Pre-K Should be a Top Budget Priority

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) released a report today in its role as a principal partner of the Pre-K for PA Campaign that commends Pennsylvania for making increased state investments in publicly funded, high-quality pre-k but highlighting that the commonwealth is lagging behind many other states, including economic competitors, in its per capita investment. PPC President and CEO Joan L. Benso was joined at a state capitol press conference by Governor Tom Wolf, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, York County business leader Michael Smeltzer and other partners in the campaign.

New PPC Report Finds Spending Impacts Student Performance in Rural Schools

State funding for public education impacts student achievement in rural Pennsylvania according to a report released by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children that looks at how spending levels in the state’s 260 rural school districts impacts student results on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSAs).

Governor’s 2017-18 Budget Proposal Invests in Kids

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children President and CEO Joan Benso said the 2017-18 state budget proposal Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled today would improve the quality of life for Pennsylvania’s children across the four key policy areas of the organization’s work to make Pennsylvania one of the top 10 states to be a child and to raise a child.

Pre-K in PA: A Path Forward Report

Driven by bi-partisan support, publicly funded, high-quality pre-k was placed as a top state funding priority of the past two state budget cycles…and rightfully so. Access to this vital service is a fundamental building block of our state’s education system and helps ensure children have the strong foundation necessary to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Furthermore, research has shown that it can reduce grade repetition, special education placements, and dropout rates. Unfortunately, even with recent increases in state funding, there are over 112,900 eligible children who qualify for high-quality, publicly funded pre-k but remain unserved.

State of the Child

 

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