An inside look at Pennsylvania's early education system.
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Word is spreading about the opportunities and resources within Pennsylvania's Professional Development (PD) Registry. A course within the PD Registry was recently acknowledged with the
Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award. See the blurb below for additional details, then visit the
PD Registry to sign up to expand your professional development.
Congratulations to the
ten business leaders who recently joined the Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC). All Commissioners are tasked with the responsibility of advocating for smart early learning policies and public investments. Their work increased the number of children able to attend pre-K by 48 percent and secured $117 million in new funding for early childhood education to serve more than 3,300 additional children and their families.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recent study shares that
spanking may cause long-term harm. Read about the study below, watch the video, then head over to PA's Promise for Children and find supports and resources for alternative methods of discipline.
Finally, we wish all our families, friends and partners a
safe and happy holiday season.
You make the work of high-quality early care and education possible – we celebrate you this season and are grateful for all you do every day!
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Early Education in Pennsylvania
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OCDEL Progresses Policies Supporting Infants and Toddlers
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In 2017, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and stakeholders completed a policy scan with National State Capacity Building Center that identified short, medium, and long term policy goals to support infants and toddlers in Pennsylvania.
OCDEL is proud to report progress on those goals:
- The short term goal to "adopt a shared definition of relationship-based care" across the ECE system is underway. OCDEL and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) staff, in partnership with the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement, are focusing on Relationship Based Competencies and developing shared definitions and language across systems.
- The medium term goal is to "develop a triaging protocol that creates a system akin to Early Head Start that will connect families of infants and toddlers in child care with comprehensive health (including oral) and family support services in their community." This goal is reflected in the work of the ELRCs which are charged with ensuring all families have access to needed services beyond child care, such as CHIP, WIC, and family supports, including home visiting.
- The long term goal is to "explore vouchers and contracts that fund the true cost of serving infants and toddlers." Through the Infant/Toddler Contracted Slot Pilot, OCDEL is piloting contracted slots for infants and toddlers in Keystone STAR 3 and 4 programs. The pilot seeks to understand how contracted slots can support continuity of care for infant, toddlers, and their families and the financial impact on high-quality providers interested in seeking financial stability for the classrooms serving their youngest learners.
Additional details will be released in later editions of the PA Early Ed News.
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Pennsylvania Wins Prestigious Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award
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In August 2018, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and PA Key course,
Assessment: Beyond the Basics of Observation and Data Utilization, won the prestigious Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award for best in Custom Content.
The award entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation, and overall measurable benefits.
See a list of the awardees.
The winning self-paced online course for early learning teachers provides an overview of classroom assessments of young children and how information from assessments can be used to inform instruction.
Assessment: Beyond the Basics of Observation and Data Utilization course can be found in the
PA PD registry. The course was developed in collaboration with CyperhWorx, Inc. and was made possible through Pennsylvania's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant.
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PA Key Opening for Data Verification Associates
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The BCIU and PA Key are seeking three individuals as
Data Verification Associates
to assist with the implementation of the
Pennsylvania PD Registry. These positions are responsible for verification of professional records in the Registry. Associates also provide information to the early childhood community regarding the policies, procedures, and benefits of the registry.
Positions require strong computer skills and an ability to work with an online Learning Management System (LMS). Employment beyond September 30, 2019 is contingent on funding. Positions are based out of the PA Key office in Harrisburg. Minimum Associate’s degree and one year of professional experience. Experience in the early learning and school-age field preferred, but not required.
Apply online at
www.berksiu.org/jobline. BCIU is an equal opportunity employment, educational, and service organization.
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Let’s Chat About Early Language and Literacy
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Join the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) during the winter months for some hot topics around early language and literacy development. Get access to resources to share with families and use in classrooms and centers. These 30 minute chats will be offered at 8:30 am and repeated at 1:30 pm on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from January through March, 2019. PQAS credit hours and Infant Toddler hours available.
Get additional information on topics, credits and registration
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Inclusion Course Series Now Available
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Focus on Attitudes & Beliefs is one of five new courses on inclusive practices designed for professionals working across all Pennsylvania Early Childhood and Early Intervention programs. Each course will lead participants through activities and assignments that support application of learning directly to the early childhood environment. The courses in the series are
- Working Together
- Focus on Attitudes & Beliefs
- Building Relationships to Support All Children
- Universal Design for Learning in Early Childhood Settings, and
- Individualizing for Meaningful Inclusion.
Learn more about each course and find links to register for each of these courses on the
Professional Development page of the EITA Portal under Collaborating for Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood.
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Ten Prominent Business Leaders Join PA Early Learning Investment Commission
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The Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission announced the appointment of 10 new members, along with nine renewing members – all business leaders from across the state. New and returning members took their oath to serve on Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Investment Commission on October 17th at a ceremony in the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. The Commissioners are tasked with raising collective expectations about what it will take to ensure Pennsylvania has a solid foundation on which to build a healthy, thriving economic future for the Commonwealth. Visit the
website of the Early Learning Investment Commission for more information, including the current and new commission members.
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Did you know many of the individual Early Learning Resource Centers may have their own enewsletters, targeting early learning professionals within the communities served? Contact your ELRC to find out how you can subscribe.
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Blog Post: Kindergarten Readiness Starts Before Birth
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Giving all children that equal start means supporting families from the earliest moments of development. A
recent post from National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) President and CEO Scott D. Berns highlights the need for children's health advocates and stakeholders to do more to build a bridge between the prenatal and birth to 3 communities. Building that bridge will keep families from falling through the cracks and will help ensure all families receive the supports they need, when they need them, and benefit from a holistic continuum of care.
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Nominations Sought for the 2019 Donley Awards
Nomination deadline January 22
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Nominations are now being accepted for the
2019 Donley Awards. This prestigious recognition, established in 1996, honors the legacy of Inez and Edward Donley, who worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for children in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
The deadline for nominations is Jan. 22, 2019, and criteria are:
- Nominee must be an individual, couple, group, nonprofit organization or for-profit company whose residence or offices are located in the 17 counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania;
- Contributions of time, talent and/or treasure or in-kind donations have directly improved the health, education or general welfare of children birth to age 18; or
- Efforts have substantially increased the awareness of needs of children.
- Schools and child care/early education providers are not eligible for the award.
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Survey: What's Your Infant/Toddler Evacuation Plan?
Survey deadline December 31
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If you are an early learning professional (family child care provider, child care center staff, Early Head Start staff, etc.) Child Care Aware® of America would like to know how you are evacuating with infants and toddlers. Child Care Aware® of America will use this information to create a leading practices resource document that will be available for the early childhood community. Please fill out this quick survey no later than December 31, 2018. Survey available in
English and
Spanish.
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Get Ready for Seasonal and Pandemic Flu: Strategies for Head Start and Child Care Webinar
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Join the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness on December 11 from noon to 1:30 to explore the issue of seasonal and pandemic flu. Flu recommendations change every year to keep up with new strains of the virus. Learn the recommendations for this flu season and find out why everyone who works in Head Start and child care programs should get the vaccine. Discover strategies to prevent and control the spread of influenza in child care settings. Explore ways to prepare for an unlikely but dangerous flu pandemic.
Click here to register for the webinar.
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Check out these recent highlights featured on social media.
Facebook:
Twitter:
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Improving the lives of young children through data
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The brief,
Improving the lives of young children through data from The Early Childhood DATA Collaborative, highlights projects implemented in three states to integrate education, health, and/or social services data in order to inform policies that influence the lives of young children and their families. The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) funded KIDS COUNT organizations in the states of Mississippi (MS), Minnesota (MN), and Rhode Island (RI), supporting each state in its use of integrated data to address one pressing early childhood policy question. Each site used integrated data about children from birth to age five to learn more about the ways young children interact with different systems. By state, the integrated data were used to learn how public assistance (MN), health (MS) and the child welfare (RI) systems intersect with and connect to early care and education (ECE) services and programs. Specifics about the three state organizations’ policy questions, key findings, and recommended strategies to support the continued use of integrated data are profiled at the end of this brief.
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Racial Inequity in Policies Impacting Infants, Toddlers and Families
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New Study Shows Long Term Impact of Spanking
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The AAP recently released an updated policy statement about the harmful effects spanking can have on children. The use of spanking is also ineffective in teaching a child responsibility and self-control. New evidence shows that it may actually cause harm by impacting a child's normal brain development.
Research has shown that striking a child, yelling at or shaming them can elevate stress hormones and lead to changes to a child's brain. Harsh verbal abuse is also linked to mental health problems as children get older.
There are other methods that teach children right from wrong and are safer and more effective. Depending on the age and development of a child, other methods may include redirecting their attention, distraction, changing the subject, positive reinforcement, time out and natural consequences. Visit the
PA Promise website
and watch the video below for resources related to parenting and discipline.
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2018 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey: Full Report and State Level Data Now Available
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In 2018, the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) surveyed early care and education (ECE) providers across the country. NFSN and CRFS have just released the full report and state level data
detailing responses from 2,030 providers serving 255,257 young children in 45 states and Washington D.C.
Respondents shared the benefits and challenges of connecting young children to healthy, local foods, gardening, and food and agriculture education through farm to ECE.
The survey found that farm to ECE is reaching far and wide across the country. 49% of respondents are already doing farm to ECE activities and another 30% plan to start in the near future. Explore the full report and other survey resources to learn about the scope and reach of farm to ECE and opportunities to grow the movement. See the results and resources at
farmtoschool.org/ece.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kindergarten Entry Assessments
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A new
FAQ resource from Child Trends for policymakers and administrators explains how to use kindergarten entry assessments, which provide information about children’s development upon their entry into the K-12 system. Policymakers and teachers can use these data to plan appropriate instruction for students and track trends regarding young children’s preparedness for school.
Schools in Pennsylvania have access to
Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI), a reliable reporting tool that offers teachers an instructional strategy for understanding and tracking a student’s proficiency at kindergarten entry. The tool collects information on a consistent set of standards-based indicators across the commonwealth. The KEI is based on Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood and the Pennsylvania Core Standards. KEI includes 30 indicators and provides a comprehensive profile. Learn more about Pennsylvania's KEI.
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Guide: Curriculum for I/T and Twos to Support Farm to ECE Models
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Safe Sleep Social Media Graphics
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These
downloadable graphics
from the National Institute for Children's Health Quality (HICHQ)
can help you spread awareness about the importance of safe sleep on Facebook and Twitter.
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Local Food for Little Eaters: A Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Guide to Local Food Purchasing
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Local food purchasing is one component of farm to early care and education (ECE), which also includes on-site gardens and food, nutrition, and agriculture education. A new guide from
Michigan State University, Center for Regional Food Systems
is designed to help Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs increase the amount of local foods they purchase and use in their early care and education (ECE) programs serving children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. MSHS programs can use these
step-by-step instructions and interactive tools
t
o begin purchasing and using more local foods in their programs.
The accompanying Farm to Migrant and Seasonal Head Start in Action offers multiple case studies highlighting successful MSHS programs and offering ideas for implementation strategies. Check out these
profiles
of MSHS programs nationwide who are purchasing and serving local food.
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The PA Early Ed News is a project of the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and the PA Departments of Education and Human Services to inform early learning professionals, the early childhood community, policymakers, community leaders and the public on developments in early childhood education and care in Pennsylvania.
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