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New Evaluation Report Demonstrates Effectiveness of Harrisburg Preschool Program

Harrisburg, PA – According to a recently completed evaluation of the Harrisburg Preschool Program (HPP), a five-year project funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation that focused on at-risk 3- and 4-year-old children in the Harrisburg School District, HPP students who now attend kindergarten in the District are demonstrating significantly higher academic skills in early literacy and mathematics than children who did not attend HPP.

HPP is a collaborative program involving the Harrisburg School District (HSD) and Capital Area Head Start (CAHS), commissioned by Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed in 2001 to provide comprehensive, high-quality preschool services to at-risk 3- and 4-year-old children in the District.

“The differences between the children who attended HPP and those who did not are both meaningful and comparable to those achieved in well-known national studies of early childhood educational programs, such as the Perry Preschool Project,” said Mark Greenberg, Ph.D., PRC Director.

The Penn State research showed that children who participated in HPP for two years had even better outcomes than those with just one year of participation. “The effects are very exciting,” said Greenberg. “The research demonstrates that HPP has a substantial effect on children’s achievement. We are looking forward to examining these students’ further development in the elementary grades.”

“High-quality preschool for our most at-risk, youngest citizens was one of the top priorities when taking responsibility for the school district in 2000,” said Mayor Stephen R. Reed. “With the support received from Governor Rendell, the Kellogg Foundation, PreK Counts, and the Harrisburg Public School Foundation, we have been able to serve more than 500 children per year in each of these several years. It remains our goal, however, to be able to offer preschool to every at-risk 3- and 4-year-old in the District, and that will require added resources.”

High-quality early childhood programs provide an excellent return on investment, noted Dr. Gerald W. Kohn, Superintendent of Schools in Harrisburg. “Experts estimate that every dollar spent on high-quality early childhood education programs saves approximately $17 down the road in intervention, special education, and criminal justice expenses. Most importantly, however, programs like HPP provide an even playing field for the most vulnerable children in our society.”

Funding for the Harrisburg Preschool Program originally came from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Capital Area Head Start, PreK Counts (a statewide public-private organization promoting high-quality early childhood education), and the Harrisburg Public School Foundation, as well as other sources, including private and corporate donations. In 2007–2008, HPP is also funded by a $3.3 million grant from PA PreK Counts, an initiative of the Rendell Administration.

For more information on how to contribute to HPP and help an at-risk child get a better start on life, contact Lisa E. Paige, Executive Director, Harrisburg Public School Foundation, at 717-703-4113 or lpaige@hbgsd.k12.pa.us. Checks made out to the Harrisburg Public School Foundation can be sent to the HPSF, PO Box 54, Harrisburg, PA 17108.

For more information on the report, contact:

Mark Greenberg, Ph.D.
Director, Penn State Prevention Research Center
(814) 863-0112
mxg47@psu.edu

Celene Domitrovich, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Prevention Research Center
(814) 865-2616
cxd130@psu.edu

 

 

 

 

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