Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood

Location: Pennsylvania, US

Authors: Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning

Pennsylvania's Learning Standards for Early Childhood are research-based according to age and development, and form the foundation for curriculum, assessment, instruction and intervention within early care and education programs. They were originally constructed as a joint project of the Departments of Education and Human Services. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning in collaboration with the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education have overseen revisions to the standards.

Each set of standards has been formulated with help and guidance from practitioners and program specialists who represented early childhood programs, school districts, higher education, family leaders, policy analysts, and researchers. A group of Pennsylvania educators, in conjunction with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, created a set of Pennsylvania Core Standards beginning with Pre-Kindergarten.

The 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 of children, and provide a common framework for community-based alignment work.

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood website.