Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations and Guidelines
Effective July 1, 2023
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Josh Shapiro, Governor
Department of Education
Khalid N. Mumin, Ed.D., Acting Secretary
Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Shante Brown, Deputy Secretary
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Kesley Shaw, Director
Division of Standards and Professional Development
Deborah C. Wise, Chief
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) does not discriminate in its educational programs,
activities, or employment practices, based on race, color, national origin, [sex] gender, sexual orientation,
disability, age, religion, ancestry, union membership, gender identity or expression, AIDS or HIV status, or any
other legally protected category. Announcement of this policy is in accordance with State Law including the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and with Federal law, including Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the Pennsylvania Department of
Education’s nondiscrimination policies:
For Inquiries Concerning Nondiscrimination in Employment:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Equal Employment Opportunity Representative
Bureau of Human Resources
333 Market Street, 11th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Voice Telephone: (717) 787-4417, Fax: (717) 783-9348
For Inquiries Concerning Nondiscrimination in All Other Pennsylvania Department of Education
Programs and Activities:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
School Services Unit Director
333 Market Street, 5th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Voice Telephone: (717) 783-3750, Fax: (717) 783-6802
If you have any questions about this publication or for additional copies, contact:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Child Development and Early Learning
333 Market Street, 6th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Voice: (717)787-7489, Fax: (717) 787-1529
www.education.pa.gov
All Media Requests/Inquiries: Contact the Office of Press & Communications at (717) 783-9802
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Contents
Statutory Authority: ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Format of this document .............................................................................................................................. 7
RULES and REGULATIONS, [22 PA. CODE § 405] Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts ............................................... 7
General Provisions .................................................................................................................... 7
§ 405.1. Purpose. ..................................................................................................................... 7
§ 405.2. Definitions................................................................................................................. 7
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................... 9
§ 405.3. General rules. ............................................................................................................ 9
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................... 9
Competitive Application Procedures .................................................................................... 11
§ 405.11. Eligible Provider. .................................................................................................. 11
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 11
§ 405.12. Proposal Submission. ............................................................................................ 11
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 11
§ 405.13. Grant Agreements. ................................................................................................ 12
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 12
§ 405.14. Annual Community Needs Assessment. ............................................................... 13
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 13
Program Planning ................................................................................................................... 13
§ 405.21. Targeting children to be served. ............................................................................ 13
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 14
§ 405.22. Maximizing Resources.......................................................................................... 14
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 14
§ 405.23. Disallowance of Duplicate Funding. ..................................................................... 15
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 15
§ 405.24. Enrollment............................................................................................................. 16
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 16
Program Coordination and Collaboration ........................................................................... 17
§ 405.31. Coordination and Collaboration with Agencies Providing Services to Young
Children................................................................................................................................. 17
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 18
§ 405.32. Partnerships. .......................................................................................................... 19
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 19
Program and Classroom Requirements ................................................................................ 20
§ 405.41. School Term. ......................................................................................................... 20
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 20
§ 405.42. Program Day and Developmentally Appropriate Instructional Practices and
Activities. .............................................................................................................................. 21
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Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 22
§ 405.43. Class Size and Student/Staffing Ratio. ................................................................. 23
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 23
§ 405.44. Staffing and Professional Development. .............................................................. 24
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 25
§ 405.45. Curriculum. ........................................................................................................... 28
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 28
§ 405.46. Assessment. ........................................................................................................... 29
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 29
§ 405.47. Parent Involvement. .............................................................................................. 31
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 31
§ 405.48. Program Transition Planning. ............................................................................... 32
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 32
§ 405.49. Immunizations....................................................................................................... 32
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 33
§ 405.50. Emergency Response Plans. ................................................................................. 33
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 33
§ 405.51. Inclusive Environments. ....................................................................................... 34
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 34
Recordkeeping, Reporting and Attendance at Department Sponsored Meetings and
Trainings .................................................................................................................................. 34
§ 405.61. Program Reporting. ............................................................................................... 34
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 34
§ 405.62. Recordkeeping. ..................................................................................................... 35
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 35
§ 405.63. Attendance at Department Sponsored Meetings and Trainings. ........................... 35
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 35
§ 405.64. Teacher Induction Plans and Evaluations. ............................................................ 35
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 36
Grantee Fiscal Responsibilities .............................................................................................. 36
§ 405.71. Segregation of Funds. ........................................................................................... 36
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 36
§ 405.72. Grant Awards. ....................................................................................................... 37
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 37
§ 405.73. Use of Funds. ........................................................................................................ 37
Guidance and Clarifications ................................................................................................. 37
Supplemental Resources ............................................................................................................................. 38
#001: Meals and Snacks in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Classrooms ................................... 38
#002: Income and Family Size Verification Guidance ......................................................... 41
#003: Program Review and Monitoring ............................................................................... 43
#004: Enrollment Prioritization Plan Guidance .................................................................... 46
#005: Enrollment, Attendance and Vacancies ...................................................................... 49
#006 Definition of Instructional Time .................................................................................. 53
#007 Staff Recruitment and Retention Plan.......................................................................... 55
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#008: Early Childhood Education and Teacher Certification: Frequently Asked Questions 57
#009: Tracking Activity for Moving ECE Level I Certification to Level II Certification ... 65
#010: Teacher Certification Evaluation in Community-Based Programs ............................ 67
#011: Teacher Induction for Community-Based Providers .................................................. 70
#012 Comprehensive Screening ........................................................................................... 73
#013: Assessment of the Learning Environment .................................................................. 76
#014: Collaboration with Early Intervention ........................................................................ 78
#015: Reporting and Data Requirements .............................................................................. 80
#016: Continuous Quality Improvement/Best Practices ....................................................... 84
#017: Fiscal Reporting and Deadlines .................................................................................. 89
#018: Audit Requirements .................................................................................................... 92
#019 Flexible Instruction Plan (FIP)..................................................................................... 94
Appendix A: PKC 20-#001: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs Changes to Legal Entity Information (Effective 11/3/2020) .................. 99
Appendix B: PKC 20-#002: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs Budget Revision and Funding Adjustment Clarifications (effective
11/10/2020; updated March 8, 2022) ...................................................................................... 101
Appendix C: Announcement DS 21-01: Monitoring Coordination Across Dually Licensed
Programs and Programs with PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance
Programs (Effective 2/2/2021) ................................................................................................ 104
Appendix D: Announcement PKC 22-#003/ HSSAP 22-#003: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
(PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs (HSSAP) Continuation Grant and
Budget Protocol ...................................................................................................................... 109
Appendix E: PKC 22-#002; HSSAP 22-#003 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Trauma-Informed
Resources ................................................................................................................................ 112
Appendix F: PKC 22-#004 Emergency Teacher Certification Permits .................................. 115
Statutory Authority:
Act 45 of 2007 (24 PS § 15-1511-D(B)) established the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA
PKC) program as a competitive grant program to expand pre-kindergarten opportunities
for eligible students throughout the commonwealth. The Act authorizes the Pennsylvania
Department of Education (PDE) to promulgate regulations and establish guidelines and
standards necessary to implement PA PKC. The regulations that were promulgated can be
found at Part 405 of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code.
PA PKC serves children who are at least three years of age and younger than the entry age
for kindergarten and must be provided free of charge. Grants are awarded through a
competitive grant process to school districts, Head Start programs, licensed nursery
schools, child care centers and group child care homes that are at least a STAR 3 under the
Keystone STARS quality rating system established by the Pennsylvania Department of
Human Services, and third-party entities that carry out the administrative and fiduciary
provisions of PA PKC but not operate a classroom funded by the grant. The PA PKC
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programs must target enrollment to children who are most at risk of school failure, which
is defined as living in households below 300 percent of the federal poverty rate, are English
Language Learners (ELL) or are at risk due to community factors, academic difficulties, or
economic disadvantage. Grant recipients shall verify income and family size before
enrolling students. Children with identifiable disabilities or developmental delays may be
included in the program and shall be served in inclusive environments in which they
constitute no more than 20 percent of the initial enrollment at the start of the program
year.
Grant funds may not be placed in a reserve account or used for administrative purposes.
They may only fund programs that provide no fewer than 180 days of pre-kindergarten
services, include a minimum of 2.5 hours of instructional services in half-day programs and
a minimum of 5 hours of instructional services for full-day programs. PA PKC providers
may have a delayed start-up in the first year of their participation in the program and offer
fewer than 180 days of instructional services upon approval by PDE. Classroom size is
restricted to no more than 20 students (with 17 students preferred as in the State Board of
Education regulations in Chapter 4 (relating to academic standards and assessment) of
Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code) with two adult staff—a teacher certified in early
childhood education, and a teacher aide who meets one or more of the following:
completion of two full years of postsecondary study, hold a child development associate's
credential or an associate's degree or higher, or pass a rigorous formal state or local
assessment demonstrating knowledge. Continuing professional development must be
provided to both teachers and teacher aides. In addition, teachers shall complete an
induction program, undergo evaluations, and apply for Level II Certification under the State
Board of Education regulations in Chapter 49 (relating to certification of professional
personnel) of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code.
In planning programs, providers shall coordinate and collaborate with Early Intervention
and Head Start agencies, school districts, community groups and other area providers of
pre-kindergarten services. In particular, grantees should coordinate the availability of
services with other Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) programs
which have waiting lists. Grantees operating in partnerships with other entities shall have
written partnership agreements explaining how they will operate. Providers shall have
plans for family engagement, transition of students to kindergarten, immunizations, and
emergency response.
PA PKC curriculum must be aligned with the early learning standards established by PDE,
and grantees and their provider partners shall perform other duties under applicable
regulations and standards, including assessment of student progress and the classroom
environment. Eligible students may not be included in school district calculations for
average daily membership for the purpose of fund reimbursements under Article XXV of
the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P. S. §§ 25-2501—25-2599.3).
PDE has promulgated regulations and established guidelines that address the process
through which eligible providers may apply for grant funds, allowable and required uses of
the funds, per-student funding levels and the criteria for identifying approved providers.
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PDE will also identify student and program assessments to be used by approved providers,
encourage the development and maintenance of community coordination and
partnerships, and perform other functions necessary to carry out PA PKC, including the
monitoring of approved providers.
Format of this document
This document contains the regulatory requirements for grantees of the PA Pre-K Counts
program, along with the policies that provide guidance and clarification on the
implementation of the regulations. The regulatory language is presented as it is articulated
within 22 Pa. Code Chapter 405. In most cases guidance and clarifications are provided
immediately after the related regulation. In cases where the guidance and clarifications are
substantial, information is provided and referenced in either a supplemental resource or an
appendix. All information within this document should be considered program policy.
Additional resources for program administration can be found within the PA PKC intranet.
Lead and partner agencies must gain access to the PA PKC intranet site to access important
information including policy announcements, communications, resources, and templates
related to program operations. Providers must obtain a log-in and password to access the
PA PKC intranet and should log-in frequently to stay updated. To obtain a log-in and
password, ask your assigned Preschool Program Specialist for details.
RULES and REGULATIONS, [22 PA. CODE § 405] Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
General Provisions
§ 405.1. Purpose.
This chapter establishes rules and procedures for implementing the Program created to
provide expanded access to high quality prekindergarten experiences for eligible students.
Guidance and Clarifications
No Further Clarification Required
§ 405.2. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following
meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Act—Article XV-D (b) of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 15- 1511-D—15-1516-
D), added by the act of July 20, 2007 (P.L. 278, No. 45).
Approved provider—An eligible provider that has been approved by the Department to
offer prekindergarten under the act.
At-risk child—A child who is at risk of educational failure because of poverty, economic
disadvantage, limited English proficiency, academic difficulties, or individual or community
factors.
CDA—Child Development Associate Credential.
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Department—The Department of Education of the Commonwealth.
Eligible applicant—Any of the following entities:
(i) A school district.
(ii) A Head Start program.
(iii) A nursery school licensed under the Private Academic Schools Act (24 P.S. §§
6701—6721).
(iv) A regulated child day care center or a group day care home that is designated a
STAR 3, or higher under the Keystone STARS quality rating system established by
the Department of Public Welfare, as of the beginning of the 2009-2010 program
year.
(v) A third party entity that will carry out fiduciary and other lead agency
responsibilities for entities eligible to operate program classrooms.
Eligible provider—An eligible provider as defined in section 1511-D of the act (24 P.S. § 15-
1511-D). A child day care center or group day care home must have been designated a
STAR 3, or higher under the Keystone STARS quality rating system established by the
Department of Public Welfare as of the beginning of the 2009-2010 program year.
Eligible student—An eligible student as defined in the section 1511-D of the act.
Grant—An award of funds by the Department for the purposes of carrying out the Program.
Identified developmental delay or disability—As used in this chapter, a child who has a
written Individualized Education Program under Chapter 14 (relating to special education
services and programs) and the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act (20 U.S.C.A. §§ 1400—1419).
Lead agency—An entity that submits an application for funding and will undertake
reporting, record-keeping, compliance and fiduciary responsibilities for the members of a
partnership under the grant.
Location—The site, place or address where Program services are provided.
Partner—One, or more, entities that are in a formal relationship with a lead agency to
provide Program services using grant funds and that have signed a written partnership
agreement.
Partnership agreement—The written document that specifies the roles and responsibilities
of all entities in the partnership established to provide Program services using grant funds.
Program—The PA Pre-K Counts Program established under the act.
Program year—The school year during which Program services are delivered to children
enrolled in the program.
Teacher—The primary teacher in the classroom who is responsible for the instruction of
children and meets the requirements in § 405.44 (relating to staffing and professional
development).
Teacher aide—A paraprofessional who provides instructional support to students,
including those who do one or more of the following:
(i) Provide one-on-one tutoring if tutoring is scheduled at a time when a student
would not otherwise receive instruction from a teacher.
(ii) Assist with classroom management, by organizing instructional materials.
(iii) Provide instructional assistance in a computer laboratory.
(iv) Conduct parental involvement activities.
(v) Provide instructional support in a library or media center.
(vi) Act as a translator.
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(vii) Provide instructional support services under the direct supervision of the
primary teacher.
Guidance and Clarifications
An approved or eligible provider refers specifically to eligible service provider types. Any
location serving PKC students must meet one of the approved provider types.
§ 405.3. General rules.
(a) Program services shall be provided free of charge.
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent families with children who
participate in the Program and are willing and able to pay part or all of the cost of the
participation, from doing so. Approved and eligible providers and lead agencies are
prohibited from soliciting costs from families.
(c) A student participating in the Program may not be included in the average daily
membership or adjusted average daily membership of an approved provider school district
for the purpose of reimbursement under Article XXV of the Public School Code of 1949 (24
P.S. §§ 25-2501—25-2599.3).
(d) Programs must be open to children with identified developmental delays or disabilities,
or both, and provide inclusive environments for these children.
(e) Approved providers may enroll eligible students who reside outside of the providers'
usual attendance area but all eligible children must be residents of this commonwealth.
(f) Program grant funds are to be used for providing services and programs to age-eligible
students as described in § 405.21 (relating to targeting children to be served). Program
classes may include children supported by alternative funding sources, including Early
Intervention, Head Start, school district or other public funds. In addition, those other
funding sources may be used to support a student in a Program outside the age
requirements or the 2-year time limitation.
(g) Approved providers shall verify the income and family size of all children participating
in the Program prior to enrollment pursuant to Program announcements issued by the
Department.
(h) Program providers shall be provided with Program announcements issued by the
Department to provide guidance and direction regarding application, implementation and
reporting requirements.
(i) The Department will administer the Program consistent with the statutory
authorization.
Guidance and Clarifications
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs may not charge families any fees during the
established program hours and must assure that all Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts children
attend for free, including any meals and field trips.
Nutritious meals and snacks must be provided by the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program
at appropriate times during the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts day. A half day program must
offer, at a minimum, one meal each day. Full day programs must offer both a snack and a
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meal. No fees may be charged for any snack or meal. Additional information on meals and
snacks can be found in #001: Meals and Snacks in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Classrooms.
Providers may not charge a concurrent fee to any other program for a Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts funded child during the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts portion of the day.
Pursuant to the 2- year time limitation for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts participation,
children enrolled in PA PKC must have turned three years of age by the kindergarten cut-
off date for the district of residency.
Once a child is age-eligible to attend kindergarten in the public school district of residence
they are no longer eligible for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding.
Those children eligible for kindergarten whose parents elect to keep their child in pre-
kindergarten for an additional year may be placed in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
classroom provided alternate funding sources are used and the child is not included in the
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts enrollment. This applies to a kindergarten-eligible child who is
participating in the Early Intervention program.
There are two primary eligibility requirements that all children must meet in order to be
considered eligible for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts; children must be age and income
eligible for the program. Local programs may define additional eligibility requirements
through an approved enrollment prioritization plan, but at a minimum age and income
must be met.
All children who participate in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts must be income eligible.
Families whose income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible.
Income verification is required for every child.
Grantees must verify a family’s low-income status before final enrollment is completed by
collecting documentation of income that confirms the reported annual gross income noted
during the initial stages of the enrollment process. The verification of family size and
income must be documented through a staff person’s signature and kept on file. Acceptable
documentation to determine eligibility can be found in #002: Income and Family Size
Verification Guidance.
Approved income eligibility is valid for the entire time the child is enrolled in the program.
It does not need to be re-assessed annually.
Documentation of this requirement must be kept on file at the program, either in a locked
separate file or in the child’s confidential file. These records, while confidential, are subject
to audit and review.
Grantees will need to use the current poverty guidelines established for the current year
for enrollment decisions and income verification.
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Pennsylvania’s Enterprise to Link Information for Children Across Networks (PELICAN) is
the Departments of Human Services and Education’s initiative to combine the state’s early
learning programs under a single management information system. PELICAN serves as the
authoritative contact list for the program. Notices and announcements and other
communications are dispersed based on email addresses pulled from this source. Providers
are expected to update information in PELICAN monthly.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts agencies and partners will have a minimum of one formal
compliance review visit annually. Preschool program specialists will utilize the Program
Review Instrument (PRI) and other supporting documents to identify areas of strength and
areas of needed focus to assure full compliance with Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
regulations and policies. Additional information on program review and monitoring can be
found in #003: Program Review and Monitoring.
Competitive Application Procedures
§ 405.11. Eligible Provider.
An eligible provider may apply for a grant alone or in combination with other eligible
providers as a joint applicant, in which case the entity that applies for the grant shall be the
lead agency in a partnership, as defined in § 405.2 (relating to definitions).
Guidance and Clarifications
The following entities may operate Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classrooms.
1. School districts;
2. Licensed nursery schools;
3. Head Start grantees; and
4. Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes that maintain a STAR 3 rating or
higher under the Keystone STARS Program.
A third-party entity may apply for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding and administer the
lead agency responsibilities for entities that are eligible to provide the classroom services
under the categories listed above.
Provider eligibility must be maintained throughout the entire grant period.
§ 405.12. Proposal Submission.
(a) The Department will announce through its website that competitive grant applications
are to be submitted to the Department, specifying the submission deadline.
(b) To be considered for a grant award, an applicant shall meet the deadline for submission
of all information by the dates announced in the request for applications.
Guidance and Clarifications
Competitive grant application announcements are posted at PA PKC How to Apply, and
announced through Penn*Link (to LEAs) and through the Early Education e-news.
Subscribe to the PA Early Ed News.
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The eGrants Grants Management platform is the system that is typically used for
application submission for PKC competitive grants. This is a system separate from the
PELICAN system. To access eGrants, applicants must use MyPDESuite. This is
a web portal
that enables users to access various PDE data collection applications including eGrants and FAI.
Download Information on how to access MyPDESuite for various PDE data collection
applications including eGrants.
§ 405.13. Grant Agreements.
(a) After an eligible provider has been approved, the provider or lead agency shall enter
into a grant agreement with the Department. Grant agreements must contain, at a
minimum, a work statement and budget.
(b) Grantees shall contact the Department for guidance if a change needs to be made to the
scope of work or the budget contained in the grant agreement.
Guidance and Clarifications
Competitive Grants:
Competitive grants are awarded for one year, with an established number of subsequent
years of continuation grants if funding is available. See Appendix D for policy on important
continuation grant timelines.
Continuation Grants:
The PELICAN system is used for the continuation grant process.
There are several potential types of Continuation Grant applicants as described below:
Continuation Grants with No Changes:
This category includes single applicants that are requesting the same number of half-day
and/or full day Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts slots and the same level of funding as was
awarded in the previous fiscal year. It also includes joint/partnership applicants with no
changes in the partners, the total number and type of slots requested, or in the site or
location that a particular partner plans to use for its Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classes, or
in the number and type of slots (half-day and full-day) for each partner. The total funding
and number and type of slots remain the same as in the previous fiscal year. There is no
change in any of the partners in this category of continuation application nor a change in
the funding level requested. There may, however, be changes in specific line items in the
budget that show how the funds are to be used, including the level of pass-through funds
provided to each partner, but not in the number or type of slots each pass through recipient
is to receive.
Continuation Grants with Changes:
There are several types of Continuation Grants with Changes.
a. Requests by single applicants to change the number and type of slots (half-day
and full-day) they will provide, but not the level of funding. This includes
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partnerships or joint applicants proposing to change the number and types of slots
requested for any of the partners in a partnership, but not the total funds requested.
b. Requests to change the distribution of half-day and/or full-day slots among
various locations and/or partners and their locations.
c. Requests for fewer slots and funding by a single applicant or a joint applicant,
including a joint applicant that is requesting funds for a partnership that is dropping
one or more partner. If a partner is not planning to be an ongoing part of a
partnership, whether by its own volition or for any other reason, the slots and per
child funding provided to that partner through the lead agency revert to OCDEL. The
slots and their funding do not belong to the partnership or the lead agency. Nor do
the slots belong to the departing partner to continue as a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
provider either on its own or as part of another partnership.
d. Requests for a change in the location of one or more classroom.
e. Requests for a change in one or more partner (adding a partner, dropping a
partner, or both).
Consolidation Grants:
Two or more lead agencies may consolidate their program under one lead agency,
designating the other as a partner. The funds requested for a Continuation Grant for the
consolidated lead agencies may not exceed the sum of the grants to the lead agencies when
they were individual or separate grantees in the previous fiscal year. Lead agencies that
wish to consolidate should contact their preschool program specialist as soon as possible
for directions on how to consolidate.
§ 405.14. Annual Community Needs Assessment.
Applicants for Program funding shall conduct an annual assessment of community needs
for Pre-K services as part of the application process for continuation, expansion, or new
grant funds.
Guidance and Clarifications
Lead agencies and their partners must update their needs assessment annually to fulfill
regulatory requirement for continuation applications. A new needs assessment must be
conducted in years when a competitive rebid grant process occurs.
Program Planning
§ 405.21. Targeting children to be served.
The Department will instruct applicants to target their program enrollment to children
who are most at risk, consistent with the description in the program guidance of targeting
services to children most at risk, if it is likely that the funds appropriated for the upcoming
program year will be less than the funds required to serve all eligible children in this
commonwealth. The Department will also instruct approved providers to engage in
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outreach and partnership with Child Care Works, Head Start, and other appropriate
programs of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning to inform Programs and
families that they serve about the availability of the Program and to coordinate with these
programs particularly when there are waiting lists.
Guidance and Clarifications
Eligible Children:
Age and income are the two primary eligibility requirements that all children must meet to
be considered for enrollment in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. Eligible 3- and 4-year-olds who
reside in a low-income household and are at risk of educational failure because of limited
English proficiency, poverty, community factors, academic difficulties, or economic
disadvantage may be enrolled in the program. Additional guidance on enrollment
prioritization plans can be found in #004: Enrollment Prioritization Plan Guidance.
Children living in families with income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level
are eligible for enrollment in Pennsylvania Pre-K counts.
Outreach:
Grantees must establish and maintain collaborative, non-competitive, relationships with
other local early learning programs (including Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Head Start,
Child Care Works, and Early Intervention Programs) to ensure children on waiting lists
have the opportunity to participate in the program which best meets family needs. This
requires grantees to understand the early learning program options in their service area.
Providers are encouraged to use the COMPASS search option to identify early learning
providers in their service area. In addition, providers are encouraged to update their
provider profile within PELICAN Provider Self Service to assure up to date and accurate
program information is searchable by families interested in services.
§ 405.22. Maximizing Resources.
Approved providers shall use Program grant funds to supplement, not to supplant, public
funds from any other source that are used to serve otherwise eligible students, including,
but not limited to, Accountability Block Grant funds, local funds, or federal or state Head
Start funds for Programs provided in the same geographic area.
However, this requirement does not prohibit combining funding sources for support of a
single Program as long as additional eligible students are served and all of the Program
standards are met by the program supported with the combined resources.
Guidance and Clarifications
The Accountability Block Grant is now named Ready to Learn Block Grant.
Children who are enrolled in Pennsylvania Pre- K Counts may be co-enrolled in other
programs, including Child Care Works, federal or state Head Start, or private pay options.
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Providers that receive multiple funding streams (e.g., Head Start funding or Child Care
Works) should develop strategies to braid, layer, or leverage multiple resources to provide
wraparound services to children who may need a longer day and/or a longer program year.
Those providers who participate in the Child Care Works subsidy program may continue to
do so. Note that for those children/families who are participating in Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts and receive Child Care Works subsidy, the Child Care Works eligibility regulations
provide for the child to typically remain in subsidy as well as Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
throughout the course of the child’s participation in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers and Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) are
required to work together to coordinate services for those Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
children who are also enrolled in wrap-around child care.
Head Start programs may participate in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts as well. To assure full
use of Head Start funds, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must commit to avoid
enrolling children in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts who are already served in a Head Start
program or eligible to participate in Head Start. The purpose of this requirement is to avoid
an impact on enrollments in Head Start such that federal Head Start resources or the state
Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program resources would be supplanted.
Head Start eligible families may have unique needs that are best supported by a program
that is designed specially to meet those needs and offers a broad array of services, as does
Head Start. However, families with children eligible for Head Start may prefer to enroll
them in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, rather than Head Start. The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
Program may enroll Head Start eligible students at the parent’s request but should
document:
1) The date(s) Head Start eligibility was shared with parents, and
2) The signature of parent(s) documenting their request for enrollment in the
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program.
The goal is to have cooperation rather than competition between Head Start and
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in enrollment of students.
§ 405.23. Disallowance of Duplicate Funding.
Program funds may not be used to provide the same service for a child already receiving
that service funded by another resource.
Guidance and Clarifications
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding is the sole source of funding during the Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts instructional day. Providers may utilize alternative funding for those
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts children who are enrolled in additional programs such as Head
Start and child care for the hours that extend beyond the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts day.
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§ 405.24. Enrollment.
Each approved provider shall develop and implement a plan for securing full enrollment
throughout the program year, except as follows:
(1) When a student leaves the Program after the start of the program year, the provider
shall have up to 20 instructional days to fill the vacancy, after which time the
Department may request the return of funds or reduce future payments for the
vacated and unfilled slot in the amount of funds, relative to the remaining
instructional days of the Program for that program year, unless the vacancy occurs
within 21 instructional days of the last day of class.
(2) If an enrolled child has ten or more unexcused absences, the provider shall take
appropriate steps to address attendance, up to and including dismissal of the child
from the program. The department may request the return of funds or reduce
future payments to Programs that have not taken appropriate steps to overcome
unexcused absences.
(3) Provider policies regarding unexcused absences and the number allowed must be
written and provided to parents, families, or guardians of enrolled children and to
the Department.
(4) An approved provider may not deny a student admission to a Program by reason of
the student’s disability.
Guidance and Clarifications
Full enrollment, as demonstrated by PELICAN enrollment statistics, must be achieved by
September 1 of each year, and always maintained. A child will not be counted by OCDEL as
enrolled if the child is not entered into PELICAN.
Children are considered “enrolled” when there is mutual understanding between parent or
guardian and the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program that the child has been accepted into
the program and will begin attending on a specified future date. In addition, an intake
meeting between parent and school has been completed, the necessary information has
been gathered and the child has been identified as a candidate for a Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts slot.
Programs should make efforts to enroll children using their “legal” name. Programs should
not refuse enrollment to children of parents who do not wish to provide “legal” name.
Outreach efforts throughout the community to locate and enroll children whose families
are at 300 percent or below the federal poverty guidelines are an ongoing requirement for
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
Through collaborative efforts with other community providers, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
programs may be able to reduce the waiting lists in the county Head Start program or Child
Care Works subsidy programs by establishing a system of reciprocal referrals.
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A selection and prioritization strategy must be developed that first looks at 300 percent or
below of income, then other risk factors such as homelessness, teen mother, or English
language learner. Additional guidance on enrollment prioritization plans can be found in
#004: Enrollment Prioritization Plan Guidance.
Providers have 20 instructional days to fill vacated slots. Vacancies lasting more than 20
days should be reported to the preschool program specialist. Maintaining a waiting list will
ensure slots are filled immediately.
Children with disabilities may receive at-risk prioritization in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
as part of a provider’s enrollment strategies if the child meets all eligibility requirements.
Services for eligible students may not be denied based on disability.
Attendance:
Providers must monitor attendance and establish a means to maintain attendance
information so that it is available upon request of the Department. The PELICAN system
may be used for this purpose; however, attendance data reporting within the PELICAN
system will not be required.
Chronic, unexcused absences will be considered on a case-by-case basis and could result in
reduced funding. These situations require ongoing support from the Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts provider and may result in the child’s dismissal from the program.
Written provider policies regarding attendance and notification when a child is absent
must be provided to parents, guardians and PDE. A parent or family handbook is an
effective means of defining program procedures and policies and sharing that information
with families. The Attendance Policy should be included within the handbook and/ or
provided in some other manner in writing. Additional guidance on Enrollment, Attendance
and Vacancies can be found in #005: Enrollment, Attendance and Vacancies.
Program Coordination and Collaboration
§ 405.31. Coordination and Collaboration with Agencies Providing
Services to Young Children.
(a) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with the local agencies
providing Early Intervention services to infants and toddlers to ensure a smooth
transition for children and families that have been receiving services from Early
Intervention.
(b) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with the local agencies
providing Early Intervention services to preschool age children to ensure the
following:
(1) A smooth transition for children and families that have been receiving
services from Early Intervention.
(2) Coordination of any continued Early Intervention services the child will
receive while enrolled in the Program.
(3) Awareness of the available Early Intervention services for children
enrolled in the Program who have not been identified as in need of Early
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Intervention services but who may be eligible for the services, and the
capacity to provide appropriate information to parents and make
appropriate referrals for Early Intervention evaluations and services.
(c) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with the Child Care
Information Services agency in their area to coordinate services and benefits
received by families and to achieve enrollment in the Program of children who are
most at risk and in need of services.
(d) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with programs that
provide the before and after Program child care for participating children so that
transportation arrangements, emergency contacts and other necessary information
are shared and so that the needs of families whose children are enrolled in the
Program are met.
(e) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with Head Start agencies.
(f) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with school districts in
those areas from which they are enrolling children in the Program to develop and
implement plans for a smooth transition for children who will leave the Program to
be enrolled in the school districts' K-12 program; to ensure alignment of curriculum
and standards between the Program and the K-12 school district program; and to
consolidate activities, such as professional development, to the extent practicable, to
the advantage of both programs and creation of greater efficiencies.
(g) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with the local community
groups that engage the public in issues related to early childhood education.
(h) Approved providers shall coordinate and collaborate with other Program sites in
their county on activities such as professional development, family outreach and
child enrollment strategies, to the extent practicable to the advantage of all of the
Programs and creation of greater efficiencies.
Guidance and Clarifications
Early Intervention
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs are inclusive, high-quality early childhood
educational programs. For PKC children receiving Early Intervention services, the PKC
Program is their general education setting. The defining features of inclusion is access,
participation, and supports. PKC children receiving supports and services from local Early
Intervention providers shall receive services in the same learning environments as their
nondisabled peers.
Supports and services for children receiving Early Intervention are determined through the
development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education
Program (IEP). The IFSP/IEP is developed by the family and a team of early childhood
professionals based on information gathered through assessments, observations of the
child, information from the family and other individuals involved in the child’s
development. Pre-K Counts staff are integral partners and must be involved with the
planning and coordination of Early Intervention services through attendance at plan
meetings or through providing input into the development of the IFSP/IEP.
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Early Intervention staff and Pre-K Counts staff will work together to embed strategies into
the typical routines and activities within the program to promote the child’s development
and participation.
Pre-K Counts, in collaboration with Infant and Toddler Early Intervention programs, will
develop procedures for the transition of children and families who are exploring
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts as an early childhood learning opportunity. Procedures will
ensure planning will begin at least six months prior to the child’s third birthday and
collaborative efforts will be used to support the child and family’s transition process.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers are integral in identifying children who may be
eligible or in need of Early Intervention services. PA PKC should make family referrals to
Early Intervention when appropriate and make sure the parents are aware of the referral.
It is the intent that children receiving Early Intervention services must participate in the
full range of opportunities available to all children within the PKC program, including
attendance in a 2.5- or 5-hour day, 180 days per year. A temporary modified schedule may
be approved by OCDEL on a case-by-case basis, with the goal of moving toward full
program participation. Decisions will be made based on collaboration with Early
Intervention, the provider, the family, and the Preschool Program Specialist. Providers
should be aware that in cases where a modified schedule is approved, funding may be
reduced.
The ELRCs serve as the Child Care Information Services agency. For more information on
ELRCs, visit: Early Learning Resource Centers (pa.gov).
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must document all collaboration efforts. Programs
are encouraged to operationalize collaborative efforts through written, formal agreements,
which should be reviewed and/or updated at least annually.
Transition from Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs into kindergarten shall support a
child’s individual and family needs during the transfer of services (share adaptations and
best practices) for a successful transition.
§ 405.32. Partnerships.
Partnerships of eligible providers must have a signed partnership agreement. The
agreement shall be submitted to and approved by the Department. The partnership
agreement must delineate how the entities that comprise the partnership will carry out
their roles and responsibilities within the Program, including: communication, decision-
making, reporting, monitoring of program requirements, recordkeeping, and fiduciary
matters.
Guidance and Clarifications
As applied to Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, a “partnership” is an agreed upon formal
relationship between a lead agency and eligible Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom
providers, or partners, in which partnership members work together to provide high
quality pre-kindergarten in a specific geographic area. For purposes of Pennsylvania Pre-K
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Counts, the word “partner” is used exclusively to mean an eligible provider that is
providing a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom and is receiving funding for all of its
operational expenses, such as salaries of the teacher and the aide, materials, and supplies.
This would not include an entity that is merely providing space for the classroom (rental
agreement).
There must be established formal partnership agreements between a lead agency (grantee)
and each of its partnering agencies. The formal agreement should be legally binding. In
addition to the roles and responsibilities noted in the regulation above, the agreement must
include detail relevant to partnerships from the lead agency contract and the instances and
protocols for dissolving the partnership.
Program and Classroom Requirements
§ 405.41. School Term.
Programs shall offer a minimum of 180 days of developmentally appropriate instructional
practices and activities for students.
(1) In the first year of operation as a provider, if the provider is unable to start up
immediately at the beginning of the program year, the provider may serve children
for fewer than 180 days, but in no case fewer than 160 days.
(2) Days may not be counted as days of developmentally appropriate practices and
activities when the Program is closed, and time may not be counted as time spent on
developmentally appropriate practices and activities for an activity to which
admission is charged.
Guidance and Clarifications
Program Year
All continuing grantees are required to operate for a minimum of 180 instructional days
per program year, and school cancellations must be made up to assure the full number of
days of operation. It is advisable to include a few extra days of operation in the school
calendar to anticipate weather-related closures.
Programs planning to use approved Flexible Instruction Plans (FIPs) (formerly referred to
as Remote Learning Plans) to count days students engage in remote learning as
instructional days need to do the following:
• Update and/or develop FIPs.
o Plans must be developed with staff and family input and be approved by the
programs’ governing board or administrative body/person.
o A partner agency must submit their FIPs to the lead agency for approval
prior to any implementation.
o Lead agencies must submit plans to the Preschool Program Specialists (PPS)
for approval prior to any initiation of the plans.
• AFTER the FIP has been approved by the lead agency’s governing board or
administrative person/body and the PPS, the lead agency and partners must submit
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the Emergency Instructional Time” (EIT) template to OCDEL template to OCDEL at
RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov.
o The EIT template is located on the PA Key Intranet.
• Inform staff, and families of the approved FIP by adding language to Emergency
Preparedness Plans and to Family policies (e.g., family handbook).
o Providers should review program attendance policies (PA PKC § 405.24.
Enrollment and Supplemental Resource #005) and remind families of the
program’s attendance policies, including but not limited to what counts as an
excused absence and how attendance will be tracked in instances of remote
learning.
• Inform PPS within 24 hours of an initiated FIP during the school year.
• Track usage of initiated FIPs during the school year.
o Programs should be able to produce reporting on instances of use to OCDEL,
if requested.
For more details on FIP, see Supplemental Resource #019: Flexible Instruction Planning.
§ 405.42. Program Day and Developmentally Appropriate Instructional
Practices and Activities.
Instructional time for students shall be time in the program devoted to developmentally
appropriate instructional practices and activities provided as an integral part of the
Program under the direction of qualified employees.
(1) The following practices and activities, as described in the early learning standards in §
4.20 (relating to pre-kindergarten education), count towards instructional time:
(i) Classroom instruction
(ii) Orientation of children during regular school hours to the Program, Program
setting and Program routines conducted:
(iii) Meals and snack-time, as long as they are integral parts of the curriculum
facilitated by the lead teacher and used for student learning experiences
(iv) Play-time, including outdoor and indoor play or child directed activities as long
as they are an integral part of the instructional day, facilitated by the lead teacher
and used for student learning.
(v) Time spent at the library, and in art, music or physical education.
(vi) Opening exercises that engage children, including opening circle time, in
preparation for the day.
(vii) School, group or class educational trips to which admission is not charged to
students or parents and provided that a teacher accompanies the students.
(viii) Student services, such as guidance and counseling services, psychological
services, speech pathology and audiology services, and student health services.
(ix) Civil defense, fire, bus evacuation and similar drills.
(x) Early dismissal and delayed opening only when due to inclement weather.
(2) Time spent in transportation, professional development and parent/teacher
conferences does not count as instructional time.
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Guidance and Clarifications
Length of Day:
There are two ways that Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts can be structured:
1. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs may operate as half-day programs. These half-
day programs must provide a minimum of 2.5 hour per day of instructional services
or activities, for a minimum of 180 days per year.
2. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs may operate as full-day programs for a
minimum of 5 hours per day of instructional services or activities, for a minimum of
180 days per year.
Grantees are advised to plan for a minimum of an extra half hour in their schedule for
arrival and departure time to ensure that children receive either the full 2.5 or 5 hours of
instructional time that is intended. Teachers and teacher aides will need to be scheduled
and paid salary for a minimum of ½ hour a day beyond the scheduled time for the students
to allow for planning and preparation time.
Counting Hours per Day:
Only time providing instructional activities to children may be counted toward the half-day
and full-day length of day and the 180 days per year. Grantees will need to plan for a
slightly longer day and year so that you have allowed for naptime in full-day programs and
for arrival time, as well as for weather-related closures for non-attendance of students on
days when professional development is being provided.
Instructional activities only count toward “instructional time” when children are with
appropriately certified staff and include the following:
• Time spent at the library, and in art, music or physical education constitutes
“instructional time” if facilitated by the regular teacher or area specialists.
• An early dismissal so that a part of the day may be spent in parent/teacher
conferences does not count as a full day of instruction.
• Additional guidance on defining instructional time can be found in #006: Definition
of Instructional Time.
Programs wishing to use approved Flexible Instruction Plans (FIPs) to count days students
engage in remote learning as instructional time need to do the following:
• Update and/or develop Flexible Instruction Plans (FIPs), (formerly referred to as
Remote Learning Plans)
o Plans need to be developed with staff and family input and be approved by
the programs’ governing board, or administrative body/person.
• Partner Agencies must submit plans to lead agencies for approval prior to any
initiation of the plans. Lead agencies must submit plans to Preschool Program
Specialists (PPS) for approval prior to any initiation of the plans.
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• Lead Agencies and Partner must submit the “Emergency Instructional Time”
template to The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) via email
to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov
o Submission must take place AFTER the FIP has been approved by the lead
agency’s governing board or administrative person/body and the PPS. Do not
submit prior to the approval.
o The template can be found in the PA Key Intranet.
• Inform staff, and families of the approved FIP by adding language to Emergency
Preparedness Plans, and Family policies (e.g. family handbook).
o Providers should review program attendance policies (PA PKC § 405.24.
Enrollment and Supplemental Resource #005; HSSAP HSPS 1302.16
Attendance) and remind families of the programs attendance policies,
including but not limited to what counts as an excused absence, and how
attendance will be tracked in instances of remote learning.
• Inform PPS within 24 hours of an initiated FIP during the school year.
• Track usage of initiated FIPs during the school year.
o Programs should be able to produce reporting on instances of use to OCDEL,
if requested.
For more details on Flexible Instruction Planning see Supplemental Resource #019:
Flexible Instruction Planning.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funds may only be used to support activities and for materials
and program content that are secular in nature.
§ 405.43. Class Size and Student/Staffing Ratio.
(a) Program class enrollments are limited to at most 20 students with at least one teacher
and one aide in the classroom, however, for high quality programming a maximum of 17
students is recommended.
(b) If a Program class has ten or fewer students, there shall be one teacher in the classroom
and an aide must be available onsite to assist the teacher as needed.
(c) Whenever the enrollment in a class exceeds 20, the class shall be divided into two
classes so that each class individually does not exceed 20 students. Each class must be
properly staffed and, if space is to be shared, that space must be divided by a barrier that
adequately separates the spaces for instructional purposes.
Guidance and Clarifications
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs must have a student/teacher ratio of no more than
20 students for one teacher and one teacher aide in a classroom, that is, two adults in a
classroom for every 20 students. Programs of high quality ordinarily have a
student/teacher ratio of no more than 17 students for one teacher and one teacher aide in
a classroom or two adults for every 17 students. This requirement is consistent with State
Board of Education regulations (22 Pa. Code §4.20 (6)). If the classroom has 10 or fewer 3-
24
and 4-year-olds, it must have one lead teacher and a secondary person available in the
facility. The secondary person must meet the requirements for a Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts teacher's aide.
Any number of children in a classroom above 20 constitutes a second classroom.
Classrooms that share space must provide physical barriers that denote the separation of
the classrooms. Each space must meet the student/teacher ratio and have the
appropriately qualified staff.
§ 405.44. Staffing and Professional Development.
(a) Teachers of eligible students supported by Program funding shall meet the following
requirements:
(1) In school districts, teachers shall have early childhood education certification.
(2) In Head Start and child care programs, teachers shall possess a minimum of an
associate's degree in early childhood education or child development.
(3) In licensed nursery school programs, teachers shall have a minimum of a
bachelor's degree, 18 credits from an institution of higher education in early
childhood education and a private academic teaching or temporary approval
certificate.
(4) By December 31, 2011, all teachers in Program classrooms shall have early
childhood education certification.
(b) Teacher aides in any classroom of eligible students supported by Program funding shall
meet one of the following criteria:
(1) Completion of at least 2 years of full-time postsecondary study or the equivalent.
(2) Possession of an associate's degree or higher.
(3) Ability to meet a rigorous standard of quality and demonstration of knowledge
through a formal state or local academic assessment or possession by the teacher
aide of a Child Development Associate's (CDA) certificate.
(4) Teacher aides who work solely as translators shall have a high school diploma or
its equivalent, and do not have to meet any of the other requirements of paragraphs
(1)—(3).
(c) A lead teacher in the Program, including those in community-based settings, including
outdoor and indoor play or child directed activities with an Instructional Level I certificate
shall convert the certificate to an Instructional Level II certificate within 6 years from the
time of initial service as an Instructional Level I teacher in the Program. Teachers holding
an Instructional Level I early childhood certificate may count their time working in a
Program community-based program toward the 3 years of required experience necessary
before converting the certificate to an Instructional Level II certificate, in accordance with
the requirements of the Department, including a year’s participation in a Department
approved teacher induction plan, six semiannual evaluations and the Department specified
continuing professional development credits.
(d) Program teachers shall undertake continuous professional development as specified by
the Department and, at a minimum, meet the requirements of sections 1205.1—1205.5 of
the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 12-1205.1—121205.5).
25
(e) Program teacher aides shall take a minimum of 24 hours of continuous professional
development as specified by the Department, and in early childhood education and
development, each year.
Guidance and Clarifications
All lead teachers who are hired for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classrooms must have
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Instructional certification for early childhood
education at the start of the school year.
Lead agencies must assure that partner sites’ lead teachers possess Pennsylvania
Department of Education (PDE) Instructional certification for early childhood education at
the start of the school year.
A teacher aide is required in all Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classrooms that exceed 10
students. All aides must meet one of the following criteria:
• Possession of a current Child Development Associate (CDA) credential for preschool.
Aides who have completed all requirements of the CDA credential and have submitted
their application to the Council of Professional Recognition and are awaiting their
formal assessment by the council may apply for a time-limited waiver.
• Completion of at least two years of postsecondary study with a minimum of 60 college
credits; or
• Possession of an associate degree or higher; or
• Ability to meet a rigorous standard of quality and demonstration of knowledge in and
the ability to assist a teacher in instructing reading, writing, and mathematics. This
rigorous standard of quality includes a demonstration of competence in basic literacy
skills, the ability to speak and write Standard English, and the ability to provide
instruction of pre-kindergarten students in the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and
abilities described in the Early Learning Standards. Demonstration of this knowledge
and ability can be accomplished through a formal state or local academic assessment or
possession by the teacher aide of a Child Development Associate’s credential.
Teacher aides who work solely as translators must have a secondary diploma or its
equivalent, and do not have to meet any of the other requirements of (a) through (c) above.
Recruitment and Retention:
Effective recruitment and retention of high quality teachers create a consistent teaching
staff in programs. Consistent staffing is critical to obtaining and maintaining high quality
pre-kindergarten programs. All submitted PA PKC program budgets should include
provisions for competitive lead teacher and aide salaries and benefits. As part of the review
of program budgets, PA PKC program and fiscal staff will continue to review the
recommended percentages outlined in the line-item budget. PA PKC programs must
include detailed and accurate line-item justifications as outlined in the PA-PKC-Fiscal-
Supplement-2020.01.pdf (pcdn.co). Program and fiscal staff will pay close attention to the
following during their review:
26
• Compensation amounts for direct service staff. The recommended starting PA PKC
teacher wage is $45,000/school year (180 days) or $33.33/hour (180 days/7.5
hours per day) or the comparable public school district starting teacher salary, in
cases where the comparable public school district teacher salary is higher than this
amount.
• Provided benefits for direct service staff.
Additional guidance on staff recruitment and retention can be found in #007: Staff
Recruitment and Retention Plan.
Professional Development:
All Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts teachers must maintain Act 48 credits pursuant to the
requirements of keeping their Instructional Certification active. In addition, all teachers
must attend the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Core Series of Professional Development.
Within the first two years of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts participation, the following
sessions are required:
1. Assessment: Beyond the Basics of Observation and Data Utilization;
2. Linking Standards, Curriculum Framework and Assessment;
3. Strengthening Relationships with Children, Families and Colleagues; and
4. Application of Act 13 of 2020: Evaluation of Educator Effectiveness for Teaching in Pre-
Kindergarten Classrooms
1
All core series trainings can be scheduled through the PA Keys professional development
registry.
In addition to the Core Series training, staff responsible for the implementation of
curriculum, and assessments should participate in training related to the chosen
curriculum and assessment tools to assure fidelity. See § 405.45. Curriculum and §
405.46. Assessment for further clarification.
PA PKC programs must also integrate trauma-informed approaches into program
curriculum and assure personnel who have direct contact with children have professional
development in trauma-informed approaches. For more information on this requirement,
see Appendix E: PKC 22-#002 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Trauma-Informed Resources.
Beginning SY 2023-2024, PA PKC programs must assure lead teachers receive Act 48
training on Structured Literacy, Professional Ethics, and Culturally Relevant and Sustaining
Education (CR-SE) within 3 years (before SY 2026-2027).
1
Act 13 of 2020 (Act 13) revised the Act 82 Educator Effectiveness process used to evaluate professional employees
working for Pre-K to 12 educational entities across Pennsylvania. Effective 2021-2022, the revised rating system applies
to classroom teachers, non-teaching professionals, and principals as defined in Act 13.
27
Programs have the flexibility to use any training which covers the topics of
Structured Literacy, Professional Ethics, and Culturally Relevant and Sustaining
Education (CR-SE) and meets the needs and requirements of their program type.
The SAS PD Center offers an Act 48 course related to structured literacy as an option
to meet this requirement:
Structured Literacy is a 10-hour Act 48 course that examines the
research that supports this approach, identifies the key features and
content of Structured Literacy, and examines/aligns current
instructional practices.
The SAS PD Center will offer Act 48 courses related to Professional Ethics, and
Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CR-SE), which could be used for
Induction (see 22 Pa. Code § 405.64) and continuing education requirements. The
anticipated release of these courses is June 2023.
Professional development for teacher aides must include at least 24 hours of continuing
professional education each year. Acceptable professional development includes
instruction eligible for Act 48, continuing education credits, college credits, or hours taught
by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services-certified Pennsylvania Quality Assurance
System instructors based on the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood and
the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators
At least 50 percent or 12 hours should be specific to early childhood education.
Act 120 of 2013 made significant changes to the Educator Discipline Act including
enhanced mandatory reporting requirements. Under the Child Protective Services Law
(CPSL) and Educator Discipline Act, all Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts personnel and anyone
who has direct contact with children are considered mandated reporters. The changes
require that all school entities and independent contractors of school entities provide child
abuse recognition and reporter training to all employees, including contracted substitute
teachers, who have direct contact with children. Mandated reporters are required to make
an immediate and direct report of suspected child abuse to ChildLine either electronically
at The Child Welfare Portal or by calling 1-800-932-0313. The Commonwealth has
established a dedicated website to provide information about these changes. The webpage
features: Questions and Answers, options for Mandated Reporter trainings, clarification
about Clearances and other relevant information. All Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts staff who
have direct contact with a child must attend a professional development event on
mandated reporting. For training for mandated reporters, visit Keep Kids Safe.
Lead teachers in a community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts setting that have
Instructional Level I Certificates must convert and maintain their certificate to an
Instructional II Certificate within six years from the time of initial service as an
Instructional Level I teacher in the program, beginning with and counting 2007 as the first
year in the six-year window. Teachers holding an Instructional Level I early childhood
certificate may count their time working in a community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
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program toward the three years of successful teaching experience necessary before
converting the certificate to an Instructional Level II Certificate, in accordance with the
requirements of PDE. These requirements also include participation in an Office of Child
Development and Early Learning approved Teacher Induction Plan, six bi-annual
satisfactory evaluations and completion of 24 post baccalaureate credits. Additional
information on this requirement can be found in #008: Early Childhood Education and
Teacher Certification: Frequently Asked Questions, #009: Tracking Activity for Moving ECE
Level I Certification to Level II Certification, #010: Teacher Certification Evaluation in
Community-Based Programs, and #011: Teacher Induction for Community-Based
Providers.
Teacher and teacher aide substitutes must be placed in classrooms whenever there is staff
absence to assure the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts student/teacher ratio. Every effort must
be made to assure substitutes meet the qualification requirements of the position they are
filling. In short-term substitute situations (less than 90 days), at a minimum, the lead
teacher substitute must hold a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related
field. In cases where a long-term substitute is required (more than 90 days), long-term lead
teacher substitutes must meet the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts teacher qualifications.
Updates to 22 Pa. Code Chapter 49 became effective April 22, 2023. The revised regulations
add PA PKC as eligible providers, as defined in 22 Pa. Code §405.2 (relating to definitions) and
as entities to which the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) may issue an Emergency,
day-to-day (Type 06) or long-term (Type 01 or 04) Permit. Eligible providers can now request
these permits from PDE to address lead teacher staffing needs for PKC program teachers. For
more information see Appendix F: PKC 22-#004 Emergency Teacher Certification Permits.
§ 405.45. Curriculum.
(a) The curriculum used in any classroom that includes a child who is enrolled in the
Program must be standards-based.
(b) The curriculum used in the Program must be determined by the Department to be
aligned with the Early Learning Standards established by the Department.
Guidance and Clarifications
A listing of approved curriculum is available at PKC Approved Curriculum and Child
Assessments. The listed curriculum models have been determined to align with the 2014
Pre-Kindergarten Early Learning Standards.
Download copies of the Early Learning Standards at Pennsylvania Learning Standards for
Early Childhood.
When a program is considering the use of a curriculum that has not yet been aligned with
Early Learning Standards, the publisher should be contacted to complete and submit an
alignment review to RA-PAPreKCo[email protected]. All requested alignments will be
reviewed, and if they meet the Office of Child Development and Early Learning framework,
will be posted on the PDE website. Programs that use a locally designed curriculum must
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demonstrate alignment with the Early Learning Standards prior to the use in Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts. Locally designed curriculum alignments must be submitted to RA-
PAPreKCounts@pa.gov for review and approval to assure alignment. A template for
submission is available on the PA Key website at PKC Approved Curriculum and Child
Assessments.
At a minimum, lead teachers should be trained in the selected curriculum to assure fidelity
to its implementation within PKC classrooms. It is encouraged that teacher aides also
receive training in the curriculum.
PA PKC programs must also integrate trauma-informed approaches into program
curriculum and assure personnel who have direct contact with children have professional
development in trauma-informed approaches. For more information on this requirement,
see Appendix E: PKC 22-#002 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Trauma-Informed Resources.
§ 405.46. Assessment.
Approved providers shall:
(1) Assess eligible students with a minimum frequency determined by the Department
using an assessment tool approved by the Department.
(2) Participate in Department conducted training in the use of the assessment tool as
prescribed by the Department.
(3) Report aggregate assessment information to the Department for purposes of Program
monitoring, evaluation, reporting child outcomes and accountability in a manner and with
a frequency and schedule determined by the Department.
(4) Participate in a Department conducted assessment of the Program learning
environment and attend the training in the use of the environmental self-assessment tool
as prescribed by the Department.
Guidance and Clarifications
Comprehensive Assessment:
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must complete a developmental screening on all
children within 45 calendar days of the child’s first day in the classroom setting. This
evidence-based, reliable, and valid screening instrument should be used as a first step in
identification of potential delays and to indicate those children who need to be further
referred for evaluation. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning recommends
the use of the Ages & Stages [ASQ and ASQ-SE]. Developmental screening processes that
occur up to 90 days prior to entry in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom fulfill this
requirement.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers shall ensure all children have had the opportunity to
receive the recommended vision, hearing, and health screenings. To meet this requirement,
programs should at minimum:
• Communicate to families about the importance of early screening;
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• Collect evidence from families regarding screenings that have occurred within 180
days of the recommended screening timeframes;
• In cases where screenings have not occurred, provide timely opportunities for
enrolled children to have the opportunity for screening. These screenings may be
conducted by the providers or an outside agency including a physician; and
• Communicate with families about screening results and support follow up as
needed.
At no time should a child be denied access to PKC programming or be disenrolled if
recommended screenings are not up to date. Additional guidance on required screenings
can be found in #012: Comprehensive Screening.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers will select and use an assessment tool from the
available tools approved by PDE to assess and monitor a child’s developmental progress.
Student assessments guide instructional practice, professional development and technical
assistance to programs and provide a method for reporting all progress of children
participating in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program. To ensure the collection of reliable
data, staff responsible for implementation of the chosen assessment tool must attend
training on the use of the tool. A listing of approved assessment tools is available at PKC
Approved Curriculum and Child Assessments. The listed assessment tools have been
determined to align with the 2014 Pre-Kindergarten Early Learning Standards.
When a program is considering the use of an assessment tool that has not yet been aligned
with Early Learning Standards, the publisher should be contacted to complete and submit
an alignment review to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov. All requested alignments will be
reviewed, and if they meet the Office of Child Development and Early Learning framework,
will be posted on the PA Key website. Programs may not use a locally designed assessment
tool to meet this requirement. Templates for alignment can be requested by contacting RA-
PAPreKCounts@pa.gov.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must monitor child outcomes information and
establish a means to maintain outcomes information so that it is available upon request of
the Department. Data gathering from families, the education team and research-based
assessment instruments should be combined to obtain the information needed to assess
and report children’s progress on the chosen assessment tool.
Grantees should develop procedures for sharing assessment information with parents as
defined in the Partnerships for Learning Key Learning Area of the Learning Standards for
Early Childhood. Parents can partner with their Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers to
help ensure the best outcomes for their children.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs must select and use an assessment tool from the tools
approved by PDE to assess and monitor program learning environment (classrooms).
Programs may submit to have additional tools added to the approved listing. Classroom
internal assessments, performed by trained personnel, must be completed annually in all
PA PKC classrooms. An external assessment shall be conducted annually in at least one PA
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PKC classroom. The external assessor will be trained in the assessment tool used for the
external assessment. Results of the environmental assessments must be used by the
program to determine program needs as part of a continuous quality improvement plan.
When required by the Department, additional assessments shall be conducted by an
external assessor assigned by the Department.
Lead teachers must attend training on the use of the chosen program assessment tool
within the first six months of employment in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom. The
PA Key Professional Development System supports a variety of environmental assessment
professional development. To learn what is currently available programs should reference
the Pennsylvania Professional Development Registry. Programs choosing to use other
approved program assessments are responsible for ensuring staff receive training on use of
the tool. Additional information on this requirement can be found in #013: Assessment of
the Learning Environment.
§ 405.47. Parent Involvement.
Approved providers shall develop and implement a plan for involvement and input of
parents, families and guardians of children enrolled in the program to inform them of
program goals, instructional strategies, and the progress of their children and to involve
them in supportive activities designed to help ensure their child’s success.
Guidance and Clarifications
Family engagement (termed in statute as parental involvement) is an important element
that contributes to the success of the program and the children receiving its services.
Family engagement requires vigilant planning and understanding of the diverse situation
and needs of families and their children. Providers must use Pennsylvania’s Family
Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework in the
development and implementation of the parent engagement plan.
The six standards found within the Pennsylvania’s Family Engagement Birth through
College, Career, Community Ready Framework provide elements to consider in
development of a plan for family involvement:
•
Standard 1- Connect families to community resources that support their
goals, interests, and needs.
•
Standard 2 - Build partnerships with families that are strengths-based, authentic,
reciprocal, and respectful.
•
Standard 3 - Partner with families to identify information, resources, and strategies
to support them in their roles as teachers, models, encouragers, monitors, leaders
and advocates as they support their child’s learning and development.
•
Standard 4 - Provide intentional opportunities for families to connect and engage
with each other.
•
Standard 5 - Support families as they develop their leadership and advocacy skills.
•
Standard 6 - Build partnerships with families during times of transition.
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§ 405.48. Program Transition Planning.
(a) Approved providers shall develop and implement plans designed to ensure a smooth
and supportive transition for children entering the program from the setting from which
they are coming, including the home, Early Intervention services, Early Head Start or child
care.
(b) Approved providers shall develop and implement plans to ensure a smooth and
supportive transition for children leaving the Program to enter kindergarten and the K-12
school environment.
Guidance and Clarifications
Transitions for young children from one setting to another are critical times in their lives.
The planning and development of relationships with the individuals, programs and
organizations that may be involved in a child’s life as that child moves from one setting to
another takes time, but is time well spent. This planning and developing of relationships
needs to be conducted with care and sensitivity to the child, the family, and the programs
and agencies involved.
1. Transition into pre-kindergarten programming involves coordinating with families,
and with the agencies/programs/classrooms serving infants and toddlers.
2. Transition between pre-kindergarten programs involves coordination with the
agencies that provide these services.
3. Transition plans must be developed for those children preparing to enter
kindergarten programs.
The Transition Best Practices Rubric and Transition Tool Kit are available to all early
learning practitioners as a resource to assist in developing effective transition strategies.
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning, in partnership with the Office of
Elementary and Secondary Education, has developed the Pennsylvania Kindergarten Entry
Inventory (PA KEI) as a comprehensive, standards-based measure of children’s skills as
they enter kindergarten. Information on the KEI can be found at PA KEI Landing Page.
Although the KEI is conducted by the kindergarten teacher, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
Programs can benefit from collaborating with schools and districts that implement and are
encouraged to recruit school and districts to participate in the KEI.
§ 405.49. Immunizations.
Approved providers shall meet the immunization requirements that pertain to
their provider type; for school districts and licensed nursery schools see 28
Pa. Code §§ 23.81—23.87 (relating to immunization); for child care centers and
group child care homes see 28 Pa. Code § 27.77 (relating to immunization
requirements for children in child care group settings); and for Head Start
agencies see 45 CFR 1304.20 (relating to child health and development services),
the federal Head Start Performance Standards.
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Guidance and Clarifications
All providers of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funded programs must meet the immunization
requirements for their provider type:
• School districts and licensed nursery schools--28 PA. Code §23.81-87 which implements
Sec. 13031 of the Public School Code (24 P.S. §1303a);
• Child care centers and group child care homes – 28 Pa. Code §27.77.
• Head Start agencies – 45 CFR §1304.20, the federal Head Start Performance Standards.
These requirements include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Within 60 days of a child’s first day of attendance in the program, the provider shall
obtain a record establishing that the child has received the vaccinations recommended
by the American Committee on Immunization Practices; or receipt from a parent or
guardian of a child of a written objection to the child being vaccinated on religious
grounds or a physician verified medical reason of a temporary or permanent nature
explaining why the child is not to be vaccinated.
2. Providers must exclude children from group activities for an additional 30 days who are
not vaccinated due to a temporary medical condition, unless they have received written
confirmation from a physician, or state or local health department of vaccination, or
continuation of the medical condition. A new verification is required every 30 days, or
the child may not be readmitted to the setting until the requirements are met.
§ 405.50. Emergency Response Plans.
Approved providers shall develop, implement, review, and revise annually as necessary, a
comprehensive disaster and emergency response plan that meets the guidelines of the
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. See resources at Planning and
Preparedness.
Guidance and Clarifications
Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan
Each Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program provider must adopt and implement a
comprehensive disaster response and emergency preparedness plan.
The plan must be developed in cooperation with the local Emergency Management Agency
and be consistent with the guidelines developed by the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency and other pertinent state requirements.
The plan must be reviewed annually and modified as necessary. A copy of the plan must be
provided to the county emergency management agency. If the applicant does not already
have such a plan in place, one must be developed.
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§ 405.51. Inclusive Environments.
A Program classroom should reflect the naturally occurring ratio of students with and
without developmental delays and disabilities in the area served by the approved provider
and should not contain more than 20 percent of students who have been identified by the
start of the program year as having a developmental delay or disability. However, in
attempting to promote inclusion in this way, approved providers may not deny students
admission to a classroom based on their disability or delay.
Guidance and Clarifications
The practice of enrolling children with developmental delays in typical environments is
often referred to as inclusion. For a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom to be an inclusive
early childhood setting, it may not have an enrollment that is predominantly children
participating in Early Intervention. An inclusive early childhood setting is no more than 20
percent of the classroom’s initial enrollment being children diagnosed with developmental
delays or disabilities and having either an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) prior to entering Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
After the start of the program year, additional children may be identified as needing Early
Intervention services and ultimately an IEP or IFSP, bringing the percentage of children in
the classroom having identified developmental delays or disabilities higher than 20
percent. This increase in the percentage after the start of the program year is allowed.
PKC Providers must comply with the OCDEL Inclusion Policy Statement and Suspension
and Expulsion Policy Statement.
For more information on Collaboration with Early Intervention, see Supplemental Resource
# 014: Collaboration with Early Intervention.
The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts provider might be the first to identify a child for referral to
Early Intervention for screening, evaluation, and eligibility determination. PA PKC
providers must coordinate enrollment strategies with “Child Find.” Federal and state law
mandates mandate Early Intervention programs outreach to identify all those children who
may be eligible for or in need of Early Intervention services.
Recordkeeping, Reporting and Attendance at Department
Sponsored Meetings and Trainings
§ 405.61. Program Reporting.
Approved providers shall provide reports as requested by the Department and in the
manner and at times as prescribed by the Department, including, but not limited to,
expenditure reports, reconciliation of cash reports, enrollment, attendance, demographic
information, and child outcomes.
Guidance and Clarifications
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must submit documentation of program
implementation through multiple sources: Early Learning Network, Financial Accounting
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Information System (FAI system), and submission of written program plans. Additional
Information on reporting can be found in #015: Reporting and Data Requirements, #016:
Continuous Quality Improvement/Best Practices, and #017: Fiscal Reporting and
Deadlines.
§ 405.62. Recordkeeping.
Approved providers shall maintain all records pertinent to the program, including, but not
limited to, financial, statistical, property, changes in Keystone STARS status, child care
certificate, nursery school license, teacher evaluations and recommendations, and any
other supporting documentation, for a period of at least 7 years from the date of
submission of their final closeout report, or until all audits are complete and findings have
been completely resolved, whichever occurs last.
Guidance and Clarifications
Providers must maintain all pertinent records for a minimum of seven years (or until all
unresolved issues have been addressed). This includes but is not limited to all documents
related to operating requirements, child records, teacher evaluations, and all other
supporting documents. In addition, grantees are also expected to maintain books, records,
documents, and other evidence in sufficient detail to support all claims against the
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding.
§ 405.63. Attendance at Department Sponsored Meetings and Trainings.
Approved providers shall attend any mandatory meetings and training sessions arranged
by the Department.
Guidance and Clarifications
All approved providers are expected to attend all mandatory meetings and trainings. This
includes, but is not limited to, monthly partner and annual regional meetings, annual state-
wide conferences, and any additional professional development sessions required by the
Department.
§ 405.64. Teacher Induction Plans and Evaluations.
Approved providers shall facilitate activities that teachers must undertake to advance their
certification from Instructional Level I to Instructional Level II.
(1) Providers shall implement a teacher induction program that meets the
requirements of §49.16 and §49.83 (relating to approval of induction plans; and
Instructional II) and implementing Department guidelines and that has been
approved by the Department and facilitates the involvement of teachers in the
Program.
(2) Providers shall conduct or make available to teachers holding Level I teaching
certificates semiannual evaluations as are necessary for Level I certificate holders to
be recommended for a Level II teaching certificate.
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Guidance and Clarifications
Professional Development:
Lead teachers in community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts settings that have
Instructional Level I Certificates are required to convert to and maintain an Instructional II
Certificate within six years from the time of initial service as an Instructional Level I
teacher in the program.
Teachers holding an Instructional Level I early childhood Certificate must count their time
working in a community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program toward the three years
of successful teaching experience necessary before converting the certificate to an
Instructional Level II Certificate, in accordance with the requirements of PDE. These
requirements also include participation in an Office of Child Development and Early
Learning approved Teacher Induction Plan, six bi-annual evaluations and completion of 24
post-baccalaureate credits. Additional information on this requirement can be found in
#008: Early Childhood Education and Teacher Certification: Frequently Asked Questions,
#009: Tracking Activity for Moving ECE Level I Certification to Level II Certification, #010:
Teacher Certification Evaluation in Community-Based Programs, and #011: Teacher
Induction for Community-Based Providers.
Integration of professional development on Professional Ethics, and Culturally Relevant
and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) will be required within program Induction plans
beginning SY 2024-2025. More information will be provided as PDE develops
communications and updates Induction guidelines.
Teacher aides must attend at least 24 hours of continuing professional education each year.
Acceptable professional development includes instruction eligible for Act 48, continuing
education credits, college credits, or hours taught by Pennsylvania Department of Human
Services certified Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) instructors based on the
Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood (available on the Early Childhood
section of PDE’s website) and the Pennsylvania Core Knowledge Competencies for Early
Childhood Professionals (available on the PA Keys website).
Grantee Fiscal Responsibilities
§ 405.71. Segregation of Funds.
An approved provider that receives grant funds under the Program shall maintain a
separate account in its budget to facilitate monitoring and auditing of the use of the grant
funds. If the approved provider is a school district, the school district may not place grant
funds in a reserve account.
Guidance and Clarifications
All funds provided by PDE for the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program must, at a minimum,
be segregated from other funds using a general ledger or other acceptable accounting
practices.
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All funded Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts lead agencies and partner agencies will be required
to meet Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts audit requirements. Additional information on the
requirements can be found at #018: Audit Requirements.
§ 405.72. Grant Awards.
(a)Grants shall be awarded by the Department to approved providers on a per-child basis,
in an amount set by the Department, for each eligible student served by an approved
provider.
(b)The amount of grant funds provided per-student may not exceed the cost of
administering the approved provider’s prekindergarten program.
Guidance and Clarifications
Funds will be available for both half-day and full-day programs at a cost per child
determined by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Per child amounts must be fully
justified in the grant application and will not be awarded unless fully justified.
To support families and promote consistent child attendance, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
programs may use grant funds to offer enrolled students transportation to the program.
§ 405.73. Use of Funds.
(a)Funds may only be used for the costs associated with providing Program services to
eligible students enrolled in the Program.
(b)Funds may not be used for administrative or indirect costs.
Guidance and Clarifications
No further clarifications.
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Supplemental Resources
#001: Meals and Snacks in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Classrooms
Nutritious meals and snacks must be provided by the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program
at appropriate times during the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts day. A half-day program must
offer, at a minimum, one meal each day. Full day programs must offer both a snack and a
meal.
Clarifications
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts targets at-risk children who may experience food insecurity
and poor nutrition. It is desirable to offer them a healthy meal no matter how short the day.
Effective teachers make mealtime a learning time broadly, and teach about healthy eating
habits, so there is no loss of “instructional time.”
Whenever feasible, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers should access federal food
reimbursement programs. The PDE Division of Food and Nutrition can provide information
and guidance about these programs.
The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts meal may be either breakfast or lunch, depending on the
time of operational day. Half day programs may offer the required meal at an appropriate
time during the day based upon the hours of program operation. However, if offered during
a “snack time” the meal must contain the recommended meal components of a snack as
provided by a recognized authority in nutrition such as the Child and Adult Care Food
Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Providers should follow the most recent, age-appropriate nutritional requirements of a
recognized authority such as the Child and Adult Care Food Program of the U.S. Division of
Food and Nutrition.
If participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), each parent should be
strongly encouraged to complete the CACFP form for free and reduced meal
reimbursement. If a parent refuses to complete the form, the provider can be reimbursed
under the “paid” reimbursement claim for that child. CACFP forms should be kept on file at
the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program.
No child may be forced to eat the prepared meal or snack; however, it must be offered.
Food may not be withheld for any reason including discipline.
No fees may be charged for any snack or meal.
Children shall be allowed second helpings of foods if food is left over from a snack or meal.
To the extent possible, information provided by family members concerning a child’s eating
habits, preferences, or special needs regarding food must be considered in planning meals.
39
A family member may prefer to provide an occasional meal or snack. While this is
allowable, providers should work with families to ensure that meals offered by the
provider meet families’ expectations, when possible. For a meal/snack to be reimbursable
under the CACFP, a parent/guardian may not provide more than one creditable meal/snack
component. The only exception is when a child has a documented disability, supported by a
written statement from a State licensed healthcare professional. In this instance, the CACFP
program operator is required to provide at least one meal/snack component for the
meal/snack to be reimbursable. Providers should consult the PDE Division of Food and
Nutrition at RA-[email protected] for guidance on accommodating children with disabilities
under CACFP.
Alternative foods for children who are allergic to the prepared meal or snack must be
offered. Providers should consult the PDE Division of Food and Nutrition at RA-
CACFP@pa.gov for guidance on accommodating allergies and disabilities in CACFP.
Foods and beverages that have little nutritional value (e.g., sweets, salty snack foods, soft
drinks/soda/powdered drink mixes, etc.) should not be served to children. Only fluid milk
and 100% full fruit and vegetable juices are reimbursable beverages in the CACFP meal
pattern. Water must be offered throughout the day to children.
Families who offer to share snacks or treats should be encouraged to provide healthy and
nutritious snacks. If non-nutritious sweets such as cakes are offered, a nutritious
alternative must be provided in addition to the celebratory treat. Grain-based desserts are
not creditable grains in CACFP and should not a planned component for meals and/or
snacks.
Children should be encouraged to develop healthy eating habits and be encouraged to
choose nutrient dense foods based on age-appropriate nutrition requirements of a
recognized authority. Resources are provided below.
Educational activities and information for families that focus on nutrition and healthy
eating for preschoolers are recommended as part of the program’s family engagement
activities.
Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Education: Division of Food and Nutrition Services
USDA Food and Nutrition Service: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
CACFP Handbooks
CACFP Child Meal Pattern
School Breakfast Program
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#002: Income and Family Size Verification Guidance
Income Verification Guidance:
The following are included when verifying income:
• Earned income from all sources including gross wages from work, cash, and in-kind
payments received by an individual in exchange for services and net income from self-
employment.
• Unearned income including cash and contributions received by an individual for which
the individual does not perform a service such as: alimony; child support; military
family allotments or other regular support from an absent family member; pensions;
public assistance (including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental
Security Insurance, Emergency Assistance money payments and non-Federally Funded
General Assistance or General Relief money payments); and dividends, interest, net
income, net royalties and periodic receipts from estates or trusts.
• Unearned benefits received periodically by an individual, such as unemployment
compensation, workman’s compensation, gambling or lottery winnings, or retirement
benefits.
Income Deductions:
The following are deducted when determining family income:
• Voluntary or court-ordered child support or child support paid by the parent or
caretaker or family member to a present or former spouse not residing in the same
household.
• A medical expense not reimbursed through medical insurance that exceeds 10 percent
of the family gross monthly income.
Income Exclusions:
The following are excluded when determining family income:
• Employment earnings of an individual who is an emancipated minor.
• Tax refunds, including earned income tax credits.
• Withdrawals of bank, credit union or brokerage deposits or money borrowed.
• Loans or grants, such as scholarships or income from federal student aid or
participation in work-study program.
• Payments to volunteers in service to America, such as Americorps or Foster
Grandparent programs.
• Any foster care payments by a foster care placement agency, including payments to
permanent legal custodians or adoption assistance payments by county children and
youth agency.
Whose Income is Counted:
• The parent or caretaker of the child.
• The parent or caretaker’s spouse.
• Children’s, excluding a child’s earned income.
• Others residing with the child, in instances when these persons are counted toward
family size.
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Time Period:
The period of time for income verification is the 12 months immediately before the month
in which the application or reapplication for enrollment of a child is made, or for the
calendar year immediately before the calendar year in which the application or
reapplication is made.
Verification of Income:
• Acceptable verification of earned income from employment includes pay stubs
reflecting earnings, W-2 forms, the IRS form used for reporting tips, a written employer
statement of anticipated earnings or other document that establishes the parent’s or
caretaker’s anticipated earnings from employment.
• Acceptable verification from self-employment includes tax returns, business records
or other documents establishing profit from self-employment.
• Acceptable verification of unearned income includes a copy of a current benefit check,
an award letter that designates the amount of a grant or benefit, such as a letter from
the Social Security Administration stating the amount of the social security benefit, a
bank statement, a court order, or other document or data base report that establishes
the amount of unearned income.
• If a family receives or pays child support, the eligibility agency shall verify the amount
of support received or paid by the family by documents from the Pennsylvania
Department of Human Services.
Family Size
The number of people in the house to be counted for the purposes of reporting “family size”
include the child or children for whom Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is being requested and
the following individuals who live with that child or children in the same household:
• Parent of the child. The parent is the biological or adoptive mother or father,
stepmother or stepfather, caretaker or spouse who exercises care and control over the
child requesting Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
• A biological, adoptive, unrelated or foster child or stepchild of the parent or caretaker
who is under 18 years of age and not emancipated.
• A child who is 18 years of age or older but under 22 years of age who is enrolled in high
school, a general educational development program, or a post-secondary program
leading to a degree, diploma or certificate and who is wholly or partially dependent on
the income of the parent or caretaker or spouse of the parent or caretaker.
• Others supported by the income of the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the child enrolling or
participating in the program. If counted toward family size, any applicable income of
these persons must also be counted for eligibility purposes.
Special consideration: A family size value of one (1) with an income of $0 is entered
when a foster child is applying for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
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#003: Program Review and Monitoring
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts lead agencies and partners will have a minimum of one formal
compliance review visit annually. Preschool Program Specialists will utilize the Program
Review Instrument (PRI) and other supporting documents to identify areas of strength and
areas of needed focus to assure full compliance with the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
regulations and policies. A minimum acceptable score of 86 percent of the total points on the
PRI must be documented annually.
Clarifications
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers have a fundamental set of requirements that have
been established to guide program design. These requirements are detailed within this
document.
Ongoing participation in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is reliant on a provider’s successful
implementation of the program as detailed within this document. It is anticipated that both
lead agencies and partners are familiar with the requirements of the program including
updates or revisions that may occur annually. Lead agencies and partners should assure
they are referencing the most recent version of The Pennsylvania Statute, Regulations, and
Guidance document.
A variety of sources of evidence will be assessed annually to assure compliance with
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts regulations. These sources include, but are not limited to, the
Program Review Instrument, the Best Practices Rubric, the Instructional Observation
Checklist, the Continuous Quality Improvement Plan and information entered in the
PELICAN data system.
A differentiated monitoring model will be applied to programs with a history of fully
meeting program requirements, with no major programmatic changes. The use of a
differentiated monitoring model will be at the discretion of the program’s assigned
Preschool Program Specialist.
Program Review Instrument
The Program Review Instrument (PRI) includes a review of each of the Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts regulations and policies for compliance.
The elements within the PRI are reviewed and assessed on a varying percentage scale as
follows:
o Fully Meets = 100 percent-95 percent of total points
o Partially Meets = 94.9 percent-86 percent of total points
o Does Not Meet= 85.9 percent- 0 percent of total points
Scores on most recent PRI are used during competitive and continuation grant cycles to
determine levels of compliance with program regulations for current grantees. Points are
then assigned to the performance score section of the application.
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Best Practice Inventory
The Best Practice Inventory describes a teacher’s implementation of classroom practices
that are based on the guiding principles and content within the Learning Standards for
Early Childhood.
The first three sections of the rubric will be utilized in each classroom that is visited. These
sections are: Lesson Planning, Instruction, and Ongoing Assessment. This information
provides a consistent framework across Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers for the
review of effective classroom instruction. Results will be summarized, and the Preschool
Program Specialists will incorporate this information into the PRI and encourage the
results to be included in the program’s Continuous Quality Improvement Plan.
The Best Practices Rubric is NOT meant as a teacher evaluation and will be used solely as a
source of evidence that indicates areas of strength and/or areas for considered
enhancement.
Some classrooms may be asked to pilot a more complete classroom review using the full
Best Practices Rubric or additional sections within. Preschool Program Specialists will
contact administrators to determine their interest in the use of the tool as a strategy to
identify and implement additional technical assistance.
Instructional Observation Checklist
The Instructional Observation Checklist is a multi-page tool that focuses more deeply on
lesson planning, the environment, instruction, and professionalism. The Checklist is not an
assessment, but is intended to provide teachers with additional, higher-level feedback.
It is designed to be utilized in classrooms which have achieved a level of success with the
Classroom Observation Checklist. The items included are designed to be observable, and to
support best practices and intentionality and are applicable to the classroom staff
collectively, as this is not intended to be a teacher evaluation.
This tool also may be used in whole or in part.
Continuous Quality Improvement Plan
The requirements for a Continuous Quality Improvement Plan are explained in #016:
Continuous Quality Improvement/Best Practice. The ongoing assessment of the goals
within the Continuous Quality Improvement Plan will be monitored as a source of evidence
for compliance with Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts policies.
PELICAN/ Early Learning Network (ELN)Data Entry
Ongoing updates of specified information in PELICAN Early Learning Network (ELN) data
system are mandated requirements for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers. The
Preschool Program Specialists will monitor the data entry process for each program to
ensure information is accurate and complete, and submitted within the designated
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timeframes. Additional information on the PELICAN Early Learning Network (ELN) data
system can be found in PELICAN.
Procedures for the Monitoring Site Visit
Preschool Program Specialists utilize a PRI to determine a provider’s compliance. The PRI
reviews multiple sources of evidence that indicate exemplary areas as well as those areas
that need additional effort to assure compliance.
A PRI will be completed for each Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts lead agency and partner
annually during a site visit. Preschool Program Specialists will work with the program
administrators to schedule a convenient date for the visit. Lead agencies should be
prepared to accurately reflect a partner’s performance as well as their own during this
visit.
Administrators of the program must participate in this site visit which will include a review
of the PRI document, the specialist’s findings through classroom observation, and an
interview or discussion to better understand the way in which the program complies and
monitors its compliance.
A list of documents that should be available will be sent to each provider prior to the visit.
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#004: Enrollment Prioritization Plan Guidance
Enrollment of children into the PA PKC program must be un-biased and transparent and
follow the program’s statutory and regulatory requirements. Family income that is 300
percent or below the federal poverty guideline is the primary eligibility factor required for
a child’s participation in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. Enrollment for children should be
prioritized by developing a selection process to consider additional risk factors. Each
program, based on their community needs, should consider prioritizing enrollments for:
Child receiving behavioral supports:
Defined as a child who is referred to Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts from an appropriately
credentialed health or mental health provider (not employed by the Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts program) or a child who is receiving mental health treatment. Additional
verification beyond the interview is required.
Child or family who receives protective services:
Defined as a child who is a foster child, a kinship care child, or receiving Children and Youth
Services.
Education level of guardian:
Defined as when the parent or legal guardian of the child does not have a high school
diploma, or high school equivalency, or postsecondary degree.
English language learner:
Defined as a child whose first language is not English and who is in the process of learning
English. Ask these two questions, as established by the Pennsylvania Department of
Education, to determine if a child qualifies as an English language learner.
o What is/was the child’s first language?
o Does the child speak a language other than English? (do not include languages
learned in school)
Homeless:
Defined as a child who lacks a fixed, adequate and regular place of nighttime residence due
to one of the following:
o sharing the household of other individuals due to the loss of housing, economic
hardship or a similar reason. Children, who are residing in motels, hotels or
camping grounds due to the lack of alternate accommodations, are living in
emergency or transitional shelters, are abandoned in hospitals, or are awaiting
foster care placement.
o having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed
for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
o living in cars, parks, public places, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus
or train stations, or similar settings.
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Incarcerated Parent:
Defined as a child for whom one of the child’s parents is currently incarcerated.
Preschooler with an Individualized Education Program (IEP):
Defined as a child who is currently enrolled in the Early Intervention program with an
active IEP. Verification includes a copy of the IEP or other source of documentation from
the parent or the Early Intervention agency.
Migrant (non-immigrant) seasonal student:
Defined as a child has moved from one school district to another in order to accompany or
join a parent or guardian who is a migratory worker or fisher within the preceding 36
months, in order to obtain temporary or seasonal employment in qualifying agricultural or
fishing work, including agri-related businesses such as meat or vegetable processing, or
work in nurseries such as Christmas and evergreen tree farming.
Teen mother:
Defined as a mother who was under the age of 18 when the child was born.
Child enrolled in Infant Toddler Contracted Slots Program (ITCSP):
Defined as a child enrolled in ITCSP and eligible to transition into PA PKC.
Programs may add additional risk factors to their enrollment prioritization plans, but all
additional risk factors must be supported by the program’s community needs assessment
and may not be exclusive in nature.
Any “other” risk factors that are identified during the enrollment process with families
must be reported in the Early Learning Network. These risk factors can be determined by
careful interview. Providers should ask specific questions and follow up with requests for
additional documentation as needed.
Programs wishing to prioritize enrollment to a particular geographic region (e.g., school
district catchment zone or zip code) may do so, however, if the program is not fully
enrolled, children from outside the defined catchment zone must be included.
The prioritization plan must be approved by the Preschool Program Specialist. The
Department reserves the right to request any PA PKC’s prioritization plan at any time
throughout the program year.
In addition to the selection criteria, the plan should also include instructions for
maintaining transparent waiting lists and reflect a means to inform families of their status
on the waiting list based on the prioritization plan.
At no time should children be excluded from enrollment for any reason that does not
explicitly align with the program’s prioritization plan and wait list protocols.
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Communicating Prioritization and Enrollment Decisions with Families
Communications with families interested in the PA PKC program must be transparent and
timely. Programs should communicate the program’s prioritization plan, along with
information on the program’s enrollment process, with interested families in a way that the
enrollment process and how enrollment decisions are made are understood by families. If a
program becomes fully enrolled and must wait list children who have lower prioritization,
the program must communicate this explicitly with the family within 24 hours of the
finding. The program must explain the use of prioritization to make enrollment decisions to
the family and share the option for the child to be placed on a waiting list. When feasible,
the program will assist the family in connecting with Head Start and/or other PA PKC
programs in the area, and/or the regional ELRC to find other potential care options for a
waitlisted child. If a child is found ineligible for the PA PKC program, the program must
communicate the details of this finding with the family within 24 hours of the finding, and
when feasible, will assist the family in connecting with the regional ELRC to find other
potential care options.
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#005: Enrollment, Attendance and Vacancies
Full Enrollment:
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs must achieve full enrollment by September 1 of each
school year, except for the start-up year when programs may operate fewer days to
accommodate the cost and time related to starting a new program.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must maintain 100 percent enrollment throughout
the program year as indicated by their number of funded slots and establish a written plan
on ways to assure 100 percent enrollment.
Enrollment Reporting:
Programs should make efforts to enroll children using their “legal” name. Efforts may
include asking for documentation (e.g., birth certificate) to verify legal name. However,
programs should not refuse enrollment to children of parents who do not wish to provide
evidence to verify “legal” name.
Each enrolled child must be entered in the PELICAN data system. Children who have
ended PKC programming must have program participation ended with the PELICAN
system no later than the month following the participation end date. Updates to PELICAN
data should occur by the last day of each month so changes reflect on the monthly program
monitoring report.
Vacancies:
Providers have 20 instructional days from the date of vacancy to fill vacated slots.
Additional Definitions and Clarifications:
Definitions
Attendance is for reporting purposes defined as those instructional days when the
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts child is attending the classroom.
Excused absences are defined as those absences when a student is prevented from
attending for mental, physical, or other urgent reasons. These can be further defined as
illness, family emergency, death of a family member, health or dental appointments, fire,
natural disaster, or other extenuating circumstances deemed as excused by the program.
Unexcused absences are any absences that are not included in the above definition of
excused absences.
Enrollment:
Children are enrolled when there is mutual understanding documented in writing between
parent or guardian, and the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program that the child has been
accepted in the program and will begin attending on a specified future date.
Start date:
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The date children begin attending the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts class.
End date:
The date children stop attending the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts class.
Clarifications
Full Enrollment:
Outreach efforts throughout the community to locate and enroll children whose families
are at 300 percent or below the federal poverty guidelines is an ongoing requirement for
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
Through collaborative efforts with other community providers, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
programs may be able to reduce the waiting lists in the county Head Start program or
subsidized child care programs by establishing a system of reciprocal referrals.
A selection and prioritization strategy must be developed that first looks at 300 percent or
below of income, then other risk factors (see Supplemental Resource #004).
Slots that are under 20 days since they were vacated are considered as enrolled and may be
reported as such.
Chronic under-enrollment will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will, in most
cases, result in reduced funding, which is calculated by the number of vacancies and the
length of time. Programs will be notified in writing to identify issues of chronic under-
enrollment.
When slots are unfilled, including partner slots, OCDEL will provide direction on
redistribution. Lead agencies should monitor partner use of slots and may redistribute
unfilled slots with OCDEL approval following the protocols for partner/location changes.
Enrollment Reporting:
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning uses the PELICAN data system to
assess overall Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts enrollment as well as provider compliance with
enrollment requirements.
All enrollments must be recorded into PELICAN and kept up to date. This includes “end
dating” children who are no longer participating in the program. Updates to PELICAN data
should occur by the last day of each month so changes reflect on the monthly program
monitoring report.
Preschool Program Specialists will monitor PELICAN periodically to assure data is entered
accurately for each child and that enrollment is at 100 percent.
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Waiting Lists:
Providers should maintain waiting lists to assist in the maintenance of full enrollment over
the course of the program year. In addition, providers may be asked periodically to inform
OCDEL of waiting list numbers. This information should be maintained and readily
available. The PELICAN system may be used for this purpose, but PELICAN use for this
purpose will not be required.
Attendance:
Providers must monitor attendance and establish a means to maintain attendance
information so that it is available upon request of the Department. The PELICAN system
may be used for this purpose; however, attendance data reporting within the PELICAN
system will not be required.
Attendance Requirement
Students enrolled in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom are considered full-time and
must attend 5 days per week for a minimum of 180 school days per year for the full length
of the day, either 2.5 hours/half day or 5 hours/full day.
Families must be contacted when children are absent for 3 consecutive days to learn the
nature of the absence and offer support, as appropriate.
When children have more than 5 consecutive unexcused absences, the provider and family,
together, must discuss the reasons for the absence and determine ways to support the
child’s attendance in school.
Children who have 10 or more consecutive unexcused absences or more than 10 percent
unexcused absences over the course of the school year (more than 18 days total) and have
not responded to program support must be dismissed from the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
classroom and replaced with an eligible child from the waiting list or who is recruited from
the community.
Attendance Policy for Families
Grantees must develop an attendance policy that identifies excused and unexcused
absences, describes strategies for working with families when children are absent,
processes for maintaining full enrollment, and the policy for dismissing children from the
program as a last resort.
The attendance policy must be in writing and included in the provider’s parent or family
handbook.
Programs should include a review of the policy with families at enrollment and/or
orientation. Annual reviews during a parent meeting are appropriate and providers should
remind families of the policy at the first unexcused absence.
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Vacancies
Programs that have not filled a vacant slot within the 20-day timeframe will be considered
under-enrolled.
Providers must submit a Plan for Vacant Slots for any un-filled slots by September 30 for
vacancies at the start of the program and/or 30 days from any un-filled vacancy occurring
throughout the school year.
Chronic under-enrollment will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will, in most
cases, result in reduced funding, which is calculated by the number of vacancies and the
length of time. Programs will be notified in writing to identify issues of chronic under-
enrollment.
Vacancies occurring 20 days prior to the end of school term do not require a Plan for
Vacant Slots.
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#006 Definition of Instructional Time
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funds may only be used to support activities and for materials
and program content that are secular in nature.
The following activities are acceptable for classroom instructional activities provided a
certified teacher is present during these activities:
• Classroom instruction
• Orientation to the classroom, orientation to classroom/school experiences (e.g. bus
procedures)
• Meals and snack time, if they are integral parts of the curriculum, supervised by the
teacher and used for student learning experiences
• Times when children choose activities (sometimes called free-choice time, center-
time, etc.) if it is an integral part of the instructional day, supervised by the teacher
and used for student learning experiences
• Time spent at the library, and in art, music or physical education if provided by the
regular teacher or area specialists
• Opening exercise (morning message)
• School, group, or class education trips to which admission is not charged to students
or parents and a certified teacher accompanies the students
• Student services, such as guidance and counseling services, psychological services,
speech pathology and audiology services, and student health services
• Civil defense, fire, bus evacuation, and similar drills
• Early dismissal and delayed opening due to inclement weather
A typical pre-kindergarten classroom schedule includes most of the time spent in child-
directed, teacher-facilitated instructional activities. These are teacher-guided play
experiences where children interact with materials and peers that offer rich and age-
appropriate opportunities for children’s learning. Routine parts of a daily schedule such as
meals or opening exercises offer unique and opportune times for teachers and students to
participate together in stimulating learning experiences. Pre-kindergarten classrooms
should maximize children’s active and experiential learning and provide a minimal amount
of teacher-directed instruction.
There are other times during a pre-kindergarten day when students are not engaged in
instructional activities. Children’s arrival or dismissal times, for example, the period when
children enter or leave the building and are waiting for others to join them are not
considered instructional time and do not count toward the 2.5- or 5.0-hour instructional
requirement. Nap or quiet times are another example of a non-instructional activity. These
times, whether they are short 10–15-minute periods or 1-2 hours in length, must be
scheduled in addition to the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts instructional requirement. It is
anticipated that programs will operate longer than the 2.5 or 5.0 schedule to accommodate
non-instructional times throughout the day. Recommended schedules are: 3.0 hours for a
half day and 5.5 hours for a full day.
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When routine parts of the day such as lunch or outdoor playground play are staffed by
someone other than a certified teacher, they are not included in the instructional time
requirement. If programs use these times to offer their Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts teachers
breaks or planning time, a similarly qualified substitute must be present to count as
instruction.
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#007 Staff Recruitment and Retention Plan
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs must hire qualified teachers to participate in the
program. Staffing recruitment and retention are important to ensuring quality pre-
kindergarten programs. While recruitment allows for the acquisition of distinctive
teachers; retention helps maintain classroom and program consistency. Recruitment and
retention are critical to program quality and consistency for children attending
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs. The Program Review Instrument (PRI) conducted
annually by your Pre-K Counts specialist will evaluate that a staff recruitment and
retention plan in place. Please see recommended strategies below to help with the
development of your plan.
Recommended Recruitment strategies:
• Offer competitive salaries and benefits comparable to teachers in local school
districts.
o All program budgets should include provisions for competitive lead teacher
and aide salaries and benefits. As part of the review of program budgets,
program and fiscal staff will continue to review the recommended
percentages outlined in the line-item budget. PA PKC programs must
continue to include detailed and accurate line-item justifications as outlined
in the PA-PKC-Fiscal-Supplement-2020.01.pdf (pcdn.co). Program and fiscal
staff will pay close attention to the following during their review:
Compensation amounts for direct service staff. The recommended
starting PA PKC teacher wage is $45,000/school year (180 days) or
$33.33/hour (180 days/7.5 hours per day) or use the comparable
public school district starting teacher salary, in cases where the
comparable public school district teacher salary is higher than this
amount.
Provided benefits for direct service staff.
• Review salary scale at least every three years for internal and external equity.
• Collaborate with Higher Education Institutions that offer PK-4 certification.
• Work with CareerLink and the PA Keys site to post job opportunities.
Recommended Retention strategies:
• Covering costs associated with moving from Level I- Level II, ACT 48 coursework,
including written policies to require staff to maintain employment if these costs are
covered.
• Information regarding professional development opportunities is posted and/or
communicated to staff on an ongoing basis.
• Use tuition assistance programs such as Rising STARS or TEACH for staff to use
towards continued education. Please note: The Rising STARS Tuition Assistance
Program is only applicable if your Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts center also has a
STARS designation.
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• Research and refer staff to scholarship opportunities. Build policies that allow Level
II teachers incentives and leave time to mentor other staff or to conduct evaluations
at other Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts sites.
• Provide paid leave time for new teachers to be mentored by veteran teaching staff.
• Provide merit increases in addition to annual salary increases.
Strategies assure maintenance of certified teachers in PKC classrooms:
• Hire two certified teachers (lead and assistant).
• Maintain a pool of qualified substitutes.
• Hire additional staff that meet lead teacher qualifications who perform multiple
program duties (e.g. covering planning time, data entry, instructional coaching).
• Teaching staff have the equivalent of at least one paid hour per day to prepare
lessons and document learning and development.
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#008: Early Childhood Education and Teacher Certification: Frequently
Asked Questions
This document was developed by the PDE Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education
and OCDEL to address issues regarding currently certified early childhood educators and
individuals who are seeking certification.
1. What are the requirements for an Early Childhood Education Instructional I Certificate?
For the purposes of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts an Early Childhood Education Instructional
Certificate is defined as N-3 Instructional Certification or PK-4 Instructional Certification.
N-3 Instructional Certification is no longer available but holding an active N-3 Instructional
Certification does qualify a teacher to teach in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom.
In order to obtain an Early Childhood Education Pre K-4 Instructional I Certificate (also
referred to as a Level I) a teacher must do the following:
a. Complete a state-approved Early Childhood Education teacher preparation program,
including:
• Student teaching;
• Grade point average (GPA) requirements: 3.0 overall cumulative GPA as noted on
Bachelor's or Master's transcript. (See also question 11 for a limited exemption of
this requirement under the internship program);
• Six semester hour credits in college level mathematics; and
• Three semester hour credits in college level English Composition; and
• Three semester hour credits in college level English/American Literature.
b. Receive the recommendation or verification of education from the preparing
college/university; and
c. Meet all testing requirements established by the State Board of Education. Currently
required tests and required qualifying scores can be found at Teacher Certification Testing.
2. What is required to convert an Early Childhood Education Instructional I Certificate to an
Instructional II Certificate?
In order to convert an N-3 or Pre K-4 Instructional I Certificate to an Instructional II
Certificate (also referred to as a Level II), the teacher must complete the following:
a. 24 post-baccalaureate credits of collegiate study (graduate or undergraduate) from a
Baccalaureate or Master’s degree granting institution, or PDE-approved college equivalent
in-service credits or a combination of both. Credits in the areas of law, medicine, theology,
or real estate are not acceptable unless relevant to the area of Early Childhood Education.
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Initial certificates issued on or after Sept. 1, 2007, must complete six specific course credit
hour requirements as identified in Certification Staffing and Policy Guidelines (CSPG)#7 and
Level II Certification (pa.gov). PDE Certification FAQ can be found at Certification FAQs
(pa.gov).
b. Three years of satisfactory teaching on an Instructional I Certificate attested to by the
chief school administrator of the approved public or non-public school entity in which the
most recent service was performed (22 Pa. Code § 49.83). When one Instructional I
Certification area is converted to a Level II, all other instructional certificates held by the
educator will be simultaneously converted to a Level II.
• An Instructional I Certificate is valid for six service years. Therefore, the educator
has six years of teaching in which to complete all requirements to convert to a Level
II Certificate.
• Teaching in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program, applies toward years of service
on an Instructional I Certificate.
Service Time Counted as Mandatory:
• Service in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program, beginning in 2007;
• Service in a public school pre-kindergarten program; and
• Service in a public school K-4 as an Early Childhood Education certified teacher
Service Time Counted as Optional:
(Applied at the discretion of the certificate holder)
• Service in Head Start programs;
• Service in child care facilities that are a STAR 3 or above;
• Service in licensed nursery schools; and
• Only 50 percent of total required experience may be in an Early Intervention special
education classroom
c. Completion of a PDE-approved induction program. Programs such as Head Start that
have an approved plan that meets the requirements of an Induction Plan may submit that
plan to OCDEL for approval.
d. A completed Instructional I to Instructional II Assessment (as established by Act 13 of
2020 and amended in 22 Pa. Code §19.1 Educator Effectiveness Tool) with a “Satisfactory”
rating for teachers who were certified on or after September 1, 2001. The teacher being
evaluated and the entity where the teacher taught keeps the following documents on file:
• The record of six Semi-Annual Evaluations, which is used as a basis for the
recommendation/verification of satisfactory years of service. The satisfactory years
of service must be attested to by the chief school administrator, or the school
entities equivalent of a chief school administrator on the Instructional I to
Instructional II Assessment form Educator Effectiveness tool.
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Evaluations for educators employed in community-based, non-public school Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts programs and other community-based entities may be conducted by an
individual who meets one of the following requirements:
1) The following school district or intermediate unit (IU) personnel (with an active
certificate in their field as listed) qualify to perform the teacher evaluation function:
Principal or assistant principal
Superintendent or assistant superintendent
IU executive director or assistant executive director
Supervisor of Special Education (must have experience in Early Intervention)
2) Early childhood faculty at an approved institution of higher education that has a PDE-
approved early childhood teacher preparatory program. This does not include adjunct
faculty.
Where the above is not possible, an OCDEL approved evaluator may be utilized:
OCDEL approved Evaluator Criteria:
Evaluators applying to be an OCDEL approved evaluator who meet the following criteria,
must submit their qualifications to OCDEL for approval prior to conducting teacher
evaluations.
Holds an active level II Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood
Education OR a Supervisory Certificate
o If applicant holds a supervisory certificate, evidence of three years of
early childhood education experience in a 0-5 and/or PK-3 setting
must be provided. A review of an applicant’s resume will serve as
evidence. Experience must be in the following: Head Start program,
child care program at STAR 3 or higher, licensed nursery school, or
school district serving PK- 3.
o If applicant holds a level II teaching certificate, evidence must be
provided to show experience in the completion of teacher evaluation.
Applicant should submit one or more examples of a written
evaluation conducted of a pre-kindergarten teacher.
3. How many years is an Instructional I certificate valid before it must be converted to an
Instructional II certificate?
An Instructional I certificate is valid for six years of actual professional service, not
calendar years, in a public-school entity and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs.
Service on a Level I certificate in a public-school entity and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
Program will be charged against the period of validity of the Level I Certificate.
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An Instructional I certificate may be valid for longer than six years of service if the service
is performed in one of the schools identified in question number two as optional. Service
time in these schools is only credited toward Level II Certification at the option of the
certificate holder.
4. Will the time an individual certified in Early Childhood Education at the Instructional I level
teaches for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, regardless of the setting, count toward Instructional
II?
Yes
5. Do Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts teachers working in community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts Programs have to earn an Early Childhood Education Instructional II certificate after
six years of teaching experience on an Instructional I certificate?
Yes
6. Does the experience approved for the Instructional II certification apply for eligibility to
become a supervisor of a single area (i.e. supervisor of Early Childhood Education or
supervisor of elementary)?
Yes
Issuance of a Supervisory Certificate requires a minimum of five years of professional
school service in the area for which the certificate is sought. Preparation for this
certificate is at the graduate level and includes in-depth study in the area of supervision (22
Pa Code §49.111).
A person prepared as a single area supervisor may be eligible for certification provided the
applicant:
a. has completed an approved program of graduate study preparing them for the
responsibilities of supervising in the specified single program area and of directing the
activities of certificated professional employees. (Preparation completed out-of-state must
meet Pennsylvania standards for certification.);
b. is recommended for certification by the authorized certification officer of the institution
where such education was obtained, or holds a comparable certificate from another state
(for out-of-state applicants only);
c. provides a chief school administrator's verification of the completion of five years of
satisfactory professional service in a program in the area for which the supervisory
certificate is sought;
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d. has provided evidence of satisfactory achievement on assessments prescribed by PDE
under Section 49.18(a); and
e. can meet all other requirements provided by law.
7. What will happen if an educator fails to convert an N-3 or PreK-4 Instructional I Certificate
to an Instructional II certificate after six years of certified service?
If an individual has served six years on an Instructional I certificate in a public school entity
or Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program without applying to convert it to an Instructional II,
the certification is considered lapsed or invalid. In order for the individual to continue
teaching beyond the six years, they must convert the certification to an Instructional II. In
order to receive a Level II certificate by September 1, PDE should receive the application by
January 1 of the year in which conversion is sought.
8. How do you re-establish the validity of an invalid or lapsed certificate?
If an individual has completed six years of service on an Instructional I or Level I certificate
in a public-school entity or Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program without applying to
convert it to a Level II, their certification is considered lapsed. In order for the individual to
continue teaching, they must submit the required documentation and application to
convert the certification to an Instructional II or Level II. (See list of requirements in
Question #2).
9. What will happen if an educator fails to achieve the continued professional development
requirements of Act 48?
In order to maintain active certification, an individual must comply with the continuing
education requirements of Act 48. If an individual fails to comply with the continuing
education requirement of 180 hours or six credits of professional education within the five
year period, their certification is considered inactive. In order for the individual to continue
teaching, they must complete the required professional education and submit proof of
successful completion of the credits required. Once the requirement is met, the certification
automatically becomes reactivated. Information on Act 48 requirements can be found at
Act 48 Information.
10. How do you re-activate an inactive certificate?
To re-activate an inactive certificate, one must complete the required six credits or 180
hours, or equivalent combination of approved continuing professional education. The
coursework can come from an accredited 4-year college, an accredited 2-year college, a
Pennsylvania IU, or any Act 48 approved provider.
If credits or hours are earned from a PDE-approved provider, at the request of the teacher,
the credits will be submitted by the professional education provider to PDE’s Bureau of
School Leadership and Teacher Quality (BSLTQ).
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If credits are earned from an out-of-state college, the teacher must submit official, sealed
transcripts to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Act 48 Transcripts, 333 Market
Street, 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333.
A certificate that has been put on Voluntary Inactive (suspends the continuing education
requirements) status by the educator will require an application and fee to be sent to PDE
for reactivation. A certificate inactivated by the system due to insufficient Act 48 hours
continuing professional education credits, will be re-activated only when all requirements
are met.
11. What is the required status of a certification?
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts requires all lead classroom teachers in the program to be Early
Childhood Education N-3 or PreK-4 certified. This means the certification must be both
active and valid.
12. What is a Teacher Intern Certificate?
The Pennsylvania Teacher Intern Certification Program is specifically designed for
individuals who have:
a. a minimum of a baccalaureate degree related to the area of certification
requested.
b. completed six credits of college-level math, six credits of college-level English
literature and composition.
c. a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in their baccalaureate degree. An individual who has
passed the basic skills may enter the program with a 2.80 GPA and exit the program
with a 3.0.
d. completed an approved institution of higher education’s screening process and
been accepted to the Teacher Intern Program in order to teach under an Intern
Certificate.
e. achieved a satisfactory score on the required certification tests.
f. achieved satisfactory assessments on their student teaching conducted by the
college or university in which they are enrolled.
Further information regarding the program and requirements can be found at Intern
Certificate.
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13. Are elementary education staff eligible to participate in the Teacher Intern Certificate
Program to achieve an Early Childhood Education certificate?
Yes. The individual will have to meet the requirements of the institution offering the
Teacher Internship Program.
14. Does teaching under an Intern Certification require the candidate to leave his/her
teaching position in order to meet student teaching obligations?
Not necessarily. The intern candidate may continue as a lead teacher in a classroom. The
assessment of his/her teaching by the college or university under which the Intern
Certificate is being acquired constitutes the “assessment of the student’s teaching.”
However, this is determined by the college or university offering the intern program.
Prospective interns are encouraged to ask these detailed questions of the institution where
they hope to do their internship. In some cases the college or university may require the
intern candidate to spend some time teaching in another classroom and grade level,
particularly if the individual is not certified in any field.
15. What is the minimum number of Early Childhood Education credits a person must
take to become Early Childhood Education certified?
The preparing institutions make this decision, not PDE.
16. Can a community college refer someone to be presented for certification?
No. Community colleges do not have PDE approval for teacher certification programs.
The program referral for certification must come from a PDE-approved 4-year degree
granting college/university. However, the degree granting institution may decide which
community college credits to accept toward certification requirements.
17. What are the requirements for emergency permits for PA PKC providers and how is an
emergency permit obtained?
The lead or partner entity must request an emergency permit from PDE for an individual to
serve in a vacant position as a long-term substitute lead teacher. Emergency permits are
issued at the request of the lead or partner entity expressing an emergency need to fill a
position that has been advertised, but no qualified and properly certificated applicant is
available. The candidate for an emergency permit must have earned a bachelor's degree
from a state-approved college or university and must meet all other eligibility
requirements related to age, citizenship, mental and physical health, and good moral
character.
The permit is valid from the first day of the month of issuance until the last day of summer
school in that school year and may be reissued only if the emergency circumstances
necessitating the permit still exist, a fully qualified and certified individual is unavailable,
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and the entity submits the appropriate application to PDE. Additional information about
Emergency Permits can be found in Appendix F.
18. Can an Early Childhood Education certificate be added onto an existing instructional
certificate by taking the required certification tests alone?
Yes. PDE does permit an Early Childhood Education certificate to be added on to an existing
certificate by passing the content area test alone.
19. Can student teaching be waived by a college?
A minimum of 12-week full-time student teaching experience under the supervision of
qualified program faculty and cooperating teachers is required. Individuals providing
supervision must be program faculty with knowledge and experience in the program area.
The cooperating teachers must be trained by the preparation program faculty and have
certification in Early Childhood Education, have had three years of satisfactory certificated
teaching experience and at least one year of certificated teaching experience in the school
entity where the student teacher is placed.
There is no provision for a waiver of student teaching experience. However, the teacher
intern program may offer an option for fulfilling this requirement. See questions 10
through 13 for more information.
20. Does a minor in Early Childhood Education enable a candidate who holds a bachelor’s
degree in another area to take the Pennsylvania certification tests and become certified in
Early Childhood Education?
No. An individual must complete the college’s or university’s certification program
approved by PDE for that area of certification.
21. What is the Accelerated Certification Program, how does it work, and what is its
status?
22 Pa. Code §49.86 refers to an accelerated program for PreK-4 and 4-8 Certificate
administration. Accelerated Programs are programs designed for current holders of PA
Instructional I or II certificates who wish to become certified in additional grade levels.
Access The Accelerated Program Guidelines to learn more about the program.
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#009: Tracking Activity for Moving ECE Level I Certification to Level II
Certification
OCDEL has created a form to track a teacher’s progress in moving from Level I certification
to Level II. This form can be accessed through the PA Key PKC intranet or by contacting
your Preschool Program Specialist.
The form is to be maintained and updated on an on-going basis as a record of the providers’
progress in having ECE Level I teachers convert their certificates to Level II. The form is to
be completed and submitted to the Preschool Program Specialist through each provider’s
Lead Agency by October 1 and February 1 of each program year. The Preschool Specialist
will review this form during on-site monitoring visits with the expectation that it is being
kept current.
Components on the Form:
Name of Teacher: List name of teacher, including maiden name (if applicable). If a teacher
who is listed resigns from the provider’s staff, make a note below the teacher’s name
stating “resignation” and the date. Do not eliminate this person’s name from the form as it
will be a record of the teacher’s employment at your facility. If a teacher is on an extended
leave, indicate “leave” and the type (sick, family, etc.) along with the date. When the
teacher returns, indicate “returned” and the date.
Date Entered PKC Classroom: List date teacher started in the PA Pre-K Counts classroom.
Note: To move from Level I to Level II certification, teachers have six years from start date
(in an eligible classroom).
Date Left PKC Classroom: List date teacher left the PA Pre-K Counts classroom (if
applicable).
ECE Level I Certification Date: List date that ECE Level I certification was approved
by PDE. Note: All lead teachers must have ECE Level I certification to teach in a PA
Pre-K Counts classroom.
Teacher Induction Program: List “start date” and “completion date” for required teacher
induction program.
Evaluation Dates: List completion dates for the required six (6) satisfactory
evaluations toward Level II certification.
Note: Two bi-annual evaluations are required beyond the six (6) satisfactory evaluations if
Level II certification is not achieved within 3 years.
Note: PDE 13-1 Tool replaces PDE 82-1
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Level II Final Evaluation Date: List date that the final evaluation was completed.
Post-Baccalaureate Credits: List current number of credits completed toward the 24
post-baccalaureate credits required for Level II certification. As additional course
credits are acquired, enter the new number of credits accumulated and the date the
entry was made. Substitute new numbers for the old numbers as changes in the
number occur and revise the date to reflect when the change in the number was
entered.
• Pennsylvania’s Educator Effectiveness System - Act 13 Training Date: List date that
the required training was completed. Comments: Include any additional notes
relevant to the teacher’s progress toward Level II certification.
Note: An asynchronous Act 13 training is available on the PA Key site in the PD Registry.
This training is available for PA Pre-K Counts teachers, evaluators, and directors.
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#010: Teacher Certification Evaluation in Community-Based Programs
Teachers in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts community-based classrooms must engage in the
PDE-prescribed evaluation process as part of conversion of Level I to Level II Certification
requirement. For more information on Pennsylvania’s Educator Effectiveness System
Project, visit PDE SAS Act 13 Educator Effectiveness:
https://www.pdesas.org/EducatorFrameworks/EducatorEffectiveness/
When evaluating Level II certified teachers in community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
programs, the program may continue to utilize an LEA or IU evaluator or may utilize an
OCDEL approved evaluator.
Act 13 of 2020 revised the Act 82 Educator Effectiveness process used to evaluate
professional employees working for Pre-K to 12 educational entities across Pennsylvania.
Effective 2021-2022, the revised rating system applies to classroom teachers, non-teaching
professionals, and principals as defined in Act 13.
Clarifications:
Evaluation Requirement
• Teachers must have at least three years of satisfactory service in as Level I and 24
post-baccalaureate credits to convert a Level I teaching certificate to Level II;
additionally:
o Six credits must be associated with area(s) of certification and/or
must be designed to improve professional practice
o The three years of satisfactory service on a Level I certificate must be
verified by the chief school administrator of the employing school
entity
o Completion of a PDE induction program verified by the chief school
administrator of your employing entity
Teachers with Level I certification must have a minimum of two evaluations per year with a
“satisfactory” rating.
These evaluations must be conducted within the six-year window for Level I to Level II
conversion.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must identify an evaluator who meets the criteria
(described below) for this requirement.
• Lead agencies must monitor partners’ efforts to fulfill this requirement and to offer
support in the identification of a qualified evaluator.
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Options for community-based teacher evaluators after transition to Pennsylvania’s
Educator Effectiveness System Educator Effectiveness System established by Act 13 and
amended in 22 Pa. Code §19.1:
NOTE: It is recommended that evaluator types listed above have experience or
understanding of early childhood classrooms and their unique instructional structure to
offer appropriate feedback.
1) The following school district or IU personnel (with an active certificate in their field as
listed) qualify to perform the teacher evaluation function:
Principal or assistant principal
Superintendent or assistant superintendent
IU executive director or assistant executive director
Supervisor of Special Education (with Early Intervention experience)
2) Early childhood faculty at an approved institution of higher education that has a PDE-
approved early childhood teacher preparatory program. This does not include adjunct
faculty.
3) Interested professionals who meet the credentials listed below may apply to PDE’s
Office of Child Development and Early Learning for approval. Documentation of all
required elements must be submitted. Required elements include:
- An active Level II Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood Education
OR a Supervisory Certificate.
- If applicant holds a supervisory certificate, evidence of three years of early childhood
education experience in a 0-5 and/or PK-3 setting must be provided. A review of
applicant’s resume will serve as evidence. Experience must be in the following: Head Start
program, childcare program at STAR 3 or higher, licensed nursery school, or school district
serving PK- 3.
- If applicant holds a Level II teaching certificate, evidence must be provided to show
experience in the completion of teacher evaluation. Applicant should submit one or more
examples of a written evaluation conducted of a pre-kindergarten teacher.
Preschool Program Specialists may share these criteria and discuss this option with their
assigned grantees and counsel them on the criteria for evaluator approval. Should an
individual wish to seek OCDEL approval to conduct evaluations, they should submit a letter
of interest and the above referenced documentation to Jolie Phillips (j[email protected]ov)
requesting approval.
All evaluator types listed above must have PDE-approved training in teacher evaluation (22
Pa. Code § 19.1) or an alternate LEA teacher evaluation plan approved by PDE. Please
contact your local IU for training.
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Using the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Evaluation and
Assessment Forms
Level I evaluations must be completed on the PDE-approved forms: PDE 13-1. Teacher
Effectiveness Tool. This form can be found in the PKC intranet. When evaluating Level II
certified teachers in community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs, the program
may continue to utilize PDE-approved forms or may develop an equivalent means for the
annual evaluation of Level II certified teachers.
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#011: Teacher Induction for Community-Based Providers
The Guidelines for Induction Programs, developed by PDE, while written for public school
districts, should be interpreted to apply to community-based providers.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts lead agencies must work together with their partners to
determine the best option for induction programs for the partnership.
Lead agencies should discuss the options available to partners and secure agreement about
the option they want to pursue.
Community-based partners may add an addendum to a school district or IU plan to include
the provider. This addendum must indicate how the plan will be made applicable to and
implemented by community-based partners.
School districts or IUs are not required to undertake submission of a Teacher Induction
Plan as they already have PDE-approved plans. However, the “Designated Educator
Evaluator Form” (see below) must be submitted to OCDEL annually.
All community-based Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must name an induction
coordinator and ensure that all their early childhood education teachers participate in an
approved, teacher induction program, regardless of years of teaching.
All Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must provide a copy of their finalized Induction
Plan to their Preschool Specialist for final approval, including the “Designated Educator
Evaluator Form” which must also be submitted to OCDEL annually.
Options for Teacher Induction Plans:
1. Become part of a school district’s Teacher Induction Plan using the following steps:
a. This option works especially well for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers
in partnerships that include a public-school district or those providers that
have a strong collaboration with a local district;
b. The lead agency should consult with the local district(s) of the partnership
to determine the school’s willingness to assist community-based providers
with meeting the induction requirement;
c. Meet with representatives of each partner provider to be included in the
plan to discuss ways the Induction Plan can be amended to include the
community-based providers;
d. Create an addendum to the plan that details the variations of the plan and
how it has been made applicable to partners;
e. Submit both the plan and the addendum to the director and the Teacher
Induction Council for sign-off by the authorized person; and
f. The lead agency should submit the plan and addendum to the Preschool
Program Specialist who will forward to the Office of Child Development and
Early Learning for approval. The Preschool Program Specialist will review
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the plan and work with the provider to suggest any changes as needed prior
to submitting the document to OCDEL.
2. Become part of an IU’s existing Induction Plan:
Follow the steps outlined above.
3. Develop a stand-alone Induction Plan:
This option works well for those providers who are not in a partnership with a school
district or IU.
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DESIGNATED EDUCATOR EVALUATOR FORM
Return completed induction plan to your program specialist.
Identify the contact person responsible for the induction plan (e.g., Principal, Director,
etc.).
Please complete all the information below.
This form must be submitted with your completed induction plan and submitted/updated
annually.
Contact Name:
Title:
Lead Agency Name:
Mailing Address:
Telephone Number:
Email Address:
Partners included in the submitted induction plan (include additional pages as needed):
______________________________________________________________________________
Evaluator(s): List any evaluator associated with the programs listed above (repeat information
below as needed)
Name:
Credentials:
(e.g., Principal, Asst. Principal, Office of Child Development and Early Learning approved,
intermediate supervisor, etc.)
Evaluator Contact Information (Phone): (Email Address):
*NOTE: This form also can be accessed within the PA PKC intranet.
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#012 Comprehensive Screening
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must complete a developmental screening on all
children within 45 calendar days of the child’s first day in the classroom setting.
Developmental screening processes that occur up to 90 days prior to entry in a
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom fulfill this requirement.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers shall ensure all children have had the opportunity to
receive the recommended vision, hearing, and health screenings. To meet this requirement,
programs should at minimum:
• Communicate to families about the importance of early screening;
• Collect evidence from families regarding screenings that have occurred within 180
days of the recommended screening timeframes;
• In cases where screenings have not occurred, provide timely opportunities for
enrolled children to have the opportunity for screening. These screenings may be
conducted by the providers or an outside agency including a physician; and
• Communicate with families about screening results and support follow up as
needed.
At no time should a child be denied access to PKC programming or be disenrolled if
recommended screenings are not up to date. Screenings should be used as a first step in
identification of potential delays or health concerns and to indicate those children who
need to be further referred for evaluation or follow up care.
OCDEL provides a free tracking tool for programs that do not have another means to track
screenings. The tool can be accessed through the PKC intranet. Please speak with your
preschool program specialist if you do not currently have access to the intranet.
Clarifications:
Click Early Childhood Assessment for Children from Birth to Age 8 to explore assessment
resources provided by OCDEL. Summary tables on screening tools are provided.
A developmental screening for young children is a preventative strategy that quickly
triggers additional supports for those children with suspected developmental delays or
disabilities.
In general, screening is not an end in itself (Meisels & Atkins-Burnett, 2005). Screening is
not a readiness test and should not be used to determine a child’s readiness for pre-
kindergarten or kindergarten. Instead, it should be used to identify potential delays for
learning that typically result in the need for further diagnostic evaluation by professionals.
Developmental screening instruments were developed to alert early childhood
professionals to a child’s potential areas of strength and need in each developmental
domain. Developmental screening instruments are “early alert systems” that can help to
focus further assessment and observation. In other words, “screening may be used to
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identify children who should be observed further for possible delay or problems” (National
Association for the Education of Young Children, 2005, p.13).
Developmental Screenings:
Developmental screenings are quick snapshots that should collect information in all
domains of a child’s development: social, cognitive, physical, and social emotional to
identify potential risks.
OCDEL recommends the use of the Ages & Stages, and the Ages & Stages SE Questionnaires.
These instruments are valid and reliable, easy to use and family friendly. This tool is being
used across various state and county programs including Children and Youth programs,
Keystone STARS, Pennsylvania Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership and Parent
Child Home Program. Training for Ages & Stages and the Ages & Stages SE Questionnaires
can be found on the PA Keys Professional Development Calendar (search Using Ages and
Stages Questionnaires
®
as a Screening Tool). This is a one-time training need. Information
on additional screeners can be found by clicking the following: Summary tables.
Sensory screenings may be administered by appropriately trained program staff, or
programs partnering with Head Start, the Association for the Blind or other local
community-based organizations to complete vison and hearing screens. Preschool
specialist can be a resource for programs identifying equipment and possible community
resources to meet the hearing and vision screening requirement. If a child demonstrates a
concern on the screening, parents should be informed and provided assistance in
connecting with follow up.
Physical Health Screenings:
Physical and oral health is important to children’s school readiness. According to the Early
Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Program (EPSDT), all three- and four-year-
old children should have an annual well child checkup and a dental exam.
Children enrolled in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts should be covered by Medicaid, by the
Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or through private insurance. Children on schedule
for a well-child visit annually may have sensory, health and/or developmental screenings
completed. Providers may request consent to exchange information to obtain screening
results from a child’s physician.
Returning children do not need screening annually unless indicated by a change in the
child’s circumstances or development.
Once a screening has been conducted, based on the findings, the agency will make the
necessary recommendations and referrals, and work with the local intervention agencies to
support the child and family. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must coordinate
enrollment strategies with “Child Find.” Child Find is a requirement under federal law that
mandates Early Intervention programs reach out to identify all those children who may be
eligible or in need of Early Intervention services.
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OCDEL funds an information and referral service, CONNECT, designed to link families with
early intervention and special education services. CONNECT is a statewide resource and
referral system and currently is a phone and fax system staffed by one full time employee
(FTE) who is a trained information specialist. Back up support is provided as needed. The
line is staffed 7:30 am to3:30 pm each business day. Programs are encouraged to share
information regarding CONNECT with families when the results of screening suggest the
need for additional services. CONNECT services can be accessed at 1-800-692-7288,
help@connectpa.net, or by submitting the form online.
Important Note:
There is a minimal cost associated with purchasing Ages & Stages. Grantees are permitted
to include the cost of the resource in their budgets.
All children in Pennsylvania are eligible for Health Insurance. Medicaid is a free program
for eligible children. CHIP provides no cost or low-cost health coverage for eligible children.
If a family is seeking information about obtaining insurance for enrolled children can be
provided with contact information to the Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) or Medicaid by applying on COMPASS.
Resources:
American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care
Ages & Stages website
Developmental and Behavioral Screening Initiative: Impact and Opportunities –
presentations and resources
Meisels, S.J. and Atkins-Burnet, S. 2005. Developmental Screening in Early Childhood, A
Guide 5
th
Edition. NAEYC Washington, D.C.
NAEYC Supplement, Screening and Assessment of Young English Language Learners, 2005.
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#013: Assessment of the Learning Environment
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs must select and use an assessment tool from the tools
approved by PDE to assess and monitor program learning environment (classrooms).
Classroom internal assessments, performed by trained facility personnel, must be
completed annually. Results of the environmental assessment must be used by the program
to determine program needs as part of the program’s Continuous Quality Improvement
Plan.
An external assessment shall be conducted annually in at least one PA PKC classroom.
When required by the Department, additional assessments shall be conducted by an
external assessor assigned by the Department.
Lead teachers must attend training on the use of the chosen program assessment tool
within the first six months of employment in a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classroom. The
PA Key Professional Development System supports a variety of environmental assessment
professional development. To learn what is currently available programs should reference
the Pennsylvania Professional Development Registry. Programs are responsible for
ensuring staff receive training on use of the tool.
Clarifications
External Assessment for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs:
An external assessment shall be conducted annually in at least one PA PKC classroom. The
external assessor will be trained in the assessment tool used for the external assessment.
Results of the environmental assessments must be used by the program to determine
program needs as part of a continuous quality improvement plan.
The Department reserves the right to require and conduct additional external
assessment(s) of select Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classrooms.
If the Department requires an external assessment in additional classrooms, the assigned
Preschool Program Specialist will initiate the process for an external assessment. The
external assessment process may be conducted by Program Quality Assessor or another
designee of the Department that has received training in the assessment tool being used to
conduct the assessment.
Providers must receive and shall retain a hard copy of their assessment results.
Results of the external assessment must be shared with the preschool program specialist
who may share results including those of its partners, with the lead agency. For those
programs participating in Keystone STARS, a copy will also be sent to the STARS Quality
Coach.
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Internal-Assessment:
Programs may choose to use any Department approved assessment of learning
environment to fulfill the required annual internal assessment.
An internal assessment must be completed in every classroom annually.
Internal assessments must be completed by personnel who have completed training on the
chosen tool. Depending on the chosen assessment personnel may include persons outside
the facility. The PA Key Professional Development System supports a variety of
environmental assessment professional development. To learn what is currently available
programs should reference the Pennsylvania Professional Development Registry.
Internal assessments should, as much as possible, be an honest reflection of the classroom
environment.
Results of annual internal assessments for all classrooms must be submitted to preschool
program specialists. Partners must also submit their results to the lead agency.
Department Approved Assessments of Learning Environment:
The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-3 (Professional development supported by
the Department)
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms (Pre-K
through 3
rd
grade version)
Teaching Pyramid Tool for Preschool Classrooms (TPOT)
Programs may submit to have additional assessments of learning environment added by
contacting OCDEL staff at RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov.
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#014: Collaboration with Early Intervention
Providers of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs must coordinate with the local Infant
and Toddler, and the Preschool Early Intervention programs. The purpose of this
requirement is to ensure a smooth transition for children coming into Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts from the Infant and Toddler program and who may be receiving Preschool Early
Intervention services. In such instances, it is important for the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
provider to know what, if any, supportive services have been determined to be necessary
for a child identified as having a developmental delay or disability and are available
through the Early Intervention program. A working relationship with the local Early
Intervention program will be helpful in supporting a successful early learning experience
for children with disabilities.
Early Intervention in Pennsylvania is modeled on the belief that children with disabilities
should experience supports and services within settings that are typical for all children.
This is further supported by federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
that requires service provisions in the “least restrictive environment.” Children who are
receiving Early Intervention services and who are enrolled in PA Pre-K Counts must be
enrolled for and participate in the full range of opportunities within the program. They
must attend five days per week, for the 2.5- or 5-hour day. Children in Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts that receive Early Intervention services may not miss significant portions of the
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program to receive their Early Intervention services. The Early
Intervention services must be scheduled to make regular attendance in the Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts Program possible.
The method of support for each individual child with a disability will be decided with the
family and Early Intervention staff after completion of an evaluation. PA PKC staff will be
invited and should make every effort to attend these meetings.
Early Intervention staff will work with PA PKC staff to integrate targeted skills into
everyday classroom routines and activities.
For information about the Early Intervention service delivery model go to Early
Intervention Service Delivery: Coaching Across Settings Announcement and/or the Service
Delivery Coaching Across Settings course on the PD Registry.
PA PKC providers must document the collaborative approach to service provision.
Examples of documentation might include meeting minutes and/or formal agreements
signed by both PA PKC and the local Early Intervention program(s).
Both Early Intervention and PA PKC must review and update their collaborative processes
annually.
Transitions
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Eligible children who are receiving services in the Infant-Toddler Early Intervention
program will begin the transition process into Preschool Early Intervention usually before
their third birthday.
PA PKC providers should collaborate with their Infant-Toddler Early Intervention program,
to develop procedures for families to explore PA PKC as an option for the child’s early
learning education.
The Early Intervention team and PA PKC staff must work collaboratively with families to
support transition into kindergarten. Meetings with the kindergarten team to discuss
successful entry into kindergarten, best learning modalities, and adaptations should be
shared. Preschool Early Intervention Programs hold transition meetings every year for
children transitioning to school-age the following school year. These transition meetings
are required to be held no later than the last day February.
Additional collaborations
PA PKC should make family referrals to Early Intervention when appropriate and make
sure the parents are aware of the referral.
Early Intervention programs should refer children to PA PKC as an option, regardless of
whether they are eligible for Early Intervention services.
PA PKC and Early Intervention are encouraged to develop and share joint professional
development.
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#015: Reporting and Data Requirements
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must submit documentation of program
implementation through multiple sources:
• Early Learning Network;
• Financial Accounting Information System; and
• submission of written program plans.
PELICAN/Early Learning Network:
Data reports must be submitted through OCDEL’s PELICAN/Early Learning Network.
Demographic and fiscal, reports are required from each lead agency and partner.
Financial Accounting Information System:
Providers must submit their Reconciliation of Cash on Hand Quarterly Reports via the
Financial Accounting Information System website. To access FAI, applicants must use
MyPDESuite. This is a web portal that enables users to access various PDE data collection
applications including eGrants and FAI. Download Information on how to access MyPDESuite
for various PDE data collection applications including eGrants. Failure to complete
Reconciliation of Cash on Hand Quarterly Reports will result in payment delays.
Program Plans:
Required program plans, including plans for vacant slots, continuous quality improvement
plans, partnership agreements, and teacher induction plans, must also be submitted to the
preschool program specialist who monitors each provider’s program compliance.
Clarifications:
Reporting through the PELICAN/Early Learning Network:
The PELICAN/Early Learning Network serves as the web-based repository for
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts information. Access PELICAN for further information on the
PELICAN/Early Learning Network system.
Lead agencies and partners must, together, determine the responsible party for each type
of reporting requirement. In some cases, the lead agency may choose to enter data for its
partners, in other situations the partners may enter their own data.
The lead agency is responsible for assuring that all data is entered accurately and
thoroughly, within the designated timeframe. Program Review determinations will be
impacted in cases where programs fail to meet reporting deadlines. In addition, payments
may be withheld in cases where a final expenditure report is more than 60 days overdue.
Data entered through the PELICAN/Early Learning Network must be updated monthly to
assure accuracy. This includes information on providers, classrooms, teachers, families, and
children. Updates to PELICAN data should occur by the last day of each month so changes
reflect on the monthly program monitoring report.
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The information submitted through OCDEL’s reporting system is utilized to create the
annual reports to the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office, and to make
programmatic decisions about new policies, recommendations, and professional
development. Provider contact information, housed in PELICAN, must be kept current to
assure accurate and timely communications.
Financial Accounting Information System:
Lead agencies must submit supporting budgetary information quarterly through the
Financial Accounting Information (FAI) System. This information needs to be gathered
from partners and compiled for lead agency submission. Provider pay-outs from the
Comptroller rely on accurate and timely completion of reports within the FAI System.
Payments will be delayed as a result of delays in FAI reporting completion.
Written Reports Submitted to the Preschool Program Specialist:
The following plans will be reviewed annually for completion and specific application to
the PA PKC program:
• Plan to Reduce Suspension and Expulsion
• Attendance Plan
• Emergency Preparedness Plan
• Induction Plan, with submitted “Designated Educator Evaluator Form”
• Community Needs Assessment
• Partnership Plan (if applicable)
• Parent Involvement Plan
• Transition Plan
• Staff Recruitment and Retention Plan
• Continuous Quality Improvement Plan
• Flexible Instruction Plan (if applicable)
Teacher Induction Plans are required of all providers. They are submitted to the preschool
program specialists and approved by OCDEL.
The lead agency is responsible to collect these plans from partners and submit them with
their own plans. Preschool program specialists review these plans and discuss
modifications when needed and monitor implementation of these plans.
Programs must submit the Level I to Level II certification tracker to the assigned preschool
program specialist on October 1 and February 1 of each school year.
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Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Reporting Deadlines
July:
• Staff qualifications added to PELICAN (completed by 9/29)
• Child Enrollments (full enrollment by 9/1)
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 7/5
August:
• Staff qualifications added to PELICAN (completed by 9/29)
• Child Enrollments (full enrollment by 9/1)
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 8/4
• Partnership Agreement 8/15
• Select an Assessment Vendor 8/15
• Final Expenditure Reports for Previous Year 8/31 (PELICAN)
September:
• Full Enrollment 9/1
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 9/5
• Begin Class No Later than 9/29 Guaranteeing 180 days of Instruction
• Staffing completed in PELICAN by 9/29
October:
• Teacher Tracker of Level I to Level II Activities to Specialist 10/2
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 10/5
• Financial Accounting Information System reporting by 10
th
business day
• Quarterly Expenditure Reports by 10
th
business day (PELICAN)
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by
10/31
November:
• Continuous Quality Improvement Plans Updated to Specialist 11/1
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 11/5
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by
11/30
December:
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 12/5
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by
12/31
January:
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 1/5
• Financial Accounting Information System reporting by 10
th
business day
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• Quarterly Expenditure Reports by 10
th
business day (PELICAN)
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by 1/30
February:
• Teacher Tracker of Level I to Level II Activities to Specialist 2/1
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 2/5
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by 2/28
March:
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 3/5
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by 3/31
• Audit Reporting due for most child care and Private Licensed Nursery schools 3/30
April:
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 4/5
• Financial Accounting Information System reporting by 10
th
business day
• Quarterly Expenditure Reports by 10
th
business day (PELICAN)
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by 4/30
• Continuation Grant must be approved and finalized 4/15
• Funding adjustments must be approved and finalized by 4/15
May:
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 5/5
• Update child enrollment and staffing qualifications information in PELICAN by 5/31
June:
• Previous month’s attendance finalized 6/5
• Final Budget Revisions due 6/17 (PELICAN)
• Audit Reporting due for school districts, Intermediate Units, and Community Action
Programs 6/30
• End date all enrollments by 6/30, even for children who will return for the next
school year.
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#016: Continuous Quality Improvement/Best Practices
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs must develop and implement a Continuous Quality
Improvement Plan during the first Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts implementation year. It
must be reviewed at least annually and updated to accurately reflect progress made
towards meeting identified goals, or to establish new goals or areas of focus for the current
year. The plan must be submitted each year to the preschool program specialist by
November 1.
Clarifications:
Definition:
Continuous Quality Improvement is the complete process of:
• identifying, describing and analyzing strengths and weaknesses;
• developing a plan that includes benchmarks and measurable goals for
improvement;
• implementing the plan;
• learning from outcomes; and
• revising solutions. It is an ongoing process by which an organization makes
decisions and evaluates its progress.
Continuous Quality Improvement is grounded in the overall mission, vision and values of
the organization and should become a natural part of the way every day work is done.
Continuous Quality Improvement planning for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts must include
staff, families, children, and stakeholders at all levels.
Consider the information from the Program Review Instrument, Best Practice Inventory,
Classroom Observation Checklist, Instructional Observation Checklist, assessment of learning
environment as well as agency-specific strategies for documenting and reviewing program,
classroom and teacher performance that include Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts regulations
and policies.
Incorporate the following four components in the plan:
o Sources of Evidence: The evidence used to identify the areas of needed
improvement.
o Goals, Objectives and Strategies: Description of identified and measurable goals
to be accomplished and how they will be achieved.
o Timeline and Person(s) Responsible: Ongoing dates of review and targeted end-
dates should be included, along with the person who has the primary
responsibility for implementing and monitoring the goal.
o Follow-up: The procedure for ongoing review that will occur annually at a
minimum.
Include a process for annual submission to the preschool program specialist and be
available for review at each site visit.
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Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Continuous Quality Improvement Plan may be a subset of a
provider’s existing strategic or ongoing plan. School district improvement plans, Head Start
self-assessments or Keystone STARS Continuous Quality Improvement Plans that
incorporate Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts-specific goals and the four components described
above are acceptable.
Professional development for Continuous Quality Improvement is provided through the
Keystone STARS Core Series and can be accessed through the PA Key online professional
development calendar.
Lead agencies are responsible for assuring partners’ development and ongoing review of a
Continuous Quality Improvement Plan.
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Continuous Quality Improvement Goal Planning Form
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Continuous Quality Improvement Process
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Steps for Continuous Quality Improvement:
1. Develop your new vision or reflect your current version and modify as appropriate.
Visions should be statements about your agency’s view of provision of services. They
reflect values and hopes for the future, are collaborative in nature, and describe the best
possible outcome.
2. Solicit buy-in.
Teachers and administrators, the families that are served and community
representatives should be part of the Continuous Quality Improvement Plan team. Each
offers valuable information and insight into the strategic planning process.
3. Define and analyze the current processes.
• Review the current operation to determine what is going well and what could be
improved;
• Use the vision and program implementation designs to consider levels of quality
functioning and progress towards the overall goal;
• Gather sources of evidence to help with this assessment;
• Develop the Continuous Quality Improvement Plan;
• Identify goals that will help improve the overall quality of the program. Goals
should be both short-term and long-term and can relate to classroom and/or
teacher performance, management systems, work with parents and community,
expansion or new locations, or enhanced collaborations; and
• Include a process for ongoing assessment and modifications, as needed in
addition to an annual review.
4. Implement the Continuous Quality Improvement Plan and analyze the results.
• Consider the way in which the goals and strategies to achieve them will be
communicated to staff and stakeholders.
• Identify strategies for assuring program-wide ownership of the changes in
structure and program, and how staff and stakeholders will be involved in the
improvements and assessment of the plan.
• Schedule regular assessments of the goals and action steps that can occur during
regular staff meetings, parent meetings or meetings with governance boards.
5. Incorporate changes and improvements and repeat the process.
Action steps to achieve Continuous Quality Improvement Plan goals should be flexible,
changing as staff, children, or program requirements change. Ongoing reviews of each
goal are necessary to identify whether the goal still makes sense for the overall
program vision and if it is on track according to the timeline originally established.
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#017: Fiscal Reporting and Deadlines
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providers must maintain and submit accurate fiscal reports to
the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.
Clarifications:
Continuation Grant Budget:
Annual budgets must be completed in the Early Learning Network’s PELICAN system
within two weeks of notification of Continuation Application Narrative approval in
PELICAN.
Proper descriptions and justification must be provided for each line item. A description is
ALWAYS needed for every line item. A justification is needed when a line item falls outside
of the recommended range for that line item.
Ranges for each line item will be provided annually.
Programs should properly cost allocate any expenditures that are shared resources.
Programs must adhere to the guidance provided within the PA Pre-K Counts Fiscal
Supplement when creating or revising program budgets.
Lead agencies with partners must assure all partner budgets are submitted before lead
agencies may submit their Continuation Grant Budget.
Budget Revisions:
Budget revisions that show expenditure deviations +/- 10 percent from the originally
approved budget should be completed as needed and receive prior approval from all
appropriate levels.
Lead agencies and partner agencies must submit budget revisions in PELICAN.
Strong written justification must be provided for expenditures outside the recommended
fiscal guidelines provided by OCDEL in the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Guidance.
The approval process will be electronic for the following budget revisions that require
advance approval:
o Any deviation to a line item greater than +/-10 percent
o Addition of a new line item
All budget revisions must be submitted and approved prior to initiating the Final
Expenditure Report in PELICAN.
Final budget revisions should be submitted no later than the submission of the Final
Expenditure Report by June 30.
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OCDEL reserves the right to deny any budget revision that was not pre-approved. This
could impact final payment.
Quarterly Expenditure Reports (Applies to Lead Agencies Only):
Quarterly Expenditure Reports are to be completed in PELICAN.
The Quarterly Expenditure Report details the amount expended prior to the close of quarter
and the amount projected to be spent to the close of the quarter.
Submission dates are: The 10
th
business day of October, January, and April.
Final Expenditure Report (Applies to Lead Agencies Only):
The Final Expenditure Report ensures that revenues and expenditures are properly
accounted for in the correct fiscal year.
Funding for the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program is distributed on a state fiscal year
(July 1-June 30) basis and cannot be carried over to the following year.
The final expenditure report must be entered into PELICAN no later than August 31.
Payments may be withheld in cases where a final expenditure report is more than 60 days
overdue.
Inventory Control:
Grantees must maintain an inventory list of equipment with a purchase price exceeding
$5,000. The list should be submitted in PELICAN, along with the Final Expenditure Report,
no later than August 31 of each year.
The lead agency is responsible for reviewing inventory reports from partner agencies
which is submitted into the PELICAN system along with the lead agency’s Final Expenditure
Report and Inventory Report.
Financial Accounting Information System (Applies to Lead Agencies Only)
Interim Reports, one-time filing exceptions, can be submitted for projects that are in their
first quarter payment cycle and are experiencing extraordinary cash needs that cannot be
met by the regular monthly payments.
Quarterly Reports, the reconciliation of cash on hand, are required to be submitted no later
than the 10
th
working day of the month. Once this deadline has passed, no changes can be
made to the previously submitted report. Reports submitted after this date will be
considered delinquent and will be processed in the next payment cycle.
Revised reports can be filed to correct material misstatements submitted on a prior
Quarterly Report. Contact the specialist for instructions.
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Delinquent reports are necessary if the Quarterly Report has not been submitted by the 10
th
working day of the month. Scheduled payments to the respective project will be suspended
until the report has been submitted.
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#018: Audit Requirements
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts lead agencies and partner agencies may be required to meet
audit requirements depending upon the amount and types of funding the agency receives.
Clarifications:
Providers must comply with all applicable state audit requirements.
Providers are expected to maintain books, records, documents, and other evidence in
sufficient detail to support all claims against the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding.
OCDEL reserves the right to request a review of these materials.
Agencies that receive more than $750,000 in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding and/or
are subject to 2 CFR 200, Uniform Guidance, have until June 30 to submit a copy of their
audit.
Audit expenses should be charged to the next fiscal year budget.
All documentation for the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program must be maintained for
seven years.
PDE reserves the right to cost-settle with a grantee for non-allowable costs and/or
undocumented costs.
Audit requirements:
If a Provider receives more than $750,000 in state Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding
during the program year, but is not subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements,
Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200), they must have an
audit of those funds made in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing
Standards (The Yellow Book), revised, as published by the Comptroller General of the
United States.
If the Provider is not subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles
and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200), and receives less than$750,000
in state Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding during the program year, they are not required
to have an audit. Programs meeting this definition will have a fiscal review as part of
typical program monitoring. The fiscal review may include the following:
1. Internal controls exist that provide safeguards against improper use of Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts funding;
2. Cost allocation plan is appropriate and a sample of allocated expenses is reviewed;
3. Payments to the provider were consistent with expenditures; program did not have
more than 30 days of cash on hand;
4. A review of fiscal implications based on the following policies:
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a. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs may not charge families any fees
during the established program hours
b. Provider did not charge a concurrent fee to any other program for a
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funded child during the Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts portion of the day.
5. Mid-year and final expense reports accurately reflected the expenses of the program
6. All Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funds were, at a minimum, segregated from other
funds through the use of a general ledger or other acceptable accounting practices;
and
7. Any unexpended funds were returned to PDE.
8. For Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs operating under a joint grant (lead with
partners), a partnership agreement exists between the provider and the lead
agency;
School District and Intermediate Unit Lead Agency and Partners who submit Audits, which
include Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts funding, to the Pennsylvania Department of Education
are excused from submitting an additional copy of this audit to OCDEL but must provide
evidence to demonstrate the audit has been submitted by June 30. (Submission pages,
confirmation page or findings summary pages)
When an audit is required, providers must submit the Executive Summary as
documentation of compliance with this requirement annually. Providers are required to
submit documentation for their audit to the Fiscal Specialist by June 30
According to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200), no extension requests will be permitted.
Audit reports are due 9 months after the close of fiscal year. For most Childcare and Private
License Nurseries, March 31 is the deadline. For most School Districts, Intermediate Units
and Community Action Programs, June 30 is the deadline.
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#019 Flexible Instruction Plan (FIP)
At minimum, Flexible Instruction Plans must include the following information:
• How students will be engaged remotely and indicating how the provider will ensure
equitable access and meet the needs of students with special needs.
o See “Considerations When Planning for Remote Instruction” below.
o Programs should consider virtual and non-virtual modalities.
o Technology purchases should not be considered a necessity of a successful
FIP.
• The specific instances when a program will use a FIP. Only instances detailed in the
approved FIP should initiate use of the FIP, unless specifically approved in writing
by PPS and OCDEL prior to use.
FIP may be used for the following pre-defined circumstances:
o Inclement weather closings;
o Act 80 and teacher in-service days built into the provider program year calendar;
o For emergency-related classroom or building closures such as, unsafe building
conditions (e.g., flooding, sewer), COVID-19 classroom or building exposure
resulting in the need to quarantine or need to clean classroom or building; or
o When an absence for an individual student would typically be “excused” by the
program. PA PKC programs are reminded that Supplemental Resource #005 defines
an excused absence as: “Those absences when a student is prevented from attending
for mental, physical or other urgent reasons. These can be further defined as illness,
family emergency, death of a family member, health or dental appointments, fire,
natural disaster, or other extenuating circumstances deemed as excused by the
program (PA PKC Statute, Regulations, and Guidelines, 2023, p. 49).” If a student
engages remotely in this circumstance, the day can be counted for attendance per
Tracking Student Attendance in a Remote Learning Environment.
FIP occurrences not included in the pre-defined circumstances:
o If a provider encounters a circumstance not included in the predefined
circumstances above, the provider must obtain approval from PDE and the OCDEL
PKC/HSSAP steering committee prior to implementation.
o To obtain approval, the following should occur:
The provider must submit a written request to the Preschool Program
Specialist detailing the circumstances, including assurance of family
participation, and justifying the requested use of an approved FIP. Details
should include all relevant information based on the requested need, such as,
but not limited to, the following:
For medical issues of persons other than the enrolled student that
would impact regular attendance of the enrolled student include
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documentation by medical staff. Documentation does not need to
contain specific medical information protected by HIPPA but should
include a general statement of need and must be signed by a health
care professional with Medical ID number included. An example of
when this would be appropriate is when an enrolled student lives
with an immunocompromised family member and in-person
instruction may expose a family member to a contagious disease, such
as COVID-19 or the measles.
For staffing related issues, include current staffing profile (number of
classes and current staff available to cover these classes); number of
children affected; time frame for use of the FIP; and documentation of
family consent to engage in remote learning and understanding of
attendance policy as it relates to remote learning.
For behavior related issues, include documentation of behavior plan
steps taken to date; members of the behavior team (families must be
included; include EI and/or behavior health personnel for students
receiving those services); time frame for use of FIP; and the plan for
how the student will transition back to full in-person instruction. Use
of an FIP does meet the definition of exclusion and should only be
used in instances where time is needed to implement an evaluation or
an in-person behavior plan, or all other avenues have been exhausted.
For Head Start eligible PA PKC providers, include documentation that
the proposed remote learning model has been approved by the
federal program.
If the Preschool Program Specialist views the request as reasonable, the
Specialist will submit the request to OCDEL through the PKC/HSSAP Steering
Committee for consideration.
The PKC/HSSAP Steering Committee will review requests submitted up to 24
hours prior to the scheduled steering committee meeting. The PKC/HSSAP
steering committee meets every two weeks on Tuesday mornings.
All single-occurrence requests to utilize an approved remote learning
plan for non-predefined circumstances will be reviewed but are not
guaranteed for approval.
Committee approval applies only to the single-occurrence
circumstance described in the request. Approval must be sought by
the provider for each occurrence of a non-predefined circumstance.
In cases where approval by the Steering Committee would potentially
come after a need to implement a FIP plan (e.g., meeting staff ratios),
programs may implement the FIP plan while awaiting approval.
If the committee denies the request, the provider is still responsible
for meeting the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts 180 instructional day
requirement for the program year. However, the instructional time
while the provider awaited the committee’s decision and an approved
FIP was implemented will count as instructional time.
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Below are examples of single-occurrence circumstances that would warrant approval by
the Steering Committee:
Child custody matters;
Unforeseen short-term provider closure not related to provider eligibility;
Supporting the short-term needs of an individual student; and
Issues related to staffing shortages that impact a program’s ability to meet
classroom ratios.
FIP Monitoring
Providers will be monitored by the Preschool Program Specialist for successful
implementation of the approved FIP after each occurrence. If the Preschool Program
Specialist determines that the approved remote learning plan has not been successfully
implemented, the provider is still responsible for meeting the PA PreK Counts 180
instructional day requirement and the HSSAP service hours requirement for the program
year.
Considerations When Planning for Remote Instruction
Remote learning: Virtual
When planning and implementing virtual learning, providers must consider the following:
o Access and availability to technology for students, families, and educators;
o Family schedules (i.e., are family members working from home; what is their
availability to interact and monitor their child's online learning experiences);
o Multi-age learning (multiple children of varying ages in the home setting); and
o Teachers' experience, competency and ability to create quality virtual learning
opportunities.
For virtual remote learning options to count as an instructional day, the following
requirements must be included in the plan and met:
The provider must develop a written FIP that identifies what virtual options will be
used, share the plan with families, and have families acknowledge receipt of the
policy. At minimum, the plan must address the following:
o How family technology needs were assessed and addressed, including
documentation of such assessment;
o How student participation will be tracked;
o What platforms will be used;
o How students, staff, and families have or will receive training in the
platforms;
o How content will be delivered;
o How students and families will be engaged, including ways participation will
be flexible to meet student and family needs; and
o How programs will document and assess student learning.
The provider must assess family technology needs (hardware, software, and access)
and explain how efforts made to alleviate any barriers to access. Providers may not
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charge fees to families for remote learning. Providers must document methods used
to assess and address family technology needs.
Certified lead teachers must develop and monitor content of no more than 30
minutes per day of virtual remote learning.
Content must be delivered using a platform familiar to students and families and
that includes all learning domains aligned with PA Learning Standards for Early
Childhood. Allowable content includes:
o Synchronous: real time; virtual meetings between lead teacher/student(s) in
which instruction/learning activities occur (e.g., live read aloud); and
o Asynchronous: on own time instruction/learning activities that are reviewed
after submission by teacher or other staff (e.g., a recorded lesson with clear
expectations to access/complete it within a specified time frame).
Preschool Program Specialists will monitor virtual learning experiences through review of
provided options and family interviews and must be provided access to online platforms
upon request.
Virtual learning should:
o Maintain and enhance relationships between schools and families;
o Support families as their child's first teachers;
o Respect the family's and student's unique needs during this time;
o Maintain and enhance learning that happens anywhere;
o Be available to all families and learners (to every extent possible);
o Focus on critical learning standards across multiple content areas (cross curricular);
o Focus on student progress and learning;
o Use online tools the students are already familiar with;
o Address various learning styles; and
o Comply with any privacy related issues
Virtual learning should not:
o Place undue burden (financial, stress) on families or programs,
o Look the same for every family,
o Perpetuate inequities,
o Mimic typical school settings, or
o Focus on assignment completion and due dates
Remote Learning: Non-Virtual
For non-virtual remote learning options to count as an instructional day, the following
requirements must be met:
o The provider must develop a written FIP that identifies what non-virtual options
will be used, share the plan with families and have families acknowledge receipt of
the policy. At minimum, the plan must include the following:
o Documentation outlining how family needs (for pickup of materials, for
example) were assessed and addressed;
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o How student participation will be tracked;
o What materials will be provided to students, families, and staff;
o How families will receive training on at-home learning activities;
o How students and families will be engaged, including ways participation will
be flexible to meet student and family needs; and
o How programs will document and assess student learning.
o The provide must take steps to understand and alleviate any barriers to obtaining
materials necessary for completing and collecting take-home assignments.
Providers may not charge fees to families for remote learning.
o Certified lead teachers must develop and monitor content of no more than 30
minutes per day of non-virtual remote learning. Content must include all learning
domains aligned with the PA Learning Standards for Early Childhood.
o An adult must facilitate the content and include documentation of completion that is
reviewed by program staff on a regular schedule (e.g., a videoed or photographed at
home learning activity). Allowable content includes any learning activity completed
outside of school environment, take-home activity packets, and Public Broadcasting
System (PBS)-related activities. Home visits will count when an instructional
component is included for the child.
Preschool Program Specialists will monitor non-virtual remote learning experiences
through review of provided options and family interviews and should be provided access to
provided options upon request.
Tracking Student Attendance in a Remote Learning Environment
When a PA PKC initiates a FIP, the program must accurately track out of school instructional
time (i.e., remote learning) like attendance in the school building. For tracking purposes,
participation in remote learning options must be verified by the provider.
For any remote learning (virtual or non-virtual) to count for any funded instructional day
requirement at least 30 minutes of content must be developed and monitored by the lead
teacher for any day remote learning is offered.
Thirty minutes a day is the minimum expectation for remote learning in an FIP. A program
may offer more than 30 minutes. Programs should refer to the Summary of National
Responses to COVID-19 and Continuity of Education for Early Years for specific
recommendations. No more than 30 minutes of remote instruction each day may count
toward the minimum requirement for daily attendance.
If a program is offering at least 30 minutes of remote learning per day that is developed
and monitored by the lead teacher, the program is in compliance with its instructional day
requirement. Children who complete at least 30 minutes of remote learning per day should
be considered “in attendance” for that day even when more than 30 minutes of remote
learning is provided. At no time should families be penalized if their child(ren) is unable to
participate in more than 30 minutes per day of remote learning.
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Appendix A: PKC 20-#001: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs Changes to Legal Entity Information (Effective 11/3/2020)
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Issue Date: Nov. 3, 2020
Effective Date: Nov. 3, 2020
Subject: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs Changes to Legal Entity Information
To: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs
From:
Tracey Campanini
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning
PURPOSE
To review the requirement of relevant and timely communication whenever there is a change to
legal entity information.
BACKGROUND
Pennsylvania supports a mixed delivery system of services for children birth through age five
through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the Pennsylvania Department of
Human Services (DHS), and federal programs. Providers applying for
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and/or Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP)
funding hold multiple licenses and across multiple state Departments, and, in some cases,
PKC
20
-
#00
1
; HSSAP
20
-
#00
1
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federal Head Start as well. Providers are awarded licenses and grants based on the legal entity
information supplied at the time a license and/or a grant are provided. Changes in legal
information, such as changes to the legal entity name, the legal entity address, and/or Federal
Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Tax ID # may impact multiple systems.
DISCUSSION
In order to decrease instances of delayed payments, and to ensure proper legal accounting is
being followed, whenever a Pennsylvania PKC or HSSAP grantee anticipates a change in
any information related to the legal entity, the grantee must notify their Preschool Program
Specialist before the legal changes take place. The Pennsylvania PKC or HSSAP grantee
must also notify any other relevant agencies and systems of the change including, but not
limited to the following:
• Federal IRS agency
• DHS child care licensing (when the entity holds the DHS child care licensing)
• PDE Private Academic Licensing Office (when the entity holds a PDE Private Licensed
Nursery (PLN) license)
• Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) (for subsidy agreements and STARS)
• Education Names and Addresses (EDNA) system (to update information linked to AUN)
• Pennsylvania’s Enterprise to Link Information for Children Across Networks (PELICAN)
system
• Vendor profile with the commonwealth’s Vendor Management Unit (for payment
purposes)
• Bank accounts to which payments are made
• All commonwealth departments with which the legal entity has grants or contracts
NEXT STEPS
1. Share this information with appropriate staff.
2. Direct any questions to your Preschool Program Specialist.
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Appendix B: PKC 20-#002: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs Budget Revision and Funding Adjustment Clarifications
(effective 11/10/2020; updated March 8, 2022)
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Issue Date: Nov. 10, 2020 (updated March 8, 2022)
Effective Date: Nov. 10, 2020
End Date: N/A
Subject: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs Budget Revision and Funding Adjustment
Clarifications
To: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs
From:
Tracey Campanini
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning
PURPOSE
To clarify the differences between a program budget revision and a program funding adjustment
and to provide timelines for when each type of budget change can be processed.
BACKGROUND
In order to process changes to program budgets so programs can receive the correct funding,
changes need to be made in the Pennsylvania’s Enterprise to Link Information for Children
Across Networks (PELICAN) system as soon as programs are aware of a change. Since carry
PKC
20
-
#00
2
; HSSAP
20
-
#00
2
102
over of funding is not allowable, timely changes need to be made prior to the end of the fiscal
year. Any changes that will impact the overall allocation to a provider need to be made prior to
April 15 of the program year so payments can be adjusted prior to the close of the program year.
DISCUSSION
There is a difference between a budget revision and a funding adjustment, and a
different timeline for when each needs to be completed.
A budget revision is a change to the budget that impacts individual line items. Budget
revisions are necessary when there is a funding adjustment (see below) or when there is an
expenditure deviation of +/- 10 percent from the originally approved budgeted line items.
Further clarification is provided in the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and
Guidance document:
Budget revisions that show expenditure deviations +/- 10 percent from the original
approved budget should be completed as needed and receive prior approval from all
appropriate levels.
Lead agencies and partner agencies must submit budget revisions in PELICAN.
Strong written justification must be provided for expenditures outside the
recommended fiscal guidelines provided by the Office of Child Development and
Early Learning (OCDEL) in the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC) and Head State
Supplemental Assistance Programs (HSSAP) Guidance.
The approval process will be electronic for the following budget revisions that require
advance approval:
o Any deviation to a line item greater than +/-10 percent o
Addition of a new line item
All budget revisions must be submitted and approved prior to initiating the Final
Expenditure Report in PELICAN.
Final net zero budget revisions (meaning there is no increase or decrease to the overall
allocation) should be submitted no later than June 30.
OCDEL reserves the right to deny any budget revision that was not pre-approved.
This could impact final payment.
A funding adjustment is a change to the overall allocation to the provider. A funding
adjustment requires a budget revision but follows a stricter timeline due to the processing time
103
necessary to assure appropriate program payments are made prior June 30. Budget revisions that
are necessary due to a funding adjustment or change to the providers overall allocation (either an
increase or a decrease in overall funding for a program year) should be completed as soon as
possible after the notification of the change.
The final due date for budget revision due to a funding adjustment must be submitted and final
approval is April 15 of that fiscal year. If April 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline for
submission is the close of business the Friday immediately preceding April 15.
Budget revisions due to a funding adjustment CANNOT be completed after April 15 of the
program year.
NEXT STEPS
1. Share this information with appropriate staff, including all those responsible for fiscal
decisions.
2. Direct any questions to your Preschool Program Specialist.
104
Appendix C: Announcement DS 21-01: Monitoring Coordination Across Dually
Licensed Programs and Programs with PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start
Supplemental Assistance Programs (Effective 2/2/2021)
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Issue Date: Feb. 02, 2021
Effective Date: Feb. 02, 2021
Subject: Monitoring Coordination Across Dually Licensed Programs and
Programs with PA Pre-K Counts and Head State Supplemental
Assistance Programs
To: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Programs, Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs, Office of Child Development and Early
Learning (OCDEL) Staff, Child Care Providers
From:
Tracey Campanini
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning
PURPOSE
To clarify the distinction of and interaction between Pennsylvania Department of
Education (PDE) licensed programs, PDE funded programs, and Department of Human
Services (DHS) licensed child care as it relates to program monitoring and or complaint
investigation.
ANNOUNCEMENT
DS
2
1
-
01
105
BACKGROUND
Pennsylvania supports a mixed delivery system of services for children birth through age five
through both PDE and DHS licensed and funded programs. In many cases providers hold
multiple licenses and grants across multiple commonwealth departments. In some cases, there
has been confusion about when providers should be monitored and what program regulations
apply when multiple licenses and grants are held by a provider. The following definitions
provide information on some programs that may be interacting with one another within child
care programs:
DHS licensed (certified) program: Programs which hold a DHS child care Certificate of
Compliance (COC) and are subject to monitoring under child care facility regulations. The
certificate of compliance includes the maximum number of children permitted to be in care at
one time, and any special restrictions applicable to the child care facility.
PDE private licensed school (also referred to as Private Academic School (PAS):
Programs which hold a PAS and are subject to monitoring under Chapter 53 of Title 22. In a
prekindergarten setting, this typically includes a license for nursery school (also called Private
License Nursery (PLN)) and/or kindergarten serving children ages 2 ½ through 5. The license
includes specific classrooms, capacity, and hours of operation.
PDE-funded program: PDE offers two state-funded grant opportunities for prekindergarten
programs, the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC) program and the Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Program (HSSAP). These grants allow eligible providers to apply for funding to
offer prekindergarten (ages 3-5) services to eligible students. Both programs build upon the
requirements of the provider’s existing provider type(s). For HSSAP, grantees must follow
federal Head Start Performance standards.
The PA PKC program has four eligible provider types:
1) School districts
2) PDE privately licensed nursery (PLN)
3) Head Start Grantee
4) Child care centers and group homes at STAR 3 or 4 designation
DISCUSSION
For HSSAP grantees, grantees must follow federal Head Start Performance standards and are
monitored by the Office of Head Start for the Head Start portion of the day. Some HSSAP
grantees may also hold a COC. This might also include blended classrooms models in which
Head Start funded children are blended into classrooms that also serve children enrolled in
child care only. HSSAP grantees holding a child care COC are monitored by DHS certification
representatives for the non-Head Start portion of the day and when classrooms are blended.
Any HSSAP staff serving non-Head Start children or working during the non-Head Start
portion of the day would be subject to DHS monitoring.
106
When a provider applies for a PKC grant, they are asked to choose only one provider type
from the list of PDE approved eligible provider types. A PKC provider may hold multiple
licenses; however, they are required to apply for PKC under one type.
The following entities may operate PKC classrooms.
1. School districts;
2. Licensed nursery schools;
3. Head Start grantees; and
4. Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes that maintain a STAR 3 or 4
rating in Keystone STARS Program.
PKC programming builds upon the requirements of these eligible provider types, and provider
eligibility must be maintained throughout the entire grant period to maintain PKC operations.
Therefore, it is important that the PKC classrooms are being monitored by the relevant
monitoring system of their eligible provider type. The eligible provider type for each PKC
location can be found within the PELICAN system or can be verified with a PKC Preschool
Program Specialist.
If a PKC classroom is operating in one of the first three eligible provider types above, the DHS
certification representative is not responsible for inspecting the PKC classroom during the PKC
hours of operation. These PKC classrooms would be monitored by the entity responsible for
monitoring the chosen provider type (please see detailed in the graphics below). These
classrooms do not need to be added to the capacity of the location’s COC (unless they operate
child care wrap around services for any portion of the day or year).
NOTE: PKC programs that receive STAR 4 reciprocity due to operating as a HS/EHS grantee
are not eligible to apply as a Pre-K Counts eligibility type if the HS/EHS federal funding is
lost, unless the site was able to attain at least a STAR 3 status through the regular Keystone
STARS designation process, and they changed their provider type to Child Care Center that
maintains a STAR 3 or 4 rating in Keystone STARS Program.
107
If a PKC classroom is operating under the fourth eligible provider type (i.e. child care centers
and group homes at STAR 3 or 4 designation), the DHS certification representative is
responsible for inspecting the PKC classroom during the PKC hours of operation for regulatory
compliance. These classrooms must be included in the capacity of the location’s COC and
compliance with all regulations will be reviewed and verified.
For PKC grantees, when determining which licensing requirements apply it is important to
understand whether the provider holds a DHS COC, a PDE license or both. It also must be
determined what portion of the program is funded through PDE.
DHS COC and PDE PAS licenses
In addition to the provider’s DHS COC, if the PKC provider holds a valid PAS, then the
following would apply:
A PKC provider must be able to demonstrate that it holds a valid PAS operating license issued
by the Department of Education. This license should include classrooms and hours of
operation.
• If the classroom is only used for the PAS licensed classroom, then DHS monitoring of
the classroom and assigned teachers should not occur (Please see Example #1 below).
• If the classroom is used for child care services before and/or after the PAS licensed
hours of operation, then DHS monitoring will occur for the assigned child care portion
of the day (Please see Example #2 below).
• If staff work only in the PAS classroom and only during the PAS operational hours,
then those staff files should not be reviewed by DHS certification representative.
• If staff work in PAS classrooms and also work during child care hours (before and/or
after), then DHS monitoring will occur for staff assigned to the DHS child care portion
of the day (Please see Example #2 below).
Example #1: Provider holds both a COC and a PAS license. There are 4 child care
classrooms and one PAS classroom. The PAS classroom is ONLY used during the
hours of operations listed on the PAS license.
108
Hours of
operation
Staffing
Monitoring
DHS
license
6 am- 6 pm
Child care staff in
child care classrooms
DHS monitoring does not occur in
the PAS classroom. PAS staff are not
included in monitoring.
PDE PAS
license
8 am- 2:30 pm
PAS licensed staff
only in PAS
classroom
Monitored by PDE for operational
hours on PAS license.
Example #2: Provider holds both a COC and a PAS license. There are 4 child care
classrooms and one PAS classroom. The PAS classroom is used during the hours of
operations listed on the PAS license and is also used for child care before and/or after
the PAS hours of operation.
Hours of
Operation
Staffing
Monitoring
DHS
license
6 am- 6 pm
Child care staff in
child care only
classrooms
DHS monitoring would occur in child
care classrooms and in the
PAS classroom ONLY between
6am-8am and 2:30 pm- 6pm (before
and after the hours of operation for
PAS). Any staff working in child care
would be included in the DHS
monitoring.
PDE
PAS
license
8 am- 2:30 pm
Staff who work
during both PAS and
DHS child care hours.
Staff who work only
during the PAS
operational hours.
PAS only staff are not included in
DHS monitoring.
If there are inquiries regarding PAS, providers should contact PDE PAS staff at ra-
NEXT STEPS
1. Share this information with appropriate staff.
2. Direct any questions to your Preschool Program Specialist, Certification
Representative, or program supervisor.
109
Appendix D: Announcement PKC 22-#003/ HSSAP 22-#003: Pennsylvania Pre-K
Counts (PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs (HSSAP)
Continuation Grant and Budget Protocol
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Issue Date: February 17, 2022
Effective Date: February 17, 2022
Subject: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance
Programs (HSSAP) Continuation Grant and Budget
Protocol
To: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance (HSSAP)
Programs Grantees
From:
Tracey Campanini
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning
PURPOSE
To establish a protocol for the continuation grant process and deadlines.
BACKGROUND
Continuation grants and budgets must be submitted and fully approved in the Pennsylvania
Enterprise to Link Information for Children Across Networks (PELICAN) system by April 15 of
each program year for programs to receive the correct funding. Late submissions will impact the
overall allocation to a grantee and jeopardize the guarantee of continuity of payments in the
following program year.
DISCUSSION
PKC and HSSAP are grant programs funded through a competitive Request for Application. The
initial grant period is one year with up to four options renewals. The process to execute the
ANNOUNCEMENT
PKC
2
2
-
#
0
0
3
HSSAP
2
2
-
#
0
0
3
110
renewals annually is known as a Continuation Grant. This policy announcement is intended to
establish the ongoing deadlines for grant recipients in years they are submitting a continuation
grant.
Preschool Program Specialists (PPS) will notify their assigned programs each year of the
timeline for opening continuation grants and budgets. The final due date for continuation grant
and budget to be submitted and final approval is April 15 of that fiscal year. If April 15 falls on a
Saturday or Sunday, the deadline for submission is the close of business the Friday immediately
preceding April 15.
Grantees can refer to the Early Learning Network (ELN) Financial Management
Continuation Grant User Guide for the steps to create a Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
(PKC) Continuation Grant Application. Grantees also participating in the Head Start
Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) will follow the same steps to submit a HSSAP
Continuation Grant Application. This user guide can be found on the PKC/HSSAP Intranet.
Information about continuation grants is provided in the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute,
Regulations, and Guidance document:
• Competitive grants are awarded for one year, with an established number of subsequent
years of continuation grants if funding is available. The PELICAN system is used for the
continuation grant process.
• There are several potential types of Continuation Grant applicants. Each is described
below:
Continuation Grants with No Changes
This includes single applicants requesting the same number of half-day and/or full day PKC slots
or the same number of P1 slots for HSSAP and the same level of funding as was awarded in the
previous fiscal year. It also includes joint/partnership applicants with no changes in the partners,
the total number and type of slots requested, or in the site or location that a particular partner
plans to use for its PKC or HSSAP classes, or in the number and type of slots (half-day, full-day,
P1) for each partner. The total funding and number and type of slots remain the same as in the
previous fiscal year. There is no change in any of the partners in this category of continuation
application nor a change in the funding level requested. There may be changes in specific line
items in the budget that show how the funds are to be used, including the level of pass-through
funds provided to each partner, but not in the number or type of slots each pass through recipient
receives.
Continuation Grants with Changes
There are several types of Continuation Grants with Changes.
a. Single applicants that want to change the number and type of slots (half-day, full-day, P1)
they will provide, but not the level of funding, including partnerships or joint applicants
proposing to change the number and types of slots requested for any of their partners, but
not the total funds requested.
b. Requests for a change in the distribution of half-day and/or full-day slots or P1 slots
among various locations and/or partners and their locations.
111
c. Requests for fewer slots and funding by a single applicant or a joint applicant, including a
joint applicant requesting funds for a partnership dropping one or more partners. If a
partner is not planning to partner in the next program year, whether by its own volition or
for any other reason, the slots and per child funding provided to that partner through the
lead agency revert to The Office of Child Development and Early Learning. The slots and
their funding do not belong to the partnership or the lead agency. Nor do the slots belong
to the departing partner to continue as a PKC provider either on its own or as part of
another partnership.
d. Requests for a change in the location of one or more classroom.
e. Requests for a change in one or more partner (adding a partner, dropping a partner, or
both).
OCDEL reserves the right to deny any continuation grant and budget that was not preapproved.
Timely submissions for continuation grants are expected. Continuation grants and budgets
CANNOT be completed after April 15 of the program year.
NEXT STEPS
1. Share this information with appropriate staff, including all those responsible for fiscal
decisions.
2. Direct any questions to your Preschool Program Specialist.
112
Appendix E: PKC 22-#002; HSSAP 22-#003 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Trauma-
Informed Resources
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Issue Date: July 27, 2022
Effective Date: July 27, 2022
Subject: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Trauma-Informed Resources
To: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA PKC) and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Programs (HSSAPs)
From:
Tracey Campanini
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning
PURPOSE
To provide policy clarification regarding program expectations for trauma- informed policies and
practices. To share trauma-informed resources available to Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA
PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs (HSSAPs).
BACKGROUND
The mission of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is to ensure that every
learner has access to a world-class education system that academically prepares
children and adults to succeed as productive citizens. Further, PDE seeks to establish a
culture committed to improving opportunities throughout the commonwealth by ensuring
that technical support, resources, and optimal learning environments are available for all
students, whether children or adults.
PKC
2
2
-
#00
2
; HSSAP
2
2
-
#00
3
113
Act 18 of 2019 (Act 18) revised the Pennsylvania school code to include a requirement that
schools add professional development to include information on a trauma-informed approach. A
trauma-informed approach was defined as:
"…includes a school-wide approach to education and a classroom-based approach to
student learning that recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma and responds by fully
integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, professional learning, procedures and
practices for the purposes of recognizing the presence and onset of trauma, resisting the
reoccurrence of trauma and promoting resiliency tailored to a school entity's culture,
climate and demographics and the community as a whole."
Act 18 also included a provision in PA PKC statute for PDE to “encourage the integration of
trauma-informed approaches into the program curriculum and the professional development
curriculum of personnel of the eligible provider who have regular contact with children.”
PA PKC and HSSAP providers must comply with the OCDEL Inclusion Policy
Statement and Suspension and Expulsion Policy Statement, which has relationship with
implementing trauma-informed care practices and reducing expulsion. The policies and
supporting resources for this program requirement can be accessed at PROMOTING
INCLUSION & REDUCING EXPULSION AND SUSPENSION – THE PENNSYLVANIA
KEY (pakeys.org). Connecting trauma-informed policy and practice to the everyday interactions
between program personnel, children, and families can inform and impact program policy
focused on reducing and eliminating suspension and expulsions.
DISCUSSION
PA PKC and HSSAP programs funded through PDE must integrate trauma-informed
approaches into program curriculum and assure personnel who have direct contact with children
have professional development in trauma-informed approaches.
Programs will need to be able to produce a training record for personnel having direct contact
with children to their Preschool Program Specialist, if requested, to assure this policy is being
met. The Preschool Program Specialist may also engage in discussions with program leaders and
personnel related to the ways in which trauma-informed practice has been implemented into PA
PKC and/or HSSAP curriculum and professional development.
There is no prescribed requirement on which training(s) need to be taken. Programs have the
flexibility to use any training which covers the topic of trauma-informed practice and meets the
needs of their program type. For example, Head Start provided training on the topic of trauma-
informed care would meet the intent of this policy.
PDE has provided several resources to assure programs have access to training on trauma-
informed approaches.
Programs can access PDE resources at: Office for Safe School website.
In addition, PDE has developed five (5) on-line learning modules on trauma-informed practices.
The modules include:
•
Module 1: Introduction to Trauma-informed Practices
•
Module 2: Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Learning Environment
114
•
Module 3: Neuroscience
•
Module 4: Self-Care
•
Module 5: Building Trauma-informed Schools
Programs can access this PDE-developed trauma-informed training through the PD Center at
www.pdesas.org. Search keyword: trauma-informed. Users will need a SAS log-in to access
these trainings. Trainings count for Act 48 training hours.
Additional school resources can be found at T.I.P. in School - Resources (pa.gov).
In addition to the resources discussed above, the Office of Child Development and Early
Learning (OCDEL) has funded the following trauma-informed trainings specific to early
childhood education that can be accessed through the PD Registry. A Registry ID and log-in ID
are needed to access these trainings. Trainings count for the Pennsylvania Quality Assurance
System (PQAS) hours.
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Define Trauma and its Impacts, Practice Skills, Secondary
Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Supportive Practices (6-hour course)
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Define Trauma and its Impacts (2-hour course)
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Define Trauma and its Impacts (3-hour course)
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Practice Skills (2-hour course)
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Practice Skills (3-hour course)
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Secondary Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Supportive
Practices (2-hour course)
• Becoming Trauma Informed: Secondary Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Supportive
Practices (3-hour course)
NEXT STEPS
1. Share this information with appropriate staff.
2. Lead agencies share with all partner agencies, as applicable.
3. Include and implement on-going trauma-informed training in personnel’s training plans.
4. Direct any questions to your Preschool Program Specialist.
115
Appendix F: PKC 22-#004 Emergency Teacher Certification Permits
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development
Issue Date: September 20, 2022
Effective Date: September 20, 2022
Subject: Emergency Teacher Certification Permits now available to all Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts provider types.
To: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA PKC)
From:
Tracey Campanini
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning
PURPOSE
To provide updates on Chapter 49, as defined in § 49.31 Criteria for eligibility regarding
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA PKC) provider ability to apply for Emergency Teacher
Certification Permits.
BACKGROUND
The amendments to Chapter 49 are intended to support efforts to improve educator recruitment,
increase the number of classrooms staffed by fully prepared teachers, increase retention in the
profession, and improve student outcomes by strengthening the preparation of new educators,
creating conditions to provide more support for educators as they enter the classroom and by
improving the skill sets of current educators in working with an increasingly diverse student
population. For complete information on the Chapter 49 amendments visit: Pennsylvania
Bulletin (pacodeandbulletin.gov)
PKC
2
2
-
#
00
4
Emergency Teacher
Certification Permits
116
Emergency Teacher Certification Permits are now available to all PA PKC providers. § 49.31
Criteria for eligibility adds language to include PA PKC eligible providers, as defined in §405.11
(CHAPTER 405. PA PRE-K COUNTS), as entities to which the Pennsylvania Department of
Education (PDE) may issue an Emergency, day-to-day (Type 06) or long-term (Type 01 or 04)
Permit. These eligible providers can now request these permits from PDE to address lead teacher
staffing needs. PA PKC requires all lead teachers in program classrooms to possess early
childhood education certification.
An Emergency Teacher Certification Permit is requested to fill a vacant lead teacher position
when the school or eligible provider is unable to find a qualified and properly certified educator
holding a valid and active certificate. Prior to the amendments to Chapter 49, only Local
Education Agencies (i.e., the school district PA PKC eligible provider type) had the ability to
apply for an Emergency Permit.
On April 23, 2022, the final form amendments to Chapter 49: Certification of
Professional Personnel became effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin
(pacodeandbulletin.gov). This new process will allow eligible PA PKC teachers to apply for
Emergency Permits through their lead or partner agencies.
DISCUSSION
This announcement is intended to provide relevant PA PKC information regarding the use of
Emergency Teacher Certification Permits. PDE Teacher Certification oversees the
implementation of emergency teacher certification and provides multiple resources. PA PKC
providers interested in emergency teacher certification should access the links below to
understand all information regarding Emergency Permits.
Emergency Permits FAQ
CSPG 13 - Emergency Permits (pa.gov)
Why would a PA PKC provider wish to apply for an Emergency Permit?
In cases where a lead teacher holding Instructional Certification cannot be recruited, applying for
a Type 01 Emergency Permit means PA PKC programs without a qualified lead teacher can
come into compliance with the PA PKC lead teacher staff qualifications while the teacher
holding an emergency Permit is pursuing Level I certification.
In cases where a lead teacher holding Instructional Certification cannot be recruited, applying for
a Type 04 Emergency Permit means PA PKC programs without a qualified lead teacher can
come into compliance with the PA PKC lead teacher staff qualifications for one school term only
with no educational obligation.
PA PKC providers would not have a need to apply for the Type 06 Emergency Permit: Day to
Day substitute as the PA PKC regulations already provide provisions for substitute teachers up to
90 days.
Who is eligible to apply?
117
An Emergency Teacher Certification Permit can only be issued to a candidate who has earned a
bachelor’s degree from a state-approved institution and can only be used to teach in a vacant
position or as a long-term substitute. The Emergency Teacher Certification Permit is only valid
for one school year.
Emergency Teacher Certification Permits will not be issued if the candidate:
• Holds an expired Intern certificate in the subject area being requested; • Holds a
lapsed Level I certificate; or
• Voluntarily deleted the subject area being requested from their certificate.
Who applies for the Emergency Permit?
An individual, who holds a bachelor’s degree from a state-approved institution, identified by a
PA PKC lead or partner provider as a candidate for either a Type 01 or a Type 04 Emergency
permit. Individuals may not apply for an Emergency Teacher Certification Permit without a
recommendation to do so from the hiring lead or partnering agency.
After an individual has applied within the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS), the
PA PKC lead or partner agency must also access TIMS to submit a request to PDE to process the
application on behalf of the applicant.
How does an individual apply?
Instructions for submitting an application for an Emergency Teacher Certification Permit can be
accessed here: Submit an Emergency Permit (pa.gov)
PA PKC programs have been pre-populated in TIMS using the AUN on file from EDNA and the
most recent PA PKC application.
If an applicant does not find the program name in the drop down, the PA PKC lead or partner
agency should reach out to Brian Bell ([email protected]) to obtain an AUN. The program will
need to be added to the TIMS system before an application can be submitted. This will take 4-6
weeks to process once an AUN has been established.
How does a lead or partner agency request an Emergency Teacher Certification Permit on
behalf of an applicant?
PA PKC agencies need to have a Local Security Administrator (LSA) assigned. PA PKC lead
and/or partner agencies who already have an assigned LSA with PDE TIMS, can access TIMS to
request Emergency permits after an individual has applied.
PA PKC lead and/or partner agencies who do not already have an assigned LSA with PDE
TIMS, need to contact Nathaniel Edmonds at [email protected] to get set up before they can
request an Emergency permit.
Once an LSA has been assigned, they may log into TIMS and submit a request to PDE for the
Emergency permit on behalf of an applicant.
118
NEXT STEPS
1. Share this information with appropriate staff.
2. Lead agencies share with all partner agencies as applicable.
3. Direct any questions to your Preschool Program Specialist or to the PDE resource
account at ra[email protected]
