What a pre-approval form is

A pre-approval form is a district request you file before enrolling, asking whoever administers the salary schedule to confirm that a specific course will count toward column or class movement. Depending on the district, it goes to HR, a principal, a professional development office or a joint committee. A signed approval does not move you; the transcript does that later. What it does is settle, in advance, the question HR will otherwise ask after you have finished: does this course meet our contract?

It is different from the form you file after completing the work. Fairfax County's HR-353, for example, is filed with official transcripts once the credits are earned. Some districts use both: an approval before, and a salary request after.

Where it is required

Hawaii is the clearest case. HIDOE's reclassification guidelines state: "Only Academic credits and Department PD credits that have been pre-approved by an administrator and started and completed while employed with the Department may be submitted." Approval from the principal or administrator must come before enrolling. The guidelines also say credits should be related to standards-based instruction, aligned with the school's design plan, or support the Department's initiatives. Credits without that prior approval are not eligible. See the Hawaii guide.

California districts. California has no statewide salary schedule; each district bargains its own, and many require pre-approval of non-degree units before those units will count. The state's credential agency is not involved: CTC Leaflet CL-494 says clear credentials renew without additional coursework, so salary units are purely a district matter. See the California guide.

Alaska, for renewal. Alaska's DEED requires pre-approval for non-academic credit used toward certificate renewal. That is a state rule about licences; your district's salary rules are separate. Washington's PESB draws the same line, noting that salary advancement through clock hours is not overseen by PESB; see the Washington guide.

Advance requests elsewhere. Clark County School District in Nevada asks for a Request for Column Advancement by June 1 for the next contract year, months before the coursework deadline. It is not described as course approval, but it is the same idea: tell the district before, not after.

Outside these examples, practice varies by contract. Many districts require some form of prior approval, especially for non-degree units, and the requirement is usually in the negotiated agreement or an HR procedure rather than on the salary schedule itself.

i

Where to look. Search your district's negotiated agreement for "prior approval", "pre-approval", "advance approval" or "approved units", and check the HR forms page. If neither mentions it, ask HR in writing whether approval is needed.

What to put on the form

Districts ask for broadly the same facts. Have them ready before you start:

  • Institution issuing the credit, and its accreditation.
  • Course title and number, exactly as they will appear on the transcript.
  • Units and unit type: how many, semester or quarter.
  • Level: graduate-level, upper-division or other, and whether the units are degree-applicable or non-degree. See graduate-level vs. graduate credit.
  • Dates: start, end and expected transcript date.
  • Relevance: one or two sentences on how the course relates to your assignment, subject or school goals, if the contract asks for it.
  • Attachments: catalog description or syllabus.

Keep a copy of the signed form with your transcript. When you file for the column change, attach both.

What happens if you skip it

In Hawaii, the guidelines answer directly: credits not pre-approved may not be submitted. In other districts the outcome depends on the contract. HR may deny the units, accept them for a different column than you expected, or ask for a retroactive review that it is not obliged to grant. You do not get the tuition or the time back in any of those cases.

The safer order is always the same: get the course approved, enroll, finish, file the official transcript before the deadline. For the deadline step, see why the transcript date matters; for the column rules, lane change, explained.

Sources

  • HIDOE Guidelines for Reclassification, SY2024-25: hidoeotm.org
  • CTC Leaflet CL-494: ctc.ca.gov
  • Alaska DEED, renewal and reinstatement: education.alaska.gov
  • Washington PESB, clock hours: pesb.wa.gov
  • Clark County School District, professional growth and column advancement: ccsd.net
  • Fairfax County Public Schools, HR-353 additional salary request: fcps.edu

Last reviewed 2026-11-03.