Common use of MASTER'S EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM Clause in Contracts

MASTER'S EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM. 24.3.1 The District and the State of Nevada, through their certification requirements, have had and now have the expectation that the District professional staff members have an obligation to pursue professional growth and increased competency in order to insure the delivery of a quality education program. 24.3.2 Many professional staff members have found that, in order to be able to enjoy the full benefits of the teacher's salary schedule, they have had to enroll in master's degree program even if that program has not represented an area of interest or ability of the individual employee. For those employees not having an interest in enrolling in such a program, the master's degree column on the teacher's salary schedule has represented a barrier to their advancement on the teacher's salary schedule, even though individual employees have continued to enroll in classes that provide increases in growth and classroom competency. Therefore, the Master's Equivalency Program has the potential of enhancing the educational program to be offered to students in the District if a commonly agreed upon procedure is established, which will allow employees to enjoy the full benefits of the teacher's salary schedule of the District through their continued enrollment and professional growth through University classes and in-service training programs. 24.3.3 The Master's Equivalency Program shall be used to allow movement from TD, Class IV to TE, Class V. 24.3.4 A licensed person wishing to avail himself or herself of this option must develop a proposed program and submit it to a review committee for approval. There would be two (2) committees, one (1) for secondary personnel seeking an "Approved Program" and one (1) for elementary personnel seeking an "Approved Program". The committees shall establish (prior to the beginning of each school year) a schedule to meet 4 times to review programs. The schedule shall be published through the District and Association. Each committee will be composed of: 1. A representative from Curriculum. 2. An employee from the appropriate school level taken from a list provided by the Association. 3. A principal/supervisor from the appropriate school level but not from the school where the employee is assigned. 4. Exceptions to these requirements will be made if the applicant declares that he/she is pursuing status as a Highly Qualified Teacher in an additional academic area or area of need, as determined by the District and reported to the Association by October 1st of each school year, for which HQ status is not defined. 24.3.5 A licensed person on the teacher's salary schedule who wishes to improve his/her professional competency without earning a master's degree may move to the master's column of the salary schedule by: 1. Earning forty-two (42) semester hours of credit beyond a BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university. Effective January 1, 2004, new enrollees into the Masters Equivalency Program will be required to complete at least thirty-two (32) graduate level credits from an accredited college or university as follows:(2003) 1. At the elementary level, applicants would have to take a minimum of 27 of the 32 required graduate classes in the core content areas (reading/language arts, math, social studies, science), and five elective credits in any areas, including student intern credits. 2. At the secondary level, a minimum of 27 graduate credits would have to be in the applicant’s content area, and 5 elective credits in any areas, including student intern credits. 3. A specialty area teacher would be required to take a minimum of 27 credits in the specialty area, or in the content areas, with 5 additional elective credits. 4. Exceptions to these requirements will be made if the applicant declares that he/she is pursuing status as a Highly Qualified Teacher in an additional academic area. Ten (10) of the forty-two (42) semester hours may be earned outside of an accredited college or university in one of the following ways: a. Accredited corporate or private school classes (subject to prior approval of the committee) with each fifteen (15) hours of class equaling one (1) semester hour. b. Undergraduate classes. c. A mixture of classes from Options a and b, not exceeding ten (10) semester hours. d. Six (6) in-service credits (or equivalent CEU’s) combined with four (4) total credits from Option a, b, or c. 24.3.6 All credits for options a, b, c, and d can only be utilized if earned after approval by the review committee. 24.3.7 The review committee can approve substituting six (6) additional undergraduate units for six (6) graduate units if graduate units are unavailable. 24.3.8 A person who has an "Approved Program" has a window of five (5) years to complete the approved program. Commencing with the 1994-95 school year, all graduate credits from an accredited college or university within the employee’s field or certified assignment and earned, if they fall under the guidelines of Section 24.3.5, within the previous three years shall qualify. All graduate credits must coincide with the approved program. All qualifying graduate credits must have a B or better. No graduate credits earned on the pass/fall basis will be eligible with the exception of continuing education credits taken for licensure with fifteen (15) CEU’s equaling one (1) graduate credit. The five (5) year window will commence either upon the date of program approval or, if previous credits are accepted, upon date of completion of the earliest credit used.

MASTER'S EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM. 24.3.1 The District and the State of Nevada, through their certification requirements, have had and now have the expectation that the District professional staff members have an obligation to pursue professional growth and increased competency in order to insure the delivery of a quality education program. 24.3.2 Many professional staff members have found that, in order to be able to enjoy the full benefits of the teacher's salary schedule, they have had to enroll in master's degree program even if that program has not represented an area of interest or ability of the individual employee. For those employees not having an interest in enrolling in such a program, the master's degree column on the teacher's salary schedule has represented a barrier to their advancement on the teacher's salary schedule, even though individual employees have continued to enroll in classes that provide increases in growth and classroom competency. Therefore, the Master's Equivalency Program has the potential of enhancing the educational program to be offered to students in the District if a commonly agreed upon procedure is established, which will allow employees to enjoy the full benefits of the teacher's salary schedule of the District through their continued enrollment and professional growth through University classes and in-service training programs. 24.3.3 The Master's Equivalency Program shall be used to allow movement from TD, Class IV to TE, Class V. 24.3.4 A licensed person wishing to avail himself or herself of this option must develop a proposed program and submit it to a review committee for approval. There would be two (2) committees, one (1) for secondary personnel seeking an "Approved Program" and one (1) for elementary personnel seeking an "Approved Program". The committees shall establish (prior to the beginning of each school year) a schedule to meet 4 times to review programs. The schedule shall be published through the District and Association. Each committee will be composed of: 1. A representative from Curriculum. 2. An employee from the appropriate school level taken from a list provided by the Association. 3. A principal/supervisor from the appropriate school level but not from the school where the employee is assigned. 4. Exceptions to these requirements will be made if the applicant declares that he/she is pursuing status as a Highly Qualified Teacher in an additional academic area or area of need, as determined by the District and reported to the Association by October 1st of each school year, for which HQ status is not defined. 24.3.5 A licensed person on the teacher's salary schedule who wishes to improve his/her professional competency without earning a master's degree may move to the master's column of the salary schedule by: 1. Earning forty-two (42) semester hours of credit beyond a BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university. Effective January 1, 2004, new enrollees into the Masters Equivalency Program will be required to complete at least thirty-two (32) graduate level credits from an accredited college or university as follows:(2003) 1. At the elementary level, applicants would have to take a minimum of 27 of the 32 required graduate classes in the core content areas (reading/language arts, math, social studies, science), and five elective credits in any areas, including student intern credits. 2. At the secondary level, a minimum of 27 graduate credits would have to be in the applicant’s content area, and 5 elective credits in any areas, including student intern credits. 3. A specialty area teacher would be required to take a minimum of 27 credits in the specialty area, or in the content areas, with 5 additional elective credits. 4. Exceptions to these requirements will be made if the applicant declares that he/she is pursuing status as a Highly Qualified Teacher in an additional academic area. Ten (10) of the forty-two (42) semester hours may be earned outside of an accredited college or university in one of the following ways: a. Accredited corporate or private school classes (subject to prior approval of the committee) with each fifteen (15) hours of class equaling one (1) semester hour. b. Undergraduate classes. c. A mixture of classes from Options a and b, not exceeding ten (10) semester hours. d. Six (6) in-service credits (or equivalent CEU’s) combined with four (4) total credits from Option a, b, or c. 24.3.6 All credits for options a, b, c, and d can only be utilized if earned after approval by the review committee. 24.3.7 The review committee can approve substituting six (6) additional undergraduate units for six (6) graduate units if graduate units are unavailable. 24.3.8 A person who has an "Approved Program" has a window of five (5) years to complete the approved program. Commencing with the 1994-95 school year, all graduate credits from an accredited college or university within the employee’s field or certified assignment and earned, if they fall under the guidelines of Section 24.3.5, within the previous three years shall qualify. All graduate credits must coincide with the approved program. All qualifying graduate credits must have a B or better. No graduate credits earned on the pass/fall basis will be eligible with the exception of continuing education credits taken for licensure with fifteen (15) CEU’s equaling one one (1) graduate credit. The five (5) year window will commence either upon the date of program approval or, if previous credits are accepted, upon date of completion of the earliest credit used.