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News 
Pennsylvania to Invest $75 Million in High-Quality Early Childhood CarePublication Date: July 11, 2007 This week, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell announced a budget agreement which includes $75 million to create Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, a dedicated funding stream for high-quality pre-K programs. The program will provide approximately 11,000 three- and four-year-olds with access to voluntary, high-quality pre-K through a mixed service delivery system in which all providers comply with State Board of Education pre-K regulations and the state’s early learning standards. Research has demonstrated time and again that children with quality pre-K experiences enter kindergarten with better reading, language, math, cognitive, and social skills. Quality pre-K helps children achieve greater educational success, including fewer grade retentions, less remediation, higher standardized test scores, and higher graduation rates. They are likelier to mature into responsible citizens with higher education attainment and better paying jobs. The William Penn Foundation has long supported groups advocating for public investments in high-quality early childhood care and education. “This is a real achievement for the Commonwealth,” said Feather Houstoun, president of the William Penn Foundation. “It is a testament to the hard work of Pennsylvania's early childhood advocates and the willingness of the governor and legislature to see the long-term benefits of high-quality early care and education. This investment represents a remarkable step forward for the children of Pennsylvania.” Rendell's education proposals are part of deal. The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 11, 2007
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