Partners in Employment Reporting (PER)

Partners in Employment Reporting

Partners in Employment Reporting (PER) states are registries that have

demonstrated a commitment to quality and community.

The NWRA recognizes that data are powerful when used to inform policy or support quality initiatives. Although a single registry can make significant contributions at the local and state levels, its impact is limited at the national level. With its broad-based membership and foundational standards development, the NWRA is in a unique position to be able to coordinate efforts so registries can collectively have a national impact. To that end, the NWRA devised the Partners in Employment Reporting to determine the level of “readiness” for participation in data-related projects at the national level that inform policy or support quality initiatives. It not only looks at what data are collected and the consistency of format, but more importantly, how data are collected with a review of key policies and processes. PER is a streamlined process, using one application and verification process for its multiple projects.

PER standards exist not to tell you HOW to run your registry but to demonstrate your state’s taking active steps to maintaining quality standards for workforce data collection and reporting.

In order to establish the standards and criteria for PER, the NWRA reviewed our partnering organizations’ needs and requirements, the NWRA Core Data Elements, and the NWRA Best Practice Standards. This review resulted in a list of operating standards and data elements that would be required for each project and the criteria for verification. Generally, the standards and criteria for all three projects within PER can be organized into ten key areas.

Enrollment
Review Process
Verification
Data Entry and Continuity
Processing Time
Data Maintenance, Storage and Sharing
Confidentiality
Due Process
Communication
Core Data Elements

2022 Map of PER Recognized States

Digging Into Data Quality

NEW: PER Elements Updates Adopted 2022

After numerous rounds of revisions, over a number of years, the PER Data Elements have been updated to reflect better practices and a more inclusive, equity-aligned mission and definitions. While this round of edits was approved, the Standards & Data Committee, along with our (B)JEDI Committee, are aware of and working further to find external data partners to support us with deeper, more intentional equity informing variables and design. We expect even more inclusive, equity informing data elements in 2025.

NEW

2022 Updated

PER Core Data Elements

PER Projects and Partnerships

Below are some examples of partnerships that have been part of PER. Using Partnership Agreements with national organizations, PER states are able to run reports that can be accepted by NAEYC, NAFCC, and NAC for program accreditation applications. These collaborative efforts allow us to leverage existing infrastructure to effectively support our ECE workforce. An additional partnership with the Council for Professional Recognition, to simplify provider CDA credential applications, is being finalized in 2023.

NWRA Early Childhood and School-Age National Workforce Dataset Project

Allows registries to contribute their data into a larger dataset to inform policy. The goals of the project are to:
-Access state- and/or regional-level data from registries
-Inform the development of workforce briefs and policy papers
-Identify where registries need additional resources to increase their data contributions

CDA Council for Professional Recogntion

Aligned Training Transcripts are accepted as official documents for credential applications.

NAC Accreditation Project - Documenting Provider Qualifications

Helps registries facilitate early childhood programs’ pursuit of accreditation. The goals of the project are to:
-Identify and maintain a list of registries throughout the nation that are approved to generate the Director and Staff Verification Reports to contribute to the NAC Accreditation requirement sand to meet annual reporting requirements
-Create new partnerships between directors of early childhood programs and the registry while supporting the partnership between the director and NAC.

NAFCC Accreditation Project -Documenting Provider Qualifications

Helps registries facilitate family child care programs’ pursuit of accreditation. The goals of the project are to:
-Identify and maintain a list of registries throughout the nation that are approved to generate the report to meet NAFCC
accreditation requirements and to meet annual reporting requirements
- Create new partnerships between family child care providers and the registry while supporting the partnership between the provider and NAFCC.

NAEYC Accreditation Project - Documenting Staff Qualifications

Helps registries facilitate early childhood programs’ pursuit of accreditation. The goals of the project are to:
- Identify and maintain a list of registries throughout the nation that are approved to generate the Director and Staff Verification Reports to contribute to the NAEYC candidacy determination and to meet annual reporting requirements
- Create new partnerships between directors of early childhood programs and the registry while supporting the partnership between the director and NAEYC

Steps to Becoming a PER State

Download PER Materials

Benefits from PER

Increased Analysis and Recognition

Registries benefit from analysis of their data and increased recognition about the role registries play in career development systems and the value of their data.

Insured Central Location for Data

Early childhood and school-age professionals have a central location to submit their training and education data in order to meet the requirements for state and national quality initiatives.
Additionally, they benefit as data are used to inform policy decisions at the local, state, and
regional levels.

Tracking Staff Training

Directors have a centralized, consistent, and ongoing method of tracking staff training and education for multiple purposes (e.g., QRS, NAEYC, licensing, etc.).

Increased Enrollment

Registries experience increased enrollment as directors encourage staff to enroll, thereby making their data more robust.

Reduces Partners Work

Partner organizations benefit from reduced data collection and verification (i.e., transcript review) for early childhood programs that submit an approved, registry-generated report.