6.4 Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines

Lead Agencies must develop, maintain, or implement early learning and developmental guidelines appropriate for children from birth to kindergarten entry. Early learning and developmental guidelines should describe what children should know and be able to do at different ages and cover the essential domains of early childhood development, which at a minimum includes cognition, including language arts and mathematics; social, emotional, and physical development; and approaches toward learning. 6.4.1 Early learning and developmental guidelines a. Check the boxes below to certify the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines are: i. [x] Research-based. ii. [x] Developmentally appropriate. iii. [x] Culturally and linguistically appropriate. iv. [x] Aligned with kindergarten entry. v. [x] Appropriate for all children from birth to kindergarten entry. vi. [x] Implemented in consultation with the educational agency and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body. vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: b. Check the boxes below to certify that the required domains are included in the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines. i. [x] Cognition, including language arts and mathematics. ii. [x] Social development. iii. [x] Emotional development. iv. [x] Physical development. v. [x] Approaches toward learning. vi. [x] Other optional domains. Describe any optional domains: Science Standards include Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability, and Technology and Engineering. Social Studies Standards include Civics and Government, Economics, Geography and History. Creative Thinking and Expression Standards include Production and Performance and Movement, Production and Performance Dramatic and Performance Play, Production and Performance Arts and Critical Response to Works in the Arts. vii. If any components above are not checked, describe: c. When were the Lead Agency’s early learning and developmental guidelines most recently updated and for what reason? In 2023, OCDEL began the process to revise the Learning Standards for Early Childhood. New academic standards for Science, Technology, Engineering and Environment Literacy and Sustainability were adopted by the State Board of Education in January 2022, and will be implemented in all school districts beginning in 2025. The standards were part of amendments to 22 Pa. Code Chapter 4 that were published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on July 16, 2022. The new standards will help create the conditions for all students to be scientifically, technologically, and engineering literate, both to support Pennsylvania’s economic vitality and its civic strength. The Learning Standards for Early Childhood have been touted by researchers, early on, for their alignment to academic standards. Proposed revisions have been made to the Infant Toddler and Prekindergarten standards to ensure consistent alignment with the new K-12 science standards. The proposed revisions are currently in the review process and are anticipated to be approved and released in Spring 2025. Updated training will be developed on the 2024 revisions to the Learning Standards for Early Childhood and offered to the ECE field as well beginning in 2025. d. Provide the Web link to the Lead Agency's early learning and developmental guidelines. https://www.pakeys.org/early-learning-standards/ 6.4.2 Use of early learning and developmental guidelines a. Describe how the Lead Agency uses its early learning and developmental guidelines. Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Learning Standards form the foundation for curriculum, assessment, instruction, and intervention within ECE programs. Learning Standards for Early Childhood are used to: inform professionals about curriculum and assessment, guide the selection of instructional materials and the design of interactions/goal setting, inform families of appropriate expectations for children and, provide a common framework for community-based birth ￿ grade 3 alignment work. Learning Standards for Early Childhood are not used as: a specific curriculum; or means to prohibit children from transitioning from one grade or age level to another. OCDEL-funded early learning programs, including PA Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, HSSAP, Home Visiting, and EHS, are required to utilize Pennsylvania's Learning Standards for Early Childhood as the framework for lesson planning. Chapter 4 of Title 22 require school districts offering prekindergarten to use the Learning Standards for Early Childhood to guide instruction within the programs (4.20 (1)). Curriculums must be standards-based (4.20 (2)) and OCDEL provides a listing of approved curriculum that staff have reviewed for alignment. b. Check the boxes below to certify that CCDF funds are not used to develop or implement an assessment for children that: i. [x] Will be the primary or sole basis to determine a child care provider ineligible to participate in the CCDF. ii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole basis to provide a reward or sanction for an individual provider. iii. [x] Will be used as the primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness. iv. [x] Will be used to deny children eligibility to participate in CCDF. v. If any components above are not checked, describe: 7 Quality Improvement Activities The quality of child care directly affects children’s safety and healthy development while in care settings, and high-quality child care can be foundational across the lifespan. Lead Agencies may use CCDF for quality improvement activities for all children in care, not just those receiving child care subsidies. OCC will collect the most detailed Lead Agency information about quality improvement activities in annual reports instead of this Plan. Lead Agencies must report on CCDF child care quality improvement investments in three ways: 1. In this Plan, Lead Agencies will describe the types of activities supported by quality investments over the 3-year period. 2. An annual expenditure report (the ACF-696). Lead Agencies will provide data on how much CCDF funding is spent on quality activities. This report will be used to determine compliance with the required quality and infant and toddler spending requirements. 3. An annual Quality Progress Report (the ACF-218). Lead Agencies will provide a description of activities funded by quality expenditures, the measures used to evaluate its progress in improving the quality of child care programs and services within the State/Territory, and progress or barriers encountered on those measures. In this section of the Plan, Lead Agencies will describe their quality activities needs assessment and identify the types of quality improvement activities where CCDF investments are being made using quality set-aside funds.