Frequently Asked Questions

Healthy Child Care Colorado and partners are committed to an inclusive process welcoming those interested in and impacted by Pyramid Model today and in the future. We have reached out to many stakeholder groups to invite thinking partnerships. Updates regarding how Pyramid work impacts and is impacted by our changing Colorado early care and education landscape are shared through the HCCC and Pyramid Colorado newsletters. You can submit suggestions or questions to Pyramid Colorado and the Pyramid State Leadership Team at info@healthychildcareco.org.   

The transition is complete. However, we anticipate the refresh of programming and the growth of our leadership structure with the addition of Workgroups connected to the Pyramid State Leadership Team to continue through 2023.

To learn more about the work of Healthy Child Care Colorado, please visit our website at healthychildcareco.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!  

We accessed the Pyramid Network regarding PSLT (Pyramid State Leadership Team) membership by creating a nomination process allowing the network to inform leadership. We received 35 nominations. All 35 were accepted by the nominees and then HCCC finalized selections with support from our funder and a consultant.  

The Pyramid State Leadership Team collaborates to provide insight, context, expertise, and guidance to Healthy Child Care Colorado on matters of programming, research, opportunities, funding, and systems alignment. The team ensures that Pyramid-related efforts maintain relevance, meaning, and utility in local, state, and national contexts. They also support our annual priority areas, acting to ensure success.  

Please continue to check the Healthy Child Care Colorado training calendar for Pyramid Plus Approach (PPA) training opportunities throughout the state. You may also check with your local Early Childhood Council to find scheduled PPA training. Additionally, as Colorado Pyramid Model training becomes available, in the late summer of 2022, it too will be posted on the training calendar. 

The PPA is expected to sunset in December 2022.  So, from the last half of 2022 participants will get credit for either the PPA or the Pyramid Colorado Modules. Participants will get the same recognition in PDIS for receiving either training.  

No. The points earned in the Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System for successfully completing the full Pyramid training, delivered by a certified individual, do not expire. The Pyramid training will not “need” to be repeated once the new content is available. Additionally, participants wanting the new content for continuous quality improvement, may still earn points for annual training if deciding to participate in the new Colorado Pyramid Modules.

In the new Professional Development Information System (PDIS), Pyramid training is considered a “Training of Special Recognition” and the points for participating in Pyramid training do not expire.  

The full 45-hour series of Pyramid Plus Approach (PPA)  facilitated by a Pyramid Plus Center Certified Trainer  

or 

 the full 45-hour series of Colorado Pyramid Modules facilitated by a Healthy Child Care Colorado Certified Pyramid Facilitator is considered “Training of Special Recognition” in PDIS. 

The short answer is, “no,” for a few reasons. First, The PPA was vetted through the state system and aligned with training and coaching qualifications/competencies used at that time. (There is a plan to align the new Pyramid Colorado Modules, due to be released sometime in 2023, into the new system after modifications to the system are complete and the state back-log no longer exists.) 

Additionally, as a ‘training of special recognition’ with points that do not expire in the PDIS system, we want to hold Pyramid content in an intentional way, working to unite Pyramid efforts and braid systems and setting that implement the Pyramid Model in our state. We can do this by including real Colorado examples in our professional development content. Those examples are not in the e-Modules 

Furthermore, we are working to ensure that our content continues to align with the higher ed system for ECE 103 at the 2 year and ECED 4202 at the 4-year level as well, for concurrent and prior credit. 

Still, we LOVE the PMCs (Pyramid Model Consortium) E-Pyramid Modules. Though they do not align with our system, the content is fully Pyramid and amazing! Many share that they do annual Pyramid training but use the E-Pyramid Modules for staff onboarding between the full trainings as a fabulous way engage inexperienced staff in Pyramid early on!. 

Yes. The PPA training still meets this requirement. It is equivalent to the Early Childhood Guidance Strategies course and may be used in meeting education requirements for positions held in licensed child care facilities and family child care homes. Additionally, as the new Pyramid Model training becomes available, sometime in 2023, the PPA will sunset. When that transition occurs, participants will get the same recognition for ECE 103 in PDIS for completion of the Colorado Pyramid Modules.  

Yes! HCCC has been partnering with University of Colorado Denver to create a pathway to college credit.  Participants who participate in Colorado Department of Early Childhood 45-hour Pyramid “Training of Special Recognition” with a certified person can earn college credit.  

The University of Colorado Denver received funding from the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) to help working early childhood educators pursue degree pathways. This funding allows educators full tuition to complete and receive undergraduate credit through the University of Colorado Denver. Educators completing the Pyramid Plus training can enroll in the ECED 4202: Child Guidance course offered by the University of Colorado Denver. This credit can be transferred to your 2-year higher ed institution for ECE 103 as well. Tuition will be paid by CDHE funding upon enrollment in the course. The University of Colorado Denver will manage all tuition payment processes on behalf of those enrolled. More information is on our website! 

Finally, we have been invited to work with the Institutes of Higher Education (IHE), key stakeholders for Colorado Pyramid Model, and state PDIS personnel to build a collaborative partnership working toward innovative ways to alleviate barriers for early childhood education professionals seeking higher education pathways.  

For more information and a definition of CEUs (Continuing Education Units) in Colorado’s PDIS system, please visit the Colorado Department of Early Childhood website  If CEUs are listed as ongoing professional development component of the Early Childhood Professional Credential 3.0, please convert CEUs to clock hours using the following formula: 0.1 CEUs = 1 clock hour. 

Some important points to consider:  

1. If your most recent Pyramid Plus certification expired in or after 2020, you were given and extension through June of 2023.  
2. According to our state’s Professional Development Information System (PDIS), you will no longer be certified to train or coach once your Pyramid Plus Certification expires (including the provided extensions), until you become certified as a Pyramid Colorado Facilitator by applying for, being accepted into, and completing the 10-month certification process. Re-certification is NOT available. 
3. Those Pyramid Plus Certified Trainers and Coaches whose original expiration is in 2023 will not receive extensions. When their Pyramid Plus Certification expires, they will need to certify as Pyramid Colorado Facilitators to continue their Pyramid training and coaching activities in a manner that allows the participants to receive points in our PDIS and QRS.  

HCCC has established an annual routine for accepting and hosting a cohort of certification candidates. Applications and candidate selection for certification occurs annually in May. The cohort is announced in June. Certification work begins in late August and continues to June of the following calendar year.  Watch our newsletters and website for Pyramid updates, applications information (when available), and more!  

To apply to become a Facilitator Candidate you need to have completed the 45-hour Pyramid Plus Approach “Training of Special Recognition” in the Professional Development Information System (PDIS) from a Certified Facilitator and hold a Trainer Credential in PDIS. Any additional Pyramid work can strengthen you application.

We recognize and applaud that the Pyramid Model content is an important component of our early childhood system! Currently we have both the Pyramid Training Project and the Pyramid Coaching Project, which will continue through September of 2023, to support those interested in growing their implementation program-wide.  Additionally we look forward to the new Module 4 to be released from NCPMI with additional and refreshed guidance for programs on forming a Leadership Team, completing the Program Wide Benchmarks of Quality, communicating with families about Pyramid and more! Finally, at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, we will present a panel presentation on program wide implementation entitled, Pyramid Model: Stories of Implementation. 

Pyramid Model work is an important component of our early childhood system.  “Community-Wide Implementation” is a newer facet of national Pyramid work we believe is going to be a powerful support our efforts to scale and sustain high fidelity implementation of the Pyramid Model in Colorado. Our state has deep regional roots supported by both Early Childhood Councils and now Universal PreK Local Coordinating Agencies. Currently we are providing some technical assistance to a few groups and larger programs with multiple locations in visioning and executing community-wide implementation. Watch our newsletters and website for Pyramid updates, applications information (when available)!  

You can submit questions related to Community-Wide Implementation to info@healthychildcareco.org    

We recognize and applaud that the Pyramid Model content is an important component of our early childhood system! We are in the process of assessing what support might be available with federal funding. While we consider possibilities, we are also connecting with ECCLA for feedback on how Councils may be a vehicle for implementation support as our early childhood landscape experiences another iterative change. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.