Kindergarten Teachers Survey Backs Research Showing Social-Emotional Benefits of High-Quality Pre-K Report Highlights Unmet Need and Makes Case for Funding Increases for
High-Quality Pre-K in the 2019-20 State Budget
Harrisburg, PA (May 28, 2019)—The Pre-K for PA Campaign today released Ready to Succeed: Kindergarten Teachers Support Investments in High-Quality Pre-k, a report based on findings of a survey conducted with campaign partner the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), seeking the perceptions of kindergarten members about the role that access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k plays in school readiness.
PSEA Treasurer Jeff Ney says the results show resounding support for high-quality pre-k among those surveyed, with 96 percent of elementary school teachers agreeing that students who attend a high-quality pre-k program are ready for success in kindergarten, and 98 percent agreeing that high-quality, publicly funded pre-k is an important tool for preparing at-risk children for kindergarten.
“Phrasing quality pre-k as ‘an important tool’ was intentional in this survey,” Ney said. “Kindergarten teachers know and understand that a quality pre-k experience provides each child entering kindergarten with a growth mindset and a readiness to succeed. Their personal experiences mirror what researchers have uncovered – that children who attend high-quality pre-k have a solid foundation for learning, which promotes increased student growth and achievement.”
Research shows that access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k benefits children socially and emotionally, helps cognitive development through physical activity, promotes healthy brain development through positive interactions and helps them develop early literacy skills.
Responses from the kindergarten teachers surveyed support this research. The top three skills kindergarten teachers found to be most important for early learning programs to focus on to ensure incoming students are ready for a successful kindergarten year were physical well-being and motor development, emotional development and social development.
Miranda Clash, a kindergarten teacher at Hamilton Elementary School in the Carlisle Area School District in Cumberland County who took the survey, said, “Students who attend high-quality pre-k programs come into kindergarten ready to succeed. They have already practiced essential learning behaviors, know how to regulate their emotions, interact appropriately with peers, and have a solid foundation of language and background knowledge onto which they can add new learning. For students who have had a high-quality pre-k experience, I don’t have to spend as much time teaching these prerequisites to academic learning.”
Kari King, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a founding member of the Pre-K for PA Campaign, said that while it’s no surprise that kindergarten teachers support programs that help students succeed in their classrooms, their collective voice is important.
“Almost immediately, kindergarten teachers can determine the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in their classrooms – or those children who have had access to high-quality pre-k and those who have not,” she said. “Investments in high-quality pre-k have a significant return on investment for our children, schools and communities. However, the state is not investing enough to ensure access for the children who need it the most.”
More than 97,000 – or 56 percent – of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds do not have access. The Pre-K for PA Campaign is calling for a $50 million increase in the 2019-20 state budget; $40 million for Pre-K Counts and $10 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP). This investment will provide access to an additional 5,500 children.
The report notes that the Commonwealth still ranks 18th of the 30 states investing in high-quality pre-k, and aggressive steps must be taken to put Pennsylvania children on a level playing field with their peers in those states.
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. Our vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. We will not endorse nor oppose candidates, but rather we will advocate on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities. For more information www.prekforpa.org.
Governor and First Lady Host Annual Easter Egg Event to Highlight Importance of Pre-K Investment
Harrisburg, PA (April 15, 2019) – Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf today hosted pre-school classes from across the commonwealth at the annual Easter Egg Event at the Governor’s Residence. The event was co-sponsored by Pre-K for PA, a non-partisan advocacy group that supports the expansion of publicly funded pre-k. Over 100 pre-school aged children participated.
“The long-term benefits of high-quality early childhood programs are tremendous – it reduces costs to our schools, enables stronger earning potential in our workforce, and leads to increased tax revenues to support a robust economy,” Governor Wolf said. “Frances and I are very proud that Pennsylvania delivers high-quality, publicly funded pre-k to many at-risk children, but a serious investment must be made to continue toward the goal of providing access to all at-risk kids.”
In his 2019-20 budget, Governor Wolf proposed an additional $50 million to support high-quality pre-k programs in the commonwealth. With $115 million in funding increases secured over the past four years, this additional investment will more than double the funding for Pre-K Counts programs since 2014-15 and increase funding for Head Start Supplemental Assistance by 77 percent.
“Today, Pennsylvania ranks 18th of the 30 states investing in high-quality pre-k with nearly 100,000 eligible children still lacking access,” said Jodi Askins, founding partner of Pre-K for PA. “With Governor Wolf’s proposal to invest $50 million in this year’s budget, 5,500 more children will be able to access high-quality pre-kindergarten, a fundamental building block of our state’s education system that helps ensure children have the strong foundation necessary to enter kindergarten ready to learn.”
Studies show that children who participate in high-quality pre-kindergarten perform better in school, graduate at higher rates, and earn more throughout their working lives compared to peers who do not have access to early learning programs. Additionally, children who were previously enrolled in Pre-K Counts outperform their economically disadvantaged peers in third grade math and reading.
Governor Wolf’s budget also leverages $15 million in federal funding to expand high-quality childcare programs to nearly 1,000 Pennsylvania infants and toddlers. It also includes a $5 million investment for evidence-based home visiting programs, to serve an additional 800 vulnerable families.
Gov. Wolf Ramps Up Pre-K Investment, Opens Opportunity to Thousands More PA Children 2019-20 State Budget proposal includes $50 million for pre-k programs
Harrisburg, PA (February 5, 2019)– Pre-K for PA marked the proposed new investment of $50 million in the 2019-20 PA budget as a big win for thousands of Pennsylvania’s youngest children. In a statement, the eleven principal partners leading the campaign to increase funding for high-quality pre-k, Pre-K for PA, issued the following statement regarding Governor Tom Wolf’s continued commitment to expanding access to pre-k in Pennsylvania:
“Governor Wolf demonstrated and amplified his commitment to expanding access to publicly funded pre-k by proposing funding to support thousands of additional young learners to attend high-quality programs.
“As we kick off our sixth year, Pre-K for PA—representing more than 25,000 individual supporters across Pennsylvania—is optimistic that the legislature will support this bi-partisan budget priority; members from both sides of the aisle have consistently supported expanding access to this valuable once-in-a-lifetime educational experience. Supporting increased funding for high-quality pre-k is a wise investment and good politics, as a recent Pre-K for PA poll showed 94 percent of Pennsylvanians agreed that early childhood education is important.
“Our celebration of the $50 million investment in pre-k programs in the 2019-20 state budget is tempered by the harsh reality that PA ranks 18thof the 30 states investing in high-quality pre-k, and with this new investment, about 100,000 eligible children still lack access.
“In Pennsylvania, publicly funded pre-k and high-quality child care are inextricably linked, with 48 percent of children enrolled in Pre-K Counts served by STAR 3 and 4 child care providers. Governor’s Wolf’s budget includes a plan for spending about $101 million in federal child care funds and reduced state child care funding by $150,000. It is important that Pennsylvania lawmakers recognize high-quality child care as a vital workforce support for young Pennsylvania families and a delivery system for high-quality pre-k.
“We salute Governor Wolf for making high-quality pre-k funding a budget priority, and we strongly encourage the legislature to fully-fund it.”
The 2019-20 proposed budget includes the following expanded investments to early learning:
Increases PA Pre-K Counts investment: $40 million
Increases investment in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program: $10 million
Increase in Federal Funding to support child care services: $101 million
Increase of $5 million to support Evidence-based Home Visiting services
Pre-K for PA is an initiative of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five. ELPA also advocates for expanding Evidence-based Home Visiting Services via the Childhood Begins at Home Campaign, and the coalition recently launched Start Strong PA, a statewide advocacy campaign to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care for Pennsylvania’s families and their children, starting with infants and toddlers.
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. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.
Pre-K Kids Adorn PA Capitol Christmas Tree with Hand-crafted Ornaments, Join Gov. Wolf at Tree-Lighting Ceremony
Advocacy campaign seeks to expand pre-k access to all eligible PA children
HARRISBURG (December 6, 2018)— The Pre-K for PA campaign organized the creation of thousands of original ornaments crafted by pre-k students from all corners of the commonwealth this month to help decorate the Pennsylvania Capitol Christmas tree. Today, dozens of pre-k students joined Governor Wolf at the tree lighting ceremony to celebrate the start of the holiday season in the Capitol.
“Seeing young children enjoy the magic of the holidays is a reminder of their optimism and potential,” said Governor Wolf. “Hand-crafted ornaments created by our youngest Pennsylvanians will adorn family Christmas trees across our commonwealth, demonstrating the importance of pre-k and lifelong learning.”
“The fortunate students here today represent a handful of the thousands of students who have benefitted thanks to the leadership of Gov. Wolf, and members of the General Assembly on both sides of the aisle, from continued commitment to pre-k expansion,” said Joan Benso, President & CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a principal partner of Pre-K for PA. “This past year, the Pennsylvania budget gave about 2,600 more children the opportunity to attend a high-quality pre-k program. This year our holiday wish is for Pennsylvania to make another serious investment as there are still 106,000 children across the commonwealth missing out on high-quality, publicly funded pre-k.”
Today only 39 percent of eligible children in Pennsylvania attend high-quality, publicly funded pre-k, leaving more than 106,000 children without the benefit of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, due to limited state funding.
A poll commissioned by the Pre-K for PA campaign done by Harper Polling in May showed 75 percent of likely voters support increasing funding to expand access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten, while 94 percent of voters believe that early education is important.
A large body of research shows that children who attend high-quality preschool:
Enter kindergarten with stronger literacy, language, math and social/emotional skills;
Are less likely to need special education services, less likely to repeat grades, and more likely to graduate and enroll in college;
Over a lifetime, these young learners will see stronger employment opportunities and increased earning potential; and,
Are less likely to commit juvenile and adult crimes.
No child gets a do-over and every dollar invested provides access to a high-quality pre-k experience, which reaps significant cost savings in the future in the form of less public spending on special education, social welfare programs, and criminal justice.
A list of pre-k centers participating in the creation of Capitol Christmas tree ornaments can be found at www.prekforpa.org/tree.
Leaders in Harrisburg Get it! Continued Investment in Pre-K Will Serve Thousands More Young Learners Early Learning Programs get Significant Boost in 2018-19
Harrisburg, PA (June 22, 2018)– The Pre-K for PA campaign called the additional $25 million investment in pre-kindergarten programs contained in the 2018-19 state budget agreement continued progress toward something that Pennsylvanians universally support – early education.
A poll commissioned by the Pre-K for PA campaign done by Harper Polling in May showed 75% of likely voters support increasing funding to expand access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten, while 94% of voters believe that early education is important.
The principal partners of Pre-K for PA issued the following statement regarding the investment:
“Governor Wolf, along with Republican and Democrat legislators made a wise investment in Pennsylvania’s early education system and clearly prioritized our state’s youngest learners in this budget. While the 2018-19 Pennsylvania state budget grew by just 1.7%, leaders in Harrisburg grew high-quality pre-k funding by 11%, high-quality child care services grew by 4%, and home visiting grew by an impressive and much needed 33%. This year’s budget istestament to the fact that Governor Wolf, along with Republican and Democrat legislators, understand their constituents’ priorities.
“Still, more than 106,000 eligible children do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k due to limited state funding. This budget increase will allow access to thousands of 3- and 4-year-old students in the upcoming school year. It is a step in the right direction, but we still have much work to be done as Pennsylvania lags far behind neighboring states.
“Today, Pennsylvania ranks 18th of the 30 states investing in high-quality, publicly funded pre-k. New Jersey is spending five times more per capita than PA and West Virginia is leaps ahead of us – it has had universal access for pre-k aged kids since 2012. We have to ramp up our investment in the coming years because, as we know, the tens of thousands of kids missing out won’t get a do-over.”
The 2018-19 spending plan included the following expanded investments to early learning:
Increases Pre-K Counts investment: $20 million
Increases investment in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program: $5 million
Increases investment in Child Care Services: $6.8 million
New investment in home visiting programs: $6.735 million
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. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.
75 Percent of Pennsylvania Voters Favor Increasing Pre-K Funding Strong Consensus: 94% Say Early Childhood Education Important for PA
Harrisburg, PA (June 7, 2018) – As Pennsylvania state legislators return to Harrisburg to negotiate a final state budget, a new poll commissioned by the Pre-K for PA Campaign and conducted by Harrisburg-based Harper Polling shows 75 percent of likely voters support increasing funding to expand access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten.The numbers have grown since a 2013 Pre-K for PA commissioned poll conducted by Lake Research Partners/Bellwether Research and Consulting had 63% of likely voters indicating that they favored increasing funding to ensure access to pre-k for all Pennsylvania kids.
“There is strong consensus among Pennsylvania voters [94 percent] that think early childhood education is important for the children of the commonwealth,” said Brock McCleary, President, Harper Polling. “Furthermore, a strong plurality of support for expanded funding is realized across all demographics, regions and registration.”
Nearly two-thirds of likely Pennsylvaniaoters polled by Harper from May 22-23lso said that they would support a tax increase to expand pre-k access. Sixty-four percent of Pennsylvanians said they would pay an extra $50 in taxes to fund pre-k, which would equal a .01 increase in PIT (personal income tax) for the average Pennsylvania taxpayer.This number has also grown since the 2013 poll, when only 56 percent of voters polled said they were willing to pay higher taxes to support pre-k investments.
“Pennsylvanians value pre-k education for its proven benefits to each child fortunate enough to attend a high-quality pre-k, and they’re willing to dig a little deeper into their own pockets to support expanded access for kids across the commonwealth,”said Joan Benso, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a founding partner of Pre-K for PA. “Pennsylvania prospers when children succeed and pre-k is a key element in each child’s success.”
According to the new Harper poll results,every single voting demographic in the state favors expanded access to pre-k by at least a two-to-one margin. Seniors favor it by more than a three-to-one margin. Conservatives are for expanded access at a rate of two-to-one. More than 65 percent of likely voters in Southcentral PA, a conservative part of the state, are willing to pay $50 more per year to support state pre-k expansion.
“No child should be missing out when nearly all residents agree,” said Jodi Askins, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC). “When it comes to the benefits of high-quality pre-k, 94 percent of Pennsylvanians agree that it is necessary for children to learn the appropriate behaviors and social skills to succeed in school. It’s time to fully fund pre-k.”
The additional $40 million in the 2018-19 budget proposal, if fully funded, will expand access to publicly funded pre-k to more than 4,400 new students. Currently more than 106,000 eligible children do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k due to limited state funding.
Since the inception of the Pre-K for PA Campaign, the commonwealth’s investment in publicly funded pre-k has increased by $100 million, but lags far behind many neighboring states. Today, Pennsylvania ranks 18th of the 30 states investing in high-quality, publicly funded pre-k. New Jersey is spending five times more per capita than PA and even West Virginia is leaps ahead of PA—it has had universal access for pre-k aged kids since 2012.
