Pennsylvania's Professional Development Organizations (PDOs) across the state continue to grow the educational pathway for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce. With a multitude of flexible learning options developed by institutions, the number of students and graduates continues to climb. 

The ECE PDO at PHMC is eager to begin the new fiscal year. Joining the Philadelphia region this is Temple University offering pathways to Bachelor’s degrees, Innovative Educational Consulting Services, and CDA coursework offered in both English and Spanish. 

Returning partners will continue to offer coursework through various modalities to students in Philadelphia and the Southeast Region. Innovative ECE pathways to CDA, AA, BA with or without Certification, reflect diverse teacher preparation opportunities for the incumbent workforce. Pathways that offer student supports, including tutoring, technology, books, and materials, along with a multitude of resources for health and wellness, contribute greatly to persistence and completion. 

The ECE PDO@PASSHE is also looking forward to the start of the new year with several new educational partners helping to expand the opportunities in all levels of the ECE pathway. With the Community College of Beaver County and Lackawanna College offering CDA coursework and Penn Highlands Community College and PennWest Clarion University offering Associate’s degrees, there are more CDA and The Professional Development Organizations across the state continue to grow the educational pathway for the ECE workforce. With a multitude of flexible learning options developed by institutions, the number of students and graduates continues to climb. 

The ECE PDO at PHMC is eager to begin the new fiscal year. Joining the Philadelphia region this is Temple University offering pathways to Bachelor’s degrees, Innovative Educational Consulting Services, and CDA coursework offered in both English and Spanish. 

Returning partners will continue to offer coursework through various modalities to students in Philadelphia and the Southeast Region. Innovative ECE pathways to CDA, AA, BA with or without Certification, reflect diverse teacher preparation opportunities for the incumbent workforce. Pathways that offer student supports, including tutoring, technology, books, and materials, along with a multitude of resources for health and wellness, contribute greatly to persistence and completion. 

The ECE PDO@PASSHE is also looking forward to the start of the new year with several new educational partners helping to expand the opportunities in all levels of the ECE pathway. With the Community College of Beaver County and Lackawanna College offering CDA coursework and Penn Highlands Community College and PennWest Clarion University offering Associate’s degrees, there are more CDA and AA options than ever before. Millersville University is the latest PASSHE University to join the PDO with very flexible Bachelor degree options available for the working student. 

The Pre-Apprenticeship and High School CDA program allows for high schoolers across the state to take coursework leading to their CDA and AA along with their high school schedule of courses. Pre-Apprentices receive a myriad of coaching and mentoring supports necessary to complete the CDA program as they earn both credits and experience in the ECE classroom. The ECE PDO@PASSHE has partnered with Carlow University, The Learning Lamp, First Start Partnerships, Shippensburg University, and Keystone College to both enroll and assist area high school ECE students in achieving approximately 9 college credits, their CDA and employment into the field upon graduation! 

Visit ecepdo.phmc.org as the summer progresses for more information on this work for the Philadelphia and Southeast Regions.  If you are interested in learning more about the ECE PDO at PHMC and opportunities to build ECE pathways at your institution, connect with us at ecepdo.phmc.org.  If you are located in the Northeast, Northwest, Southwest or Central part of the state, visit ecepdo.org for more information on ways your institution can become a partner.   

In response to the recent National context, Pennsylvania is adopting a new set of PA PSCECE. This set of standards and competencies will replace the PA Core Knowledge Competencies (CKCs) and have been adopted from the national Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. The PA Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators are the general knowledge and skills that educators need to know and be able to demonstrate. They are not the standards and competencies needed for specific professions and occupations within the early childhood field.

The PA PSCECE will replace the CKC’s in the Spring of 2022, once the PD Registry is updated to reflect the new Professional Standards and Competencies. During this transition time, OCDEL recommends all early childhood educators and IHEs view the asynchronous course on the new Professional Standards and Competencies and become familiar them. PQAS instructors will continue to code courses in the PD Registry with the current CKCs. PD Registry training targeted to PQAS instructors on the new PA PSCECE will be available in the Spring 2022. This training will provide updated information on coding courses using the new Standards and Competencies.

OCDEL is working with PDE to update PK-4 Certification guidelines to reflect the new PA Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. Stay tuned for more information.

Viewing options for the PA PSCECEs are listed below.

• Introduction to the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators
• Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (All 7 Standards in EXCEL format)
• Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (Standards 1 – 6 in National format NOTE: Standard 7 must be viewed separately)
• Standard Seven Health and Safety (PDF version of Standard 7)
• Resources to Support Pennsylvania Implementation of the PA PSCECE

Competencies for Administrators

It is important to note they do not include Program Organization and Administration Standards and Competencies. For those, the field will continue to use K8 of the Core Knowledge Competences (K8 begins on page 44). Revised competencies for administrators will soon be under development.

Available Training and Additional Resources for Implementation

An asynchronous course on the Pennsylvania Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators can be viewed in Pennsylvania's Professional Development (PD) Registry.

Faculty and Instructors at Institutes of Higher Education (IHE), Career and Technology Education (CTE) and post-secondary education programs interested in connecting work to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) or the Pennsylvania Key please visit the Higher Education page.

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) through its partnership with the Pennsylvania Key (PA Key) is seeking to contract with an individual to develop two, system-supported Early Childhood Education Credentials. This work will add two additional, system-supported options for child care staff to Pennsylvania’s Career Pathway-an alternative Level A ECE Competency Credential and an alternative Level B ECE Competency Credential. The purpose of this credential is to:

• Offer IHEs the flexibility they need to leverage the incumbent workforce’s prior learning and experience in more diverse ways; Such as work-based learning
• Allow the incumbent workforce to learn from trusted members of their community while also knowing their efforts will be of value towards a degree]
• Act as an accelerant to the adoption of and alignment to the National and/or PA ECE Standards and Competencies for both community and IHE partners
• Develop a framework of professional development that engages all levels of early childhood educator and lends itself to shared competencies, skills and knowledge across the profession.
• Speed the credentialing of the workforce while reducing costs and keep funding in state.

Attendees should check with the venue for cancellations or rescheduled events.

• Sept. 15-16: Save the Date: PA-AIMH 12th Annual Infant Mental Health Conference, virtual 
• Sept. 27-30: Division for Early Childhood's 38th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families, Chicago
• Oct. 5-8: Early Educators Leadership Conference, Leading Career Pathways to Equity, Orlando
• Oct. 17-19: 2022 ECE Summit, virtual
• Oct. 24-26: National Summer Learning Association Conference Summer Changes Everything, Washington DC
• Nov. 30-Dec.2: Save the Date: Pennsylvania’s Out-of-School Time Conference, Lancaster