Volume 06 | April 2021
Professional Development in Pennsylvania
New Tool to Navigate Professional Development in Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education System
Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has created an interactive tool to help early childhood education (ECE) professionals find the appropriate professional development opportunities to meet PA’s Department of Human Services (DHS) Certification requirements, meet Keystone STARS Standards for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), advance an ECE professional’s Career Pathway level or receive career advisement from Pennsylvania’s Professional Development Organizations (PDOs).

To access this tool and learn more about ECE professional development in Pennsylvania, click here to visit the Pennsylvania Key website.
Have you completed your PD Registry profile for placement on Pennsylvania's Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway?
The updated Keystone STARS Standards requires Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals working in STAR 2 facilities or higher maintain a completed profile in The PD Registry (SQ 2.1). A profile is considered complete when an individual's the Career Pathway status is listed as applied or verified.
Do You Believe Your Career Pathway Level in The PD Registry Is Incorrect?
If you have already completed your profile and received your Career Pathway placement, but believe you should be on a different level, download and complete the Career Pathway Placement Review form from the Pennsylvania Key website and email it to Donna Wennerholt ([email protected]) for review.
A Reminder About Career Pathway Placement and the Retirement of The Career Lattice
ELRC quality staff are to no longer be using the Career Lattice Calculation tool. Additionally, ECE professionals cannot use this to appeal their placement on Pennsylvania's Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway. Placements are verified and finalized only through the PD Registry verification team. 

Are You Ready to Move Forward in Your Career and Level Up on Pennsylvania's ECE Career Pathway?
Connect with your local Professional Development Organization (PDO) and find out the opportunities for getting your CDA or a college degree in early childhood education. PDOs are available for career advising and required DHS and Keystone STARS training hours. 
Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) FY21 Request for Proposals
The Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is soliciting proposals for the provision of Pennsylvania's ECE Career Pathway services for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to identify institutions of higher education (IHEs) and professional learning organization (PLOs) partners to develop educational pathways with workforce supports through program design to provide equitable access to degree and credential attainment for the incumbent ECE workforce in Philadelphia and the Southeast Region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. The RFP is due Friday, April 23, 2021. 

Career Advising for the ECE Workforce through the Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC)
The ECE PDO at PHMC offers Career Advising Services for members of the ECE workforce, in Philadelphia and the Southeast Region, who are interested in advancing their placement on Pennsylvania’s Career Pathway. ECE/Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) Coordinators at PHMC can meet with both directors and teachers to provide assistance with CDA, AA, and BA program enrollment and supports for completion.
Visit ecepdo.phmc.org's Career Advising webpage for more information and complete an intake form to get started!
For general questions, contact our ECE Workforce Specialist at 267.773.4400 or email us at [email protected].
Career Advising and Student Supports Available through the Early Childhood Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)
The Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) continues its mission-central focus to support ECE professionals with tips, tools, and resources to succeed in academic and on-the-job environments!

PDO-sponsored students have free access to both virtual and "live" support. While tutor.com is a 24/7 online resource available to students across all academic subject areas, Success Coaches provide students valuable guidance on time management, study skills, and hands-on how-to's in career advancement.

Further, the PDO is now offering bilingual translation support and curriculum development for students whose primary language is Spanish and may have limited English proficiency. The PASSHE PDO values and strives toward ways to more inclusively reflect the demographic of our students and the children they teach. 
 
For more information, visit [email protected] or ecepdo.org.
Do You Receive or Have You Received Rising STARS Tuition Assistance? Take This Brief Survey
If you are a current and/or past recipient of Rising STARS Tuition Assistance (RSTA) from July 2019 to present, the Pennsylvania Key and OCDEL would like your feedback on your experience with this program. This brief 5-minute survey will provide us with valuable information to make improvements to our program and process, and your participation is greatly appreciated.


If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Amy Barrett, Workforce Initiatives Coordinator, at [email protected].
Conducting Internal Assessment Using Specific Program Observation Instrument Guides
Now available from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning are How to Conduct Internal Assessment Using Specific Program Observation Instrument (POI) Guides. These guides provide valuable information for Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs as they begin their internal assessment process. They provide an at-a-glance overview of the POI, information on required and supplemental materials and directions for obtaining the materials, scale specific professional learning information to support a foundational understanding of the POI, and detailed directions for completing an internal assessment. There is also information on using the internal assessment results for continuous quality improvement efforts. Programs are encouraged to use these guides, created by reliable Pennsylvania Key Program Quality Assessors, as they embark on their internal assessments.
Tips for Directors: Successfully Using the PD Registry for Your Organization and Staff
Introducing A Guide on the PD Registry for Directors
This guide is meant to be a resource for Directors to successfully set up their organization profile and view reports for their verified staff members completed Professional Development, Self-Assessments, PD Plan completions, and Career Pathway placements. Each section is meant to help Directors complete their own requirements and/or assist their staff in successfully navigating the PD Registry.

Online Professional Development
Opportunities
Learn More About LearnERS Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Coaching Framework and Apply for Scholarship Opportunity
Using the practices considered in the Environmental Rating Scale, online learning modules engage the learner in a deeper understanding of the “whys” behind quality expectations. An individualized CQI Journal encourages reflection and improvement planning and Peer Learning Team activities empower teaching teams to set their own goals for growth.

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the Pennsylvania Key invite your program to apply for the LearnERS-PA Initiative. This opportunity supports early childhood professionals in their individual efforts to create high-quality caregiving and learning experiences for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Eligible programs can apply for a 12-month no-cost scholarship to the LearnERS Framework by requesting an application from their Quality Coach. Scholarships are limited.
 
Interested in more information about the LearnERS CQI Coaching Framework?
 
Locating Required Online Professional Development to Meet Keystone STARS Requirements
Find online courses:

  1. Log into your PD Registry account.
  2. Click on Search Training Events from the black left-hand menu.
  3. Click on the Training Content tab on the left-hand menu.
  4. Click on Areas of Interest and the Topics will be displayed.
  5. Click on the topic you are looking for.
  6. Click on Training Type and choose E-Learning.
  7. Click Search at the bottom of the screen.
  8. Find the correct training event and click register.
  9. You will be able to access the only course by clicking the MY Professional Development (PD) tab on your profile.
  10. Scroll down to the title of the course and click the blue graduation cap icon to the left of the title to take you to the online course. 

Find online courses from national organizations:

  1. Log into your PD Registry account.
  2. Click on Search Training Events from the black left-hand menu.
  3. Click on the Training Content tab on the left-hand menu.
  4. Click on Areas of Interest and the Topics will be displayed.
  5. Click on the topic you are looking for.
  6. Click on Training Type and choose Online Self-Paced.
  7. Add additional search terms as needed.

NOTE: These courses may not have a register tab. Click View Website within the event to register for the course on the national organizations website. It is these organization's responsibility to ensure you receive the correct number of PD hours on your Professional Development Learning Record upon completion. Confirm that your Registry ID# is accurate.

For a more detailed tipsheet with screenshots, visit the Pennsylvania Key website.
Register for the Pennsylvania Foundations of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®)
This 2-hour virtual session was developed by the Pennsylvania Key Program Quality Assessment CLASS® Team and includes content used with permission from Teachstone. Participants will learn how CLASS® measures quality and how CLASS® is currently being used to support continuous quality improvement work in Pennsylvania. It will be a pre-requisite for age specific sessions, which are also being developed. Sessions have been added to the PD Registry and will be facilitated by a certified CLASS® observer.

You are receiving this email because you have a registered email address on The PD Registry. If you think you are receiving this email by mistake or you would like to unsubscribe, please email [email protected] or call 1-800-284-6031.

Find more information about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania 
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