You must file your salary differential via the salary application portal. Please consult the DOE guide below for deadlines for filing the salary differential application:

When using ASPDP courses to apply for a differential, you will be asked for a "school name," which doesn't apply to these courses. Instead, select "other" and enter "ASPDP" instead. 

If you have additional questions about the salary differential process, the DOE publishes a step-by-step guide which you can access on the UFT website. You may also contact the Office of Salary Services through HR Connect at 718-935-4000.

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. 

You can access your ASPDP 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. Participants are expected to maintain these records. 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.