Ratings on annual performance evaluations

• Proficient or highly effective = 12 AUs
• Satisfactory or effective = 9 AUs
• Developing = 3 AUs
• Unsatisfactory or ineffective = 0 AUs

College credits

Teachers with a Standard Professional Certificate or an Advanced Professional Certificate must upload information about college courses, which will be reviewed to determine eligibility for AUs. Note that information must be uploaded within 90 days of the final day of the course. To upload information

• Log into Employee Self Service and click "Employee Career Pathway."
• Select “Initiate Review/Make Correction" and follow the prompts to “Initiate Review.”
• Upload documentation of credits that have not yet been applied to the current pay grade (e.g., official transcripts).
• Note the transaction tracking number.

All documentation is subject to official verification. Teachers will receive initial written notification from the Human Capital Office within 10 business days; manager approval takes an additional 5 days, after which the "Career Pathway Profile" and AU balance is updated on Employee Self Service.

Professional development course work

AUs may be earned through professional development course work that benefit students, colleagues, a school, or the district and tie into academic achievement. To be eligible, courses must be approved, occur during uncompensated times, and be grounded in a documented need for a specified or targeted group. Teachers can earn AUs by creating and or facilitating AU-approved professional development courses.

To qualify for awarding AUs, professional development courses must include

• A complete cycle of development during which participants learn, implement, reflect, receive feedback, and share
• A connection to standards local, state, national, discipline, and organizational)
• Data that demonstrates a need
• A minimum of 15 hours (for 1 AU)
• A product output (e.g., lesson plans, unit plans, data analysis, questioning, assessments, work performed by students, differentiated materials)
• Intellectually engaging and rigorous activities 
• Modeling of best practices
• A focus on content, pedagogy, and how students learn best
• Informative feedback, evaluation and monitoring of implementation that measures and demonstrates impact

Find AU-bearing professional development opportunities through the Professional Growth System, available under the ERP portal or refer to the AU Master Course list.

To propose an AU-bearing Professional Development course, see the Guidance and Proposal Form linked here. To request re-approval of a previously offered AU-bearing Professional Development course, complete this form.

AU Menu

Approved AU Menu activities are managed by a program coordinator. Examples of some of the AU Menu items include Baltimore City Special Olympics, Union Learning Representatives, and Site based School Mentoring. Teachers interested in participating in an AU Menu activity should notify the program coordinator or contact person listed.

Teachers can also earn AUs by participating in curriculum writing.

AU Projects

AUs may be earned through the development of school-based AU projects. To submit a new AU project for approval, first review the approval process and timeline. Please submit a student facing AU project form or a PLC AU project form for pre-approval.