New Reports on PA’s Early Education Programs

Posted by on June 27, 2011

PA releases child outcomes report on early ed programs

The state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning has released data showing that children participating in three of its early childhood education initiatives are making impressive programs in becoming ready for kindergarten.

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, according to the report.  2010-2011 child outcomes for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STAR 3 & 4 programs, 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 age-appropriate language, math, 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 nearly every child (97%-99%) showing age-appropriate or emerging age-appropriate language, math and social skills by the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

– Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts providing high quality pre-k kindergarten to at-risk three and four year olds: Less than one in four children (13%-21%) began the school year in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classrooms with age-appropriate skills. By the end of the school year, approximately three in four children (74%-80%) showed age-appropriate language, math and social skills after attending Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in 2010-2011.1

http://paprom.convio.net/site/DocServer/PAPKC_Outcomes_6-10-11.pdf?docID=11601

– Keystone STARS 3&4 programs providing high quality early education in child care centers, group and family child care homes for children from birth through school-age: Less than one in three preschoolers (27%-38%) began the school year in Keystone STAR 3 & 4 programs with age-appropriate skills. By the end of the school year, approximately two in three children (65%-73%) showed age-appropriate language, math and social skills after attending Keystone STARS 3 & 4 programs in 2010-2011.2

http://paprom.convio.net/site/DocServer/Keystone_STARS_outcomes_6-10-11.pdf?docID=11602

– Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program providing comprehensive early education and family support services to high-risk three and four year olds: Less than one in five preschoolers (10%-21%) began the school year in Head Start Supplemental programs with age-appropriate skills. By the end of the school year, approximately three in five children (59%-71%) showed age-appropriate language, math and social skills after attending Head Start Supplemental programs in 2010-2011.3

http://paprom.convio.net/site/DocServer/HSSAP_outcomes_6-10-11.pdf?docID=11603

Observing and assessing children’s progress is a key component to a quality early childhood education program and included in the quality expectations of these three programs. Teachers share individual child progress with their families and use the information to refine teaching techniques and learning activities to best meet the needs of their students.

This is the fourth year that OCDEL has reported child outcomes for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, and the second year of reporting child outcomes for Keystone STAR 3 and 4 and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs.