ELRC 23-03: Requirements for Instructors Applying for Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approval

ELRC 23-03

Requirements for Instructors Applying for Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approval

To:

All Department of Human Services (DHS) Certified Child Care Providers;
Early Childhood Education Professionals; Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs);
Pennsylvania Key Career Pathway Verifiers and Career Pathway Staff;
Professional Development Organizations (PDOs);
Professional Learning Organizations (PLOs); and
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) staff

From:

Shante’ Brown,
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning

Issue Date: March 21, 2023
Effective Date: July 1, 2023
End Date: N/A

Purpose

To provide clarification on the required Professional Development (PD) Registry trainings for those interested in becoming Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) instructors, including the addition of a new required course “Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry.”

This does not apply to Standardized Professional Development Instructor PQAS instructors.

Background

Currently instructors seeking to become Professional Development Instructor PQAS approved must complete the following PD Registry self-paced courses:

Overview of Keystone STARS: Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
Engaging Adult Learners
The Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

Discussion

General

In response to the recent National context, Pennsylvania has adopted a new set of PA Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (PA PSCECE). This set of standards and competencies replace the PA Core Knowledge Competencies (CKCs) and have been adopted from the national Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. The PA PSCECE are the general knowledge and skills that educators need to know and be able to demonstrate.

The PA PSCECE adoption required enhancements to the PD Registry in the areas of course creation, the PD Self-Assessment, and the PD Plan. These enhancements went live on July 1, 2022. The new PD Registry self-paced course titled “Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry,” was created in response to the enhancements of the course creation process and is a resource for instructors on how to create a course in the PD Registry while aligning course description, learning objectives, and course level.

Changes to Professional Development Instructor PQAS Application Requirements:

On July 1, 2023, the PD Registry self-paced course “Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry,” will be added to the list of required PD Registry Self-Paced courses as part of the PQAS application requirements for all new PD Instructor PQAS instructors. This PD Registry self-paced course is currently available as an optional resource for new instructors wishing to fulfill this requirement before July 1, 2023.

Effective July 1, 2023, instructors seeking to become PQAS approved must complete the following PD Registry self-paced courses:

Overview of Keystone STARS: Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
Engaging Adult Learners
The Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators
Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry

If you are a current PQAS approved instructor and have already updated your courses to align with the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (PA PSCECE), you have already received this information and you are not required to take this PD Registry self-paced course.

If you are a current PQAS approved instructor, but have not submitted any courses since May 2022, you must complete the Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry course prior to submitting any new courses into the PD Registry.

Next Steps

ELRCs
1. Review information with your staff.
2. Direct any questions to your Program Representative.
ECE Professionals interested in becoming a new Professional Development Instructor PQAS approved
1. Familiarize yourself with the PQAS application requirements.
2. Take the PD Registry self-paced course Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry as an optional course until July 1, 2023, and then as a required course after July 1, 2023.
3. Review information and direct any questions to the PQAS Team at pqas@pakeys.org
Current Professional Development Instructor PQAS approved without an approved course in the PD Registry
1. Take the PD Registry self-paced course Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry as a required course prior to submitting any new courses into the PD Registry
2. Review information and direct any questions to the PQAS Team at pqas@pakeys.org
Current Professional Development Instructor PQAS approved with an approved course in the PD Registry
1. Review information and direct any questions to the PQAS Team at pqas@pakeys.org

View full announcement as a PDF.