Keystone STARS Orientation will begin at 9:00 am

1. Keystone STARS Orientationwill begin at 9:00 am Please perform an audio check before the session begins! • Click on the Tools Menu • Click on the Audio option • Click on Audio Set Up wizard • Follow the instructions on the screen Record of Attendance:In the chat window, please enter the names and email addresses of everyone at your location.

2. Keystone STARS Orientation Justin Esposito and Adrienne Smyth, OCDEL

3. Who is with us? • STARS Specialists/Managers • STARS Designators • Grants/Fiscal Managers • PD/TA Managers • OCDEL Program Office Staff

4. Keystone STARS Orientation“Rules for discussion” • Use Emoticons as Webinar is in progress. • Use chat to ask questions. • Remember all chat can be seen by everyone!

5. Today’s Focus • For participants to gain a better understanding of: • The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) • Roles and Responsibilities of ODCEL, the PA Key, and the Regional Key • Types of Professional Development • Keystone STARS • Early Learning Services (ELS) Announcements • PELICAN

6. Office of Child Developmentand Early Learning Because every child is Pennsylvania’s future

7. Office of Child Development and Early Learning The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) promotes opportunities for all Pennsylvania children and families by building systems and providing supports that help ensure access to high quality child and family services.

8. PA Keys to Quality and Early Learning Themes for 10/11 • Assure quality program design, implementation, and integration. • Meet the diverse needs of families and engage stakeholders. • Assure sound financial and performance management, document program impact, and maximize resources.

12. Roles and Responsibilities of System Partners Partners: Categories: Evaluation & Accountability Leadership Administration & Management Professional Development (PD) & Technical Assistance (TA) Community Outreach • OCDEL • PA Key • Six Regional Keys

13. OCDEL (Evaluation & Accountability) • Develops an evaluation framework to assess the process and outcomes of Keys to Quality. • Establishes participation and STAR level targets in cooperation with Regional Key leadership. • Monitors through the Program Review Instrument (PRI) specific deliverables of the contract. • Supports the development and implementation of the PELICAN Keys to Quality Data System.

14. PA Key (Evaluation & Accountability) • Supports development and implementation of web based PD calendar and practitioner registry at www.pakeys.org. • Assist OCDEL in evaluating data and providing feedback by region on amount and types of PD and TA delivered. • In consultation with OCDEL, supports development of policies and procedures to ensure consistent, reliable implementation of TA, PD, and STARS designations. • Manages ERS assessments system.

15. Regional Key (Evaluation & Accountability) • Assesses, evaluates and improves the success of regional implementation of Keystone STARS. • Maintains regional data on Early Childhood Education (ECE) quality and practitioner PD/education. • Provides regional support to providers using the Early Learning Network. • Achieves monthly and annual STARS provider movement targets. • Completes quarterly PRI reports.

16. OCDEL (Leadership) • Develops benchmarks for quality improvement in the early learning system and tracks progress in achieving these benchmarks. • Identifies and targets financial resources of ECE programs with the PA Key, Regional Keys, and STARS Advisory. • Reviews and revises the STARS standards, policies and procedures.

17. PA Key (Leadership) • Implements Pennsylvania’s quality improvement agenda with OCDEL. • Leads the work on engagement of the higher education community. • Coordinates state-wide policies and practices • Facilitates coordination of cross-sector behavior supports.

18. Regional Key (Leadership) • Provides overall leadership to their Region in achieving the quality benchmarks set forth for Keystone STARS. • Meets regularly and engages on a county and regional level to ensure a strong working relationship and shared vision for the quality improvement system with stakeholders. • Develops a plan for delivering PD opportunities which assist practitioners to attain higher levels on the PA career lattice.

19. OCDEL (Administration & Management) • Directly contracts with, supervises, and partners with the PA Key and Regional Keys. • Supervises and monitors the work of the PA Key and Regional Keys by developing contracts and work plans for administration and implementation of Keystone STARS and the PA Professional Development (PD) system.

20. PA Key (Administration & Management) • Oversees statewide administration of the PD system. • Implements Environment Rating Scales. • Manages state-wide PD contracts. • Oversees administration of Director’s Credential, School Age Professional Credential, Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS), voucher program, practitioner registry, and online PD calendar. • Manages programs such as PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start State Supplemental, Head Start Collaboration Office, Early Head Start, Keystone Babies. • Manages Community Engagement including PA Promise for Children. • Manages multiple special initiatives and foundation grants.

21. Regional Key (Administration & Management) • Creates a regional quality improvement plan for PD and TA. • Develops a PD and TA budget for the regional quality improvement allocation. • Assumes responsibility for fiscal management of regional quality improvement allocation. • Implements STARS in the region.

22. OCDEL (PD/TA) • Provides an allocation of PD/TA and funds through contracts with the PA Key and each of the Regional Keys. • Develops policies and procedures. • Serves as a link to the PA Department of Education. • Approves PD and TA plans for each of the regions with the PA Key.

23. PA Key (PD/TA) • Provides leadership and coordination of cross-systems PD and TA. • Offers PD and TA to Regional Keys and their partners through PDII’s, webinars etc. • Reviews and develops statewide curriculum materials and PD modules.

24. Regional Key (PD/TA) • Implements PD and TA supports and collaborates with other TA sources regionally. • Administers Early Childhood Education PD and TA funds in the region and supports ECE cross systems PD regionally. • Ensures that PD is credit-bearing. • Ensures that PD instructors and TA providers satisfy PQAS requirements and evaluate the services. • Monitors TA providers on the STARS Technical Assistance Accountability Program (STARS-TAAP). • Supports PD and TA of Keystone STARS programs in PA Pre-K Counts and other initiatives.

25. OCDEL (Community Outreach & Coordination) • Regularly meets with the STARS Advisory Committee. • Develops and plans statewide meetings and conferences to improve programs and practitioner skills in delivering ECE services. • Provides consultation to the PA Key and Regional Keys regarding the CEG’s and outreach around STARS in the community. • Develops guidelines, review applications, and determines funding levels for CEGs. • Informs Regional Keys of CEGs funding allocation.

26. PA Key (Community Outreach & Coordination) • Oversees the development of outreach materials. • Provides and develops TA, PD, and outreach materials for the CEGs. • Manages the PA Promise for Children campaign and BUILD listserve. • Coordinates cross-sector initiatives.

27. Regional Key (Community Outreach & Coordination) • Conducts outreach. • Maintains up-to-date information on all PD and TA activities in the region. • Ensures awareness and accessibility of scholarships ( TEACH, vouchers, etc.). • Manages regional CEG contracts.

29. What Regional Key Do You Represent? • NWRK or SWRK • CRK or SCRK • NERK or SERK

30. Q and A

31. Professional Development (PD) • Foundations of PD System: • The Core Body of Knowledge (CBK) • Professional Development Record (PDR) • Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) • Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) • Core Series and Keystone STARS Support Professional Development

32. Core Body of Knowledge:Early Care Professionals Need to know: Need to be able to: Create a safe and interesting environment. Plan activities and experiences appropriate for children’s age/abilities. Stimulate children’s physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development. Guide children’s interaction towards self/others. • How children grow and develop. • How children can be safe and remain healthy. • How children’s families support their lives. • How and why children’s development is assessed. • How to value and support diversity.

33. Professional Development Record (PDR) • Section I: List of employment history • Section II: Record prior PD activities • Section III: Assess knowledge and skills and relate PD to the competency areas within the CBK • Section IV: Develop planned and emergent annual PD opportunities

34. Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) • Designed to ensure quality PD and TA provided to early childhood and school-aged practitioners. • All instructors or TA consultants who work with practitioners and want to be eligible to participate in OCDEL funded initiatives are required to be approved by the PQAS. • Approved PD instructors and TA consultants can develop and deliver PD and TA accepted for OCDEL and DPW PD requirements. • PQAS PD instructors and TA consultants are approved for a period of 5 years.

35. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) • CQI Process: • Develop a shared vision: define what you want to achieve • Plan: define and analyze the current process • Do: develop an improvement plan and implement that plan • Study: review the results • Act: incorporate changes and improvements

36. Core Series and Keystone STARS Support Professional Development • STARS Standards require each director of a facility to complete the Core Series professional development. • The PA Key develops the curriculum and each Regional Key is responsible for providing and/or coordinating adequate sessions to meet the needs of practitioners. • Each Regional Key also coordinates other professional development sessions so STARS programs can meet the continuing education requirements of the standards.

38. Keystone STARS • Promotes continuous quality improvement in early learning and school age environments. • Proven to improve the quality of child care programs in PA. • Provide parents with a tool to gauge the quality of care and early education their child will receive. • *Over 4,420 child care programs participating in Keystone STARS • *Over 168,530 children enrolled in STARS programs. • (* 09-10 OCDEL Annual Report)

39. Provider Participation

40. STARS: How it works • Builds on the health & safety requirements of certification. • Learning Programs enroll at Start with STARS or STAR levels 1-4. • Must meet research-based performance standards for: • Staff qualifications and professional development; • Learning Program; • Partnerships with family and community; and • Leadership and management.

41. Increase in Higher Quality STAR Programs

42. Keystone STARS • Type of Procedure: • STAR Designation • STAR Designation Renewal • STAR Status Review • STAR Action Plan • STAR Reduction • STAR Suspension • STAR Removal

43. Keystone STARS • Status: STAR Designation • Process by which a facility requests to become a STAR program. • Must have a legally authorized representative of the facility sign an Attestation for STAR Designation. • Submit paperwork to the Regional Key along with an accurate facility enrollment and proof of ERS Request.

44. Keystone STARS • Status: STAR Designation Renewal • STAR 4 accredited sites will be required to have an ERS assessment in renewal years 2, 4, 6, etc. • The ERS score will be effective for 2 years and the provider must have an ERS assessment during the second renewal year.

45. Keystone STARS • Status: STARS Status Review • The intent is to provide the Regional Key with a maximum of 30 days to make a determination regarding the appropriate action to take upon a provider’s Keystone STAR status. • If course of action is necessary from the Status Review, the Regional Key will proceed to a STARS Action Plan.

46. Keystone STARS • Status: STARS Action Plan • Must detail the areas of issue, the action steps needed to correct the problem, the timeframe for completion, and the person responsible/involved in the action steps. • If the requirements for the STAR Action Plan are not met, the Regional Key will proceed with a STAR Reduction or STAR Suspension.

47. Keystone STARS • Status: STAR Reduction • The provider agrees to a reduced STAR level for which the provider meets all STARS Performance Standards. • It is important to assist the provider through this process.

48. Keystone STARS • Status: STAR Suspension • The following steps apply: • Notification of STAR Suspension- provider has 10 days from the mailing date to dispute. • Further Notification- either “Continuation” or “Reinstatement.” • Designation Action- Regional Key has 5 business days to record suspension into PELICAN K2Q. • STAR Suspension Action Plan- results in either STAR Reinstatement or STAR Removal.

49. Keystone STARS • Status: STAR Removal • Regional Key proceeds with removal if any of the following are verified: • The provider closes. • Certification initiates an Emergency Removal or action to Refuse to Renew or Revoke the provider’s Certificate of Compliance. • The provider fails to submit a “Request for Designation Renewal” to renew its current STAR designation. • The provider doesn’t meet the requirements of the STAR Suspension action plan.

50. Keystone STARS • Designator Reliability: • Frequency of Reliability Visits • Selecting a Reliability Partner • Official Designation