You may continue to use university courses, CLEP tests, and ASPDP P-credit courses towards the salary differential, in addition to a minimum of required A+ courses. In other words, other than the minimum number of A+ credits needed for your salary differential, you are free to complete the remaining credits needed for the differential through any other approved means.

A+ credits and P credits are both types of professional development credits that may be used towards teachers’ salary differentials. A+ credits are approved by a committee of UFT and DOE representatives, and are aligned with DOE educational priorities to promote teachers’ development of skills, knowledge, and methods aligned to the needs of the school system and students. P credit courses are offered through the New York City Department of Education’s  After School Professional Development Program (ASPDP), aligned with the Danielson Framework for Teaching, and may also be used by teachers to complete CTLE hours in addition to earning salary differential credits. 

If taken through ASPDP, you can access your transcripts and course certificates directly from your participant account on the ASPDP website; this will serve as your record of CTLE hours and earned A+ and P credit. 

The UFT’s LearnUFT program has committed to maintaining the records of its course participants so UFT members can easily provide proof of CTLE hours if the state audits them.

Educators must maintain personal records of completed continuing teacher and education leader (CTLE), including: 

• The title of the activities; 
• Total number of hours completed; 
• Number of hours completed in content, pedagogy, language acquisition addressing the needs of English language learners; 
• Approved CTLE sponsor’s name and number; 
• Educators’ identifying information listed on the activities; 
• Attendance verification; and 
• Date and location of the activities. 

Educators must maintain CTLE records and documentation for at least three years from the end of the registration period in which they completed the CTLE credit hours. You may use NYSED’s record-keeping form to assist you. Please see the NYSED website for more information about recordkeeping requirements for CTLE.  

Courses taken through ASPDP may be used towards the A+ requirement and currently, all ASPDP courses can be used for CTLE credit. You can check whether the course provider is independently approved on the NYSED website. The number of CTLE hours you may earn through an A+ class, if any, will be noted in the course details for the course before you register.  

Courses taken during the year through the After School Professional Development Program (ASPDP) may be counted for A+ credit or P credit. You can find directions for completing course registrations on the ASPDP website. To register for courses, you will need to register and pay course fees both on the ASPDP website and directly to the partner organization offering that course. ASPDP courses taken prior to September 2019 are not eligible for A+ credit. 

All teachers are eligible to take A+ courses for their own knowledge, development and to earn credit toward a salary differential. A+ courses may only be taken for credit by teachers. 

If you are a guidance counselor, paraprofessional, school secretary or other non-teacher title, your salary differential options have not changed.

If you are a teacher hired or rehired on or after Sept.1, 2019, then you must obtain a minimum of 18 A+ credits in order to earn your salary differential, unless you have already attained an additional doctorate or an additional master’s in an approved related area as determined by the Joint Accreditation Committee (JAC).

If you are a teacher hired on or after Sept. 1, 2017, but before Sept.1, 2019, then you must obtain a minimum of 6 A+ credits, unless you earned your salary differential before Sept. 1, 2019. (There was a six-month application window for teachers hired between Sept. 1, 2017, and Sept.1, 2019, who completed their 30 credits above a master’s by Sept. 1, 2019, but who had not finalized the application process for their differential. This window closed Feb. 1, 2020.)

If you are a teacher hired before Sept. 1, 2017, then you are not required to use A+ credits to obtain your salary differential. If you choose to submit A+ credits toward your salary differential, you must obtain a minimum of 6 A+ credits.

These rules went into effect on Sept. 1, 2019.

A+ courses are professional learning courses that NYC DOE teachers may take for credit towards their salary differential.

Integrated Co-Teaching may be provided for all subjects or on an individual subject basis. When Integrated Co-Teaching is recommended for less than the full school day, the student’s IEP must indicate the specific subjects or instructional areas in which the student requires Integrated Co-Teaching services.

Co-teachers may not be assigned to other duties (such as exam scoring or coverage or test proctoring for other classes) that would prevent them from providing IEP-mandated services to their ICT class.

If a co-teacher is routinely assigned to other duties, this issue should first be raised at a meeting of the school’s Special Education Committee with the principal. If unresolved at the school level, the issue can be escalated to the UFT district representative for that school or a UFT member can file a special education compliance complaint on behalf of the adversely affected students.