OCDEL Releases Announcement on NAEYC Accreditation Standards, Keystone STARS Alternate Pathways

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement regarding changes to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation standards and system and implications for Keystone STARS Alternate Pathways.

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The announcement shares information on how changes to NAEYC will affect early care and education providers using NAEYC accreditation as a Keystone STARS, OCDEL-approved, Alternate Pathway to a STAR 4 designation.

As of March 3, NAEYC began using a new tiered system of accreditation. The three tiers included:

  • Recognition: NAEYC defined this as the first step to high quality. It requires a documentation review, and a one-year term is renewed annually.

  • Accreditation: Requires a documentation review and there is potential for a random site visit. It has a five-year term with annual reporting required.

  • Accreditation +: This requires a documentation review and site visit, and there’s potential for a random site visit. This has a five-year term with annual reporting required.

Impact of Accreditation Changes on STARTS Designation

Following an internal review of NAEYC’s new accreditation standards and tiers, OCDEL established that the Accreditation + tier will be acknowledged as an approved Alternate Pathway to a STAR 4 designation.

The NAEYC tiers of Recognition or Accreditation will not serve as OCDEL-approved Alternate Pathways to higher STARS designations.

Programs that are currently NAEYC accredited will transition to the Accreditation + tier and will not see any impact on their STAR 4 Alternate Pathway designation. If these programs experienced a drop in their NAEYC accreditation status to one of the lower tiers, they would also be designated as a STAR 1.

Programs that want to move up in STAR levels can do so by using the Keystone STARS Performance Standards or achieving the highest NAEYC accreditation tier of Accreditation +. Programs using an OCDEL-approved Alternate Pathway to a higher STAR level must complete all requirements for Keystone STARS as explained in the ELRC Policy Announcement 21 #08.

Next Steps

All programs currently using or planning to use NAEYC as an Alternate Pathway to a STAR 4 designation should:

  • Review the information contained in the OCDEL announcement.

  • Complete any upcoming Keystone STARS designation renewals as required.

  • Review their current Accreditation VUD to determine their NAEYC renewal status. For questions regarding NAEYC standards, assessments or processes, email accreditation.information@naeyc.org or call 1-800-424-2460.

  • Programs are encouraged to discuss their Keystone STARS designation with their quality coach.

ELRCs should review the information in the OCDEL announcement and direct any questions to their program representative. 

News, ProvidersNathan DukeKeystone STARS, OCDEL, NAEYC, STAR 4 designation, Alternate Pathway