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Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS)

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The Pennsylvania Key and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has implemented a system for approving individuals and organizations who provide professional development to early childhood and school-age professionals in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) maintains a registry of approved Professional Development Instructors to help ensure that professional development activities meet quality standards.

Current Approved PQAS Instructors and professional learning organizations (plos) can find PD Registry tipsheets and more at pakeys.org/pdregistry/resources.

Become A PQAS Instructor

Any Instructor who wants to deliver professional development to early childhood or school-age professionals, should apply for PQAS approval.

Minimum Qualifications

Faculty Instructor

  • Faculty Instructors can only provide Professional Development under the Higher Ed Institute they are employed at.
  • Master’s degree from an accredited
  • Please review the PQAS Application Requirements for additional requirements.

Professional Development Instructor

  • Professional Development Instructors can provide their own curriculum to any Early Childhood Educator.
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a related field
  • Please review the PQAS Application Requirements for additional requirements.

Standardized Professional Development Instructor

  • Standardized Professional Development Instructors are only able to provide specific approved Professional Development to Early Childhood Educator.
  • A professional license or other type of recognized credential/degree, who do not have early childhood/school-age educational backgrounds, but have important information to share (e.g., nurses, accountants, lawyers).
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a related field
  • Please review the PQAS Application Requirements for additional requirements.

Pediatric CPR & Pediatric First Aid Instructors

  • Pediatric CPR/First Aid Instructors are only able to provide curricula that are approved in meeting the childcare licensing regulation. The complete list of approved Pediatric First/Aid CPR curriculum can be found at pakeys.org/firstaidcpr.
  • Up-to-date Pediatric First Aid/CPR Instructor Card
  • Please review the PQAS Application Requirements for additional requirements.

Fire Safety Instructors

  • To be eligible be PQAS approved for Fire Safety, an individual must be knowledgeable and competent in fire inspections, fire detection, fire suppression systems and practices, fire service training, emergency preparedness planning and emergency evacuation whose competence is demonstrated by membership in a professional organization which promotes fire safety education.
  • Up-to-date Fire Safety Instructor Certification
  • Please review the PQAS Application Requirements for additional requirements.

Water Safety Instructors

  • To be eligible be PQAS approved for Water Safety, an individual must be knowledgeable and competent in water safety.
  • Up-to-date Lifeguard Instructor Card
  • Please review the PQAS Application Requirements for additional requirements.

Requirements

How To Apply

To apply for PQAS, prospective applicants need an account in Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry (papdregistry.org). It is free to create an account. Learn how. >

Review the PQAS Application Requirements for a complete list of requirements prior to starting the online application.

Once ready to apply:

  1. Login at papdregistry.org;
  2. Check the Apply to become a PQAS Instructor box; and
  3. Complete each section.

All required documents should be attached within the Education tab and the Instructor tab.

NOTE: If you were a previously PQAS-approved instructor but your approval has been expired for 6 months or more, a new initial application is required. Go to the Instructor tab and upload the required items

Once you have uploaded the required items, email pqas@pakeys.org to let us know you submitted your application and would like to be processed as a Professional Development Instructor.

Processing time for all PQAS applications is 30-90 days.

Documents

Applications

For Individual PQAS

Applications

For Organizational PQAS

Professional Development

Required Courses

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

These courses are located in the PD Registry. To register for the required courses, login to your PD Registry account and click on Search Training Events within the left hand menu. Enter in the title within the Course Title section and click Search.

Supporting Culturally Competent Communities of Practice Webinar Series

This series is designed to help you develop strategies to demonstrate cultural competence when providing professional development and build an environment that supports and encourages discussion about cultural and linguistic similarities and differences.

Contact

pqas@pakeys.org
1-800-284-6031

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