York Daily Record: Op-Ed: Early Childhood Education: An Investment Worth Making
May 17, 2017 by Rep. Carol Hill-Evans
Decades of research have shown the significant ways a child’s brain develops in the early years – long before kindergarten. A child’s brain capacity is said to be 90 percent developed before the child turns 5.
Those years present a valuable opportunity that we can’t afford to waste.
But unfortunately, not every child in Pennsylvania – or York County – is getting to make the most of that critical time.
A 2015 report from the National Institute for Early Education Research showed neighboring states – New York, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia – are all reaching more 4-year-olds with pre-K than we are here in Pennsylvania.
Data from the Pre-K for PA campaign shows that across Pennsylvania, about 69 percent of children who are eligible for publicly funded, high quality pre-kindergarten are not getting it.
And in York County, that number is higher. About 80 percent of eligible children in our county – children who are low-income or have other special needs – do not have access to these programs.
That’s 4,380 local children who are missing a vital opportunity that could put them on the path toward educational success.
We at the state level have to do our part to help correct that.
That is why I support Gov. Tom Wolf’s efforts to increase funding for early childhood education and make sure we are getting more children off to a good start.
For 2017-18, Wolf has proposed a $75 million increase for Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs. If you couple that with the $60 million in additional funding that the governor has been able to secure in the past two years, it would mean more than 8,400 additional children are able to enroll in those programs.
That’s 8,400 more children who would be put on a path more likely to lead to success in later grades and graduation.
The evidence on the benefits of pre-K is overwhelming. It reduces the need for remedial instruction, grade repetition and special education services later in a child’s life. It leads to increased graduation rates and college and technical school enrollment.
Some examples:
- A study in Michigan showed children who went to pre-K did better on fourth-grade math and literacy tests than students who did not have pre-K. They were also 35 percent less likely to repeat a grade.
- Research in Pittsburgh Public Schools found that providing early intervention services in pre-K eliminated the need for special education services for 42 percent of children in kindergarten.
- And a New Jersey analysis found children attending pre-K for one year were 30 percent less likely to repeat a grade. That percentage grew to 50 percent for children enrolled for two years.
There are many organizations in our community working to bring these valuable programs to our youngest learners.
The York City School District has been working to expand its pre-kindergarten programs in recent years, counting on it as a way to help better prepare students for their K-12 years. And York is lucky to have a number of other high quality options available.
But they need more support. Including the increases proposed by the governor in next year’s budget would make it easier to expand these high-impact programs and help us put more York and Pennsylvania children on the road to bright educational futures.
A few weeks ago, I sponsored a resolution in the House to mark the “Week of the Young Child” in Pennsylvania, because I believe that a child’s early years are critical to future success.
For that same reason, I’ll keep fighting for increased funding for high quality programs for our youngest learners.
The Republican budget that has passed the House and been forwarded to the Senate – a budget crafted without Democratic input or support – would dramatically reduce the early learning funding increases proposed by Wolf. It is my hope that we’ll be able to find a way to put those increases back in a final budget.
It’s good for our children, and it’s good for Pennsylvania.
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans is a Democrat from York City.
Sunbury Daily Item: Editorial: Pre-k Puts Kids in Better Place
May 15, 2017
Lawmakers often say they are working to make the world a better place for our children.
If that’s the case, members of the state Legislature should take a close look at a proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf to boost pre-kindergarten funding by $75 million in the next state budget.
“Early childhood education is one of the most effective interventions we can make in the lives of our children,” the governor said. “It is proven that children who participate in high quality pre-K perform better in school later on. They graduate at higher rates, they learn more now, and they earn more later. Good early childhood education levels the playing field for high- and low-income students.”
In Wolf’s first two years in office, the state has increased spending on early childhood education by $60 million, to $147 million for pre-K and $49 million for Head Start. The additional $75 million proposed by Wolf would allow the program to add about 8,400 children, the governor’s office estimated.
A budget passed by the state House would boost spending on early childhood education, but it provides $50 million less than the Wolf proposal.
A spokesman for House Republicans said this week that GOP lawmakers are not convinced that preschools would be ready to ramp up quickly enough to effectively use the the boost in spending.
But others point out that Pennsylvania is lagging behind because the state does not spend as much on early childhood education as many other states. On a per-capita basis, New Jersey spends about $3,000 on early childhood education — four times as much as Pennsylvania does, according to Joan Benso, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, a Republican, said its a good investment. About half of the inmates in Pennsylvania’s prison system dropped out of school, he noted.
“That’s the reason so many in law enforcement support this,” Freed said. “Studies show the programs work.”
It’s good advice for all of those looking to make Pennsylvania a better place for our children.
Lancaster Online: Op-ed: We need to invest in high-quality pre-K in Lancaster County
April 26, 2017 by Randy Patterson and Sue Suter
Lancaster County today is bursting with opportunities.
In one aspect, however, opportunities fall short. Too few children have the opportunity to attend high-quality prekindergarten, which helps prepare kids for success in school and in life. When they lack this essential opportunity, later opportunities for achievement may be out of reach, and our entire community suffers from their absence as productive citizens.
High-quality pre-K coincides with the critical years before age 5, when 90 percent of brain development occurs. By building strong neurological pathways and connectors, the brain prepares the foundation for a lifetime of learning, critical thinking and even socialization.
There’s a hitch, though. Proper brain development requires careful guidance. Carefully crafted, scientifically proven activities such as play and exposure to books help the brain grow healthy and strong. A lack of enrichment discourages the brain from growing to its full potential.
High-quality pre-K provides that enriching atmosphere, and research shows that it’s especially effective for children from lower-income families. Given nurturing experiences, these children enter kindergarten ready to learn, on par with their peers.
By investing in high-quality pre-K, we give kids a strong start, yielding returns that are both immediate and long lasting:
— High-quality pre-K reduces grade repetition and special education placements in later grades, saving resources that schools can spend on other, equally pressing needs.
— Children who benefit from high-quality pre-K are less likely to drop out of school and more likely to graduate and receive post-secondary education. This powerful combination boosts their employment opportunities and earning power, while also reducing the costs to society for social services.
— Every $1 spent in Pennsylvania on early learning such as high-quality pre-K generates an additional 79 cents in other sectors of the economy. Viewed from another perspective, every dollar invested in high-quality pre-K returns up to $17 in long-term savings and benefits.
Despite these proven returns, Pennsylvania’s investment in early learning is lagging. More than 112,900 eligible preschool children aren’t served by high-quality, publicly funded pre-K, even though they qualify.
That’s 64 percent of children ages 3 to 5 who probably aren’t getting the enrichment that boosts their prospects for lifetime success. Chances are, we will never benefit from their future contributions to our businesses and neighborhoods.
Throughout Pennsylvania, the unmet need is felt sharply in every community, whether rural, urban or suburban.
In Lancaster County alone, more than 78 percent of all eligible children in low-income families aren’t afforded the opportunity to attend publicly funded, high-quality pre-K classrooms. Consider the numbers within some local County school districts:
— Penn Manor School District, suburban: 84 percent, an estimated 494 kids.
— Solanco School District, rural: 95 percent, an estimated 768 kids.
— Elizabethtown Area School District, suburban: 90 percent, an estimated 278 kids.
— School District of Lancaster, urban: 55 percent, an estimated 1,015 kids.
These numbers are not unusual. More information about regional school district results can be found in Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children’s recent report, “A Path Forward,” at papartnerships.org/prekinpa.
The United Way of Lancaster County has established a “bold goal” that all children will enter kindergarten ready to learn by 2025. We are funding eight community impact partnerships striving toward that goal through increased access to quality early care, helping teen parents receive post-secondary education credentials, coordinating other wraparound services with early education, increasing the quality of home-based child care, and developing interactive activities that help parents understand their children’s brain development.
By investing in the critical need for high-quality pre-K education, United Way and our partners will create systems in our community to ensure that all Lancaster County children enter kindergarten ready to learn by 2025. However, there is much more work to be done to make this possible.
Public investments are needed to ensure a strong and well-financed child care system that serves as the foundation of effective pre-K delivery. By supporting substantial investments in high-quality pre-K, including the $75 million funding increase proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf in this year’s state budget, we give more children the chance to become productive citizens, ready to deploy their talents for the good of our community and businesses.
Randy Patterson chairs the United Way of Lancaster County board. Sue Suter is the organization’s president and CEO.
See the op-ed here.
Tribune-Democrat: Quality pre-k education key to future workforce
By Mike Artim March 19. 2017
As the new president and CEO of Greater Johnstown/County Cambria Chamber of Commerce, one of the issues I hear about from local businesses is how they struggle to find workers to meet their needs.
And our region isn’t alone.
A report from Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry found that more than half of Pennsylvania employers report difficulty finding employees with adequate skills, training or education, especially in technical fields.
So what can we do to fix this?
Efforts to engage young talent in STEM fields during the K-12 years certainly matter, but a recent report from ReadyNation points to the growing body of research showing that front-end investments in high-quality early childhood education truly plant the seeds of STEM learning.
For example, knowledge of math in preschool and kindergarten is a powerful predictor of later school success, not just in math but also in reading and overall achievement. Children with persistent math problems at ages 6, 8 and 10 are less likely to graduate from high school or attend college.
Unfortunately, across Pennsylvania, 112,900 3- and 4-year-olds who qualify for publicly funded, high-quality prekindergarten are not served. That’s more than 64 percent of eligible children, according to “A Path Forward: Publicly Funded High-Quality Pre-K in Pennsylvania,” from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
Here in Cambria County, the number of eligible children not enrolled in publicly funded, high-quality prekindergarten could fill 53 classrooms.
The unmet need, here and statewide, is fueling a campaign called Pre-K for PA. This campaign has united a wide array of voices calling for greater access to pre-K including United Way, mayors, pediatricians, chamber of commerce leaders, prominent athletes, military and law enforcement leaders and, most importantly, parents of young children.
All these people from varied spheres agree that investments in high-quality prekindergarten make a difference in the lives of children. Further research reveals that children from high-quality prekindergarten are:
• More likely to advance grades in school and have improved social skills.
• Less likely to need special education placements.
• More likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college, increasing their employment possibilities and lifetime earning potential.
• Less likely to commit crimes later in life.
For our communities, the need for less special education and criminal justice intervention saves taxpayer money.
Plus, our workforce and economy are strengthened with educated people equipped with the communications and teamwork skills that employers value.
In fact, every dollar invested returns $17 in long-term savings and benefits.
Currently being considered as part of next year’s state budget is an additional $75 million that would provide pre-K services to 8,400 more children.
Few investments promise such high, proven returns as quality early childhood education.
This must continue to be a priority for Pennsylvania.
Mike Artim is president and CEO of Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce and serves as a member of ReadyNation.
Read the op-ed here.
Chambersburg Public Opinion: High-quality pre-k programs pay big dividends for economy
January 13, 2017 by Mike Ross President of Franklin County Area Development Corporation
“Pennsylvania’s gap between STEM job openings and people qualified to fill them is here now and, without preventive measures, expected to grow.” This headline from 2016 grabbed my attention and concerned me from an economic development perspective.
A report from the business leader organization, ReadyNation, detailed Pennsylvania’s STEM skills gap:
–By 2020, more than 170,000 positions will not be filled by qualified in-state employees with the credentials employers demand.
–52 percent of Pennsylvania employers currently have difficulty finding hires with adequate education, training or credentials.
–56 percent of employers expect recruiting challenges to worsen.
–Business spend $189 million a year on retraining employees.
The report documented that these costly challenges stretch back to secondary and post-secondary schools. Two-thirds of Pennsylvania eighth-graders are not proficient in math and science. More than one quarter of students entering Pennsylvania state system universities enrolled in remedial courses, costing $153 million a year.
Clearly, efforts to engage young talent in STEM fields during the K-12 years matter, but this report pointed to a growing body of research showing that front-end investments in high-quality early childhood education truly plant the seeds of STEM learning. For example: knowledge of math in preschool and kindergarten is a powerful predictor of later school success, not just in math but also in reading and overall achievement. Children with persistent math problems at ages 6, 8, and 10 are less likely to graduate from high school or attend college.
Findings like this have influenced state policy makers over the past several budget cycles and resulted in high-quality prekindergarten being available to thousands more eligible children. However there’s much more work to be done.
Statewide, 112,900 three- and four-year-olds who qualify for publicly funded, high-quality prekindergarten are not served. That’s more than 64 percent of eligible children, according to “A Path Forward: Publicly Funded High-Quality Pre-K in Pennsylvania,” from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
Looking at Franklin County, fewer than 25 percent of kindergarten children who were eligible for publicly funded, high-quality pre-k received it. This includes school districts like Fannett-Metal where only one publicly funded high quality pre-k classrooms exists – leaving nearly 80 percent of eligible three- and four-year-olds without access.
The unmet need, here and statewide, is fueling a campaign called Pre-K for PA. This campaign has united a wide array of voices calling for greater access to pre-k including United Way affiliates, mayors, pediatricians, chamber of commerce leaders, prominent athletes, military and law enforcement leaders, and most importantly parents of young children.
All these people from varied spheres agree that investments in high-quality prekindergarten make a difference in the lives of children. Further research reveals that children from high-quality prekindergarten are:
–More likely to advance grades in school and have improved social skills.
–Less likely to need special education placements.
–More likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college, ramping up their employment possibilities and lifetime earning potential.
–Less likely to commit crimes later in life.
For our communities, the need for less special education and criminal justice intervention saves taxpayer money. Plus, our workforce and economy are strengthened with educated people equipped with the communications and teamwork skills that employers value. In fact, every dollar invested returns $17 in long-term savings and benefits.
All these benefits help explain this groundswell of support for high-quality pre-K.
We believe that Gov. Wolf will, once again, prioritize new investments for pre-k in his upcoming budget proposal for 2017-18. The Pre-K for PA movement is calling for an $85 million investment to serve an additional 10,000 children. That investment should grow in future years, to reach all eligible children and help address affordability issues for hardworking middle-class families who deserve the benefits of high-quality prekindergarten but find it financially out of reach.
By uniting to make these investments a top priority, we assure that our children, families, and communities reap the benefits of preparedness for school and life promised by high-quality prekindergarten.
Mike Ross is President of the Franklin County Area Development Corporation and serves as a member of ReadyNation.
Read the op-ed here.
York Daily Record: Make high-quality prekindergarten a 2017 priority
January 11, 2017 by Chris Reilly York County Commissioner
Movements gain their strength when many people from differing walks of life unite for a single cause. Over the past three years, I have supported an effort known as Pre-K for PA, which is urging meaningful state investments in high-quality prekindergarten.
Why high-quality pre-K? Because it works, and because all children, especially those who start life at disadvantages due to no fault of their own, deserve a chance to succeed. For these kids, high-quality early learning helps to build the foundation for academics, proper social behavior and emotional health.
Neuroscientists have proved that the human brain develops most rapidly from birth to 5, and most effectively with the proper kind of enrichment. Those findings have influenced state policy makers and resulted in high-quality, enriching prekindergarten being available to thousands more eligible children. However, new data show there’s much more work to be done.
Statewide, 112,900 3- and 4-year-olds who qualify for publicly funded, high-quality prekindergarten are not served. That’s more than 64 percent of eligible children, according to “A Path Forward: Publicly Funded High-Quality Pre-K in Pennsylvania,” from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. In 11 out of the 16 school districts in York County, fewer than 20 percent of qualifying prekindergarten children were served. In Red Lion Area School District there is only one high-quality publicly funded classroom – despite nearly 600 eligible children in the district. And while 245 children qualify in the Spring Grove Area School District, there are no publicly funded high-quality pre-k providers.
The unmet need, here and statewide, is fueling more voices to support the goals of the Pre-K for PA Campaign. In 2016, some of those voices included United Way affiliates (including the United Way of York County), mayors (including Mayor Bracey), pediatricians, chamber of commerce leaders, prominent athletes, military and law enforcement leaders, and most importantly parents of young children.
All these people from varied spheres agree that investments in high-quality prekindergarten make a difference in the lives of children. Research reveals that children from high-quality prekindergarten are:
- More likely to advance grades in school and have improved social skills.
- Less likely to need special education placements.
- More likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college, amping up their employment possibilities and lifetime earning potential.
- Less likely to commit crimes later in life.
For our communities, the need for less special education and criminal justice intervention saves taxpayer money. Plus, our workforce and economy are strengthened with educated people equipped with the communications and teamwork skills that employers value. In fact, every dollar invested returns $17 in long-term savings and benefits.
All these benefits help explain this groundswell of support for high-quality pre-K.
Clearly, this is the time to keep the pre-k momentum going and help all children fulfill their promise. We believe that Gov. Wolf will, once again, prioritize new investments for pre-k in his upcoming budget proposal for 2017-18. The Pre-K for PA movement is calling for an $85 million investment to serve an additional 10,000 children. That investment should grow in future years, to reach all eligible children and help address affordability issues for hard-working middle-class families who deserve the benefits of high-quality prekindergarten but find it financially out of reach.
By uniting to make these investments a top priority, we assure that our children, families and communities reap the benefits of preparedness for school and life promised by high-quality prekindergarten.
Christopher B. Reilly is a York County commissioner.
Read the column here.
