The Education of York County Children: How We Stack Up

1
The Education of York County Children How We
Stack Up
2
Who We Are

• Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
• Advocacy organization
• Independent, non-profit
• Prevention-focused, research-based
• Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a
  strong, effective and trusted voice for improving
  the health, education and well-being of the
  Commonwealths children.

3
Why Education Matters

• In order to compete in a 21st century global
  economy, Pennsylvania needs a highly-educated and
  proficient workforce.
• By the year 2010, the U.S. will face a shortage
  of 12 million qualified workers for the
  fastest-growing job sectors including health care
  and computer technology. (U.S. Bureau of Labor
  Statistics)
• This will make it imperative that all youth -
  both enrolled and out of school - have the skills
  and education to meet this shortage.

4
Why Education Matters

• Lifetime earnings are linked to education level.
  Earnings estimates show the median PA income by
  educational attainment to be
• (Source Pennsylvania Workforce Development,
  2004 CPS)

5
The Whole Picture

• But before we look at education data, there are
  other factors at play that determine how well a
  child performs in school.
• Children live in families and communities that
  are critical to their well-being
• Children receive services before the reach school
  that improve their odds of success

6
York County Demographics

• 1 child in 4 is low-income (below 200 FPIG)
• Lancaster 1 in 3
• Cumberland 1 in 4(Source children 0-17
  Census 2000 data)
• Children living in low-income families are more
  likely to have poor nutrition, chronic health
  problems, be less prepared for and have more
  difficulty in school.

7
York County Demographics

• 1 child in 12 is born to a single, teen-aged
  mother (same as state)
• 1 in 12 children is born at low birth weight
  (state number is 1 in 11)
• 23.3 of children under 18 live in single-parent
  families (state rate is 26.9)

8
York County Demographics

• In 2004, 15.8 of babies in York County (1 in 6)
  were born to mothers with less than a high school
  education
• Compare that to 12.2 for Cumberland County and
  30.5 for Lancaster County.
• Children living with mothers with low education
  level are less likely to receive cognitive
  stimulation and high-quality child care and more
  likely to have diminished reading skills.

9
Uninsured Children

• Statewide, 133,000 of PA children under age 19
  are uninsured.
• One child in 3 is enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.
• Uninsured children are more likely to miss
  school, may not have relationship with primary
  care provider, and are more likely to need costly
  emergency room care.

10
Uninsured Children

• Ages 0-18 enrolled in CHIP/MA (August 2006)
• Cumberland 19.6
• Lancaster  25.3
• York 29.0
• Percent Uninsured 0-18 (PA Dept. of Insurance
  study, 2004 )
• Cumberland 5.1
• Lancaster 0.6
• York 12.2

11
Child Care

• 4.8 of child care slots in state are
  high-quality, defined by NAEYC and NAFCC
  accreditation, or Keystone STAR 4 rating.
• 4.5 of child care slots in York County are
  high-quality.
• 3.3. in Lancaster County and 6.6 in Cumberland
  County.
• Children who receive high-quality child care show
  better literacy skills and score higher on tests
  of both cognitive and social skills than children
  cared for in other arrangements.

12
Limited English Proficiency

• Statewide, 3.3 of students enrolled in public
  schools have limited English proficiency
• In York County, 3.3 of students enrolled in
  public schools have limited English proficiency
• In York City SD, 16.4 of students enrolled have
  limited English proficiency 4.7 in Hanover
  School District
• Lancaster County LEP 5.5 Cumberland County
• Students with limited English proficiency face
  greater challenges making progress in school.

13
Pre-kindergarten Enrollment

• Statewide, 12,023 children were enrolled in
  public school pre-K in 2005-06
• Only 33 kids get public pre-K in York County
  (Southeastern West Shore Area SD)
• Compare that to 410 children in Lancaster County

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Why Pre-K Matters

• 90 of brain growth occurs before kindergarten
• Nearly 90 of children who are poor readers in
  first grade will still be poor readers by fourth
  grade
• One-third of children entering kindergarten
  cannot recognize the letters of the alphabet and
  more than half do not know basic math concepts.
  (Source Pew Center on the States and National
  Conference of State Legislatures)
• Quality pre-K helps get kids ready for school

15
Full-Day K Enrollment

• 54 of PA kindergarteners are enrolled in
  full-day K compared to 65 nationally.
• 32 of kindergartners in York County attend
  full-day programs as compared to only 6 in 2000.
  (York City and the Lincoln CS have 100 FDK -
  Both Dover Area and Eastern York have 98 or
  above enrollment rates.)
• 35.7 of kindergartners in Lancaster County are
  in full-day programs.

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Why Full-Day K Matters

• Children in full-day kindergarten programs make
  more progress in literacy and math than those in
  half-day programs, concludes a study published in
  the February 2005 issue of the American Journal
  of Education.
• Children who attend full-day K have lower
  retention rates in the primary grades.

17
Why Full-Day K Matters

• Parents and teachers report greater satisfaction
  with full-day programs.
• Studies indicate that children who attend
  full-day K receive better report card grades in
  literacy, math, general learning skills and
  behavior.
• Full-day kindergarteners outscore children in
  half-day programs on standardized achievement
  tests up to two years after kindergarten. (NIEER,
  March 2005)

18
Class Size in PA

• Only 16.3 of students in pre-K through third
  grade statewide are in classes with 17 or fewer
  students.
• York County fares better with 18.3 of students
  in pre-K through third grade in classes of 17 or
  fewer students.
• Compare that to 10.6 in Lancaster County and
  9.8 for Cumberland.

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Why Class Size Matters

• Smaller classes increase parental involvement
• Reduce disciplinary referrals
• Teachers with small classes can spend time and
  energy helping each child succeed. Smaller
  classes also enhance safety, discipline and order
  in the classroom.

20
PSSA Scores (2005/06)

• 13 of 3rd graders statewide scored below
  proficient in reading
• In York, 27.2 scored below proficiency in
  reading
• 31 of 3rd graders statewide scored below
  proficient in math
• In York, 14.1 scored below proficiency in math

21
6th Grade PSSA Scores

• Math Below Reading Below
• Proficient Proficient
• York 30 32.7
• Cumberland 24.2 28.8
• Lancaster 27 30.2
• State 32 34.1
• (Source 6th grade 2005/06 PSSA)

22
Early Detection Systemin Sixth Grade

• As early as sixth grade, the four risk factors
  for dropping out of school
• Attendance
• Behavior
• Failing math
• Failing English
• Need to create early detection system to identify
  at-risk kids in sixth grade to ensure student
  success.

23
PSSA Scores (2005/06)

• 29.4 of 8th graders statewide scored below
  proficient in reading
• In York, 28.9 scored below proficient
• 38 of 8th graders statewide scored below
  proficient in math
• In York, 36.5 scored below proficient

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NAEP SCORES Math (2005)
25
NAEP SCORES Reading (2005)
26
Adolescents to Adulthood

• An education that prepares them for the rigors of
  college or a competitive labor market with skills
  that enable them to earn a family-sustaining wage
  one day
• Avoidance of risky behaviors such as illegal drug
  use in order to become healthy, well-adjusted
  adults

27
Adolescents to Adulthood

• Strong interpersonal relationships with friends
  and family who support their growth and
  achievements
• Strong connections to the community that forge a
  sense of belonging

28
Youth Demographics

• One in 7 Pennsylvanians (1,688,643) is a young
  person (age 12-21)
• 1 in 3 lives in poverty
• More than 12,000 are in foster care
• More than 40,000 are in juvenile justice
• More than 26,000 teens are mothers
• 1 in 50 has limited English proficiency
• 14 have a disability

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York County Youth Demographics

• One in 3 York residents (111,404) is a young
  person (age 12-21)
• 1 in 4 lives in low-income family
• Close to 400 are in foster care (Sept. 2005)
• More than 1,700 are in juvenile justice system
• 9.2 of all births in 2004 in York were to teen
  mothers
• Approximately 16 of all students in York County
  have a disability

30
Risk Protective Factors

• A survey of about 75,000 PA teens shows many of
  them do not feel supported or protected by their
  schools, families, neighbors and communities.
• The Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) conducted in
  2003 obtained data from a representative sample
  of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders in urban,
  rural and suburban communities across the state.

31
Protective Factors Buffer youth from harm

• 25 of respondents said their parents do not
  express pride in their accomplishments or that
  they enjoy spending time with their parents.
• 45 said they are not praised by teachers for
  good work, that their teachers do not tell
  parents about good work, and that they do not
  feel safe in school.

32
Risk Factors Increase likelihood of risky
behaviors

• Three in 10 teens (31) reported it would be easy
  to obtain alcohol, tobacco, drugs or handguns,
  including twice (65) as many 12th graders.
• Young people need family guidance, but 10
  reported poor family supervision, lack of clear
  rules or knowledge of the students whereabouts.

33
PSSA Scores (2005/06)

• Statewide, about 35 of 11th graders failed to be
  proficient in reading
• Roughly 35 in York did not meet proficiency
  requirements in reading.
• Over 48 of 11th graders in PA failed to score
  proficient in math
• Nearly 50 of York 11th graders failed to meet
  state proficiency requirements in math.

34
The High School Diploma

• 2 out of 5 urban 9th graders fail to graduate
  from high school in the same district four years
  later
• 1 in 6 rural 9th graders
• 1 in 8 suburban

35
The High School Diploma

• High school graduates earn three times more than
  those who did not graduate.
• College graduates earn six times more.
• Dropouts have higher rates of teen pregnancy
• High school dropouts have a higher rate of
  substance abuse and crime
• 80 of those incarcerated are dropouts

36
The High School Diploma

• Dropping out of high school is a gradual process
• Kids who are at highest risk include teen
  parents, youth who have been in the delinquent
  and dependency systems, young people with LEP
• Males are more likely to dropout than females and
  Latinos are more likely to drop out than any
  other group

37
Graduation Gap

• 23.9 of ninth graders in York County failed to
  graduate from high school in the same district
  four years later (2004/05)
• 17.6 in Lancaster County
• 13.1 in Cumberland County

38
How do youth in America stack up?

• USA falls near middle of the pack in academic
  literacy scores of 15-year-olds.
• Finland, France, Canada, Poland, Australia and
  Japan all scored better. (PISA, 32 participating
  countries, 1999)

39
Skills Lacking in USA
40
U.S. Ranked 24th out of 29 OECD Countries in
Mathematics
Source Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data
available at http//www.oecd.org/
41
Elements of 21st Century Learning

• The capacity of young people to be successful in
  the 21st century goes well beyond reading,
  writing and computing skills.
• They need to know how to apply knowledge in the
  context of modern life.
• To accomplish this, the Partnership for 21st
  Century Skills (a public-private partnership of
  key federal education officials and leading
  national corporations) has identified six
  fundamental elements for 21st century learning.

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Elements of 21st Century Learning

• Emphasize core subjects (English, reading or
  language arts, math, science, foreign languages,
  civics, economics, arts, history geography)
• Emphasize learning and soft skills (information
  and communication skills, thinking and
  problem-solving skills, interpersonal and
  self-directional skills)
• Use 21st century tools to develop learning skills
  (digital information and communication
  technologies)

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Elements of 21st Century Learning (cont.)

• Teach and learn in a 21st century context-
  students need to learn academic content through
  real-world examples, applications and experiences
  both inside and outside of school
• Teach and learn 21st century content (global
  awareness, financial, economic and business
  literacy, civic literacy)
• Use 21st century assessments that measure 21st
  century skills sophisticated balance of
  assessments. (Source Learning for the 21st
  Century)

44
Changing Economic Times

• High school graduates must be prepared for a
  21st century global economy. Traditional metrics
  are no longer sufficient indicators of student
  preparedness. A more meaningful, ambitious high
  school reform agenda can only be reached when
  high schools succeed in preparing every student
  for todays global challenges by aligning their
  improvement efforts with results that matter
  mastery of core subjects and 21st century
  skills.
• (Source Ken Kay, president of the Partnership
  for 21st Century Skills and G. Thomas Houlihan,
  exec. director of the Council of Chief State
  School Officers, in Education Week, May 17,
  2006.)

45
Employment Change by Education 1992-2002
Source Employment Policy Foundation tabulations
of Bureau of Labor Statistics / Census Current
Population Survey data MTC Institute.
46
Economic Changes

• Fastest growing jobs require some education
  and/or training beyond high school
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005

47
Few Employers Feel High School Graduates Prepared
For Advancement
Applicants with no high school degree Recent
public high school grads who have no further
education/training Recent grads of two-year
college or training program Recent graduates of
four-year colleges
48
Employers/College Instructors Say Many Not
Prepared In Math/Writing
Employers/instructors average estimates of
percentages of public HS graduates NOT prepared
in each subject Hart Research Public Opinion
Strategies for Achieve, Inc. Employers
Instructors
Ability to do math Quality
of writing
Ability to do math Quality of writing
Ability to do math Quality of writing
49
Life After High School

• In 2004-05, 75 of high school graduates
  statewide said they planned to pursue further
  education
• 73 of York graduates said they planned to pursue
  postsecondary education (compared to Lancaster at
  65)
• 84.3 of York Suburban students
• 80.4 of West Shore Area School students
• 60.1 of Red Lion graduates
• But, 7 of York County graduates (reported in
  2005) that they had no plans for employment or
  postsecondary education beyond high school
  graduation.

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College Remediation Rates

• For entering freshmen, 2000
• All students 28
• Public 2-year 42
• Public 4-year 20
• Private 4-year 12
• (Source NCES, Remedial Education at
  Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in
  Fall 2000)

51
College Drift-out Rates

• Students not returning for year 2
• 4-year colleges 26
• 2-year colleges 45
• (Source Mortensen, T. November 1999.
  Postsecondary Opportunity as presented by The
  Education Trust.)
• Of high school graduates nationwide entering
  four-year institutions, just over six in 10 earn
  a bachelors degree within six years.
• (Source National Center for Public Policy and
  Higher Education, 2006)

52
Idle Youth

• Work experience is a valuable part of a
  successful transition to adulthood. Yet many PA
  youth are idle not in school and not employed.
• 1 in 5 urban PA youth 19-21 is idle
• 1 in 7 rural PA youth 19-21 is idle
• 1 in 9 suburban PA youth 19-21 is idle
• (Source 2000 U.S. Census)

53
School Spending 2004-05

• State average - current expenditures per pupil -
  9,736
• York - current expenditures per pupil - 8,510
  (York districts range from 7,739 in Red Lion to
  10,281in York Suburban)
• Per pupil expenditures as high as 18,064 for
  Lower Merion
• (Current expenditure data does not include
  charters, AVTS, special schools)

54
Accountability Block Grant

• Accountability Block Grant Spending
• York County school districts planned to use 51
  of ABG funds for full-day K making it the most
  popular use this school year.
• Literacy and math coaching comes in second place
  at 11.7 of funds used.
• Early education initiatives (pre-K, full-day K
  and class size reduction) total 59 of ABG.
• 1.2 of funds are earmarked for pre-K.

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Public Policy Strategies

• Adequacy and equity and education finance
• Investments in pre-K, FDK and reduced class size
• 6th grade early detection and action for
  struggling students
• Improve guidance and career exploration

56
Public Policy Strategies

• Enhance professional development for teachers
• Assign the best teachers to the struggling
  students
• School based K-12 resource centers
• Expand afterschool and youth development programs

57
Public Policy Strategies

• Increased high school rigor and relevance
• Standardized, statewide graduation requirement
• Model statewide curriculum aligned with academic
  standards
• Expand Project 720

58
Public Policy Strategies

• Improve the quality and value of career and
  technical education
• More opportunities for work-based learning
• Alternative education options expanded
• Pathways to re-engage out of school youth

59
Public Policy Strategies

• Expand dual enrollment
• Conduct a marketing campaign to inform parents,
  students, education professionals and the
  community at large about 21st century careers and
  required education
• Engage the community to drive local solutions

60
PPC Vision

• By 2014, PPC has helped Pennsylvania move into
  position as one of the top 10 states in the
  nation to be a child and to raise a child.

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Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

• www.papartnerships.org
• 800-257-2030
• Joan L. Benso
• President CEO