Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS)

PA Keys to Professional Development has implemented a system for certifying individuals who provide professional development and technical assistance to early childhood and school-age professionals in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) maintains a registry of approved Professional Development Instructors (PDIs) to help ensure that professional development activities meet quality standards. Any Instructor who wants to deliver professional development to early childhood and school-age professionals should apply to PQAS for approval. PQAS instructors are approved for five years.

Please note: Professional Development Applications and Rubric have been updated as of January 2013.

PQAS Resources

• Bloom's Taxonomy - Use for Objective Wording
• Core Competencies for Instructors Self-Assessment Checklist
• Core Competencies for Relationship-Based Technical Assistance Self-Assessment Checklist  
• Definition and Guiding Principles for Early Childhood Professional Development
• Pennsylvania Keys to Quality Intranet Protocol
• Pennsylvania Professional Development System Framework for Early Care and Education - This document provides a description of the progress Pennsylvania has made in developing a professional development system framework for early learning and school-age practitioners. 
• PQAS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Topic Code Update Form

PQAS Orientation

The PQAS Orientation is required for all individual applicants. To take these courses, please log into the PA Key Intranet and click on PQAS. 

The PQAS Orientation consists of the following online courses:

• Core Body of Knowledge/Professional Development Record
• Adult Learning Principles
• Introduction to the Professional Development Online Calendar
• Working Together To Make Learning "Stick" (for consultants only) 
  

Temporary PQAS Approval Policies and Applications

• Conference/Special Event Application - This application may be used to approve an out-of-state/national speaker or multi-session, multi-speaker conference or special event. Please include CBK codes for each individual workshop and the PQAS number of any already approved instructor(s). If individuals already have an individual PQAS approval, those rules do apply and they can only instruct workshops that fall within their 10 approved topic codes. Applications must be received at least 1 week prior to event. Conference approval numbers begins with PAKC and are only valid for that specific one-time event.
• Interim PQAS Application - This application may be used for instructors awaiting their full PQAS approval. It is limited to two approvals per instructor (i.e. two one-time only workshops, e.g. college courses or multi-session workshops are not eligible). Applications must be received at least 1 week prior to event. Please note: If your full PQAS application is denied, you are not eligible for any interim PQAS approvals. Interim approval numbers begin with PAK and are valid for no more than two individual events.
• Mandated Reporting - If you are applying for an interim approval for an instructor conducting mandated reporter training, the application must be received one month prior to the date of the event and detailed course content and learning objectives must be included.
• Other Specialty Discipline Topics - If you are applying for an interim approval for an instructor conducting fire safety, pediatric first aid, or similar topic, documentation must be included that shows the instructor's approval by a recognized organization or similar credentials (e.g., instructor card from the American Red Cross, fire professional credentials, etc.).
• Exclusions - Some exclusions may apply to temporary PQAS approval including but not limited to the Specialty Discipline topics of Fire Safety, Pediatric First Aid and Mandated Reporting.

PQAS Complaint & Removal Processes

• PQAS Removal Process
• PQAS Complaint Form
• PQAS Complaint Corrective Action Plan
• PQAS Removal Appeal Process
• PQAS Removal Appeal Form