|
Overview
Prekindergarten programs in Pennsylvania receive state funding through four
separate initiatives. First, the new Pre-K Counts program began in the 2007-2008
school year, with an appropriation of $75 million expected to serve 11,000
three- and four-year-olds. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide universal
access to all three- and four-year-old children.
Second, the state allows districts
to serve four-year-olds in their kindergarten programs,
giving these children two years of kindergarten. However, districts receive
only partial state funding for the Kindergarten for Four-Year-Olds Program
(K4). According to the National Institute for Early Education
Research (NIEER), Pennsylvania served about 2% of its four-year-olds in this
program in 2005-2006. Four-year-old kindergarten is considered part of the
elementary school program and is governed by elementary school regulations.
Third, as of Fall 2004, districts started receiving funding through the
Accountability Block Grant program that can be
used to “establish[ ], maintain[ ], or expand[ ]” pre-kindergarten
or full-day kindergarten programs. The Accountability Block Grant program served
about 2% of Pennsylvania four-year-olds in 2005-2006.
Finally, in 2004-05, the state began its Head Start Supplemental Assistance
Program (HSSAP) “to increase the availability of high quality pre-kindergarten
Head Start services for eligible children throughout Pennsylvania” by
adding more slots and creating extended day and full-year programs. In 2005-2006,
HSSAP served about 2% of Pennsylvania four-year-olds with an appropriation
of $30 million. The annual allocation of $40 million for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008
is expected to serve 6,250 children each year. This is in addition to the federal
Head Start program, which served 11% of Pennsylvania four-year-olds in 2005-2006.
Overall, the K4, HSSAP, and Accountability Block Grant programs served 6%
of Pennsylvania four-year-olds in 2005-2006.
State Policy
Although Pennsylvania had lagged behind most states in early childhood
education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) made preschool
education more of a priority in FY 2004-05
by designating “Early Studies in School” one of the four areas to which it
is committed. The PDE acknowledges that “quality pre-kindergarten ...
has a lasting positive effect on student achievement well beyond kindergarten.” Governor
Rendell has
declared that high quality prekindergarten and full-day kindergarten are essential
ingredients of academic success, and has set as a goal universal access to
prekindergarten.
Eligibility Criteria
Districts that opt to provide kindergarten may
accept children that are four years old by the first day of the school term.
If a
district uses its Accountability Block Grant to provide full-day
kindergarten, it is encouraged to serve students who are most “at
risk” of not succeeding in school. Districts that use the Accountability Block
Grant to create a pre-kindergarten program are
advised to serve three- and four-year-olds and to give preference to students “at
the highest risk of future academic failure.” Pre-K Counts providers also serve
three- and four-year-olds, and grant applicants serving the highest number
or percentage of at-risk students will receive priority. For 2007-2008, “at-risk” is defined to include
children who are from families with an income at or below 300% of the federal
poverty level, children with disabilities, children who are English Language
Learners, children who reside in areas of high concentrations of poverty and
children who are homeless. The Pre-K Counts program is intended to eventually
serve all three- and four-year-old children whose families want them to participate.
Program Length/Duration
All public kindergarten programs must remain open for at least 2 ½ hours
per day for 180
days per year. If a district uses its Accountability
Block Grant to provide full-day kindergarten,
it must provide 5 hours of instruction per day for 180 days. Pre-K Counts
providers and districts that use the Accountability Block grant to create
a pre-kindergarten
program can offer a half-day program for a minimum of 2.5 hours
per day or full-day program of at least 5 hours.
Funding
The Pre-K Counts program is funded by legislative appropriations as
a competitive grant program, beginning with $75 million for 2007-2008. Grants
are allocated to providers
on a per-student basis, not to exceed the providers’ actual costs. Grants
are expected to be around $3,950 per child for half-day programs and $7,900
per child for full-day programs. Pre-K Counts grants are paid directly to providers,
whereas Accountability Block Grant funds are allocated only to school districts,
which can then subcontract with community providers.
Pennsylvania statutes do not specify a funding mechanism for the
Kindergarten for Four-Year-Olds Program. According to the National Institute
for Early Education Research's State
Preschool Yearbook,
the state
provides partial reimbursement to districts that opt to
serve four year olds in their kindergarten programs, as well as other programs
intended to improve student achievement.
Starting in 2004-05,
the
state made limited funding available to districts
through the Accountability Block Grant program to “establish[ ],
maintain[ ], or expand[ ]” pre-kindergarten or full-day kindergarten
programs, as well as other programs intended to improve student achievement.
In 2007-2008, all 501 Pennsylvania school districts
will be eligible for a portion of the $275 million available under this program,
which can be used to provide pre-kindergarten or full-day kindergarten to four-year-olds.
Funding amounts will be determined according to a formula based
on poverty levels and the performance of the districts’ students on state assessments.
In 2004-05, the state made $15 million available through its Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Program (HSSAP) “to increase the availability of high quality
pre-kindergarten Head Start services for eligible children throughout Pennsylvania.”
In 2007-2008, $40 million will be available for HSSAP.
Quality Standards
In a national survey
of quality standards,
the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) gave Pennsylvania’s
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program a rating of 1 out of 10.
The Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program received a 3 out of 10 rating, and the
Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program merited a rating of 6 out of 10.
There are no specific quality standards (e.g., class size, staff-child ratio
requirements)
for public kindergarten programs in Pennsylvania, although kindergarten
teachers in
public schools are required to hold a bachelor’s degree and Early Childhood
or Elementary Certification, meeting NIEER’s teacher degree benchmark.
Where the Accountability Block Grant is used to provide pre-kindergarten in
a community-based
setting, a bachelor’s degree has not been required, accounting for NIEER’s
lower rating for this program. Pre-k teachers in school-based programs require
a bachelor’s degree and early childhood certification. Pre-k teachers
in Head Start and community childcare settings must have at least an associate’s
degree, and teachers in nursery schools must be licensed, with a bachelor’s
degree. By December 2011, all pre-k teachers will need to have a bachelor’s
degree and early childhood certification. Beginning in 2009, a teacher aide
in any prekindergarten program must have an associate’s degree
or equivalent, or must meet a “rigorous standard of quality” determined
through a formal assessment process, which may include CDA credentialing.
State regulations require all pre-k programs to maintain a maximum
class size of 20 and
a staff/child ratio of 1:10, and encourage a staff/child ratio of 2:17. If
a district uses its Accountability Block Grant to provide full-day kindergarten
it is encouraged to maintain a teacher/student
ratio of 1:17 and
to hire only certified
teachers.
A district that uses its Accountability Block Grant to provide pre-kindergarten
should include pre-kindergarten staff in professional development activities
and
may use a modest portion of grant funds to provide transportation. All licensed
teachers in Pennsylvania must
complete 180 hours of continuing education every five years, exceeding NIEER’s
teacher in-service benchmark of 15 hours a year.
Pennsylvania’s School Code sets forth academic standards,
which apply to all public school programs, including the four-year-old kindergarten
program. Pennsylvania also has “Early
Childhood Learning Continuum Indicators”, which articulate
a continuum of skills needed for children in preschool through Grade 2 to be
successful. The state adopted comprehensive pre-kindergarten
and kindergarten learning standards, aligned with the state’s
academic standards, in 2005. In
addition, the Guidelines for the Accountability Block Grant
program include standards-based/effective
practices for kindergarten programs and pre-kindergarten
programs.
Pre-K Counts programs are required to use a curriculum aligned with the state’s
Early Learning Standards for Pre-Kindergarten.
State regulations beginning in 2006 require prekindergarten programs to include
nutritional services or referrals. Pre-K Counts requires a meal and a snack
in full-day programs and a snack for half-day programs. Pre-K Counts providers
will also be subject to site visits and monitoring by the state.
Delivery of Preschool Services
The new Pre-K Counts program may
be provided in public schools, Head Start centers, private nursery schools,
and other community child
care providers meeting state quality standards. Pre-K Counts providers must
also collaborate and coordinate with other programs and the early childhood
community.
The Kindergarten for Four-Year-Olds Program is operated exclusively in the
public schools. Funds under the Accountability Block Grant Program flow to
public schools to operate prekindergarten programs, although districts are
encouraged to collaborate with
community-based, high quality pre-kindergarten programs, such as Head Start,
early intervention,
licensed child care sites, and private academic nursery schools. The guidelines for prekindergarten programs established under the block grant program instruct that districts should use at least 10% - 20% of their block grant funds on collaboration with community-based preschool programs.
Head Start programs receiving state funding to expand programs under the Head
Start Supplemental Assistance Program may provide extended day services
within the program or in cooperation with childcare centers, family home childcare
centers, or
school districts.
Requirements for Student Assessment and Program Evaluation
All public schools with pre-k programs must include pre-k in their assessment
systems. Pre-K Counts providers must assess student progress at least three
times a year with a valid, reliable, comprehensive, developmentally appropriate
and linguistically responsive assessment tool. PDE recommends that pre-kindergarten
programs follow the assessment principles outlined in Early
Childhood Assessment For Children From Birth to Age 8. Grantees must
also participate in the ECERS assessment of the preschool program learning
environment. Finally, grantees are subject to periodic site visits
from Office of Child Development and Early Learning staff.
The Guidelines for the Accountability Block Grant program encourage pre-kindergarten
and full-day kindergarten programs to develop a system of ongoing
student assessment and program evaluation to the same extent as required
for the Pre-K Counts program.
Education Clause in State Constitution
The education clause in Pennsylvania’s constitution states, “The General Assembly
shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system
of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.”
Summary of Case Law on School Finance System
Although public education is considered a fundamental
right in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania courts have consistently
dismissed claims alleging that Pennsylvania’s public
education funding scheme violates the education and equal protection provisions
of the state constitution, holding that the constitutionality of the state’s
funding of public education is non-justiciable.
Moreover, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has acknowledged, in dicta, that
uniformity of funding is not constitutionally required. A case was filed
in 1998 alleging that Pennsylvania’s
funding scheme is racially discriminatory in
violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but that case was
dismissed in 2005 in light of a Supreme Court decision barring this type
of lawsuit under Title VI.
Summary of Case Law on Preschool
There are no state court decisions related to state-funded preschool programs.
However, in O’Leary v. Wisecup,
the Commonwealth Court held that Pennsylvania children have no statutory or
property interest in education at the preschool or kindergarten levels.
Pa. Const. art. 3, § 14
The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough
and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.
Is Education a Fundamental
Right under the State Constitution?
Wilkinsburg Educ. Ass’n v. Sch. Dist. of Wilkinsburg, 542 Pa. 335, 343,
667 A.2d 5, 9 (1992)
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania acknowledged in this case that, “[P]ublic
education in Pennsylvania is a fundamental right. It is required by Article
III, Section 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. . . . [T]his court has consistently
examined problems related to schools in the context of that fundamental right.”
School Finance Cases in Favor
of Plaintiffs:
None.
Standard for a Constitutionally
Adequate Education:
None.
School Finance Cases against
Plaintiffs:
Danson v. Casey, 484 Pa. 415, 427, 399 A.2d 360, 367 (1979)
The State Supreme Court stated that uniformity of funding among school districts
is not constitutionally required; the state constitution requires only that
the legislative scheme for financing public education "has a reasonable relation" to "[providing]
for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public
schools… ." (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
Pennsylvania Ass’n of Rural and Small Schs. v. Ridge, No. 11 M.D. 1991
(PA Commonw. Ct. July 9, 1998)
In an order affirmed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth
Court declined to decide whether Pennsylvania’s public education funding scheme,
which plaintiffs claimed resulted in unequal funding among districts, violated
the education and equal protection provisions of the state constitution.
Marrero v. Commonwealth, 709
A.2d 956, 965 (1998)
The Commonwealth Court similarly declined in this case to address the merits
of plaintiffs’ claim that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not provide
the Philadelphia school district with sufficient funding to provide an adequate
education to its students.
Powell v. Ridge, 189 F.3d 387 (3d Cir. 1999), cert. denied Ryan
v. Powell, 538 U.S. 823 (1999)
Plaintiffs in this case claimed that the state’s criteria and methods of funding
public education yield racially discriminatory results in Philadelphia and
other predominantly minority school districts in violation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1999, the Third Circuit reversed the lower court’s
dismissal for failure to state a claim under the Title VI regulations and Section
1983 and remanded the case for further proceedings. The case was placed on
suspension in 2001 because of possible settlement and the Supreme Court’s decision
in Alexander v. Sandoval, 532 U.S. 275 (2001). The case was dismissed
without prejudice in 2005, at plaintiffs’ request, primarily in light
of Alexander v. Sandoval, which barred this type of lawsuit under
Title VI.
Decisions Ruling School Finance
Issues Were Non-Justiciable:
Danson v. Casey, 484 Pa. 415, 429, 399 A.2d 360, 367 (1979)
The State Supreme Court held that plaintiffs’ allegation that Philadelphia
children were being denied a “normal program of educational services” available
to other children in Pennsylvania was insufficient to state a justiciable action.
The Court further noted that it “may not abrogate or intrude upon the lawfully
enacted scheme by which public education is funded, not only in Philadelphia,
but throughout the Commonwealth.”
Marrero v. Commonwealth, 709
A.2d 956, 965 (1998)
The Commonwealth Court dismissed this action, finding that “Article 3, Section
14 places the responsibility for the maintenance and support of the public
school system squarely in the hands of the legislature.” Thus, the Court would
not “inquire into the reason, wisdom, or expediency of the legislative policy
with regard to education, nor any matters relating to legislative determinations
of school policy or the scope of educational activity.”
Pennsylvania Ass’n of Rural and Small Schs. v. Ridge, 558 Pa. 374, 737
A.2d 246 (1999)
The State Supreme Court affirmed, without opinion, the lower court’s dismissal
of the case on the grounds that the question of the constitutionality of the
Commonwealth’s funding of public education is non-justiciable.
Cases Related to State-Funded
Preschool:
None. But see O’Leary v. Wisecup, 364 A.2d 770, 773 (Pa. Commonw. Ct.
1976). “An examination of the state statutes involved here, however, clearly
indicates that a local school district is required to provide a free public
education only to those resident children who enter school as 'beginners' at
the primary level (above the kindergarten level), and that the Department's
regulations compel attendance for 'beginners', not for kindergarten students.
We conclude, therefore, that the state has not statutorily entitled a child
to a kindergarten education and that enrollment in kindergarten does not, therefore,
create a property interest on behalf of the student concerned."
Pending School Finance Cases:
None.
11 P.S. § 875-502, Early Intervention Services System Act
24 P.S. § 5-503, Kindergartens
24 P.S. § 12-1205.2, Program of continuing professional education
24 P.S. § 15-1501-D et seq. Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
24 P.S. § 15-1511-D et seq. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 25-2599.2, Pennsylvania Accountability Grants
4 PA ADC § 4.1 et seq., Academic Standards and Assessment
4 PA ADC § 6.61 et seq., Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Care
and Education
22 PA ADC § 11.14, Admission to Kindergarten When Provided
Pennsylvania Kindergarten Standards
Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Pre-Kindergarten
Guidelines
and Information on Accountability Block Grants (hereafter referred to as Guidelines). State guidelines for Accountability
Block Grant Program, which funds, among other educational reform programs,
preschool and full-day kindergarten.
Early Childhood Assessment For Children From Birth to Age 8
Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Guidance (hereafter referred to as Pre-K Counts Guidance)
Note: Pennsylvania began funding a preschool program for three- and
four-year-olds with the introduction of Pre-K Counts in 2007.
The State has, by statute,
authorized school districts to offer a four-year-old kindergarten
program, known as K4. This program allows districts to offer children two
years of kindergarten. The program
is governed by K-12 academic standards and regulations.
Beginning in 2004,
Pennsylvania implemented the Accountability Block Grant program, which
has made funding available to districts for a variety
of educational programs, including full-day kindergarten and preschool
education.
Also beginning in FY 2004-05, the state began providing supplemental
funding to
Head Start programs to increase the availability of the program to eligible
children.
The following materials are separated by the Pre-K Counts Program, Four-year-old
Kindergarten Program, Accountability
Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program, and Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Program, where applicable.
Provisions Expressing State
Policy on Preschool:
Governor Rendell, Executive Budget Address 2007
In public education, this budget continues our policy of making strategic
investments in the future of our children. This budget expands the Accountability
Block Grant with $75 million to help Pennsylvania move closer to the goal of
universal access to pre-kindergarten. This first installment will make pre-k
available for more than 11,000 additional children next year. And I propose
we also add $25 million to the block grant to drive us closer to the goal of
full day kindergarten for every student. Study after study has proven what
parents all over Pennsylvania already know: quality pre-kindergarten and full
day kindergarten give young children the early skills they need to prepare
them for a lifetime of achievement.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education states on its
website, “Early childhood education is vital to student success. The Department
of Education’s priorities for early childhood education include:
- High-quality pre-school option,
- Voluntary full-day kindergarten, . . . .
Communities can maximize early childhood education opportunities
by drawing on a variety of funding sources available through the Pennsylvania
Department of Education.
In Governor Rendell's Early
Learning Budget Proposal for FY 2004-05,
he stated, “An investment in early care and education is an investment
in the future of Pennsylvania . . .. Over 30 years of research confirms
the benefits of quality early education and care.”
Governor Rendell’s 2005 Education Agenda states: “High-quality pre-kindergarten, full-day kindergarten and small
classes in grades K-3 are fundamental ingredients to academic success.”
In the Guidelines
and Information on Accountability Block Grants,
the Pennsylvania Department of Education states that it is committed
to four key areas, one of which is “Early Success in School: All students
will experience success in pre-kindergarten . . . so that they have a
strong learning foundation to support future achievement.” The Appendix
to the Guidelines additionally states, “Extensive research on pre-kindergarten
programs demonstrates that quality pre-kindergarten not only prepares
children
for school, but also has a lasting positive effect on student achievement
well beyond kindergarten. The challenge for many communities, however,
is two-fold: 1) to ensure all children, particularly those who are considered ‘at-risk,’ have
access to such programs; and 2) to ensure that the programs are of ‘high
quality.’ To help Pennsylvania communities meet this challenge, the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant may be allocated by districts to establish,
maintain or expand pre-kindergarten programs.”
Eligibility Criteria for State Preschool Program:
22 PA ADC § 4.20
… (3) Prekindergarten programs may be offered to all 3 and 4 year olds or
may be targeted to children who are most in need of prekindergarten services
who reside in the district. Targeted programs may serve children who are at
risk of school failure because of limited English proficiency, community factors,
economic disadvantage, but may not exclude or be limited exclusively to children
with disabilities. If a program is limited to an attendance area, children
with disabilities must live in that attendance area to participate in the program.
An attendance area is the geographic area within a school district designated
by the school board for the purpose of assigning students to a school.
… (9) A school district may make individual exceptions to the age of prekindergarten
students based upon local policy to permit the enrollment of children under
3 years of age and 5 years of age or older.
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1511-D
… "At-risk child." A child who is at a risk of educational failure because
of limited English proficiency, poverty, community factors, academic difficulties
or economic disadvantage.
… "Eligible student." A child who is at least three years of age and
is younger than the entry age of kindergarten in the school district of residence.
24 P.S. § 15-1514-D
… To the greatest extent possible, the department
shall:
(1) Give priority in grant funding to approved providers serving the highest
number or the highest percentage of at-risk eligible students. …
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 14-15
Until the Pre-K Counts funding level is sufficient to serve all
3 and 4 year-olds in the Commonwealth, the distribution of the funds as provided
for in the proposed statute, in combination with the process for selection
of grantees from among all of the applicants, will favor those programs that
seek to serve children most in need of services.
… children who are from low-income families, children with disabilities,
children who are English Language Learners, children who reside in areas
of high concentrations of poverty and children who are homeless would be
the target recipients of Pre-K Counts funded services offered by a
successful grantee. For purposes of this first year of the Pre-K Counts program
[2007-2008], a "low-income family" is one for which income is at
or below 300% of the federal poverty level.
Four-year-old Kindergarten Program
24 P.S. § 5-503: The board of school directors
in any school district may establish and maintain kindergartens for children
between the ages of four and six years . . . .
22 PA ADC § 11.14: When kindergarten is provided, the board of school
directors shall establish the district's minimum entry age to kindergarten.
The minimum entry age to kindergarten may not be less than 4 years no months
before the first day of the school term. The district's maximum entry age
to kindergarten must be
less than the district's entry age for beginners.
Pursuant to 24 P.S. 25-2599.2, full-day kindergarten programs funded
through the Commonwealth’s Accountability Block
Grant program may be offered to “children who are between four and six years
old.”
The Guidelines for full-day kindergarten
programs funded through the
Commonwealth’s Accountability Block Grant program state, “Districts should
work with school leaders, teachers, parents and community partners . . . to
develop a full-day kindergarten program that meets the needs of local children.
The school-community collaboration should . . . identify[] and serv[e] the
students who are most ‘at risk’ of not succeeding in school . . . .
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten
programs funded through the
Commonwealth’s Accountability Block Grant program state that “Pre-kindergarten
programs should serve 3 and 4 year old students for up to two years prior to
the kindergarten entrance age for the District . . . . If there are a limited
number of slots for students, pre-kindergarten learning opportunities should
first be offered to students at the highest risk of future academic failure
. . ..”
Program Length/Duration:
22 PA ADC § 11.1.
Public prekindergartens, when offered, … shall be kept open each school year
for a minimum of 180 days of instruction for students. Days may not be counted
as days taught on which the schools are closed, and time may not be counted
as a student session for an activity to which admission is charged. However,
when a meritorious educational program warrants, the Secretary may, upon request,
approve a school term containing a minimum of 990 secondary or 900 elementary
and 450 kindergarten hours of instruction as the equivalent of 180 school days.
A Prekindergarten Program may be exempted from this requirement when approval
as a meritorious prekindergarten is granted as provided in § 4.20(8) (relating
to prekindergarten education).
22 PA ADC § 11.3(a)
Minimum hours of instruction time for students shall be as follows:
|
Grade |
Hours |
|
PreK—K |
2 hours, 30 minutes, each day of the school term, unless exempted from
the minimum hours of instructional time under § 11.1 (relating to school
term) |
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1515-D(a)
An approved provider that receives grant funds
under this subarticle shall have the following duties:
…(2) Plan to provide no fewer than 180 days of
pre-kindergarten over the course of the school year. A half-day program shall
provide no fewer than two and one-half hours of instructional activities
per day. A full-day program shall provide no fewer than five hours of instructional
activities per day.
Four-year-old Kindergarten Program
24 P.S. § 5-503: . . . When established,
the kindergartens shall be kept open for not less than two and one-half hours
each day for the full school term as provided in section 1501. .
24 P.S. § 15-1501: All public
kindergartens . . . shall be kept open each school year for at least one hundred
eighty (180) days of instruction for pupils . . . .
22 PA ADC § 11.1: Public kindergartens shall be kept
open each school year for a minimum of 180 days of instruction for students.
Days may not be counted as days taught on which the schools are closed, and
time may not be counted as a student session for an activity to which admission
is
charged. However, when a meritorious educational program warrants, the Secretary
may, upon request, approve a school term
containing a minimum of . . . 450 kindergarten
hours of instruction as the equivalent of 180 school days.
22 PA ADC § 11.3: Minimum hours of instruction time for students shall
be as follows:
| Grade |
Hours |
| PreK - K |
2 hours, 30 minutes, each day of the school term … |
Pursuant to 24 P.S. 25-2599.2, full-day
kindergarten programs “establish[ed], maintain[ed], or expand[ed]” through
the Commonwealth’s Accountability Block Grant program “shall be kept open for
five hours each day for the full school term as provided in section 1501.”
The Guidelines for full-day kindergarten programs funded through the
Accountability Block Grant program similarly state, “Such programs must have
5 hours of instructional time per day and be open for the full school year.”
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten
Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs funded through the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state:
Length of Day. Effective pre-kindergarten programs consist of at least
5 hours of instructional time per day; 2.5 hours of instructional time is the
minimum. Instructional time can include meals and snack time as long as a certified
teacher is supervising students and using the time for student learning experiences.
Student services such as speech pathology or audiology, as well as at the
library and in art, music or physical education also constitute “instructional time” if provided by area specialists.
Specialists do not need early childhood education certification.
Days Offered. Pre-kindergarten should be offered, at the least, on the same
days as elementary school classes for a minimum of 180 days.
Scope of State’s Responsibility to Provide
Preschool:
22 PA ADC § 4.20
School districts are not required to offer a prekindergarten program, and
parents are not required to enroll their children in those programs if offered.
4 PA ADC § 6.61: The Governor's Task Force on Early Childhood Care
and Education (Task Force) is charged with examining the full range of proven,
evidence-based school readiness strategies available for early childhood care
and education targeted at children age 0-8 and the existing Commonwealth services
targeted to that age group. The Task Force will provide implementation cost
estimates of each strategy based on experience in this Commonwealth or other
states.
4 PA ADC § 6.62: The Governor's Task Force on Early Childhood Care
and Education (Task Force) has the powers and duties to do the following:
(1) Serve in an advisory capacity.
(2) Assess the current menu of early care and education
programs and services offered or funded by the Commonwealth for children and
their families.
(3) Develop a model for the identification of programs
that have a sufficient basis in science and a demonstrated record of effectiveness
for discussion by the Task Force.
(4) Develop a comprehensive listing of programs meeting
the effectiveness standards developed under paragraph (3).
(5) Provide per participant cost estimates for each
program included in the list of effective programs.
(6) Identify innovative financing sources and models
for early care and education based on existing initiatives in this Commonwealth
and Nationally.
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1512-D
To the extent that funds are appropriated by the General Assembly, the department
shall establish the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program as a competitive grant
program to expand pre-kindergarten opportunities for eligible students.
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten
Program
24 P.S. § 25-2599.2: Funds obtained under
[the Pennsylvania Accountability Grants] section may be used for any of the
following:
(b)(1) Establishing, maintaining or expanding a quality
pre-kindergarten program aligned with the current academic standards contained
in 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 (relating to academic standards and assessment).
(b)(2) Establishing, maintaining or expanding a quality
full-day kindergarten program aligned with the current academic standards contained
in 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 . . . .
(c)(4) Where the accountability grant plan submitted under
paragraph (2) ... proposes to use the grant funds for a program or activity
under subsection (b)(1), (2) .. . the department may, within thirty (30) days
from
the receipt of the plan, make nonbinding recommendations for alternative utilization
of the grant funds . . . .
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs funded through the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state, “Districts should work with school
leaders, teachers, parents, early childhood experts and community partners
(e.g. parents, civic
leaders, early childhood community providers) to develop a pre-kindergarten
program that meets the needs of local children. They should consider the types
of services children and families need, such as before- and after-school care;
summer programming; transportation; referrals to health and social services;
healthy meals and snacks; English acquisition education for students and translation
services for families who do not speak English. An effective pre-kindergarten
program will take these needs into account in designing the program and linking
it to appropriate supports . . . .”
Scope of State's Responsibility to Fund Preschool:
Four-year-old Kindergarten Program
There are no statutory provisions relating to funding of the Kindergarten
for Four-Year-Olds Program. According to the National Institute for Early
Education Research's State
Preschool Yearbook,
the state partially reimburses districts that opt to serve four-year-olds through
the school
funding formula. Through the Accountability Block
Grant program, Pennsylvania made limited funding available to districts
beginning in FY 2004-05 to "establish[ ], maintain[ ], or expand[ ]” preschool
or full-day kindergarten programs, which are open to four-year-olds.
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1514-D
The department shall award grants under this subarticle to the extent that
funds are appropriated for the program by the General Assembly. The grants
shall be awarded on a per-student basis for each eligible student served by
an approved provider and shall not exceed the per-student cost of administering
the approved provider's pre-kindergarten program. To the greatest extent possible,
the department shall:
(1) Give priority in grant funding to approved providers serving the highest
number or the highest percentage of at-risk eligible students.
(2) Give priority in grant funding to approved providers that received grant
funds in the immediately preceding school year, have met the program standards
and have demonstrated satisfactory implementation of the program.
(3) Ensure that grant funding is geographically dispersed to approved providers
throughout this Commonwealth.
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 35
The Department will pay the grantee an established fee per Pre- K Counts student.
For half-day programs this amount is expected to be approximately $3,950 per
child. For full-day programs this amount is expected to be approximately $7,900
per child.
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
Through the Accountability Block Grant program, Pennsylvania made limited
funding available to districts beginning in FY 2004-05 to "establish[
], maintain[ ], or expand[ ]” preschool or full-day kindergarten programs,
which are open to four-year-olds.
Source of Funding for Preschool Program:
2007 Pa. Laws Act 8A, § 212
The following amounts are appropriated to the Department of Education:
… For the Pennsylvania Accountability Grants.
State appropriation........ 275,000,000
For the Pre-K Counts Program.
State appropriation........ 75,000,000
For Head Start Supplemental Assistance.
State appropriation........ 40,000,000
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
Note: Pennsylvania’s Accountability Block Grant program,
established in 2004, is making $275 million available to school districts in
FY 2007-08 to “support
proven programs to improve educational achievement of students.” Funding
amounts for each district are determined by the formula set forth below in
24 P.S. § 25-2599.2. The formula takes into account the proportion of students
in a district scoring below proficient on the statewide proficiency tests,
the property wealth of the district, the district’s poverty level, and enrollment.
Twenty-five percent of the annual Accountability Block Grant appropriation
is also allocated based on the proportion of students scoring at or above
proficient in reading or math "in an effort to maintain the achievement
of those students," according to the Guidelines.
24 P.S. § 25-2599.2. Pennsylvania Accountability Grants
. . . (d) During the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years, the department
shall pay to each school district a Pennsylvania Accountability grant equal
to the
sum
of
the
amounts calculated under paragraphs (1) and (2) as follows:
(1) Each school district shall receive an amount based on the percentage of
its students scoring below proficient on the PSSA tests, calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered
in the school district on which students scored below proficient in reading
or mathematics during the 2002-2003 school year by the total number of PSSA
tests scored in reading and mathematics in the school district during the 2002-2003
school year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph
(i) by the average daily membership of the school district for the 2002-2003
school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph
(ii) by the market value/income aid ratio of the school district for the 2003-2004
school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph
(iii) by one hundred fifty million dollars
($150,000,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph
(iv) by the sum of the products of subparagraph (iii) for all school districts.
(2) Each school district shall receive an amount based on the percentage of
its students scoring at or above proficient on the PSSA tests, calculated as
follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered
in the school district on which students scored at or above proficient in reading
or mathematics during the 2002-2003 school year by the total number of PSSA
tests scored in reading and mathematics in the school district during the 2002-2003
school year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph
(i) by the average daily membership of the school district for the 2002-2003
school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph
(ii) by the market value/income aid ratio of the school district for the 2003-2004
school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph
(iii) by fifty million dollars ($50,000,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph
(iv) by the sum of the products of subparagraph (iii) for all school districts.
(d.1)(1) During the 2006-2007 school year and each school year thereafter,
the department shall pay to each school district a Pennsylvania accountability
grant equal to the amount determined in subsection (d) plus the sum of the
amounts calculated under paragraphs (2) and (3).
(2) Each school district shall receive an amount based on the percentage of
its students scoring below proficient on the PSSA tests administered in grades
five, eight and eleven, calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district on
which students scored below proficient in reading or mathematics during the
2004-2005 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored in reading and
mathematics in the school district during the 2004-2005 school year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph (i) by the average daily membership
of the school district for the 2004-2005 school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (ii) by the market value/income
aid ratio of the school district for the 2005-2006 school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph (iii) by thirty-seven million
five hundred thousand dollars ($37,500,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph (iv) by the sum of the products of
subparagraph (iii) for all school districts.
(3) Each school district shall receive an amount based on the percentage of
its students scoring at or above proficient on the PSSA tests administered
in grades five, eight and eleven, calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district on
which students scored at or above proficient in reading or mathematics during
the 2004-2005 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored in reading
and mathematics in the school district during the 2004-2005 school year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph (i) by the average daily membership
of the school district for the 2004-2005 school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (ii) by the market value/income
aid ratio of the school district for the 2005-2006 school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph (iii) by twelve million five hundred
thousand dollars ($12,500,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph (iv) by the
sum of the products of subparagraph (iii) for all school districts. …
(d.2) (1) During the 2007-2008 school year, the department shall pay to
each school district a Pennsylvania accountability grant equal to the amount
determined under subsection (d.1) plus the sum of the amounts calculated
under paragraphs (2) and (3).
(2) Each school district shall receive an amount based on the percentage
of its students scoring below proficient on PSSA tests administered in the
school district, calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district
on which students scored below proficient in reading or mathematics during
the 2005-2006 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored in reading
and mathematics in the school district during the 2005-2006 school year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph (i) by the average daily membership
of the school district for the 2005-2006 school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (ii) by the market value/income
aid ratio of the school district for the 2006-2007 school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph (iii) by eighteen million seven
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($18,750,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph (iv) by the sum of the products
of subparagraph (iii) for all school districts.
(3) Each school district shall receive an amount based on the percentage
of its students scoring at or above proficient on PSSA tests administered
in the school district, calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district
on which students scored at or above proficient in reading or mathematics
during the 2005-2006 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored
in reading and mathematics in the school district during the 2005-2006 school
year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph (i) by the average daily membership
of the school district for the 2005-2006 school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (ii) by the market value/income
aid ratio of the school district for the 2006-2007 school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph (iii) by six million two hundred
fifty thousand dollars ($6,250,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph (iv) by the sum of the products
of subparagraph (iii) for all school districts.
(d.3) (1) During the 2007-2008 school year, the department shall pay a Pennsylvania
accountability grant supplement from funds subject to distribution pursuant
to subsection (b.2)(3) equal to the amount calculated under paragraphs (2),
(3), (4) and (5).
(2) Each school district with a 2006-2007 full-day kindergarten average
daily membership shall receive an amount based on the percentage of its students
scoring below proficient on PSSA tests administered in the school district,
calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district
on which students scored below proficient in reading or mathematics during
the 2005-2006 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored in reading
and mathematics in the school district during the 2005-2006 school year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph (i) by the full-day kindergarten
estimated average daily membership of the school district for the 2006-2007
school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (ii) by the market value/income
aid ratio of the school district for the 2006-2007 school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph (iii) by three million seven
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($3,750,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph (iv) by the sum of the products
of subparagraph (iii) for all eligible school districts under this paragraph.
(3) Each school district with a 2006-2007 full-day kindergarten average
daily membership shall receive an amount based on the percentage of its students
scoring at or above proficient on PSSA tests administered in the school district,
calculated as follows:
(i) Divide the number of PSSA tests administered in the school district
on which students scored at or above proficient in reading or mathematics
during the 2005-2006 school year by the total number of PSSA tests scored
in reading and mathematics in the school district during the 2005-2006 school
year.
(ii) Multiply the quotient from subparagraph (i) by the full-day kindergarten
estimated average daily membership of the school district for the 2006-2007
school year.
(iii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (ii) by the market value/income
aid ratio of the school district for the 2006-2007 school year.
(iv) Multiply the product from subparagraph (iii) by one million two hundred
fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000).
(v) Divide the product from subparagraph (iv) by the sum of the products
of subparagraph (iii) for all eligible school districts under this paragraph.
(4) Each school district shall receive an amount equal to two percent (2%)
of the amount determined pursuant to subsection (d.1).
(5) After amounts have been paid pursuant to paragraphs (2), (3) and (4),
any remaining funds subject to distribution pursuant to subsection (b.2)(3)
shall be allocated to each school district as follows:
(i) Multiply the school district's 2006-2007 market value/income aid ratio
by the number of additional full-day kindergarten students to be enrolled
in the newly established or expanded full-day kindergarten program in the
school district as indicated in the accountability grant plan submitted under
subsection (c).
(ii) Multiply the product from subparagraph (i) by the total amount of forfeited
grant funds subject to distribution under this paragraph.
(iii) Divide the product from subparagraph (ii) by the sum of the products
from subparagraph (i) of all school districts with additional full-day kindergarten
students to be enrolled in newly established or expanded full-day kindergarten
programs.
Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP)
Pennsylvania’s Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) provides
grants to existing Head Start programs “to increase the availability
of high quality pre-kindergarten Head Start services for eligible children
throughout Pennsylvania.” The state made $15 million available in 2004-05;
$40 million have been appropriated for 2007-08.
24 P.S. § 15-1502-D. Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
(a) Establishment.--The Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program is hereby
established to provide Head Start services to additional eligible children
and to provide extended day services through existing Head Start providers.
…
(d) Criteria for funding.--To implement the
program, the department shall request proposals from existing Head Start
providers and may
award grants
or enter
into service contracts with existing Head Start providers that meet
all of the following criteria: (1) Demonstrate the need for additional
Head
Start
services in the provider’s service area, whether the need is determined
by the percentage of eligible children who are not served in the provider’s
service area or by the demand for extended day services. (2) Demonstrate
the ability to expand staff, space or services to serve additional
children or
to provide extended day services:
(i) within the Head Start program;
(ii) in cooperation with licensed child-care centers or registered family
or group day-care homes; or
(iii) in cooperation with school entities. …
24 P.S. § 15-1503-D. Priority in funding
(a) General rule.--A Head Start provider that received a grant in
the prior fiscal year shall be eligible to receive a grant
in an amount
equal to
the grant received in the immediately preceding fiscal year,
less any start-up costs. If by March 1 the Head Start provider did not
enroll
at least 90%
of the number of children it was approved to serve for that
year, then the
grant
shall be reduced proportionally based on the number of children
enrolled as of March 1.
(b) Priority for remaining funding.--For the remaining funds, the
department shall give priority in funding to Head Start providers
applying for
grants to serve additional eligible children.
Scope of Child's Right to Attend
Preschool:
None.
Curriculum Content Standards
for Preschool Program:
22 PA ADC § 4.20
… The [prekindergarten] program, when offered, must provide a comprehensive
program appropriate for the age and varying developmental levels of the students;
be based on how young children develop and learn; include instruction to support
each child’s development in the areas of approaches to learning—creative expression,
language and literacy, math, logic and science, social-personal development
and physical development and health—and must be open to children with disabilities.
(1) The Secretary will provide academic standards, appropriate for early learning
at the prekindergarten level, as guidance for the use of school districts that
offer prekindergarten programs.
(2) Curriculum and instruction in the prekindergarten program must be standards-based.
… (4) The Secretary will issue guidance to school districts on developmentally
appropriate curriculum, instruction and assessments for prekindergarten.
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1515-D(a)
An approved provider that receives grant funds under this subarticle shall
have the following duties:
…(3) Align the pre-kindergarten program's curriculum with early learning standards
established by the department.
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 23
Consistent with regulations of the State Board of Education the curriculum
used in any Pre-K Counts classrooms or in any classrooms that include children
who were counted in generating the per-child funding for the program must be
aligned with the Early Learning Standards established by the PDE. The curriculum
and instruction must be standards-based. Each applicant must select a curriculum
to use in the Pre-K Counts program. …
The Early Learning Standards have been "cross-walked" and developed
with close alignment to several nationally respected, commercially available
curricula for Pre-K. The review is available on-line and
may be used to inform local decisions about curriculum. However, the curricular
choice is not limited to those that have been reviewed and compared to the
Early Learning Standards.
Four-year-old Kindergarten Program
Districts operating a four-year old kindergarten
program are bound by Pennsylvania’s academic standards, 22 PA ADC § 4.12.
The Department of Education has recently issued Pennsylvania Kindergarten
Standards.
The Guidelines for full-day kindergarten
programs that are “establish[ed], maintain[ed], or expand[ed]” through the
Commonwealth’s Accountability Block Grant program state:
Standards-based, Effective Practices. Full-day kindergarten programs should
be evidence-based, reflecting both the extensive research on full-day kindergarten
and promising practices in the field, in order to maximize the opportunity
for learning presented during a child’s early years. Effective full-day kindergarten
programs should utilize Pennsylvania’s new Kindergarten Standards .
....
To ensure students meet the above-mentioned standards, effective full-day
kindergarten programs:
ü Are deliberate and purposeful in their teachers’ use of standards
to guide classroom lessons
ü Utilize a comprehensive
curriculum that has a rigorous literacy and numeracy curriculum at its core
ü Exhibit teachers’ instructional
practices that are
explicit in their instructional language and include a variety of configurations
(e.g. whole group, small group, partner, and
individual activities)
ü Actively engage kindergartners in meaningful learning
ü Support and expect high quality work from all students
ü Are differentiated to meet the needs of all learners
ü Include deliberate efforts to expand kindergartners’ vocabulary
and expressive language
ü Have clear expectations
for children’s behavior that respect the
age and development of the kindergartener.
ü Provide many opportunities for kindergarteners to acquire and practice
important learning behaviors (e.g. listening; participating; task persistence;
self-regulation; making choices; exhibiting self-control; being organized;
motivating self to do one’s best; working with others; respecting the rights,
feelings and property of others, etc.).
ü Are composed
of classroom environments that:
- Are attractive and stimulating to foster and stimulate the kindergartner’s
curiosity, initiative and inquiry
- Are literacy rich and incorporate literacy and numeracy learning
throughout the day
- Are organized and structured to support all areas of development
through a range of instructional techniques and strategies
- Foster many opportunities throughout the day for children and adults
to talk, listen and respond to one another for a variety of purposes .
. ..
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten
programs funded through the
Commonwealth’s Accountability Block Grant program state:
Standards-based and Effective Practices. Pre-kindergarten programs
should reflect current scientific research and understandings in all related
areas of early development to address the individual needs of a diverse population
of children.
The use of Early Learning Standards should guide classroom practice and be
used to maximize children’s growth and development
across the key areas of learning addressed within the Standards: approaches
to learning; creative arts; language and literacy; logical mathematics; personal
and social, physical health, science and
social studies.
Early Learning programs for pre-kindergarten children should reflect the
importance of family-community partnerships and cultural diversity. The Early
Learning Standards section, “Program Partnerships” provides a framework
for effective partnership building. …
The Department of Education has recently issued Early
Learning Standards for Pre-Kindergarten.
Pennsylvania additionally has “Early
Childhood Learning Continuum Indicators", which
are not academic standards, but reflect a continuum of skills that are
needed
for
all learners
to be
successful.
The Indicators focus on preschool through Grade 2 in reading, writing,
speaking and listening, and mathematics.
Teacher Certification/Qualification
Standards for Preschool Program:
24 P.S. § 12-1205.2. Program of continuing professional education
(a) A continuing professional education program is hereby established for professional
educators, the satisfactory completion of which is required to maintain active
certification. Except as provided in subsection (j.1), the continuing professional
education program shall require the satisfactory completion of continuing
professional education every five (5) years, which shall include:
(1) six (6) credits of collegiate study;
(2) six (6) credits of continuing professional education courses;
(3) one hundred eighty (180) hours of continuing professional education programs,
activities or learning experiences; or
(4) any combination of collegiate studies, continuing professional
education courses, or other programs, activities or learning experiences
equivalent
to one hundred eighty (180) hours. …
22 PA ADC § 4.20
… (7) Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, a teacher aide in a prekindergarten
program shall meet one of the following criteria:
(i) Completion of a least 2 years of postsecondary study.
(ii) Possession of an associate’s degree or higher.
(iii) Ability to meet a rigorous standard of quality and demonstration through
a formal State or local academic assessment of knowledge in and ability to
assist in instructing reading, writing and mathematics. A rigorous standard
of quality includes a demonstration of competence in basic literacy skills,
including the ability to speak and write standard English and instruction of
prekindergarten students in the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and abilities
described in the early learning standards issued under paragraph (1).
… (11) School district contracted prekindergarten programs operated by a community
provider shall provide a lead teacher for each classroom who meets the following
minimum qualifications:
(i) An associate’s degree or greater in early childhood
education or child development.
(ii) For programs operating before December 16, 2006,
lead teachers shall possess a bachelor’s degree and early childhood certificate as provided in § 49.85(a)
(relating to limitations) on or before December 16, 2011.
(iii) For programs contracted after December 16, 2006,
lead teachers shall possess a bachelor’s degree and early childhood certificate as provided in § 49.85(a)
within 5 years from the date students first attend the prekindergarten
program.
22 PA ADC § 49.85
(a) Instructional certificates issued before January 1, 2013 remain valid
for the term of the certificate for the grade spans and age levels outlined
in items (1) through (6). For instructional certificates issued before January
1, 2013, the grade level limitations shall be the following:
(1) Early childhood (prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades one through three
or ages 3 through 8). …
(b) For instructional certificates issued on or after January 1, 2013, the
grade level limitations shall be the following:
(1) Early Childhood (prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades one through four
or ages 3 through 9). …
(e) When a school district contracts with a community provider for the provision
of prekindergarten services, prekindergarten teachers providing the services
shall possess a certificate in early childhood as provided in subsection (a)(1)
or subsection (b)(1) within the following time frame:
(1) For contracts in place prior to September 22, 2007, September
24, 2012.
(2) For new contracts, 5 years from the start of services.
(f) The Secretary may grant exceptions in response to shortages of certified
personnel that apply Statewide to specific provisions of this section when
it is necessary to facilitate transition to the revised provisions scheduled
to become effective on January 1, 2013. …
Pre-K Counts Program
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 26-27
As with all pre-kindergarten classrooms operated by school districts, the
standard for a lead teacher in a Pre-K Counts classroom or any classroom
enrolling children who generated Pre-K Counts per child funding, is possession
of a teaching certificate for early childhood education (ECE).
School district providers must meet this requirement immediately. Head
Start grantees, Child Care programs, or licensed Nursery Schools may use
a phase-in approach as follows:
- At the start of the Pre-K Counts first program year for a child care
or Head Start, the lead teacher in each Pre-K Counts classrooms or any
classroom enrolling children who generated Pre-K Counts per child funding,
must possess an associate’s degree or greater in early childhood education
or development .
- At the start of the Pre-K Counts first program year for a Licensed Nursery
Schools, the lead teacher in every classroom that has children who generated
Pre-K Counts per child funding must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
and a license to teach in a private academic school.
- By December 2011 the lead teacher in each Pre-K Counts classrooms or
any classroom enrolling children who generated Pre-K Counts per child funding,
must possess a bachelor’s degree and early childhood certification.
… By the 2009-2010 school year, teacher aides in all Pre-K Counts classrooms
or any classroom enrolling children who generated Pre-Counts per child funding,
must meet one of the following criteria:
- Completion of at least 2 years of postsecondary study, or
- Possession of an associate’s degree or higher, or
- Ability to meet a rigorous standard of quality and demonstration of
knowledge in and the ability to assist a teacher in instructing reading,
writing, and mathematics. …
Demonstration of this knowledge and ability can be accomplished through
a formal State or local academic assessment, or possession by the teacher
aide of a Child Development Associate’s (CDA) certificate.
Four-year-old Kindergarten Program
24 P.S. § 2599.2(b)(3): ... All teachers
appointed and assigned to teach kindergarten, first, second or third grade
shall be certified
in accordance with 22 Pa. Code Ch. 49 (relating to certification of professional
personnel) or its successors.
The Guidelines for full-day kindergarten
programs funded through the
Commonwealth’s Accountability Block Grant program state:
Quality teaching and support for teaching. Districts should commit to hiring
or appointing only certified and highly qualified teachers to teaching positions
for full-day kindergarten. For optimal instructional experiences for students,
teachers should be certified in early childhood, pre-K to third grade. Elementary
certification is an acceptable alternative. Full-day kindergarten increases
the effect of quality
teaching for students, but cannot compensate for poor teaching.
Full-day kindergarten teachers should be provided with ongoing professional
development opportunities that are grounded in research and are specific to
the needs of the teachers and children participating in the program. The professional
development experiences should, at a minimum, meet the requirements outlined
in Act 48. …
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs funded through the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state:
Teacher Qualification. Teachers in school-based pre-kindergarten programs
must be certified in early childhood education, i.e. pre-kindergarten through
third grade. Community-based pre-kindergarten programs should seek to phase-in
this requirement over a limited time period
but are not currently required to hire teachers with certifications in early
childhood education. By December 2011, the lead teacher in community-based
classrooms utilizing ABG funds must possess a bachelor’s degree and early
childhood certification.
Professional Development. Pre-kindergarten teachers should be provided
ongoing professional development opportunities that are grounded in research
and reflect promising practices aligned with the Early Learning Standards and
are specific to the needs of the teachers and children participating in the
program. The professional development experiences
should, at a minimum, meet the requirements outlined in Act 48 . . . . Community
partners who host pre-kindergarten programs should meet the level of professional
development required by Act 48 within three years. The Pennsylvania Department
of Education encourages districts to include the pre-kindergarten staff of
community partners in their professional
development activities.
Other Quality Standards for Preschool Program:
22 PA ADC § 4.20
… (6) Prekindergarten programs must have a student/ teacher ratio of no more
than 20 students for one teacher and one teacher aide in a classroom (2 adults
in a classroom for every 20 students). Programs of high quality ordinarily
have a student/teacher ratio of 17 students for one teacher and one teacher
aide in a classroom (2 adults for every 17 students). Programs operating under
contract with community providers must comply with staffing qualifications
as required by § 49.85(c) [now at § 49.85(e)] (relating to limitations).
… (8) The Secretary may approve a meritorious prekindergarten program that
does not meet all regulatory requirements for the program when, in the Secretary’s
judgment, the program provides high quality learning opportunities for students
and meets the following conditions:
(i) The school district has submitted to the Secretary a written request that
provides justification for the waiver and includes a description of how the
meritorious program will provide high quality learning opportunities for students.
(ii) The approval of the meritorious prekindergarten program is valid only
for 1 school year.
(iii) Requests for renewals include evidence of positive student outcomes.
4 PA ADC § 12.41(b)
Though the variety of student services offered will differ from school to
school depending upon its size and the needs of its students, the following
categories of services shall be provided by each school entity in planning
its student services:
(1) Developmental services for students that address their developmental needs
throughout their enrollment in school. Developmental services include guidance
counseling, psychological services, health services, home and school visitor
services and social work services that support students in addressing their
academic, behavioral, health, personal and social development issues. When
prekindergarten is offered, these services must include nutritional services
or referrals. Nutritional services include:
(i) Federal and State funded school meal programs.
(ii) Special Supplemental Feeding Program for Women, Infants and Children
(WIC).
(iii) Food Stamp Program.
(iv) Pennsylvania Fresh Foods Program.
(v) Local food and nutrition services for children and families.
Pre-K Counts Program
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 25-30
Pre-K Counts programs must have a student/teacher ratio of no more than 20
students for one teacher and one teacher aide in a classroom, that is, 2 adults
in a classroom for every 20 students. Programs of high quality ordinarily have
a student /teachers ratio of no more than 17 students for one teacher and one
teacher aide in a classroom or 2 adults for every 17 students.
… A Pre-K counts program must provide nutritional,
appropriately-timed meals and/or snacks for children attending the program.
A full-day program must provide
one or more nutritional, appropriately-timed meal(s) and a snack. A half-day
program must provide a nutritional, appropriately-timed snack.
… Parent engagement in Pre-K Counts is another important element to the success
of the program and the children receiving its services. Parent involvement
doesn’t happen by accident or automatically, but requires planning and understanding
of the diverse situations and needs of families and their children.
Four-year-old Kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for full-day kindergarten programs funded through the
Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state:
Class Size and Student/Teacher Ratio. In order to ensure that programs are
of high quality, districts should maintain a teacher/student ratio of 1:17.
Teacher/student ratios should remain under 1:20 and be 1:25 at a maximum.
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs
funded through the Commonwealth’s Accountability Block
Grant program state:
Class size and Teacher/Student Ratios. The optimum teacher/student
ratio is 1 teacher and 1 aide for every 17 students. At a minimum, the pre-kindergarten
teacher/student ratio is 1 teacher and 1 aide for every 20 students.
... Comprehensive Services. Effective pre-kindergarten programs facilitate
connections between students and families and social and health services, and
address the food and nutrition needs of children while they are attending pre-kindergarten.
The Head Start standards provide a model of comprehensive services for districts
and community partners, and include the provision of referrals for developmental
and health screenings, parent involvement, nutritional services and information
and referrals to social service agencies.
Student Transportation. Proven pre-kindergarten
practice is to ensure that transportation is available. It is, however,
advisable to avoid excessive expenditures
for transportation to ensure that the quality of the program itself is not
diminished. A modest portion of grant funds may be allocated for transportation
costs.
Delivery of Preschool Services:
22 PA ADC § 4.13
(a) Every school district (including charter schools)
shall develop and file with the Department a strategic plan once every 6
years …
… (c) … The plan must include the following components
in addition to others the school entity determines to include:
… (12) A description of how the school district
will accomplish coordination with community operated infant and toddlers
and preschool early intervention
programs and the following before or after school programs and services for
all grade levels, including prekindergarten, if offered, through grade 12:
(i) Child care.
(ii) After school programs.
(iii) Youth workforce development programs.
(iv) Tutoring.
(13) A school district that offers prekindergarten shall describe the prekindergarten
program and explain how the district will coordinate with agencies that serve
preschool age children with disabilities. The plan must address coordination
activities designed to identify and serve children with disabilities and the
supports and accommodations available to ensure both physical and programmatic
access. The plan must address prekindergarten programs operated directly by
the school district and those operated by community agencies under contract
from the school district.
(14) A brief description of how the school district will provide for a smooth
transition for prekindergarten students, when prekindergarten is offered, from
the home setting and any early childhood care or education setting the students
attend, to the school setting. This description must include how the district
will coordinate with the infants and toddlers and preschool early intervention
agencies that serve children with disabilities to ensure a smooth transition
for those children to the school district’s prekindergarten program.
22 PA ADC § 4.20(10)
A school district planning to offer or contract with a community agency to
offer a prekindergarten program shall develop an implementation plan that describes
the program and its target population. The plan must identify the facilities,
staffing needs and other resources that it will use to deliver the program.
The school district shall consult with parents, community agencies and organizations,
and child care, early intervention and head start representatives when developing
the implementation plan. In years subsequent to the initial year of the program,
the implementation plan must become part of the strategic plan described in § 4.13
(relating to strategic plans) and included in the mid-term review and annual
updates described in § 4.13.
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1511-D
… "Eligible provider." Any of the following entities, if the entity complies
with all quality program standards established by the Department of Education:
(1) A school district.
(2) A Head Start program.
(3) A nursery school licensed under the act of January 28, 1988 (P.L.24, No.11),
known as the Private Academic Schools Act.
(4) A child day care center or a group day care home that has met or exceeded
the standards of STAR 2 under the Keystone STARS quality rating system established
by the Department of Public Welfare.
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 20
The Pre-K Counts program requires the participating providers to work in a
coordinated and collaborative manner with other Pre-K Counts programs as well
as the early childhood community and the Commonwealth. Approved providers of
Pre-K Counts programs must engage in coordination and partnerships organized
for the purpose of community education and outreach on early childhood education,
assessing needs and resources and coordinating and developing strategies to
address these issues.
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs funded under the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state:
Coordination with Child Care. Pre-kindergarten programs should coordinate
with local child care programs to ensure that families have access to quality
before- and after-school child care. Additionally, quality child care providers
can offer pre-kindergarten programs at their site and can serve as implementation
partners for the pre-kindergarten program…
Inclusion of Community Providers. The Pennsylvania Department of Education
encourages school districts to identify existing, community-based, high quality
pre-kindergarten programs, such as Head Start, early intervention, licensed
child care sites or private academic nursery schools, in order to collaboratively
establish new pre-kindergarten programs.
Experience from across the nation suggests that community providers should
deliver at least 30-40% of the pre-kindergarten services on a statewide basis.
Districts should use at least 10-20% of their pre-kindergarten funds to facilitate
these partnerships.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education can provide specific advice about
how to help school districts identify quality community partners to deliver
pre-kindergarten services, and suggest
various district and community provider models. In addition, Community Engagement
Groups operate in every county that convenes a diverse group of community stakeholders
to promote early learning in their communities.
Indicators of high quality
early childhood services include:
ü Head Start programs:
Fully compliant with the Triennial Prism Review Process and completion of the
Annual Program Self-Assessment with appropriate quality improvement.
ü Child
Care Services: Participation in Keystone STARS or accreditation through NAEYC.
Requirements for Student Assessment and Program Evaluation:
22 PA ADC § 4.20
… (4) The Secretary will issue guidance to school
districts on developmentally appropriate curriculum, instruction and assessments
for prekindergarten.
(5) Each school district that provides prekindergarten
shall design an assessment system that includes prekindergarten and uses
a variety of assessment strategies,
which may include those listed in § 4.52(d) (relating to local assessment system),
as appropriate.
Pre-K Counts Program
24 P.S. § 15-1516-D
(a) General rule.—No later than October 1, 2008,
and October 1 of each year thereafter in which funding is appropriated for
the purpose of providing grants
to approved providers under this subarticle, the department shall submit a
report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee
of the Senate, the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee
of the House of Representatives, the chairman and minority chairman of the
Education Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of
the Education Committee of the House of Representatives summarizing the operation
of the program for the immediately preceding fiscal year.
… (b) Interim report.—No later than February 1,
2008, the department shall submit an interim report regarding the program
to the chairman and minority
chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, the chairman and minority
chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, the
chairman and minority chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate and
the chairman and minority chairman of the Education Committee of the House
of Representatives summarizing the operation of the program for the 2007-2008
fiscal year. …
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 23-25
The progress of each eligible student is to be measured using an assessment
approved by the Department. Assessments of student progress are to be conducted
at least three times over the course of the Pre-K Counts program year. They
should be used to measure progress of children over time and to provide feedback
to teachers and other staff so that they can adjust their practices and activities
with students to meet their needs and fill in any leaning gaps. Assessments
should be authentic and comprehensive and aligned to the Early Learning Standards.
- First-Year Assessments of Student Progress. Pre-K Counts programs are free
to select an approach to student, consistent with the standards noted below,
in the first year of the program. An effective ongoing assessment strategy
will be linked to the early learning standards, the curriculum and lesson
planning, and will be:
- Valid and reliable
- Comprehensive (Will document outcomes in a minimum of the following key
learning areas: literacy, math, physical and social-emotional development.)
- Developmentally appropriate
- Linguistically responsive
PDE recommends that pre-kindergarten programs adopt the assessment principles
on curriculum and assessment that are outlined in Pennsylvania’s report, "Early
Childhood Assessment for Children, Birth Through Age Eight," …
Assessments that measure student progress in the areas of literacy, math,
physical, and social-emotional development are acceptable for this first year
of the Pre-K Counts program.
- Assessment of Student Progress in Subsequent Years. The Department is anticipating
that it will require programs receiving Pre-K Counts funding to use the Work
Sampling System for their child assessments by the second year of the program.
… In addition to assessing student progress, the
Department will also require an assessment of the learning environment and
use the results of this assessment
as part of the monitoring process.
… A reliable assessment of the learning environment
requires the application of a classroom assessment tool that permits a review
of the environment, itself,
and the teacher-child interaction within the environment. The Department has
identified the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) as the tool
that will be used to assess the learning environment in Pre-K Counts Classrooms.
Each grant recipient will be required to participate in the ECERS assessment
program at its own expense. This program will involve self-assessment and assessment
by a designated outside assessor.
Pre-K Counts Guidance at 34
Program Site Visitation. Because the proposed legislation requires
the Department to establish requirements to ensure the quality and effectiveness
of the program and monitor approved providers, all grantees will be required
to provide assurances of their willingness to comply with monitoring requirements.
Monitoring requirements will include the following:
- Site visits
- Participation in both the self-assessment and outside-assessment components
of the ECERS assessment
- Administration of the designated student assessment
- Provision of required information to PDE.
Staff from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning will be making
periodic site visits to learn about program operation and to identify model
programs and practices. Classroom observations and reviews of reporting measures
will be conducted to assure adherence to the PA Pre-K Counts program requirements.
Those programs that are found to be deficient will be expected to develop and
implement a program improvement plan.
Four-year old Kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for full-day kindergarten
programs funded through the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state:
Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation.
Effective early childhood
practices include a system of linked curriculum, lesson planning and ongoing
assessment that is:
- Valid and reliable.
- Comprehensive.
- Developmentally appropriate.
- Linguistically responsive.
… The quality full day kindergarten program should complete child-level
assessments a minimum of three times over the course of the school year.
Accountability Block Grant Pre-kindergarten Program
The Guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs
funded through the Commonwealth’s
Accountability Block Grant program state:
Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation. Effective
early childhood practices include a system of linked curriculum, lesson planning
and ongoing assessment that is:
- Valid and reliable
- Comprehensive
- Developmentally
appropriate
- Linguistically responsive
The Pennsylvania Department of Education recommends that pre-kindergarten programs
adopt the assessment principles on curriculum
and assessment that are outlined in Pennsylvania’s report, “Early
Childhood Assessment for Children, Birth Through Age Eight”..
The quality pre-kindergarten
program should complete child-level assessments
a minimum of three times over the
course of the year.
Program-level
evaluation and assessment is another component
of a quality prekindergarten program. In addition
to the use of the Early Childhood Environmental
Rating Score (ECERS), pre-kindergarten classrooms
should develop a self-assessment that evaluates
program goals and objectives and program delivery
in relation to identified community needs.
|
