Graduate Credit & Degree Advancements (GCDA) Guidelines

To maintain the integrity of our profession, all courses approved for lane advancement must meet the Sioux Falls School District high standards of rigor and relevance—ensuring courses challenge educators intellectually and directly enhance instructional practice. 

Pending approval by the GCDA Committee in September 2025, to align with the SD DOE standards, courses/programs being reviewed must have been completed within the past ten years.

Before a salary advancement can be approved, all courses and programs must be reviewed and approved by the GCDA Pre-Approval Committee.

Email your GCDA coursework pre-approval forms and required documentation to the Staff Development Department:

Forms Deadline Due by Noon on: *

Committee Review Start Dates: **

Friday, August 29, 2025

Friday, September 5, 2025

Friday, September 26, 2025 

Friday, October 3, 2025

Friday, October 31, 2025

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Monday, January 5, 2026
Deadline to ensure your coursework pre-approval review is completed before the Human Resource February 1 deadline for the salary advancement process. 

Friday, January 9, 2026

Friday, January 30, 2026

Friday, February 6, 2026

Friday, February 27, 2026

Friday, March 6, 2026

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Friday, May 1, 2026
Deadline to ensure your coursework pre-approval review is completed before the Human Resource September 1 deadline for the salary advancement process. 

Friday, May 8, 2026

Friday, September 11, 2026
No reviews are held over the summer. This is the first deadline for the 2025-26 school year to submit your coursework pre-approval.

Friday, September 18, 2026

*Submit GCDA Pre-Approval Forms with required documentation to Staff Development, prior to Noon on the “Forms Deadline” date stated above. Email all required documentation to StaffDev.sfsd@k12.sd.us by the monthly deadline.
**Reviews take approximately one-three weeks to complete. When completed, you will receive an email regarding the committee’s decision. This email will be sent to your state email address.

Please note:

"Pre-approval" does not grant permission to take the course. It only confirms that the course is eligible for salary advancement.

Approval Process

The Approval Process outlines the required steps for certified employees to receive a salary advancement. It does not refer to the GCDA Committee’s review of courses or master’s programs.

The GCDA process consists of two separate steps, managed by different departments. These steps must be completed in order:

  1. GCDA Committee Review (Staff Development) – Staff Development oversees the review of courses and master’s programs. Employees must submit a GCDA Coursework Pre-Approval Form for evaluation.

  2. Salary Advancement (Human Resources) – Human Resources (HR) handles the salary advancement process. Employees must submit the Intent and Application Forms for final approval.

GCDA Coursework Pre-Approval Form

(This form is provided as a PDF to ensure clarity and consistency in submissions.)

Individual Classes

  • The course must be graduate level, transcripted, and from an accredited college or university within the last ten years.

  • The course must be reviewed and approved by the GCDA Committee (through Staff Development) before salary advancement can occur.

  • The course may be reviewed before, during, or after completion.

  • If you need a class reviewed, refer to the Checklist/Reference Guide.

Degree Programs

  • Employees must be enrolled in a graduate-level, accredited program that leads to a degree in their major subject area or provides additional certification or endorsement.

  • All programs must be reviewed and approved by the GCDA Committee (through Staff Development) before salary advancement can occur.

  • Employees must complete all required coursework for the program. Any changes to approved courses or programs must be resubmitted for a new review.

  • Programs may be reviewed before, during, or after completion.

  • If you need a class reviewed, refer to the Checklist/Reference Guide.

Important Reminders for Employees

  • Missed deadlines will result in ineligibility for salary advancement.

  • Transcripts, certificates of completion, or class summaries are not accepted in place of the required documentation.

  • All documents must be scanned and sent as attachments.

    • Phone photos of documents will not be accepted.

    • Documents must be clear and legible for the GCDA Committee’s review.

  • Confirmation emails are not sent. If needed, request a read receipt through your Outlook account.

Red Apple Workshop Courses

  • Employees must submit a GCDA Coursework Pre-Approval Form for each Red Apple Workshop course in addition to registering for the workshop.

  • Upon committee approval and successful completion of the Red Apple Workshop course, it may count toward Graduate Credit/Degree Advancement requirements.

  • It is recommended that employees print the course description from the Red Apple Workshop website for their GCDA documentation.

  • Course descriptions for past Red Apple Workshop classes (from the last 10 years only) are available on the Red Apple Workshop website.

Submission Instructions

  • Email the GCDA Coursework Pre-Approval Form and required documentation (as attachments) to Staff Development.

Final Notes

The Committee’s decisions are final for the contract year and are non-grievable.

 

   2023-2028 Teacher Working Agreement, p. 16-18

GCDA Coursework Pre-Approval Form and committee review process questions, contact Velina Onate-Nelson.

Velina Onate-Nelson

Velina Onate-Nelson

✉ Email Velina Onate-Nelson
➢ Staff Development

Salary advancement, the GCDA Intent Form, or the GCDA Application questions, contact Amira Lawrence.

Amira Lawrence

Amira Lawrence

✆ (605) 367-4692
✉ Email Amira Lawrence
➢ Human Resources