M-9 Will ERAs be returning? I have several staff that committed to continuing their education and a few more with advanced degrees?
At the time of release of this FAQ, OCDEL does not intend to restore ERA.
M-8 I have staff with multiple degrees including a master’s in science education and they are entry level. How can we review the criteria and discuss some changes?
The Career Pathway system defines coursework and degrees as ECE equivalent, related or unrelated. Credits from an ECE degree or equivalent degree are fully counted. ECE equivalent degrees can be found via NAEYC’s Early Childhood Higher Education Directory (degreefinder.naeyc.org). The Career Pathway system also allows coursework from several areas to be considered “related” because they [...]
M-7 Are you going to add criteria for each level? Possibly having higher levels more accessible.
Career Pathway levels are based on the professional competencies and are research-based to assure quality. The Professional Development Organizations have funding available to make degree attainment and Career Pathway advancement more accessible.
M-5 For credits to be accepted, do they have to be ECE or is general education/ music education/ Special Education also accepted?
Credits from an ECE degree or equivalent degree are fully counted. ECE equivalent degrees can be found via NAEYC’s Early Childhood Higher Education Directory (degreefinder.naeyc.org). The Career Pathway system also allows coursework from several areas to be considered “related” because they may include some related competencies but do not include all competencies covered in an [...]
M-4 Does an ECE employee ever have to worry that their degree would not be counted if the college/university was regionally accredited when they attended and graduated, but now the college/university is no longer accredited?
No. If the degree or credit was earned prior to July 1, 2022, it will count towards Career Pathway placement.
M-2 Can you please repeat the site for those who were home schooled?
Requesting transcripts for homeschooling or closed schools can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)’s website.
M-1 What if someone is in school currently, but have not completed their whole degree, should they still submit?
An individual may submit an updated education document (i.e. transcript) at any time, however in cases where an individual has already been placed on the Career Pathway and new documentation is uploaded, the new items will not be reviewed until their current Career Pathway placement expires and the individual resubmits for annual review. The exception [...]