SOLANCONEWS.com -- Pre-K is Working Throughout State

Pre-K is Working Throughout State
HARRISBURG -- A Department of Education study shows that the inaugural year of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is working. Year-end assessments show a 58-percent increase in the number of children meeting targets for early language and literacy skills.

First-year reports on children’s progress also show nearly 70 percent of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts children have achieved age-appropriate skills and behaviors after participating in the program. Another 25 percent demonstrate emerging age-appropriate skills and behaviors, including:

A 62 percent increase in the number of children showing age-appropriate positive social/emotional skills (from 4,810 children upon entry to 7,782 now).

A 58 percent increase in the number of children showing age-appropriate acquisition of knowledge of skills, including early language and literacy (from 5,039 children upon entry to 7,979 now).

A 51 percent increase in the number of children showing age-appropriate use of behaviors to meet needs (from 5,299 children upon entry to 7,979 now).

At least 21 percent of children progressed from having no age appropriate skills upon enrollment in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts to having emerging or age-appropriate skills after participating in the program.

Outcomes for PA Pre-K Counts students compare positively to outcomes in other states that have had pre-K programs in place for as long as 20 years.

“Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is a resounding success for children, families and the commonwealth,” said Education Secretary Dr. Gerald Zahorchak. “The children who participated in a Pre-K Counts program will enter kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed and will carry this success throughout school and into their careers.”

Governor Rendell’s 2008-09 budget proposes an additional investment of $12.55 million to provide quality pre-kindergarten services to an additional 1,000 children. Requests from parents and pre-K providers puts demand four times higher than the proposed budget increase.

Approximately 11,000 three- and four-year-olds in most counties across the state participated in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in the 2007-08 school year.

Grantees used multiple sources to rate the child’s progress on the seven point scale. Sources included child observations, portfolio collection, staff and parent input as well as a valid and reliable assessment tool. In future years, grantees will use the Work Sampling assessment tool.

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is just one of the targeted educational investments Governor Rendell plans to build upon in his new budget, which also calls for a new school funding formula to help districts move towards adequate resource levels to ensure all children can achieve academic proficiency by investing $2.6 billion over the next six years.

For more information on Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s early childhood education Web page at www.pde.state.pa.us/early_childhood and click on the “Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts” link on the left side of the page.

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