnel shall earn one creditable year of experience for each period

the certified personnel’s prior half-time experience met all of the following

conditions:

1. The employee worked in an LUA, charter school, or school operating under an

IE2 partnership contract.

2. The employee worked at least the equivalent of 63% of full-time employment in

two consecutive academic years. The equivalent of 63% of full-time employment

may be composed of the sum of the number of full-time days plus the number of halftime

days (half-time day equates to 50 - 99% of the LUA defined workday.)

3. The combination of full-time and half-time experience shall have been earned

during a period of continuous, uninterrupted service, either within the same academic

year or in consecutive years.

4. The employee was under contract for service if the experience was earned in an

LUA. The employee need not have been under contract for service if the experience

was earned in a charter school or school operating under an IE2 partnership contract.

(d) Certified personnel shall not earn creditable years of experience for any half-time

experience that does not meet the requirements of paragraph (3)(c).

(e) No more than one creditable year of experience shall be earned or attributed

during any 12-month period, unless provided by law or this rule.

(f) Creditable years of experience earned during one school year shall be credited at

the beginning of the next contracted school year.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this rule, certified personnel shall not

earn a creditable year of experience for any year the employee received an

unsatisfactory performance evaluation as determined by the evaluation system

approved by GaDOE or an LUA.

5

(4) REQUIREMENTS FOR PLACEMENT ON THE STATE SALARY

SCHEDULE.

(a) Under any of the following conditions, each LUA shall recognize experience in a

professional position for which a state-issued certificate or a state/national license is

required. (In all conditions listed, the individual held a valid, in-field state education

certificate or state/national professional license related to the field of employment and

was under contract during the period in which the experience was earned.)

1. Serving in a professional position in an LUA in the United States.

2. Serving in a professional position in a private elementary, middle, or high school

that was accredited by a recognized accrediting agency at the time the experience was

earned.

3. Serving as a teacher or educational administrator in a foreign country, provided

the individual held a U.S. equivalent of a bachelor’s degree or higher and held

educator credentials or other legal authorization for teaching in the foreign country

during the time the experience was earned.

4. Serving in a professional position in kindergarten, prekindergarten, or Head Start

programs provided they are under the legal jurisdiction of an LUA, the state

department of education or was accredited by a recognized accrediting agency at the

time the experience was earned.

5. Teaching elementary and secondary school subjects and vocational subjects to

children or to adults, including veterans, provided the teaching was on a full-time

basis and was under the direction of an LUA, the state department of education, or

any other state agency authorized to provide educational services to children in grades

prekindergarten through 12th grade or authorized to teach elementary and secondary

subjects to adults.

6. Serving in a professional position in a clinical situation or in any special

education center, including speech, reading, hearing, and psychological education

centers.

7. Serving as a professional librarian in a bookmobile, public library, Department of

Defense library, or public school library shall be counted as experience for media

specialists.

8. Serving in a professional position in the U.S. Department of Education or in a

state department of education.

6

9.Serving in a professional position in the Georgia Professional Standards

Commission or Professional Practices Commission in Georgia or in their counterparts

in any other state.

10. Serving in a professional position, such as teacher, social worker, psychologist,

counselor, media specialist, nurse or administrator, in any government agency

authorized to provide services to children in grades prekindergarten through twelfth

grade or in a private entity sponsored by the U.S. or a state department of education

provided the individual was under contract at the time the experience was earned.

11. Serving a full-time, year-long internship sponsored cooperatively by an

institution of higher education and an LUA or in conjunction with an approved staff

development program.

12. Serving as a full-time cooperative extension service agent may be used for a

maximum of three years’ creditable years of experience provided the experience is

earned after July 1, 1995.

(b) Under any of the following conditions, each LUA shall recognize experience in a

professional position for which a certificate or state/national license is not required,

provided that the individual held a degree from a college/university accredited by a

recognized accrediting agency when the experience was earned.

1. Serving in a professional position in a college/university accredited by a

recognized accrediting agency; e.g., as a teacher, counselor, librarian, dean, president,

provided the experience was full-time and the individual held academic/professional

rank or the equivalent such as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor,

professor. Individuals receiving experience credit shall have held a master’s degree,

at a minimum, and/or shall have been on a tenured track when the experience was

earned.

2. Serving in a teaching, supervisory, or leadership position in schools under the

direction of the Technical College System of Georgia, provided the experience was

full-time and the individual held academic/professional rank or the equivalent.

3. Teaching in the Peace Corps.

4. Serving in a professional position in the U.S. Department of Education or in a

state department of education.

5. Serving in a professional position in a private elementary, middle, or high school

that was accredited by a recognized accrediting agency at the time the experience was

earned.

7

6. Serving in any LUA in a professional leadership position that does not require a

certificate , such as school business manager, school personnel director, school

facilities director/planner; school/community coordinator.

7. Serving full-time as a food service director, manager/supervisor in a public or

private organization, including, but not limited to, administrative experience in the

Child Nutrition Program in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American

Dietetic Association approved internship, provided the internship was taken after the

degree was earned.

8. Serving in a professional position in the Georgia Professional Standards

Commission or Professional Practices Commission in Georgia or in their counterparts

in any other state.

9. Serving in a professional position in private industry that is job-related to the

position the individual is entering in the LUA. In this case, a maximum of three

years’ credit shall be granted for experience earned after July 1, 1995, and the

individual shall be placed on the State Salary Schedule at the appropriate step to

reflect three years of creditable experience. Years of Creditable Experience 3, Salary

Step 1.

(c) Under any of the following limited conditions, each LUA shall recognize

experience for which a degree is not required.

1. Serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. Service in the

Reserves shall not be counted unless the individual is called to active duty.

(i) A maximum of three years’ credit shall be allowed for military service according

to the following schedule:

8 full months = 1 year

20 full months = 2 years

32 full months = 3 years

(ii) Six months of active military service combined with two or more months of

teaching experience in an LUA shall be counted as a full year for granting creditable

years of experience, provided the military service interrupts continuous teaching or

prevents entrance into teaching immediately following college graduation.

(iii) A maximum of three creditable years of experience shall be granted for military

service unless teaching experience was a part of military duty, or unless otherwise

required by law.

(iv) Three years of military experience shall place an individual on the State Salary

Schedule at the appropriate step representing three years of experience. Other

creditable experience beyond this military experience shall be counted from this step.

8

(v) Fewer than three years of creditable military experience shall place the

individual on State Salary Schedule at the appropriate step representing less than

three years creditable service. In this case, after a year of creditable experience in a

Georgia LUA, the individual shall move on the State Salary Schedule to the

appropriate step representing three years of creditable service.

2. An LUA shall grant creditable years of experience for work in a vocational field

included in Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE).

(i) A maximum of three years’ work experience in vocational fields is acceptable for

salary purposes provided that it is beyond the first two years of work experience

required to receive certification from the PSC. i.e., to receive three years’ experience

credit, the individual must have a minimum of five years’ work experience.

(ii) Three years of creditable work experience shall place the individual on the State

Salary Schedule on the appropriate step to represent three years of creditable service.

All other creditable experience for such an individual shall be counted from this step.

(iii) Fewer than three years of creditable work experience shall place the individual

on State Salary Schedule at the appropriate step representing less than three years

creditable service. In the latter case, after a year of creditable experience in a Georgia

LUA, the individual shall move to State Salary Schedule step representing three years

of creditable service.

(d) Each LUA shall NOT recognize the following experience for advancement on

the State Salary Schedule:

1. Experience as a cooperative extension service agent earned prior to July 1, 1995.

2. Supply/substitute teaching.

3. Clerical or nonprofessional experience in an education institution.

4. Service as a member of a board of education.

5. Experience in private elementary, middle or secondary schools not holding

accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency.

6. Experience in a college/university not holding accreditation from a recognized

accrediting agency.

7. Experience in any college/university as an adjunct faculty member, graduate

assistant, athletic coach (without teaching responsibilities), or office staff member.

8. Occupational experience required for the issuance of a teaching certificate.

9. Experience as a teacher aide, paraprofessional, or teaching assistant.

9

(e) Each LUA shall place educators on the State Salary Schedule according to the

following requirements:

1. An individual holding a category T certificate and having zero years of experience

shall be placed on Salary Step E. After one year of creditable experience in a Georgia

LUA, that individual shall be advanced (i.e., skip years one and two) to Salary Step 1

as if he or she had three years of creditable experience.

2. An individual holding a category T certificate and having one or two years of

experience that was not earned in a Georgia LUA shall be placed on Salary Step E

until a year of experience has been earned in a Georgia LUA, at which time the

individual shall be advanced to Salary Step 1 (three years of creditable experience) on

the State Salary Schedule.

3. An individual holding a category T certificate and having three or more years of

experience who has not taught previously in a Georgia LUA, shall be placed on the

Salary Step that corresponds to the individual’s years of creditable experience; e.g.,

an individual with three years of creditable experience not in a Georgia LUA shall be

placed on Salary Step 1; an individual with four years of creditable experience shall

be placed on Salary Step 2, etc.

4. If an employee holding a category BT certificate has zero, one, or two creditable

years of experience, the employee shall be placed on Salary Step E and shall not

advance on the State Salary Schedule until the employee earns three creditable years

of experience or obtains a clear renewable certificate.

(f) From Salary Step 1, each certified personnel shall advance one step on the State

Salary Schedule for each year of creditable experience earned.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this rule, on and after July 1, 2010, and

until such date as may be determined by the State Board of Education that

mathematics, science, or both are no longer areas in which there is an insufficient

supply of teachers, a secondary (grades 6-12) teacher in a local school system who is

or becomes certified in mathematics or science by the PSC and teaches secondary

mathematics or science any portion of the work day shall be moved to the Salary

Step on the State Salary Schedule that is applicable to a teacher with six creditable

years of experience subject to appropriation by the Georgia General Assembly. From

such Salary Step, the teacher shall be attributed one additional creditable year of

experience for each creditable year of experience the teacher earns for the next five

years. After five years, such teacher may continue to be attributed one additional

creditable year of experience for each creditable year of experience earned if he or

she meets or exceeds student achievement criteria in mathematics or science as

established by GOSA. If such teacher does not meet or exceed the student

achievement criteria in mathematics or science as established by GOSA after five

years, or any year thereafter, such teacher shall be moved to the Salary Step

10

applicable to the actual number of creditable years of experience that the teacher

accumulated.

(h) On and after July 1, 2010 the LUA shall pay a supplement of $1000.00, subject

to appropriation by the General Assembly, per endorsement to individuals who hold a

PSC teaching certificate grades K-5 with endorsement in mathematics, science or

both for each year such endorsement is in effect up to a maximum of five years.

(i) After five years, such individual shall continue to receive the $1000.00, subject to

appropriation by the General Assembly, supplement provided he or she meets or

exceeds student achievement criteria established by the Governor’s Office of Student

Achievement (GOSA).

(j) Upon expiration of five years or any year thereafter, that the individual does not

meet or exceed student achievement as required the LUA shall cease payment of the

supplement.

(k) An individual holding a renewable or non-renewable leadership certificate issued

on and after July 1, 2010 shall only be placed on the salary level of the State Salary

Schedule attributed to the leadership degree if the individual is employed by the LUA

and serves in a leadership position. This shall not apply, regardless of whether or not

the individual is in a leadership position, to the following:

1. An educator who possessed a leadership degree prior to July 1, 2010 or

2. An educator who possessed:

(i) A master’s level leadership degree prior to July 1, 2012;

(ii) A specialist level leadership degree prior to July 1, 2013; or

(iii) A doctoral level leadership degree prior to July 1, 2014,

As long as the individual was enrolled in such leadership preparation program on or

before April 1, 2009.

(l) Each LUA shall pay to full and half time certified employees the salary

prescribed by the State Salary Schedule adopted annually by the State Board of

Education.

1. Each LUA shall pay certified personnel based on the validity date of the

individual’s certificate within the contract year.

2. Unless otherwise specified in this rule, each LUA shall pay individuals holding at

least one valid professional certificate in any field the professional salary at the

certificate level held, regardless of the field of assignment, provided that a valid

11

certificate is held in the field of assignment. Certificate validity, type and level are

determined by the PSC.

(m) Each LUA shall pay to 11 and 12 month employed certified personnel and to

superintendents and RESA directors at least the daily rate based on the state

minimum salary schedule in effect for the preceding fiscal year for the number of

days worked beyond the LUA defined school year.

(n) In accordance with state law, Each LUA may supplement the minimum salaries

of certified personnel. In determining the amount of local supplement, the LUA may

take into consideration the nature of duties to be performed, the responsibility of the

position held, the subject matter or grades taught, and experience and performance of

the employee whose salary is being supplemented. In any fiscal year in which such

personnel receive an increase under the State Salary Schedule, the LUA shall not

decrease any local supplement for such personnel below the local supplement

received in the immediately preceding fiscal year unless the LUA has conducted at

least two public hearings regarding the decrease and followed hearing requirements

as specified in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-212.

(o) In accordance with state law, each LUA shall pay state supplements to specified

personnel listed on the state schedule of minimum salaries, subject to appropriation

by the General Assembly.

(p) Each LUA shall pay beginning classroom teachers the first salary payment for

the number of days worked at the end of the first month of the school year in which

service is rendered.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200; 20-2-212; 20-2-240

Adopted: March 9, 2011 Effective: March 30, 2011