Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding certain placement and movement on the career ladder.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 849
BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
AN ACT	1
RELATING TO EDUCATION; AMENDING SECTION 33-1004B, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE PRO-	2
VISIONS REGARDING THE CAREER LADDER; AMENDING SECTION 33-1201A, IDAHO	3
CODE, TO REVISE PROVISIONS REGARDING IDAHO PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS;	4
AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.	5
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:	6
SECTION 1. That Section 33-1004B, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby	7
amended to read as follows:	8
33-1004B. CAREER LADDER. School districts shall receive an allocation	9
for instructional staff and pupil service staff based on their staffs' posi-	10
tion on the career ladder as follows:	11
(1) Instructional Except as otherwise provided in this section, in-	12
structional staff and pupil service staff who are in their first year	13
of holding an Idaho certificate shall be placed in the first cell of the	14
residency compensation rung and shall move one (1) cell on the residency com-	15
pensation rung for each year they hold an Idaho certificate and are employed	16
in an Idaho public school thereafter for up to three (3) years, at which point	17
they will remain in the third cell of the residency rung until they earn a	18
professional endorsement.	19
(2) Instructional staff and pupil service staff in their first year of	20
holding a professional endorsement shall be placed in the first cell of the	21
professional compensation rung.	22
(3) Instructional Except as otherwise provided in this section, in-	23
structional staff and pupil service staff on the professional compensation	24
rung with four (4) years of experience shall move one (1) cell on the profes-	25
sional compensation rung unless they have failed to meet the professional	26
compensation rung performance criteria for three (3) of the previous four	27
(4) years. Instructional staff and pupil service staff on the professional	28
compensation rung who meet the performance criteria for three (3) of the	29
previous five (5) years, one (1) of which must be during the fourth or fifth	30
year, shall move one (1) cell. Allocations for instructional staff and pupil	31
service staff who do not meet the professional compensation rung performance	32
criteria for three (3) of the previous five (5) years, one (1) of which must	33
be during the fourth or fifth year, shall remain at the previous fiscal year	34
allocation level. This also applies to the educational allocation.	35
(4) Instructional staff and pupil service staff in their first year of	36
holding an advanced professional endorsement shall be placed in the first	37
cell of the advanced professional compensation rung.	38
(5) Instructional Except as otherwise provided in this section, in-	39
structional staff and pupil service staff on the advanced professional	40
compensation rung who met the performance criteria for the advanced pro-	41
fessional rung in the previous year shall move one (1) cell on the advanced	42

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professional compensation rung. Allocations for instructional staff and	1
pupil service staff who do not meet the advanced professional compensation	2
rung performance criteria shall remain at the previous fiscal year alloca-	3
tion level. This also applies to the additional education allocation.	4
(6) Career technical education instructional staff holding an occupa-	5
tional specialist certificate shall be placed on the career ladder as fol-	6
lows:	7
(a) Instructional staff new to or returning to working in an Idaho pub-	8
lic school:	9
(i) With two (2) or three (3) years of industry experience in a	10
field closely related to the subjects they seek to teach shall be	11
placed in an equivalent cell to instructional staff who have been	12
on the career ladder and met the movement requirements for one (1)	13
year;	14
(ii) With four (4) or five (5) years of industry experience in a	15
field closely related to the subjects they seek to teach shall be	16
placed in an equivalent cell to instructional staff who have been	17
on the career ladder and met the movement requirements for two (2)	18
years;	19
(iii) With six (6) or seven (7) years of industry experience in a	20
field closely related to the subjects they seek to teach shall be	21
placed in an equivalent cell to instructional staff who have been	22
on the career ladder and met the movement requirements for three	23
(3) years; and	24
(iv) With eight (8) or more years of industry experience in a	25
field closely related to the subjects they seek to teach shall be	26
placed in an equivalent cell to instructional staff who have been	27
on the career ladder and met the movement requirements for four (4)	28
years; and	29
(b) Existing career technical education instructional staff on the	30
residency compensation rung shall have their placement updated con-	31
sistent with the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection if the	32
update would result in a rung higher than their current placement.	33
(7)(a) Career technical education instructional staff holding an oc-	34
cupational specialist certificate who are placed on the career ladder	35
pursuant to the provisions of subsection (6) of this section and ini-	36
tially placed on the professional compensation rung shall move cells on	37
the professional compensation rung as follows:	38
(i) Those with one (1) year of experience shall move one (1) cell	39
on the professional compensation rung unless they have failed to	40
meet the professional compensation rung performance criteria for	41
the first year;	42
(ii) Those with two (2) years of experience shall move one (1) cell	43
on the professional compensation rung unless they have failed to	44
meet the professional compensation rung performance criteria in	45
either of the two (2) years;	46
(iii) Those with three (3) years of experience shall move one (1)	47
cell on the professional compensation rung unless they have failed	48
to meet the professional compensation rung performance criteria	49
for two (2) of the previous three (3) years; and	50

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(iv) Those with four (4) or more years of experience shall move	1
according to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section.	2
(b) Allocations for such instructional staff who do not meet the pro-	3
fessional compensation rung performance criteria in any year shall re-	4
main at the previous fiscal year allocation level.	5
(7) (8) Instructional staff or pupil service staff entering their first	6
year on the career ladder, but with prior certificated instructional, pupil	7
service, administrative, or equivalent elementary or secondary school ex-	8
perience, including in an accredited private or parochial school, shall be	9
placed on the career ladder as follows:	10
(a) Instructional staff and pupil service staff who have been awarded a	11
professional endorsement shall be placed as follows:	12
(i) Those with four (4) years of certificated experience and doc-	13
umentation from the hiring school district or charter school ad-	14
ministrator, attesting the individual has provided evidence that	15
the individual has met the professional compensation rung perfor-	16
mance criteria in two (2) of the previous four (4) years, shall be	17
placed in an equivalent cell on the career ladder to instructional	18
staff or pupil service staff who have met the movement criteria for	19
four (4) years; or	20
(ii) Those with five (5) or more years of certificated experi-	21
ence and documentation from the hiring school district or charter	22
school administrator, attesting the individual has provided ev-	23
idence that the individual has met the professional compensation	24
rung performance criteria in three (3) of the previous five (5)	25
years, with one (1) year being the fourth or fifth year, shall be	26
placed in an equivalent cell on the career ladder to instructional	27
staff or pupil service staff who have met the movement criteria for	28
the equivalent number of years as they have verified experience.	29
(b) Instructional staff and pupil service staff who have been awarded	30
an advanced professional endorsement with nine (9) or more years of cer-	31
tificated experience and documentation from the hiring school district	32
or charter school administrator, attesting the individual has provided	33
evidence that the individual has met the professional compensation rung	34
performance criteria in three (3) of the previous five (5) years, with	35
one (1) year being the fourth or fifth year, shall be placed in an equiv-	36
alent cell on the career ladder to instructional staff or pupil service	37
staff who have met the movement criteria for the equivalent number of	38
years as they have verified experience.	39
(9)(a) Pupil service staff new to or returning to working in an Idaho	40
public school who are certified in and have industry experience in a	41
field closely related to the position in which they seek to be employed,	42
and which position is eligible for certificated pupil service staff,	43
shall be placed on the career ladder as follows:	44
(i) Those with two (2) or three (3) years of industry experience	45
in a field closely related to the position in which they seek to	46
work shall be placed in an equivalent cell to pupil service staff	47
who have been on the career ladder and met the movement require-	48
ments for one (1) year;	49

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(ii) Those with four (4) or five (5) years of industry experience	1
in a field closely related to the position in which they seek to	2
work shall be placed in an equivalent cell to pupil service staff	3
who have been on the career ladder and met the movement require-	4
ments for two (2) years;	5
(iii) Those with six (6) or seven (7) years of industry experience	6
in a field closely related to the position in which they seek to	7
work shall be placed in an equivalent cell to pupil service staff	8
who have been on the career ladder and met the movement require-	9
ments for three (3) years; and	10
(iv) Those with eight (8) or more years of industry experience in	11
a field closely related to the position in which they seek to work	12
shall be placed in an equivalent cell to pupil service staff who	13
have been on the career ladder and met the movement requirements	14
for four (4) years; and	15
(b) Existing pupil service staff on the residency compensation rung	16
shall have their placement updated consistent with the provisions of	17
paragraph (a) of this subsection if the update would result in a rung	18
higher than their current placement.	19
(10)(a) Pupil service staff holding a pupil service staff certificate	20
who are placed on the career ladder pursuant to subsection (9) of this	21
section and initially placed on the professional compensation rung	22
shall move cells on the professional compensation rung as follows:	23
(i) Those with one (1) year of experience shall move one (1) cell	24
on the professional compensation rung unless they have failed to	25
meet the performance criteria for the first year;	26
(ii) Those with two (2) years of experience shall move one (1) cell	27
on the professional compensation rung unless they have failed to	28
meet the professional compensation rung performance criteria in	29
either of the two (2) years;	30
(iii) Those with three (3) years of experience shall move one (1)	31
cell on the professional compensation rung unless they have failed	32
to meet the professional compensation rung performance criteria	33
for two (2) of the previous three (3) years; and	34
(iv) Those with four (4) or more years of experience shall move	35
according to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section.	36
(b) Allocations for such pupil service staff who do not meet the profes-	37
sional compensation rung performance criteria in any year shall remain	38
at the previous fiscal year allocation level.	39
(11) When determining the placement of instructional staff, pupil ser-	40
vice staff, or career technical education instructional staff new to or re-	41
turning to working in an Idaho public school, all experience calculated un-	42
der subsections (6), (8), and (9) of this section shall be combined.	43
(8) (12) In addition to the allocation amount specified for the applica-	44
ble cell on the career ladder, school districts shall receive an additional	45
allocation amount for career technical education instructional staff hold-	46
ing an occupational specialist certificate in the area for which they are	47
teaching in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000), which shall be	48
designated for career technical education staff and included as part of	49
their salary.	50

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(9) (13) In addition to the allocation amount specified for the applica-	1
ble cell on the career ladder, school districts shall receive an additional	2
allocation amount for instructional staff and pupil service staff holding	3
a professional or an advanced professional endorsement who have acquired	4
additional education and meet the professional or advanced professional	5
compensation rung performance criteria. In determining the additional ed-	6
ucation allocation amount, only transcripted credits and degrees on file	7
with the teacher certification office of the state department of education,	8
earned at an institution of higher education accredited by a body recognized	9
by the state board of education or credits earned through an internship or	10
work experience approved by the state board of education, shall be allowed.	11
All credits and degrees earned must be in a relevant pedagogy or content area	12
as determined by the state department of education. Additional education	13
allocation amounts are not cumulative. Instructional staff whose initial	14
certificate is an occupational specialist certificate shall be treated as BA	15
degree-prepared instructional staff. Credits earned by such occupational	16
specialist instructional staff after initial certification shall be cred-	17
ited toward the education allocation. Additional education allocations	18
are:	19
(a) For instructional staff and pupil service staff holding a profes-	20
sional or an advanced professional endorsement, a baccalaureate degree	21
and twenty-four (24) or more credits, two thousand dollars ($2,000) per	22
fiscal year.	23
(b) For instructional staff and pupil service staff holding a profes-	24
sional or an advanced professional endorsement and a master's degree,	25
three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500) per fiscal year.	26
(c) Effective July 1, 2021, the allocation shall be:	27
Base	28
Allocation	29 1 2 3 4 5
Residency	30 $40,369 $40,990 $41,611
Professional	31 $42,991 $44,836 $46,681 $48,526 $50,370
Advanced	32
Professional	33 $52,734 $53,207
(d) Effective July 1, 2022, the allocation shall be:	34
Base	35
Allocation	36 1 2 3 4 5
Residency	37 $40,742 $41,486 $42,231
Professional	38 $43,488 $45,302 $47,116 $48,930 $50,743
Advanced	39
Professional	40 $53,478 $54,442 $55,389
(e) Effective July 1, 2023, the allocation shall be:	41
Base	42
Allocation	43 1 2 3 4 5
Residency	44 $41,118 $41,988 $42,860

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Professional	1 $43,990 $45,773 $47,555 $49,337 $51,119
Advanced	2
Professional	3 $54,233 $55,705 $57,165 $58,613
(f) Effective July 1, 2024, the allocation shall be:	4
Base	5
Allocation	6 1 2 3 4 5
Residency	7 $41,500 $42,500 $43,500
Professional	8 $44,500 $46,250 $48,000 $49,750 $51,500
Advanced	9
Professional	10 $55,000 $57,000 $59,000 $61,000 $63,000
(10) (14) Effective July 1, 2025, the educator salary-based apportion-	11
ment program compensation rung cell amounts shall be adjusted by an amount	12
equivalent to the salary-based apportionment adjustment for administrative	13
and classified staff positions.	14
(11) (15) A review of a sample of evaluations completed by adminis-	15
trators shall be conducted annually to verify such evaluations are being	16
conducted with fidelity to the state framework for teaching evaluation,	17
including each domain and identification of which domain or domains the	18
administrator is focusing on for the instructional staff or pupil service	19
staff member being evaluated, as outlined in administrative rule. The re-	20
view shall be completed prior to November 1 of each year. The state board of	21
education shall randomly select a sample of administrators throughout the	22
state. A portion of such administrators' instructional staff and pupil ser-	23
vice staff employee evaluations shall be independently reviewed. The ratio	24
of instructional staff evaluations to pupil service staff evaluations shall	25
be equal to the ratio of the statewide instructional staff salary allowance	26
to pupil service staff salary allowance. The state board of education, with	27
input from the Idaho-approved teacher preparation programs and the state	28
department of education, shall identify individuals and a process to conduct	29
the reviews. Administrator certificate holders shall be required to par-	30
ticipate in ongoing evaluation training pursuant to section 33-1204, Idaho	31
Code. The state board of education shall report annually the findings of	32
such reviews to the senate education committee, the house of representatives	33
education committee, the state board of education and the deans of Idaho's	34
approved teacher preparation programs. The state board of education shall	35
promulgate rules implementing the provisions of this subsection.	36
(12) (16) School districts shall submit annually to the state the data	37
necessary to determine if an instructional staff or pupil service staff	38
member has met the performance criteria for movement on the applicable	39
compensation rung. Such data shall include the individuals' performance	40
on each of the performance criteria as defined in section 33-1001, Idaho	41
Code, including the percentage of students meeting their measurable student	42
achievement and student success indicator targets. The department of edu-	43
cation shall calculate whether or not instructional staff and pupil service	44
staff have met the compensation rung performance criteria based on the data	45
submitted during the previous five (5) years. Individually identifiable	46
performance evaluation ratings submitted to the state remain part of the	47
employee's personnel record and are exempt from public disclosure pursuant	48
to section 74-106, Idaho Code.	49

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SECTION 2. That Section 33-1201A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby	1
amended to read as follows:	2
33-1201A. IDAHO PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENT -- ELIGIBILITY. (1) Any in-	3
structional staff employee or any pupil service staff employee will receive	4
mentoring as outlined in such employee's individualized professional learn-	5
ing plan during the initial three (3) years of holding such certificate.	6
Upon holding a certificate for three (3) years, any such instructional staff	7
or pupil service staff employee may apply for an Idaho professional endorse-	8
ment. Upon holding a professional endorsement for five (5) years or more,	9
any such instructional staff or pupil service staff employee may apply for an	10
Idaho advanced professional endorsement. Individuals who hold an instruc-	11
tional staff certificate and a pupil service staff certificate shall have	12
their experience based on the overall years of experience if held consecu-	13
tively or the certificate they have held the longest if dually certificated.	14
(2) To be eligible for an Idaho professional endorsement, the instruc-	15
tional staff or pupil service staff employee must:	16
(a) Have held a certificate and been employed in a public school for at	17
least three (3) years or have completed a state board of education-ap-	18
proved interim certificate of three (3) years or longer;	19
(b) Show they met the professional compensation rung performance cri-	20
teria for two (2) of the three (3) previous years or the third year;	21
(c) Have a written recommendation from the employing school district;	22
and	23
(d) Have an annual individualized professional learning plan developed	24
in conjunction with the employee's school district supervisor.	25
Instructional staff employees may provide additional evidence demonstrat-	26
ing effective teaching that may be considered in exceptional cases for	27
purposes of determining proficiency and student achievement in the event	28
required standards for professional endorsement are not met. Pupil service	29
staff employees may provide additional evidence demonstrating effective	30
student achievement or success that may be considered in exceptional cases	31
for purposes of determining proficiency and student achievement or success	32
in the event required standards for professional endorsement are not met.	33
(3) To be eligible for an Idaho advanced professional endorsement, the	34
instructional staff or pupil service staff employee must:	35
(a) Have held a renewable certificate and been employed in a public	36
school for at least eight (8) years or more or have completed a state	37
board of education-approved interim certificate of three (3) years or	38
longer and held a renewable certificate and been employed in a public	39
school for five (5) years or more;	40
(b) Show they met the professional compensation rung performance cri-	41
teria for four (4) of the five (5) previous years or the third, fourth,	42
and fifth year;	43
(c) During three (3) of the previous five (5) years, have served in	44
an additional building or district leadership role in an Idaho public	45
school, including but not limited to:	46
(i) Instructional specialist or instructional coach;	47
(ii) Mentor;	48
(iii) Curriculum or assessment committee member;	49

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(iv) Team or committee leadership position;	1
(v) Data coach; or	2
(vi) Other leadership positions identified by the school dis-	3
trict;	4
(d) Have a written recommendation from the employing school district;	5
(e) Have an annual individualized professional learning plan developed	6
in conjunction with the employee's supervisor and a self-evaluation;	7
and	8
(f)(i) Effective July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, show they	9
have met the advanced professional compensation rung performance	10
criteria for three (3) of the five (5) previous years or the fifth	11
year;	12
(ii) Effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, show they have	13
met the advanced professional compensation rung performance cri-	14
teria for three (3) of the five (5) previous years or the fourth and	15
fifth year; or	16
(iii) Effective July 1, 2022, show they have met the advanced pro-	17
fessional compensation rung performance criteria for three (3) of	18
the five (5) previous years.	19
Instructional staff employees may provide additional evidence demon-	20
strating effective teaching that may be considered in exceptional cases	21
for purposes of determining proficiency and student achievement in the	22
event required standards for the advanced professional endorsement are not	23
met. Pupil service staff employees may provide additional evidence demon-	24
strating effective student achievement or success that may be considered	25
in exceptional cases for purposes of determining proficiency and student	26
achievement or success in the event required standards for the advanced pro-	27
fessional endorsement are not met.	28
(4) Instructional staff and pupil service staff who have been certified	29
in another state shall be eligible for the professional endorsement if they:	30
(a) Have a written recommendation from the employing school district;	31
(b) Have worked in a certificated position in a compact-member state	32
other than Idaho pursuant to section 33-4104, Idaho Code; and	33
(c) Would have been eligible to work in a certificated position in an	34
Idaho public school based on that certification for three (3) to eight	35
(8) years.	36
(5) Instructional staff and pupil service staff who have been certified	37
in another state shall be eligible for the advanced professional endorsement	38
if they:	39
(a) Have a written recommendation from the employing school district;	40
(b) Have worked in a certificated position in a compact-member state	41
other than Idaho pursuant to section 33-4104, Idaho Code; and	42
(c) Would have been eligible to work in a certificated position in an	43
Idaho public school based on that certification for nine (9) years or	44
more.	45
(6) Instructional staff and pupil service staff who have worked in	46
an accredited private school and maintained their instructional or pupil	47
service staff certification may use their years of private school work ex-	48
perience to meet the years of experience requirements for the professional	49
and advanced professional endorsement. Such staff may provide additional	50

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evidence demonstrating effective teaching that may be considered in excep-	1
tional cases for purposes of determining proficiency and student achieve-	2
ment requirements for professional and advanced professional eligibility	3
criteria.	4
(7) Pupil service staff and career technical education instructional	5
staff may use the years of industry experience, as calculated pursuant to	6
section 33-1004B(6) and (9), Idaho Code, to meet the years of experience	7
requirements for the professional and advanced professional endorsements.	8
Such staff may provide additional evidence demonstrating effective teaching	9
that may be considered in exceptional cases for purposes of determining pro-	10
ficiency and student achievement requirements for professional and advanced	11
professional eligibility criteria.	12
(7) (8) Individuals holding a professional endorsement or an advanced	13
professional endorsement will be annually evaluated in at least two (2) do-	14
mains in the state evaluation framework approved by the state board of educa-	15
tion. All other instructional or pupil service staff employees must be eval-	16
uated across all domains in the evaluation framework. Ratings in the domains	17
described in section 33-1001(20)(b), Idaho Code, are required as part of the	18
advanced professional compensation rung performance criteria.	19
(8) (9) The state board of education shall promulgate rules implement-	20
ing the provisions of this section.	21
(9) (10) For the purposes of this section:	22
(a) "Certificate" means an Idaho instructional certificate, pupil	23
service staff certificate, or out-of-state educator certificate that	24
meets the requirements for reciprocity under rules promulgated by the	25
state board of education;	26
(b) In conjunction with the Idaho evaluation framework, "individual-	27
ized professional learning plan" means an individualized professional	28
development plan based on the Idaho framework for teaching evaluation	29
and includes, at a minimum, identified interventions based on the indi-	30
vidual's strengths and areas of needed growth, how the individual will	31
set student achievement and growth goals, and areas of identified pro-	32
fessional development and mentoring that target continuous improvement	33
in professional areas, future student achievement, and school building	34
or district culture;	35
(c) "Instructional staff" means those involved in the direct instruc-	36
tion of a student or group of students and who hold a certificate issued	37
under section 33-1201, Idaho Code;	38
(d) "Pupil service staff" means those who provide services to students	39
but are not involved in direct instruction of those students and who	40
hold a certificate issued under section 33-1201, Idaho Code; and	41
(e) "School district" means a school district or a public charter	42
school.	43
SECTION 3. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby	44
declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after	45
July 1, 2026.	46

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