New partnership provides free credential evaluations for teachers
MILWAUKEE — March 31, 2026 —Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE), a nonprofit
organization boasting 46 years of experience in international credential evaluation, has partnered with The Pennsylvania Key (PA Key) to support internationally educated early childhood education professionals. The collaboration is designed to reduce barriers for Pennsylvania’s international career pathway applicants, signaling a new workforce targeting strategy for the Milwaukee-based nonprofit.
The Pennsylvania Key is a trusted business partner of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and works to enhance early learning experiences. Through ongoing support and coaching, including mental health consultation, program quality assessment and tuition-based assistance, the PA Key bolsters access to social, emotional and intellectual resources for early childhood educators.
“International career pathways remain a strong growth channel for the early childhood education field, yet internationally trained teachers continue to face an uphill battle, including costly transcript evaluations and confusing, time-consuming applications,” said OCDEL Deputy Secretary, Shante’ Brown. “As a NACES Charter Member, ECE was selected to partner with the PA Key to develop a more intuitive, accessible evaluation experience that can help simplify recruitment challenges.”
Now, international education evaluations are provided at low or no cost. Applicants can use this link to receive a free credential evaluation: http://pennkey.ece.org/
“ECE is delighted to partner with Pennsylvania to support international applicants with free, high-quality credential evaluations,” said Client Solutions Manager at ECE, Melissa Ganiere. “At ECE, our mission is to open doors and create ongoing pathways to success. We welcome opportunities to partner with more State Boards of Education to extend that impact nationwide.”
The PA Key issued a competitive solicitation and received multiple proposals. Submissions were evaluated by a review committee of PA Key and OCDEL staff using a standardized scoring rubric. ECE achieved the highest overall score following a two-phase review process and was selected for award.
To learn more about ECE, visit: https://www.ece.org/ECE/About
About Educational Credential Evaluators
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1980, ECE evaluates foreign educational credentials of individuals for the purposes of studying or working in the U.S. and Canada. ECE reports give individuals from other countries the recognition they deserve for education completed in their home countries and give higher education institutions, employers, health care organizations and licensing boards confidence that educational equivalencies between countries are accurate. ECE’s mission is to ensure that educational qualifications are fairly and accurately recognized across borders. Launched in 2016, ECE Aid™ is a charitable initiative developed to provide free evaluation reports for vulnerable and displaced populations. In addition to providing reports, ECE team members provide ongoing training and support to the international education community.
About OCDEL
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is a dual deputate of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Education (PDE).
OCDEL is responsible for implementing the majority of the Commonwealth’s state and federally funded early learning initiatives. This includes licensing, capacity-building, and quality improvement for child care; eligibility determination for subsidized child care services; support for families of young children through home visiting; Early Intervention (EI) services Birth through Three and Preschool EI; and the prekindergarten programs Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. The work of the office is focused on increasing access to and the continuous quality improvement of services to children, including enhancing the qualifications of the early childhood workforce.
