HARRISBURG – Although the number of young children participating in publicly funded, quality early education programs has grown significantly since 2003, a new report says children in more than two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s counties are still at risk of school failure and would benefit from expanded access to pre-kindergarten and other early education programs.
The report, released by the departments of Education and Public Welfare, compiles information, by county, on the number of children affected by seven risk factors for school failure as well as the number of children served by early childhood programs. The findings are intended to help better target funding for early childhood programs such as Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Keystone STARS.
“As we prepare our children for a successful future, we need to be aware of the challenges they face and invest strategically in programs that can help them overcome these challenges,” said Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman. “We need to continue working together to ensure that children and families in need are taking full advantage of available programs and services.”
Since 2003, Pennsylvania has made some of the nation’s greatest progress in serving the educational needs of young children. Today, there are approximately 168,000 3- and 4-year-olds in state-funded pre-kindergarten and high-quality early-care settings, an increase of more than 100,000 preschoolers in the past five years.
However, there is still room for improvement. Half of Pennsylvania’s preschoolers now participate in publicly funded, quality early education programs, leaving nearly 150,000 young children without access to quality early childhood learning opportunities. Many of these children are in counties classified in the report as high-risk.
“One of the strongest arguments for quality early education is that it can help children who would otherwise enter school without the necessary skills to build those skills early and bridge the achievement gap before it even begins,” said Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak. “This report shows that Pennsylvania needs to continue to expand its investment in quality early education if we expect all students to succeed in school and in life.”
According to the report:
· On average, 38 percent of children between birth and age five participated in federal and state funded quality early childhood programs;
· A little more than half of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds participated in publicly funded quality early education programs;
· Most children served in Pennsylvania’s early childhood continuum are being reached through the Keystone STARS program, which provides technical assistance and high voluntary standards for community-based providers; and
· Public investment (state and federal) in early childhood programs in Pennsylvania is approximately $2,722 per child.
Detailed information on the Office of Child Development and Early Learning report, including county statistics, can be found here, or here.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Risk level scores for each county are listed below. Risk level was determined based on seven family and educational risk indicators. A rating of one (low risk) to four (high risk) was given for each risk factor, based on the percentage of children affected.
Low risk
Bucks 1.00
Butler 1.00
Montgomery 1.00
Moderate-low risk
Centre 1.14
Chester 1.14
Cumberland 1.14
Pike 1.14
Elk 1.43
Westmoreland 1.43
Cameron 1.57
Monroe 1.57
Snyder 1.71
Columbia 1.86
Montour 1.86
Adams 2.00
Beaver 2.00
Delaware 2.00
Northampton 2.00
Union 2.00
Washington 2.00
York 2.00
Moderate-high risk
Lancaster 2.14
Perry 2.14
Armstrong 2.29
Carbon 2.29
Fulton 2.29
Lackawanna 2.29
Schuylkill 2.29
Sullivan 2.29
Wyoming 2.29
Bedford 2.43
Allegheny 2.57
Clarion 2.57
Franklin 2.57
Juniata 2.57
Somerset 2.57
Wayne 2.57
Huntingdon 2.71
Jefferson 2.71
Lycoming 2.71
Tioga 2.71
Berks 2.86
Bradford 2.86
Forest 2.86
Indiana 2.86
Lebanon 2.86
Lehigh 2.86
Warren 2.86
Cambria 3.00
Luzerne 3.00
Potter 3.00
Susquehanna 3.00
High risk
Lawrence 3.14
Mercer 3.14
Mifflin 3.14
Blair 3.29
Erie 3.29
Clearfield 3.43
Dauphin 3.43
Northumberland 3.43
Greene 3.57
Venango 3.57
Clinton 3.71
Crawford 3.71
McKean 3.71
Fayette 4.00
Philadelphia 4.00
