Volume 03 | June 2020
Celebrating 1 Year of Pennsylvania's Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway!
On July 1, 2019, Pennsylvania's Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway launched in the Professional Development (PD) Registry! After a year, the PD Registry team has processed almost 6,000 successful placements!

Pennsylvania’s ECE Career Pathway seeks to simplify and guide the profession toward meeting the minimal qualifications and competencies needed for each role a professional may have. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) aims to support the growth and development of the workforce already in the field, build upon the expertise of our profession and create a statewide framework to govern these efforts.  Establishing shared benchmarks through the career pathway levels helps to do this with predictability and reliability across the commonwealth, while still allowing for flexibility in how an individual qualifies at each level.

ECE Professionals in Pennsylvania are required to annually reapply for their Career Pathway level after their initial placement. Login to your PD Registry ( papdregistry.org ) account today to see if any of the following needs updated:

  • If you have never created an account in the PD Registry or you have never completed your profile to apply for Pennsylvania's ECE Career Pathway, follow this guide on creating and applying to the Career Pathway from start to finish (PDF).
  • If you previously applied and were placed on the ECE Career Pathway, you will receive an email from the PD Registry shortly before it is time to renew. After logging into your account, make sure your information is still correct and add additional information if necessary before reapplying. If your education has not changed since last year, simply re-submit your completed profile for renewal application.
  • If you have been placed on the ECE Career Pathway and you would like to appeal your placement, use this form (PDF).
  • If you have already been placed on Pennsylvania's ECE Career Pathway and you increase your education qualifications (e.g. a new degree, a new credential, or completing 6, 9, or 12 credit-bearing courses) before your annual renewal, you may upload the required documentation to the Education tab and reapply for the Career Pathway placement using the following form (PDF).


NOTE: Necessary information on transcripts uploaded to the Education tab.

When you upload your transcript to the PD Registry, it must include:

  • Your name
  • Name of the institution
  • Major
  • Confer date

You do not need a sealed physical transcript but what you upload to the PD Registry must be an official copy or photocopy. If any of the above pieces of information are missing, you will not be placed on PA's ECE Career Pathway.

NOTE: Mark your primary employer in the Employment tab.

When you are completing your profile, mark your primary employer in the Employment tab. You must mark this even if it is the only employment record in your profile.

Questions? Contact the PD Registry team by emailing registry@pakeys.org or calling 1-800-284-6031. The PD Registry is also on Facebook !
Professional Development in Pennsylvania
The Impacts of COVID-19 on Child Care in Pennsylvania    
OCDEL has been tracking how COVID-19 is impacting child care across the commonwealth and wants you to have the information you need. The information below is current as of June 24, 2020, and OCDEL will continue to share on a monthly basis.
  • 31 child care facilities have experienced confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 since March 2020.
  • 42 individuals have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 related to child care facilities since March 2020.
  • 11 (of those 42) are staff, operator or related to the owner of child care facilities
  • 12 (of those 42) are children, parents or guardians

16 child care operators have notified OCDEL they have decided to cease operation permanently.

For COVID-19 resources for child care providers and professionals, visit the Pennsylvania Key website .

For COVID-19 resources for families, visit PA's Promise for Children website .

For more information for child care providers in Pennsylvania including a video message from Department of Human Services Secretary Theresa Miller on the CARES Act, the 5-month enacted budget for 2020-21, and more, read June's edition of the PA Early Ed News . To subscribe to the monthly PA Early Ed News newsletter, visit the Pennsylvania Key website .
Regarding Face-to-Face Professional Development (PD) Events During COVID-19
Instructors may be making decisions around canceling and/or rescheduling their events in the Professional Development (PD) Registry at this time.

Instructors, keep the following options in mind:

  • Rescheduling the event for a future date allows an instructor to move the participants on the roster to the new event date. This may not be an option for all instructors due to the uncertainty at this time.
  • Canceling an event is possible and refunds may be given if it is a Pennsylvania Key event. For all other events, it is at the discretion of the organization or instructor to offer a refund.
  • If cancelling an event is the only option, email registrants from the email functionality within the roster, give them directions for requesting a refund and remind registrants that the refund process can take up to 10 business days.

The Pennsylvania Key values our partners, instructors and professionals and we appreciate your dedication to ECE professional development during this challenging time.

Questions? Email registry@pakeys.org or call 1-800-284-6031. 
Child Development Associate (CDA) Amnesty Program Extended!
Has your CDA Credential lapsed or expired? Not sure how to go about getting it back? Until Dec. 31, 2020, the CDA council began offering a limited time CDA renewal Amnesty program! This means if you completed your CDA any time after Jan. 1, 2010, and did not submit a renewal to keep the CDA current, you can take advantage of this opportunity to reinstate your CDA credential.

The renewal program is eligible for Rising Stars Tuition Assistance (RSTA). To apply for Financial assistance, ECE professionals need to complete their profile in the PD Registryto see the Financial Assistance tab. For more information about RSTA, visit the Rising STARS page on the PA Key website .

You must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Expiration date as far back as Jan. 1, 2010.
  • Must meet all current renewal requirements (visit the CDA Council website for more information about the renewal process).
  • Apply online using YourCouncil CDA council portal system (for more information on this process, visit the CDA Council website).
The program will run from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020. All applications and payments ($125) must be submitted online by Dec. 31, 2020.
Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations (ECE PDOs) Offer Professional Development for Credentials and Degrees
In January 2020, Pennsylvania launched a program to increase access to high quality early learning settings . The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Professional Development Organizations (PDOs) will work with Pennsylvania's Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs), Pennsylvania-based institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), and community partners to expand the availability of high-quality, credit-bearing coursework that reflects developmentally and culturally appropriate content, increase the effectiveness of ECE professionals across the state, and improve the overall quality of child care programs to meet the needs of Pennsylvania's families and children.

ECE PDOs are currently creating credential and degree coursework that will begin in July 2020. To find out if you are eligible for a PDO-funded opportunity, contact the Professional Development Organization that serves your community:

  • Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) - ecepdo.phmc.org
  • Serves: Philadelphia County and the Southeast Region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties)


Once you contact your PDO, their staff can help you make sure your PD Registry account is up-to-date including your current Career Pathway level, create a professional development plan for your career's next steps, and determine if you are eligible for funded credit-bearing coursework toward a credential or degree.

Introducing Foreign Degree Evaluation Reimbursement
Beginning April 2020, the Pennsylvania Key will administer reimbursement stipends for foreign degree evaluations on behalf of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). This stipend will cover any foreign transcripts that were processed through an evaluation service* between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, and will cover up to $150 per evaluation per individual.

*Evaluation service must be a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). For a full member list of evaluation services, visit  www.naces.org/members  or  www.aice-eval.org/members .

For eligibility information, application process, and more, visit  bit.ly/foreigndegreereimburse.
New Enhancements Available Now in the PD Registry
Announcing two new features are available now in the Professional Development (PD) Registry. 

Directors can now invite new staff by email to add their employment to their organization. The employee will open the email and click on a link that directs them to the PD Registry to complete a few questions. Once confirmed, the Director can verify this information. This is a more seamless process and avoids the previous complications of finding the correct organization under the Employment tab.


Search features improved on the Training Calendar.

The new Training Calendar makes it easy to find trainings by either the training start date or by the training title. Other search filters include Event ID, Trainer Name, Sponsor Name, location, and more. You may choose more search options such as specific categories, training modalities, and training fees. This new interface will make it much easier to find exactly what you are looking for to meet your Professional Development Needs.

ACT 48 Hours for PA Key Online Courses and face-to-face sessions
Individuals that hold a Pennsylvania Department of Education Teaching Certificate may receive ACT 48 hours for PA Key online courses. To ensure that ACT 48 hours are given, make sure your PPID number is listed in your profile.

To check if your PPID number is listed, login to your PD Registry ( www.papdregistry.org ) account and click on the personal tab on your profile page. If it is not listed, please contact the PA Key at  registry@pakeys.org   with your name, Registry ID#, and PPID#, so it can be added.

ACT 48 hours are sent to PERMS once a month for the Pennsylvania Key online courses and it may take up to 6 weeks to see these credits on your PERMS account.

Please also check that your information including name, PPID, address, and email is exactly the same in the PERMS site and the PD Registry. If this information does not match exactly, ACT 48 credits may not be given.

ACT 48 credits for face-to-face sessions are collected by the instructor at the time of the event. The Pennsylvania Key does not send this information to PERMS for face-to-face sessions. It is important that you complete the ACT 48 form at the time of the face to face session. Credit may not be given after the event if the form is not completed and PERMS does not accept ACT 48 credits 6 months after an event. 
Online Professional Development
Opportunities
OCDEL Offers FREE Online Trainings in the Professional Development (PD) Registry
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is offering a free 3-part recorded webinar series titled WIDA Early Years Webinar Series that covers resources and supports to help programs that serve dual language learners (DLLs). This series helps participants reflect on how they are currently supporting dual language learners and their families while generating ideas for action on which resources they will apply to their practice.

The 3 parts include:

  • Part 1 – PA and WIDA Early Years: Partnership Overview
  • Part 2 – Overview of WIDA Early Years Resources
  • Part 3 – WIDA Early Years Promising Practices Implementation Kit

You can register for this prerecorded webinar by searching for WIDA Early Years Webinar Series in the training calendar on the PD Registry. 

If you have any questions, contact Barry Wiestling at bwiestling@pa.gov .  
Online Trainings in the Professional Development (PD) Registry
The Pennsylvania Key has approved 14 National Organizations to offer online courses in the PD Registry. Below is the list of the organizations that offer PQAS credit. To find these online self-paced courses:

  1. Click on the training calendar in the left menu of the home screen once you log in.
  2. Type the sponsor name in the sponsor name text box.
  3. Scroll down to the training type and check online self-paced.
  4. Click search.
  5. Find the online self-paced training and click register. If you do not see the register tab, click on the website tab to take to the organizations website to register and pay for the course. The organization will ensure you receive PQAS credit in the PD Registry once the course is completed. 

Approved National Organizations:

  • AIR Child Care Training Solutions
  • Devereux Center for Resilient Children
  • ProSolutions Training, a division of Care Solutions, Inc.
  • Sprout and Grow
  • ContinuED
  • ChildCare Education Institute
  • Relias LCC
  • The Care Courses School Inc.
  • SafeGards Classes Online
  • Cypherworx
  • Gee Whiz Education
  • Sesame Workshop
  • Primrose School Franchising Company
  • In Safe Hands Educators in Safety

Questions? Email registry@pakeys.org or call 1-800-284-6031.
You are receiving this email because you have a registered email address on The PD Re gistry . If you think you are receiving this email by mistake or you would like to unsubscribe, please email registry@pakeys.org or call 1-800-284-6031.

Find more information about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania 
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