Lancaster County Prosecutor: Pay Now for Pre-K or Pay Later for Crime
DA joins Sen. Judy Schwank, Rep. Bryan Cutler at regional legislative breakfast focused on the case for expanding Pre-k quickly to thousands of at-risk kids in Berks, Lancaster Counties
Lancaster, PA (May 4, 2016) – Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman joined local United Way leaders and education advocates as part of a regional Pre-K for PA legislative breakfast today with Senator Judy Schwank and Representative Bryan Cutler to call for a serious investment in pre-k as leaders in Harrisburg launch budget negotiations.
The discussion focused on the need to increase state funding and research documenting the impact of high-quality early childhood programs on educational and life outcomes for at-risk children and specifically the resulting crime reduction. District Attorney Stedman documented how a state funding increase for high-quality pre-kindergarten programs could boost high school graduation rates, reduce the number of people who are incarcerated in Pennsylvania and lead to more than $350 million annually in Corrections and other cost savings to society over the lifetimes of the children served. Currently, Pennsylvania spends more than $2 billion annually¾about seven percent of the state budget¾to house about 50,000 inmates.
“The issue here boils down to dollars and sense – as in common sense. Incarceration costs our state $2.2 billion dollars a year – about 7 percent of our entire state budget – and is about 11 times more than we spend on pre-k,” said District Attorney Stedman, a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. “And that doesn’t count what we’re spending for the Lancaster County or the rest of the local jails across the state. While we’re never going to eliminate the need for law enforcement and corrections, we have to take every step we can to reduce crime. Starting early is a common sense way to accomplish this goal.”
The 2016-17 budget proposal includes $120 million in additional funding over two years for high-quality pre-k, which includes the $30 million in new funding already enacted for the second half of the current school year. If realized, Pennsylvania’s investment will rise to $197.284 million in Pre-K Counts and $59.178 million in the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program in FY 2016-17.
“In an atmosphere where a lot of people don’t agree with each other, the one thing that we all agree on is the importance of pre-k,” said Senator Judith Schwank, D-Berks. “It’s an investment that can make a world of difference. When the Secretary of Corrections says, ‘Give us more money for pre-k and you’ll cut my costs,’ I think that’s a message we should not ignore.”
Across Pennsylvania, there are more than 175,000 3- and 4-year-olds who are at-risk because they are in lower income households—70 percent of these at-risk young learners – more than 120,000 children statewide – had no access to publicly funded pre-k last year.
“Far too many of Central PA’s youngest learners don’t yet have access to high-quality pre-k education,” said State Representative Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster. “We need to ensure that all of our children are able to begin kindergarten on the right foot. We need to reduce that learning gap that we so often see in our schools. We owe it to our children to offer them the best chances at success, for our future as well as theirs.”
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children President and CEO, Joan Benso outlined the enormous need for investment, particularly when it comes to the high percentage of at-risk kids with no access to pre-k. Benso outlined troubling statistics regarding the lack of availability of high-quality pre-k for children at greatest risk of academic failure due to conditions or circumstances beyond their control.
“Even with a $90 million increase in state pre-k funding for fiscal 2016-17, Pennsylvania would still have more than 107,000 – or about 61 percent – of at-risk preschool children without access to high-quality pre-k,” said Benso. “This is why Pennsylvania needs to step up its funding for pre-k not just in the coming year, but over the next several fiscal years. Every year we fail to step up is another year of missed opportunities for far too many children.”
Lancaster County has more than 9,200 at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds, and a staggering 83 percent of them – about 7,700 children – lacked access to publicly funded, high-quality pre-k last year. Berks County has more than 6,300 at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds, and about three-fourths of them – 4,800 children – also lacked access to publicly funded, high-quality pre-k last year.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Its vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Pre-K for PA does not endorse or oppose candidates, but rather advocates on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.
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CHOP Pediatrician: Pre-K Prevents and Heals
Dr. Nate Blum joins Rep. Todd Stephens, Rep. Madeleine Dean at regional legislative breakfast focused on the case for expanding pre-k quickly to thousands of at-risk kids in Delaware, Philadelphia Counties
Wayne, PA (May 4, 2016) –Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nate Blum, MD joined local business leaders and education advocates as part of a regional Pre-K for PA legislative breakfast today with PA State Representatives Todd Stephens and Madeleine Dean to call for a serious investment in pre-k as leaders in Harrisburg launch budget negotiations.
The group participated in a panel discussion that focused on the need to increase state funding and research documenting the impact of high-quality early childhood programs on educational and life outcomes for at-risk children and specifically how it can affect a child’s health and development.
Dr. Blum outlined findings in a Pennsylvania Chapter of American Association of Pediatrics policy statement released earlier this year, “Poverty and Child Health in the United States” that noted early childhood interventions such as high-quality pre-k programs have a high return on investment in both human and financial terms, in part because of their power to mitigate the negative impacts of toxic stress. He also previewed findings of a PA AAP report to be released May 16th at the state Capitol in Harrisburg.
“Much of the work we do in pediatric medicine is focused on prevention,” said Dr. Blum. “Another key area of our work is mitigating the health impacts of things we cannot prevent. Finding ways to heal and help children recover from harm that has come to them.
“Pre-k programs are, in essence, a form of both prevention and healing. High-quality pre-k programs can help prevent the loss of opportunity by preparing children academically and socially for success once they enter kindergarten. And these programs can help heal by mitigating the impact of toxic stress and other negative forces that can undermine a child’s success. If you look at it in that context, I think it becomes clear why pediatricians are so strongly supportive of giving all of our children access to high-quality pre-k.”
The 2016-17 budget proposal includes $120 million in additional funding over two years for high-quality pre-k, which includes the $30 million in new funding already enacted for the second half of the current school year. If realized, Pennsylvania’s investment will rise to $197.284 million in Pre-K Counts and $59.178 million in the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program in FY 2016-17.
“All students should have access to early learning opportunities setting them on a path to success while reducing future government costs,” said State Representative Todd Stephens. “Pre-k can change a child’s path from one that leads to poverty or prison to one that develops into a life-sustaining career. Pre-k is great for both children and taxpayers.”
Across Pennsylvania, there are more than 175,000 3- and 4-year-olds who are at-risk because they are in lower income households—70 percent of these at-risk young learners – more than 120,000 children statewide – had no access to publicly funded pre-k last year.
“Research shows the value of quality pre-k education,” said State Representative Madeleine Dean. “The money invested in early education more than pays for itself over time in decreased special education, public welfare, unemployment, and prison costs.”
In his remarks, Jim Cawley President & CEO of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, outlined the enormous need for investment, particularly when it comes to the high percentage of at-risk kids with no access to pre-k. Cawley outlined troubling statistics regarding the lack of availability of high-quality pre-k for children at greatest risk of academic failure due to conditions or circumstances beyond their control.
“Even with a $90 million increase in state pre-k funding for fiscal 2016-17, Pennsylvania would still have more than 107,000 – or about 61 percent – of at-risk preschool children without access to high-quality pre-k,” said Cawley. “This is why continued and consistent investment in pre-k is so critical. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in their educational experience and ultimately to succeed in life.”
Philadelphia County has more than 29,900 at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds, and a staggering 59 percent of them – about 17,600 children – lacked access to high-quality pre-k last year. Delaware County has more than 14,850 at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds, and about three-fourths of them – 5,284 children – also lacked access to publicly funded, high-quality pre-k last year.
By the time at-risk children get to kindergarten, reports show many are already behind in vocabulary development and pre-literacy and pre-math skills. They can also have problems with behavior and impulse control – which makes it hard to get along with other kids and teachers.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Its vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Pre-K for PA does not endorse or oppose candidates, but rather advocates on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.
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Lebanon Daily News: Op-ed: Lebanon Needs Pre-k
By Lebanon City Mayor Sherry Capello
Earlier this month I joined mayors from across Pennsylvania in our state Capitol to urge expanded access to high-quality pre-k. As Mayor, I am focused on the economic future of Lebanon. This process includes growing the tax base, ensuring public safety, making sure that Lebanon has good jobs and, equally important, making sure that we have the talent needed to fill those jobs. Expanding the reach of high-quality pre-k can help address all of these concerns.
Business leaders tell me time and time again the challenges associated with finding the right and qualified people for job openings. The state’s Department of Labor and Industry maintains a database of tens of thousands of open positions that go unfilled because of shortages in skilled labor. It is well documented with research that children who attend pre-k graduate with stronger academic and life skills than their peers making them more competitive in the marketplace.
What’s less well understood is that expanding pre-k actually creates jobs and stimulates local business growth. Here’s how it works: New pre-k programs hire new staff who pay taxes, broadening the local tax rolls. Those employees spend their new paychecks locally and the pre-k programs also spend money on supplies that help our local businesses grow.
Public safety, incarceration and young children are topics that should not have any connection. But the facts about pre-k and its effect on reducing crime are real. One of the nation’s most extensive studies that tracked child outcomes over 28 years found that children without access to a good pre-k program were 70 percent more likely to be arrested by the time they were 18 compared to children who had the benefits of pre-k. Those same young adults were five times more likely to be chronic offenders by the time they were 27-years-old than their counterparts who were enrolled in pre-k. That’s why one of the nation’s most respected Nobel winning economists, James Heckman, points to pre-k as the most efficient strategy for improving the outcomes of children who we hope to lift out of poverty and keep out of prison.
This research shows that by expanding access to high-quality pre-k we can reduce our crime rate and make our community safer. It’s also why district attorneys and police chiefs from communities across Pennsylvania have lined up behind efforts to invest in pre-k under the slogan “Pay Now or Pay Later.” Less crime means less money spent fighting crime. Imagine what we could do to improve our community or lower our taxes if we didn’t have to devote so much of our local budget to public safety.
By stimulating economic growth and reducing public safety costs, over time we are likely to see that expanded pre-k can take some pressure off the local tax base.
In the short term, pre-k reduces special education costs so our school district is likely to see more immediate returns. Research from Pennsylvania and across the country indicates that when children start school with two years of high-quality pre-k under their belts, school districts are seeing the number of children enrolled in special education services drop by as much as 50 percent by 2nd grade.
I am excited by the local support behind expanding pre-k access. Recently, our YMCA, with the generous donations by many residents, opened the Ed and Jeannie Arnold Early Leaning Center. IU 13 and the Lebanon School District as well as other county schools are partnering with community providers to maximize the impact of the resources that we have for early education. But unfortunately it’s not enough.
There are more than 1,300 income eligible three- and four-year-olds that don’t have access to high-quality publicly funded pre-k each year in Lebanon County. In communities across the state, that number is 120,000 young learners that don’t have access.
That’s why I am advocating for our leaders in Harrisburg to continue to expand access to this essential first step in education. We all want a safe and prosperous community that offers good jobs and good lives for every family. Investing early in our next generation is a productive way to help accomplish this. As our lawmakers begin to work in earnest to pass a state budget by June 30, let’s not forget the good that can be achieved by more ambitious funding of our pre-k programs.
Read the full op-ed here.
Lancaster Online: LTE: The Power of Pre-k Evident
4/26/16
The power of pre-K: I’ve seen it as a teacher in an inner-city elementary school, as an early-childhood education provider, and as a grandmother of two young children. Giving kids the opportunity to learn in the right environment can create a lasting impact on their futures.
Watching the wheels turn and the learning light bulbs click in the 3- and 4-year-olds I taught was like magic. From walking in nature to creating a classroom museum, everything was a learning experience.
I was able to follow many of those students as they moved on to elementary school, and I could see how successful they were in their classes. Students who attended a high-quality pre-K entered our elementary school ready to learn and were often several steps ahead of their peers.
My grandchildren — a kindergartner and a 3-year-old preschooler — learn a great deal at home, but both have grown leaps and bounds socially and emotionally by spending time in a classroom full of their peers.
The power of pre-K is something to which all of Pennsylvania’s children should have access. Let’s ensure that all of our kids start off on the right foot with pre-K education!
Pamela Jo Smith
Elizabethtown
Read the Letter to the Editor here.
Centre Daily Times: Sen. Jake Corman and County Officials Celebrate New Pre-k Classroom
By Jeremy Hartley 4/25/16
An additional $30 million in funding has brought the opportunity for prekindergarten learning to more children in Centre County.
State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, met with educators and law enforcement officials at St. Paul’s Christian Preschool and Childcare in downtown State College on Monday to discuss the infusion of funds and recognize the school’s new pre-K classroom and students.
The funding came as part of the state’s 2015-16 budget, said a joint news release from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids in Pennsylvania and Pre-K for Pa. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts received $25 million while the Head Start Supplemental Assistance program received $5 million.
This new funding for the remainder of the school year has allowed the county to serve an additional 47 children with pre-K education, the release said.
“A review of Pennsylvania’s state inmate population reveals that more than 50 percent of inmates have not graduated high school,” State College police Chief Tom King said in the release. “This revealing statistic is more reason for the imperative that law enforcement leaders place on educational success, which is best achieved by children getting a strong early education.”
Funding for pre-K is one of the few areas in the state where the funds are increasing, Corman said Monday, adding that while there has been a significant increase over the past two years, the demand continues to grow.
“We need to be able to show as a government that we are having a positive impact in these investments of state dollars,” Corman said.
After the meeting, Corman, King, county Commissioner Michael Pipe and educators visited the new pre-K classroom, which, according to school Director Joan Stroemel, opened at the end of Feburary. Fourteen 3- and 4-year-olds helped Corman cut a long, blue ribbon marking the inauguration of the new class.
Read the full article here.
York Daily Record: One Class Could Make Big Difference in York City
By Angie Mason 4/14/16
Students in Nicole Reed’s pre-kindergarten class sat “criss cross applesauce” while she began reading them a story about a chick that imitates other barnyard animals.
“This little chick from over the way went to play with the pigs one day,” she began. Students chimed in on a line that repeated throughout the book. “And what do you think they heard him say?”
Reed asked questions as she paged through the story. What sound does a chick make? What letter does “ribbit” start with? What do you think the chick is going to say?
While Reed guided students through the book, co-teacher Ciara Sweeney sat on the floor with them, jotting down notes about which ones seemed to be picking up the various skills.
Pre-kindergarten class looks like fun. There’s singing, dancing and playing. But there’s a learning goal behind most every activity, and York City school officials believe it pays off — and they’re hoping to see evidence of that in third grade classrooms in a few years. That’s one of the key measurements the district will use to see if its efforts to improve students’ education, laid out in its recovery plan, are working.
What’s the district doing
The York City School District has been pushing to expand pre-kindergarten, with a goal of one day providing the program for all York City children. The district expanded its offerings to have 12 classrooms this year, serving about half of children who will head to kindergarten, and the district hopes to add another classroom next year. Some of the district’s classrooms are funded by state Pre-K Counts grants, and some are paid for with district funds.
The pre-k expansion relates to one of the academic goals laid out in the district’s new recovery plan: improving third-grade literacy.
Before third grade, students are learning to read. Starting in third grade, they begin using their reading skills to learn.
“If we don’t build these literacy skills early … then those students will be at a disadvantage,” said York City School District Supt. Eric Holmes.
In 2018-19, this year’s pre-kindergarten students will be in third grade. By June 2019, the district aims to close the gap between its third-grade reading scores and the state average. That gap stands at about 42 percentage points now.
Third grade is the first year students take mandated state reading and math tests, and in urban environments around the country, it’s also where schools start to see student achievement begin to fall, Holmes said.
Offering the children pre-kindergarten would give the district one more year to catch them up and get them on track by third grade.
Like everything, expanding pre-kindergarten takes money. A pre-k classroom for 19 students costs about $161,500.
Holmes said the district supports Gov. Tom Wolf’s efforts to increase early education funding. Pre-kindergarten is usually considered to have bipartisan support, but how much more the state should spend there is debated. Wolf had initially sought an increase of $120 million for Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs for 2015-16, but the partial budget adopted in December included a $30 million increase for those items.
The school district is committed to expanding pre-kindergarten either way, Holmes said, and will use general funds if necessary. But if the state put more toward pre-k, that would allow the district to use its general fund dollars for other student-centered programs, he said.
Getting ready to read
In a third-grade classroom at Hannah Penn K-8 School, Ella Alsentzer asked her students if they remembered what an adverb is.
“It describes a verb,” a student called out.
“Perfect!” Alsentzer answered. Students began going through sentences, looking for adverbs and discussing their meaning as they went.
Soon they turned to their textbooks, where they learned the word “voyage” — is a trip to Target a voyage? How about to California? — and took turns reading paragraphs.
Third grade is when students begin putting together their skills to start to comprehend what they’re reading, Alsentzer said. They’re no longer just learning to sound out words, but rather putting those words together to understand meaning. They need to be able to answer context questions about what the’re reading.
Getting the students there starts early.
In Reed’s pre-kindergarten class at Devers, students took turns sitting at a desk and writing the letters of their first names on a piece of paper, while their classmates danced and sang with Sweeney.
“Stay on those tracers,” Reed guided one child, while classmates pretended to play guitar along with a song.
In pre-kindergarten, Reed works to get students used to seeing words and letters. They focus on a “letter of the week” and a list of vocabulary words. They learn “snap words” like “a” and “the.”
Kindergarten will move fast. While pre-k focuses on a letter of the week, kindergarten does several each week, Reed said.
Julie Fabie, the district’s pre-kindergarten coordinator, said literacy is a big focus. The teachers work on introducing students to vocabulary they might not have heard otherwise, building up students’ “word bank” in preparation for kindergarten.
And while there’s a learning standard being met through every activity, Fabie said, students in pre-k are certainly getting time to play.
“It’s what’s developmentally appropriate,” she said.
Fabie told the school board that this year, the pre-kindergarten classes started a developmental screening questionnaire with students, to help identify any possible developmental delays. Then the classes work closely with the Lincoln Intermediate Unit for any interventions needed.
Pre-k can save on special education costs, said Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. Often a child might have an IEP — an individualized plan for a student with special needs — in pre-k that might be unnecessary by kindergarten or first grade.
“I think the issue is … sometimes those delays are very focused on language acquisition,” Benso said. “If that child is in a rich, literacy promoting pre-k program, those language acquisition skills … are all taken care of before that kids go to kindergarten.”
Benso’s organization is part of Pre-K for PA, a campaign pushing for all 3- and 4-year-olds to have access to high quality pre-kindergarten by 2018. The campaign cites a host of benefits from pre-k, pulled from various studies.
Early literacy skills are one of the most important outcomes of pre-k, she said, but it also gives students early numeracy and social skills. It can mean fewer disruptions in the classroom later, which is better for everyone to learn.
For children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, pre-k means they are more likely to enter kindergarten similarly prepared to a student from a more affluent background, she said.
Benso said it isn’t a silver bullet — the quality of education after pre-k matters, too. A child who has the opportunity to attend a high school with the latest technology in the science lab and advanced courses is likely to be better prepared for college than a child who doesn’t.
“That does’t mean pre-k failed, that means we failed on a K-12 side,” she said.
Read the full article here.
