Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
Barbara G. Minzenberg, Ph.D.
Deputy Secretary
Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Pennsylvania Departments of
Education and Public Welfare

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• 2002 - Cross-Sector group of Stakeholders begin work on standards
• First step was to design “ guiding principles ”
• 2004 - Pre-Kindergarten Standards adopted
• 2007 - Infant/Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten (revision); Kindergarten;
1 st grade and 2 nd grade Standards adopted

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• 2008 - Alignment study conducted by Catherine Scott-Little and
Sharon Lynn Kagan
• 2009 - Learning Standards for Early Childhood revised and adopted (Infant/Toddler; Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten)

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• Required use in state funded early childhood programs
• School-based Pre-kindergarten
• Private academic schools
• Basis for transition efforts between Pre-kindergarten and
Kindergarten
• Certification of child care programs

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• Early Intervention
• PQAS certified instructors
• Higher Education
• Curriculum and Assessment
• Family – friendly calendars, materials based on standards

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• Launched in December 2009
• Repository of free materials and resources for teachers, families and administrators
• Approximately 120,000 registered users to date

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• Collaboration with Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Mathematics Standards for
Pre-Kindergarten posted on the SAS Portal in 2010
• Science and Social Studies Standards to be posted on the SAS Portal by
June 2012
• Social Emotional Standards (Student Interpersonal Skills) to be posted on the SAS Portal by June 2012
• Environment and Ecology Standards currently in revision www.pdesas.org

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• Pennsylvania adopts Common Core in July 2010
• Pennsylvania drafts PA Common Core Standards in English Language
Arts and Mathematics – 2011 and 2012 which include Pre-Kindergarten standards
• Pennsylvania Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 12 Common Core Standards Draft presented to Pennsylvania Board of Education March 2012 and await approval

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• Continued collaboration with Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education
• Environment and Ecology, Physical Health and Wellness, Creative Arts and
Approaches to Learning Standards to be refined and posted on the SAS
Portal (anticipated 2012-2013)
• Reprint of Learning Standards for Early Childhood booklets to include standards revisions, concepts and competencies and supportive practices

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
• funding issues continue to be a challenge
• underlying philosophical differences present challenges
• relationship building takes time

Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
Tom Corbett, Governor | Ronald Tomalis, Secretary of Education | Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of Public Welfare www.education.state.pa.us | www.dpw.state.pa.us
Barbara G. Minzenberg, Ph.D. Deputy Secretary
Departments of Education and Public Welfare
Office of Child Development and Early Learning
333 Market Street, 6th Fl Harrisburg, PA 17126
Phone: 717.346.9320 Fax: 717.346.9330