May

2022

FAQ: PQAS Course Alignment To PA PSCECE

May 11, 2022

Tipsheets & Resources for PQAS Instructors and PLOs

PQAS Course Alignment

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PQAS 1 - Will the rubric for PQAS peer reviewers change?

Yes. The PSCECE will replace the Knowledge Areas and Core Knowledge Competencies. Knowledge Area 8 will remain the same. More information will be sent out to peer reviewers regarding the changes.

PQAS 2 - Will the renewal process for PQAS instructors change?

No. The renewal process for PQAS instructors will not change.

PQAS 3 - Will First Aid and CPR be inputted by the Pennsylvania Key?

Yes, all courses owned by the Pennsylvania Key (including Pediatric First Aid and CPR) will be renewed by the Pennsylvania Key and all previously approved instructors will continue to be attached to the courses.

PQAS 4 - What about fire safety and emergency preparedness?

Yes, all courses owned by the Pennsylvania Key (including fire safety and emergency preparedness) will be renewed by the Pennsylvania Key and all previously approved instructors will continue to be attached to the courses. If it is a course created by an independent instructor, it will be revised by the instructor.

PQAS 5 - Will the state be updating courses owned by the commonwealth, such as STARS, Strengthening Families Protective Factors, etc.? Can trainers assume they will be able to continue as authorized trainers for those courses?

Yes, all courses owned by the Pennsylvania Key will be renewed by the Pennsylvania Key and all previously approved instructors will continue to be attached to the courses with the exception of STARS 101 and STARS 102, which will be replaced by an online STARS overview course, effective July 1, 2022.

PQAS 6 - How does this work with the approved CDA 120 hour training?

If it is a course created by an independent instructor, it will be revised by the instructor. Please note: all CDA course objectives must align with ECE level I found in standards_and_competencies_ps.pdf (naeyc.org) starting at page 34.

PQAS 7 - Will the slides be made available for print out?

Yes. The slides will be available on the following webpage – https://www.pakeys.org/pdregistry/instructor-resources/

PQAS 8 - Do you have any tips for organizations that have over 100 plus courses that need updated? Should we plan on not offering courses until the fall?

Begin re-aligning your courses as soon as possible so they can be approved quickly. Start with the courses you plan on offering first.

PQAS 9 - If we are a peer reviewer, will we be reviewing the new course submissions?

No. The Pennsylvania Key and OCDEL staff will be reviewing renewed courses. Reviewers will continue to review submitted PQAS modules from new instructors.

PQAS 10 - I didn’t notice any Professional standard that aligns with the current program administration competency. How do we assign those courses?

Administrator competencies have not yet been developed so you will continue to use K8 of the Core Knowledge Competencies to align your courses.

PQAS 11 - Will attachments move over with a course when it is renewed?

No, the attachments included in an original course do not move over when the course is revised/renewed.

PQAS 12 - If we have to custom create something for a regulatory referral, how do we quickly get that approved during this process? Sometimes we need a quick turnaround.

You can send an email with the course ID number to registry@pakeys.org and the Pennsylvania Key will make this a priority to approve the course.

PQAS 13 - What if you submit a new course on May 1st? With a plan to deliver it toward the end of May beginning of June – is that enough time for the approval to take place?

If you submit a new course on May 1, 2022, it would be at the top of the list for review. We will process the courses on a first come, first serve basis. If the new course has not yet been approved, an old course can be scheduled through July 1, 2022, when all old courses will expire.

PQAS 14 - What will happen to our approved CKC training areas? Will they update to the new standards?

Approved CKC training areas will be mapped to the correct PSCECE Area.

PQAS 15 - Once a renewed course has been approved, should be scheduled for August 1, 2022 or later?

Once a renewed course is approved you may schedule events to take place at any time. You are not restricted to only scheduling an event after August 1, 2022.

PQAS 15 - Currently, all of our courses expire on July 31, 2022. Are they still valid through then?

Yes, all courses are still valid through July 31, 2022, if they are not revised/renewed.

PQAS 16 - What is the date we can start revising our courses? Will there be a PDF for this like the overview document showing all the new coding?

You can begin revising courses on May 1, 2022. Tipsheets will be posted on the following webpage – https://www.pakeys.org/pdregistry/instructor-resources/

PQAS 17 - If there is a course that meets on multiple dates and one of those dates fall outside of July 31, 2022, will it be cancelled?

Yes, these would need to be rescheduled because all events after June 30, 2022, will be cancelled.

PQAS 18 - Do courses currently in session and scheduled to complete June 20, 2022, have to be recoded/updated on the PRD?

No, these do not. If an event is scheduled to be completed before July 31, 2022, you do not have to update the course. If you want to schedule an event for this course after July 31, 2022, you will need to update the course.

PQAS 19 - Will OCDEL be updating the course approval outline form to submit when we open a new course?

Yes, all of the electronic documents will be updated to reflect the new PA Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators.

PQAS 20 - Do we need to use at least one of the PA PSCECE Resources?

It is not required, but it is highly encouraged that you use at least one of the PA PSCECE Resources within your course.

PQAS 21 - How long will the course approval take?

Courses will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis. We do not currently have a time for how long this process may take.

PQAS 22 - Are courses currently in "submitted" status being reviewed for approval if those courses will be offered prior to July 30, 2022?

Yes, any course that is submitted will be reviewed in the order that it is received.

PQAS 23 - If we submit new courses for approval, will they go into the queue or will they be put off until all of the renewals are processed?

Any new courses will be reviewed in the order it is received.

PQAS 24 - If a course is a series of events (such as a CDA course) and some are now and some don’t happen until after July 31, 2022, what happens to those events since it is a series that started now?