ExceleRate Illinois has training requirements for several Standards for the on-site administrator and/or teaching staff.  

Please use the pdf Training Requirements for Licensed Child Care Centers (484 KB)  as a guide to ensure completion of the trainings for the Circle of Quality your program is pursuing. 

For a training to be ExceleRate approved it must also be Gateways Registry approved and appear on Section 3, 4, or 5 of the individual’s Professional Development Record (PDR). 

The majority of the ExceleRate required trainings are available online through the Gateways i-learning system. Other trainings can be located on the Gateways Training Calendar.

ExceleRate Standards that include training not available through Gateways i-learning are included below:

Learning Environment (Standard 1A)

How ERS Works training is now available on Gateways i-Learning. Spanish How ERS Works will be available in March 2026.

*If you have previously taken Introduction to ERS for ExceleRate eligibility, you do not need to complete How ERS Works.

After completing Introductory ERS trainings, staff should continue on to complete training they use within their classroom. Illinois offered trainings include:

  • Making ITERS-3 Work For You: Supporting Young Children’s Playful Learning – is available through Gateways i-Learning. This training is for center administrators and teaching staff in classrooms with children birth to 36 months.

  • Making ECERS-3 Work For You: Supporting Children’s Engagement in Learning – anticipated in February 2026, with Spanish training available, in March.

Other ExceleRate-approved entities that offer ERS training:

Child Care Education Institute (CCEI)
Search “ITERS-3” or “ECERS-3”

Training developed by the Scale authors offered through Kaplan Early Learning Company.

From the dropdown, choose ITERS-3, ECERS-3, SACERS-U or FCCERS-R. Some versions are also available in Spanish.

These are online, self-paced training modules. After payment is made, login information will come from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. within 1-2 days.

Program Administration (Standard 3A)

Getting Ready for the Program Administration Scale (PAS)- 2nd Edition