PRESS ROOM

Only about 18 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds – or 1 in 6 children – are able to access high-quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs, despite the proven benefits and growing public support for these programs, according to a new report from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC).

“The sooner high-quality pre-K is made available to more Pennsylvania children, the sooner we can see the increased benefits to our children, our communities and the commonwealth,” PPC President and CEO Joan Benso said in a release. “Investing in our young learners is a smart and necessary step toward building a stronger Pennsylvania.”

Only about 18 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds – or 1 in 6 children – are able to access high-quality, publicly …

The push for high quality pre-kindergarten education in the state will be the focus of a parent forum at Upper Darby High School on Feb. 26 called DelCo For Pre-K, an initiative to make sure three- and four-year-olds are ready for kindergarten.

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation reveals that the percentage of fourth-grade students reading below proficiency levels dropped from 67 percent in 2003 to 60 percent last year.

Michael Race, director of communications at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, says the new numbers reinforce the benefits of books.

Last week a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations launched “Pre-K for PA: All Children Ready to Succeed.” The campaign seeks to “expand access to critical, high-quality pre-k learning opportunities to ensure that all children are able to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to learn and succeed,” according to a press release.The campaign states that research finds that children with access to high quality pre-k are more likely to advance grades and have improved social skills.

A statewide coalition has kicked of a campaign to ensure every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania has the chance to attend a high quality pre-kindergarten program.

Pre-K for PA was launched in events across the state Thursday with civic, education, business and military leaders signing on to the effort aimed at boosting pre-K offerings across the commonwealth.

Kicking off a campaign to advocate for greater investment in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs on Thursday, a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations launched “Pre-K for PA: All Children Ready to Succeed” to ensure that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to access these initiatives.

The “Pre-K for PA” campaign says children who participate in high-quality early learning programs are 44 percent more likely to graduate high school.

York Police Chief Wes Kahley is backing the campaign. He says today’s dropouts are far too often tomorrow’s criminals.

“High school drop outs are 3.5 times more likely than high school graduates to be arrested and 8 times more likely to be incarcerated,” he explains. “In fact, throughout the country, 68 percent of state prison inmates have not received a high school diploma.”

Ten education advocacy groups have formed a coalition to push for more funds for early education in Pennsylvania, which currently helps less than 20 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds access high-quality programs, according to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC).

The coalition wants to “elevate the discussion about high-quality pre-K and how to make it more accessible to kids,” said Mike Race, a PPC spokesman.

The Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children today announced the campaign called PreK for PA at a news conference at the Jewish Community Center, which offers a preschool program in Squirrel Hill. Announcements also were made by partners throughout the state.

In one room at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill, adults were kicking off a statewide campaign …

In 2014, the Pre-K for PA broad-based coalition of organizations from across the state plans to campaign heavily in support of providing access to high-quality pre-kindergarten for all of Pennsylvania’s three- and four-year-old children.

Those efforts kicked off Thursday at a launch event at Karabots Pediatric Care Center in West Philadelphia.

It generated enthusiastic support from a wide range of stakeholders including educators, law-enforcement representatives, healthcare providers, parents, children and non-profit organizations.

The Pennsylvania Head Start Association is part of the coalition kicking off the Pre K for PA Campaign.

Head Start programs provide high quality Pre K to over 31,000 children and their families in Pennsylvania. Every year Head Start programs have to turn away thousands of families and their deserving children. Some programs have waiting lists of over 500 children. Every day Head Start programs see the need for substantial increases in funding for Pre K in Pennsylvania.

A coalition of education advocacy groups launched a statewide campaign Thursday to ensure every young Pennsylvanian has the opportunity to attend a strong preschool program.

The Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) has joined a statewide campaign advocating for …

WTAJ TV: Support Growing for Pre-K Education "In the former Washington Jefferson Elementary school building, classrooms are now filled with energetic three and four year olds who are getting  some early  exposure to public education.  The people in charge of the...

A coalition of education advocacy groups on Thursday launched a statewide campaign to ensure every young Pennsylvanian has the opportunity to attend a strong preschool program.

The “Pre-K for PA” campaign, led by 10 nonprofit organizations, will lobby state lawmakers and gubernatorial candidates to dedicate more money and resources to pre-kindergarten programs throughout Pennsylvania.