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The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Announcements ELRC 23-02: Ending Option for Director Instructor- Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) and ELRC 23-03: Requirements for Instructors Applying for Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approval.
Announcement ELRC 23-02: Ending Option for Director Instructor- Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS)
Announcement ELRC 23-02: Ending Option for Director Instructor- Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) provides information regarding the end date for the option for individuals to apply for and become Director Instructor (DI)- Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) who offer training as a “Director Instructor.”
Effective March 21, 2023, applications for Director Instructor (DI) Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) will no longer be accepted or processed. The DI PQAS will no longer be available as an option for individuals to provide training to child care staff. Individuals holding a DI PQAS will no longer have access to train child care staff, as a Director Instructor and the trainings will be made obsolete on April 28, 2023.
Directors may pursue a PQAS application and create their own content in alignment with competencies for which they are approved based on expertise and/or education. Visit PQAS APPLICATIONS for information on applying to become a Professional Development Instructor.
For those holding an active DI PQAS, effective March 21, 2023, no new courses on the outdated materials should be scheduled. Any courses currently in the PD Registry under the outdated materials will be end dated April 28, 2023.
For child care staff seeking professional development in material similar to the outdated modules, OCDEL is supplying course content to replace the outdated modules within the PD Registry.
For additional details, please see ELRC 23-02: Ending Option for Director Instructor- Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS)
Announcement ELRC 23-03: Requirements for Instructors Applying for Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approval
Announcement ELRC 23-03: Requirements for Instructors Applying for Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approval provides clarification on the required Professional Development (PD) Registry trainings for those interested in becoming Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) instructors, including the addition of a new required course “Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry.” This does not apply to Standardized Professional Development Instructor PQAS instructors.
In response to the recent National context, Pennsylvania has adopted a new set of PA Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (PA PSCECE). This set of standards and competencies replace the PA Core Knowledge Competencies (CKCs) and have been adopted from the national Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. The PA PSCECE are the general knowledge and skills that educators need to know and be able to demonstrate.
On July 1, 2023, the PD Registry self-paced course “Submitting PQAS Courses in the PD Registry,” will be added to the list of required PD Registry Self-Paced courses as part of the PQAS application requirements for all new PD Instructor PQAS instructors. This PD Registry self-paced course is currently available as an optional resource for new instructors wishing to fulfill this requirement before July 1, 2023.
For additional information, please see ELRC 23-03: Requirements for Instructors Applying for Professional Development Instructor Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approval.
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