Created in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key implements the work and supports the policies developed and managed by OCDEL. Learn More. >
Created in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key implements the work and supports the policies developed and managed by OCDEL. Learn More. >The approach is based on interconnected domains to support children’s experiences with intentional planning in the following areas:
SPQA can be used in center or school-based settings including full day out of school time and before and after school sites serving children in grades K-6.
Information gathered during a SPQA assessment can be used by the program to help identify safe and supportive environments, interactions and engagement, as well as areas for growth. The information gathered can also be used to help create the program’s continuous quality improvement plan.
External SPQA assessments are conducted by a reliable SPQA assessor from the Program Quality Assessment (PQA) team. Assessments can range from one to three hours.
SPQA assessments include observation, teacher questions, and may include a tour of the space used by school-aged children.
Internal SPQA assessments are conducted by the program’s internal assessment (IA) team. The program’s IA team partners with the Quality Coach and SPQA Assessor when planning for and conducting internal assessment and when analyzing the information collected during the internal assessment process. A team leader observes and takes notes, including anecdotal records, to gather classroom data. The assessment process includes a minimum of one-hour classroom observation. See How to Conduct an Internal Assessment Using the SPQA for detailed information on using SPQA for internal assessment.
