Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Pa Promise for Children Month

• Get Ready! October is Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children Month
• Did you know that what children learn before kindergarten affects their success in school and in life? The first five years are absolutely essential to brain development and shaping literacy, their mathematical skills, and their social skills – we cannot recreate this opportunity later in life. When it comes to early learning, there are no “do-overs.”
• This October, help us celebrate Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children Month and raise awareness about why quality early education is so impo
rtant for children’s success and motivate Pennsylvanians to promote quality early learning for children in their lives.
Join members of your community to celebrate Pennsylvania's young children and the quality early learning programs and teachers that help them reach their promise every day. Take time during Pennsylvania's Promise for Children Month to show your support for quality early learning and supporting our young children.
• Stay tuned for the Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children month TV and radio public service announcements – our 30 and 60 second PSAs will be posted on the PA Promise YouTube channel to link to your websites and share with your Facebook friends
• Send a PA Promise Month e-card to your favorite teachers, colleagues, parents, friends and family.
• Sign the PA’s Promise for Children declaration
• Volunteer with uour local Community Engagement Group to help organize local events throughout the month.
To find out more, visit the Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children website at www.papromiseforchildren.com.
Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children is a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of providing Pennsylvania’s young children with access to quality early learning opportunities. Sponsored by the PA Build Initiative, Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality, The Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and William Penn Foundation, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Pa Pre K Counts, Keystone STARS , Early Intervention

Programs such as PA Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, Early Intervention, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parent-Child Home Program, Keystone Babies and Head Start Supplemental are preparing children for kindergarten so they can enter school ready to learn and to succeed.
2009-2010 child outcomes for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS 3&4, and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program show children are progressing throughout the program year and are coming to school ready to learn:
• Each program is showing a significant increase in the percentage of preschoolers with proficiency in language, numeracy, and social skills from the beginning to end of the program year.
• Each program is meeting the needs of its populations with a variety of services to prepare children for kindergarten, with 65% - 78% of children showing proficiency in language, numeracy and social skills by the end of the 2009-2010 program year:

• PA Pre-K Counts, providing high quality pre-k kindergarten to at-risk three and four year olds: Nearly every child (over 98 percent) showed age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and social skills after attending PA Pre-K Counts in 2009-2010.*
o More than 70 percent of children who attended Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts finished the school year with age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy and social skills.*
• Keystone STARS 3&4, providing high quality early education in child care centers, group and family child care homes for children from birth through school-age: More than 97% of preschoolers in STAR 3 & 4 program showed age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and social skills at the end of the 2009-2010 program year#.
o More than 65 percent finished the program year with age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy and social skills.#
• Head Start Supplemental, providing comprehensive early education and family support services to high-risk three and four year olds: Nearly every child (98 percent) showed age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and social skills after attending Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program in 2009-2010.
o More than 65 percent of preschoolers who attended Head Start Supplemental finished the school year with age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy and social skills.
These results show that Pennsylvania’s early education programs are working. The investments Pennsylvania makes today in early education will produce excellent returns in student achievement, workforce development, and reduction in public costs for special education, public assistance, and corrections.

Tuesday alert 6/15/10

Building block #7: Pennsylvania's early education programs promoting school readiness and school achievement

Please share with your networks. Thanks.

Budget update:

TODAY the House is scheduled to vote on a revised version of HB 325, which would authorize additional revenue streams for the commonwealth that could equal up to $300 million additional revenue for next year's budget. HB 325, as amended would:

• Reduce the sales tax vendor discount to a maximum of $300.
• Impose a tax on smokeless tobacco and cigars
• Impose a severance tax on natural gas produced in Pennsylvania.

With a $1.3 deficit for next year, without additional sources of revenue, there will be deep programs cuts, and early education could be part of those cuts. If you support these additional revenues, please contact your House member today.

Negotiations continue between the Governor and legislative leaders. Senator Corman, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that they are positioning for a speedy approval once budget negotiators reach an agreement. Now is the time to blitz your legislators and the Governor before an agreement is reached.

Today's building block: Pennsylvania's early education programs promoting school readiness, school achievement
• Programs such as PA Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, Early Intervention, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parent-Child Home Program, Keystone Babies and Head Start Supplemental are preparing children for kindergarten so they can enter school ready to learn and to succeed.
• 2009-2010 child outcomes for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS 3&4, and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program show children are progressing throughout the program year and are coming to school ready to learn:
o Each program is showing a significant increase in the percentage of preschoolers with proficiency in language, numeracy, and social skills from the beginning to end of the program year.
o Each program is meeting the needs of its populations with a variety of services to prepare children for kindergarten, with 65% - 78% of children showing proficiency in language, numeracy and social skills by the end of the 2009-2010 program year:

o PA Pre-K Counts, providing high quality pre-k kindergarten to at-risk three and four year olds: Nearly every child (over 98 percent) showed age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and social skills after attending PA Pre-K Counts in 2009-2010.*
 More than 70 percent of children who attended Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts finished the school year with age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy and social skills.*
o Keystone STARS 3&4, providing high quality early education in child care centers, group and family child care homes for children from birth through school-age: More than 97% of preschoolers in STAR 3 & 4 program showed age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and social skills at the end of the 2009-2010 program year#.
 More than 65 percent finished the program year with age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy and social skills.#
o Head Start Supplemental, providing comprehensive early education and family support services to high-risk three and four year olds: Nearly every child (98 percent) showed age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and social skills after attending Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program in 2009-2010.
 More than 65 percent of preschoolers who attended Head Start Supplemental finished the school year with age-appropriate proficiency in literacy, numeracy and social skills.
• These results show that Pennsylvania's early education programs are working. The investments Pennsylvania makes today in early education will produce excellent returns in student achievement, workforce development, and reduction in public costs for special education, public assistance, and corrections.

You can share:
• Examples of child outcomes in your individual programs - children who were delayed when entering the program who are now at age-appropriate development.
• Performance of children who participated in your program who are now in kindergarten, first grade or higher.

Ask parents to share:
• How has your child progressed in an early education program this year? What skills did he/she learn with words/letters, numbers, and getting along with others?


Please take a few minutes to share these fast facts with the Governor, your legislators, and a friend!
• Find contact information for your legislators at http://paprom.convio.net/find
• Email the Governor and your legislators at http://paprom.convio.net/6-15-10

* Based on PA PKC grantee reports for 9,439 children in Work Sampling Online reporting tool
# Based on STARS program reports for 9,804 children in Work Sampling Online reporting tool

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tuesday alert 5/11/10

Budget update: No new developments. Both House and Senate are in recess until May 24.

Today's building block: Early childhood education essential to keeping our economy going today
• Parents who have access to reliable and affordable child care are 15% more likely to be employed1
• Because parents can remain in the workforce when their children are young and continue to gain job skills, they can experience a long-term earnings increase up to 30% over their lifetimes.2
• For every dollar Pennsylvania invests in early childhood education, more than two dollars is circulated in the regional economy through employment and purchasing goods and services. In 2008-2009, Pennsylvania's investment facilitated more than $1.9 billion to be circulated in the regional economy.3

You can share:
• The "economic multiplier" from your county - you can find that statistic on our fact sheet at http://paprom.convio.net/multiplier. How much your program contributes to the local economy monthly or annual with salaries and purchases of goods and services.
• Examples of families that have been able to continue to work because of early education

Ask parents to share:
• How access to early education programs (list by name) have helped them continue to work or get additional schooling/training to get a better job.


Please take a few minutes to share these fast facts with the Governor, your legislators, and a friend!
• Find contact information for your legislators at http://paprom.convio.net/find
• Email the Governor and your legislators at http://paprom.convio.net/5-11-10


Sources:
1 U.S. Government Accountability Office (1994)
2 Timothy J. Bartik, Ph.D., Senior Economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, at the Early Learning Investment Commission Economic Summit, April 19, 2010
3 Zhilin Liu, Rosaria Ribeiro & Mildred Warner. "Comparing Child Care Multipliers in the Regional Economy: Analysis from 50 States," 2004 http://government.cce.cornell.edu/doc/reports/childcare/reports.asp

Friday, May 7, 2010

Updated Risk and Reach Report

PA Department of Public Welfare: New report: Early childhood education opportunities still lag in many Pennsylvania counties.
Text of May 3 press release.
HARRISBURG -- Children in three-quarters of Pennsylvania's counties face a moderate to high risk of failing in school, in part because they lack access to high-quality education resources in their earliest years, according to a new state report.
The 2008-2009 Reach and Risk Assessment Report, released today by Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning, finds that while the commonwealth continues to make progress serving young children, gaps remain in serving those children who could benefit the most from a quality early education experience.
"We are seeing amazing results from our early education initiatives, and we know these programs are preparing our children for success in school," said Secretary of Education Gerald L. Zahorchak. "This report highlights the advancements we've made in reaching more children, but also makes clear that there are thousands of at-risk children that could benefit."
Secretary of Public Welfare Harriet Dichter said the report is a valuable tool to identify regions and cities most likely to benefit from expanded programs designed to offset risk factors for young children.
"In this economy, we need to work harder than ever to be strategic and resourceful in our public investments," Dichter said. "This report gives us a targeted snapshot of both the places our early education programs are reaching as well as the regions where more efforts and investments need to be made."
The Reach and Risk report 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, Keystone STARS, Early Intervention and Head Start.
Among the findings of the Reach and Risk report:
• Children in 51 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties and 24 of the state's 27 largest cities are at moderate-to-high risk or high risk of school failure.
• More than one-third of children under age 5 are living in low-income families, which the report identifies as one of the seven major risk factors for school failure.
• In every Pennsylvania county, at least 15 percent of children under age 5 live in low-income households.
• In 20 of the 27 largest cities, more than half of children under 5 live in low-income households.
The report finds only about one-third of Pennsylvania children under age 5 currently participate in state or federally funded early education programs. The majority of these children are served through the Keystone STARS program, which ensures technical assistance and high voluntary standards for child care providers in the community. However, only three percent of children under age 5 in Pennsylvania were served in high quality STAR 3 and 4 programs.
Evidence-based research shows children who have access to quality early childhood education show measurable gains in early learning skills – gains that can translate into long-term savings in special education and remediation costs.
These children also are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college or quality job training programs and become valuable members of the workforce. Evidence also suggests that quality early education programs for children and families translate into a more competitive workforce and greater tax base, while reducing expenses related to public assistance and crime control.
The full Reach and Risk report is available at www.pakeys.org. More information on Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning can be found at www.education.state.pa.us or www.dpw.state.pa.us.
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 1.0
Montgomery 1.0
Moderate-low risk
Butler 1.14
Centre 1.14
Chester 1.14
Pike 1.14
Westmoreland 1.14
Cumberland 1.29
Elk 1.29
Union 1.57
Washington 1.71
Monroe 1.86
Snyder 1.86
Wayne 1.86
Moderate-high risk
Beaver 2
Cameron 2
Carbon 2.14
Columbia 2.14
Delaware 2.14
Fulton 2.14
Montour 2.14
Northampton 2.14
Sullivan 2.14
Susquehanna 2.14
York 2.14
Armstrong 2.29
Bedford 2.29
Forest 2.29
Juniata 2.29
Perry 2.29
Warren 2.29
Wyoming 2.29
Franklin 2.43
Lackawanna 2.43
Adams 2.57
Allegheny 2.57
Clarion 2.57
Lancaster 2.57
Potter 2.57
Schuylkill 2.57
Huntingdon 2.71
Indiana 2.71
Lebanon 2.71
Tioga 2.71
Somerset 2.86
Blair 3.0
Bradford 3.0
Cambria 3.0
Jefferson 3.0
Lehigh 3.0
Luzerne 3.0
Lycoming 3.0
Northumberland 3.0
High risk
Lawrence 3.14
Mifflin 3.14
Berks 3.29
Clearfield 3.43
Dauphin 3.43
Erie 3.43
Mercer 3.43
Venango 3.57
Clinton 3.71
Crawford 3.71
McKean 3.71
Greene 3.86
Fayette 4.0
Philadelphia 4.0
Media contacts: Beth Myers (DPW), 717-787-4592; Leah Harris (PDE), 717-783-9802
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Risk and Reach Report for Clinton County

Early Education in Clinton County

Clinton is a rural county located in central Pennsylvania. According to the US Census Bureau, the 2006 population was 37,232, an estimated -1.8% decrease from 2000. Approximately 80.4% of the adult population graduated high school, and nearly 13.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher education. The main industry in the county is Manufacturing. The median household income in 2004 was $34,162.


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In Clinton County:
There are 2,055 children from birth to age five living in the county.

Risk Factors affecting children's success in school. Risk factors like those listed below can hurt a child's chances of doing well in school.

52.0% of children under age five live in low-income families
21.3% of births to mothers with less than a high school education
35.5% of third graders scored below proficient on the 2008 PSSA reading test
Quality early education. Quality early education like the programs listed below helps children overcome risk factors and succeed in school!

Of children from birth to age five:

3.4% participate in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
13.4% participate in Keystone STARS
9.8% participate in Child Care Works
9.2% participate in Early Intervention
0.0% participate in Nurse-Family Partnership
1.0% participate in Head Start Supplemental Assistance
2.3% participate in federal Head Start
Learn more about this county by viewing the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning 2007-2008 Reach and Risk Report.

Childcare Budget Update as of April 15, 2010

April 15, 2010
DPW Improves the Lives of Pennsylvania’s Children:
The DPW budget invests in proven programs for children with accountable results.
Reducing Child Abuse
By supporting families with programs that prevent abuse, Pennsylvania has achieved a 10% reduction in substantiated child abuse cases since 2003.
Providing At-Risk Children with Safe, Permanent Homes
Our focus on creating safe, permanent homes for all Pennsylvania’s children has resulted in an almost 60% decrease in the number of children entering foster care since 2003.
Improving Children’s Early Learning, School and Life Success
Our continuum of early learning programs, including Keystone STARS, Nurse Family Partnership, Child Care Works, and PA Pre-K Counts, is producing gains. In 2002-2003, fewer than one in five Pennsylvania children had access to a quality early education; now, one in three children access quality early education.
Assuring Children Receive Financial Support from Non-Custodial Parents
Our child support program leads the country in assuring that children receive financial support from their non-custodial parent. In 2009, Pennsylvania was the nation’s best in the collection of support orders at 81.3%, which is higher than the national average of 61.9%.
Improving Children’s Health
The Pennsylvania Medical Assistance program covers over 1.1 million children, with a focus on preventative health care. 94% of children in the first 15 months of life see a doctor as often as recommended. Children three to six years of age are 3 to 4% above the national average in terms of seeing their primary care provider when they should.
The mission of the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) is to protect and serve Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens, to promote, improve and sustain the quality of family life, and to break the cycle of dependency, while managing our resources effectively and promoting respect for employees.
The focus for the DPW FY10-11 Budget is sustainability—preserving services for those who need them, quality and results—ensuring services improve the lives of those who receive them, and accountability— ensuring efficient use of tax dollars.
For more information about the DPW budget visit www.dpw.state.pa.us. For information on how to support funding for this critical program visit the non-partisan Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center at www.pennbpc.org