Why Montessori / The State of Preschool Education

Pennsylvania | Kindergarten for Four-Year-Olds

General

Pre-kindergarten Initiative in 2013-14:
Pennsylvania Kindergarten for Four-Year-Olds and School Based Pre-K

State agency with administrative authority over pre-K:
Pennslyvania Department of Education1

Availability of program:
92 out of 500 school districts (18%

Are districts, counties, or towns in Pennsylvania required to offer this pre-kindergarten initiative?
No, optional

Hours of operation per day:
School day, 5 hours/day; Part day, 2.5 hours/day

Is there a formal partnership at the state level to provide extended day services through collaboration with other agencies and programs?
No

Enrollment

Fall 2013, Total children:
4,982

Fall 2011, by age:
Breakdown not available2

Fall 2011, by type of administering agency:
Breakdown not available

Program enrollment, Fall 2013, by operating schedule:
Breakdown not available

Eligibility

Minimum age for eligibility:
Locally determined

Maximum age for eligibility:
Locally determined

Kindergarten eligibility age:
Locally determined

Does state policy allow any exceptions to the age requirement for prekindergarten or kindergarten eligibility?
Yes3

State policy on enrolling children in state pre-K when they are eligible for kindergarten:
State policy does not regulate the enrollment of kindergarten age-eligible children in pre-K3

Aside from age, how is eligibility determined for individual children for this state prekindergarten initiative?
All children in districts offering the program, or in the entire state, may enroll (K4); Eligibility may be determined by individual or family characteristics (SBPK)

What was the state-specified income requirement during the 2013-14 program year?
None (K4); Determined locally (SBPK)

To whom, or to what percentage of children, does the income requirement apply?
None (K4); Determined locally (SBPK)

Is there a sliding payment scale based on income?
No

Is child eligibility for this state prekindergarten initiative ever reassessed after a child has been enrolled in the program?
No

Risk Factors

Risk factors besides income that can be used to determine eligibility:
None (K4); Determined locally (SBPK)

How many of the specified risk factors must be present for eligibility?
None (K4); Determined locally (SBPK)

How do these risk factors relate to the income cutoff for the state pre-K program?
None (K4); Determined locally (SBPK)

Class Sizes

Maximum class size:
3- and 4-year-olds, No limit (K4); 20 (SBPK)4

Staff-child ratio requirement:
3- and 4-year-olds, No limit (K4); 1 to 10 (SBPK)4

Teachers

Minimum teacher degree requirement:
BA (public and nonpublic)

Required teacher certification, licensure, and/or endorsement:
Public and nonpublic: EC Certification (N-3); EC Certification (Pk-4); Public: Elementary Certification (K-6 (K4)

Education level of teachers during 2011-12 by percent:
Breakdown not available

Education level of teachers during 2011-12 totals:
Breakdown not available

Teacher in-service requirement:
180 clock hours per 5 years

Minimum assistant teacher degree requirement:
No minimum degree (K4); Meets NCLB requirements (SBPK)7

Assistant teacher specialized training requirement:
No minimum degree (K4); Meets NCLB requirements (SBPK)7

Services

Meal requirement:
No meals are required

Support services for English Language Learners and families:
State policy does not regulate services for English Language Learners5

Support services required for all programs:
None

 

Regulations

Screening and referral requirements:
Required: Immunizations; Locally determined: Vision; Hearing; Height/Weight/BMI; Blood pressure; Psychological/Behavioral; Full physical exam; Developmental; Dental; Other

State’s early learning standards document in 2013-14.
Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood

For more information about the early learning standards in 2013-14:
http://www.pakeys.org/pages/get.aspx?page=career_standards6

Funding

Days per week the state prekindergarten initiative is funded to operate using state funds:
5 days per week

Annual operating schedule for this state-funded prekindergarten initiative:
Academic year

Actual fiscal year 2014 spending for this state prekindergarten initiative:
$17,139,624

All funding sources:
State, $17,139,624

State funding sources and amounts:
General fund, $17,139,624

Federal funding sources and amounts:
None

Is funding for this state prekindergarten initiative determined by a school funding or state aid formula?
No

Agencies eligible to receive funding directly:
Public schools

Agencies with which subcontracting is permitted:
Public schools, Head Start, Private CC, Faith-based centers, Family CC

Is there a required local match for this program?
No

Select a state program to view details.


Pennsylvania | Kindergarten for Four-Year-Olds Footnotes

  1. PDE provides regulations and policy. Daily operations of the K4 program are conducted by school districts.
  2. Enrollment figures reported are accurate as of January 2015, but are not final.
  3. Districts may determine if they will accept both 3- and 4-year-olds or if enrollment will be limited to only 4-year-olds.
  4. K4 programs follow kindergarten requirements so there are no class size limits, but most programs have 20 children and a 1:10 staff-child ratio. SBPK follows the school board regulations for pre-K that require a maximum class size of 20 and staff-child ratio of 1:10. SBPK programs determine locally whether to enroll 3-year-olds or limit enrollment only to 4-year-olds.
  5. Provisions for English Language Learner supports are in place at the school district level.
  6. Revised Early Learning Standards that include PA Core standards were released July 2014. The standards go into effect formally in July 2015, though some programs have already begun implementing.
  7. As of the 2009-2010 school year, assistant teachers in SBPK must meet NCLB requirements and are required to have two years of post-secondary education/60 college credits, an AA or higher, or the ability to meet a rigorous standard of quality and to demonstrate through formal state or local assessments knowledge of the ability to assist in instruction; there is no minimum degree required for K4 programs.
  8. As of the 2009-2010 school year, assistant teachers in SBPK must meet NCLB requirements and are required to have two years of post-secondary education/60 college credits, an AA or higher, or the ability to meet a rigorous standard of quality and to demonstrate through formal state or local assessments knowledge of the ability to assist in instruction.
  9. Determined locally