The number of children ages 3 or 4 enrolled in public pre-kindergarten education programs, expressed as a percentage of all children ages 3 or 4.
Early emphasis on reading, numeracy and social skills prepares children to succeed in kindergarten and lays the foundation for success throughout their educational careers.
In 2017, 18% of Berks County 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program, lower than the Pennsylvania rate of 23%. Participation in Berks has increased 8 percentage points since 2007, similar to the increase at the state level.
Enrollment in Berks County in 2017 was higher than Chester (8%), Montgomery (10%), Lehigh (14%) and Lancaster (15%) counties, but less than Lebanon (24%) and Schuylkill (28%). Of surrounding counties, on Schuylkill has seen a greater increase (9 percentage points) in enrollment than Berks since 2007.
Data are from KidsCount. Includes the unduplicated count of PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and Child Care Works enrollments in Keystone STARS 3 and 4; Head Start; public school pre-k. The Pennsylvania increase in enrollment in 2016-17 is in part driven by the creation and launch of the public PHLpreK program in Philadelphia.
There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 16% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 16% | 19% | 19% | 20% | 23% |
| Berks County | 10% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 15% | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Berks County Regions | |||||||||||
| Central | |||||||||||
| Northeast | |||||||||||
| South | |||||||||||
| Southeast | |||||||||||
| West | |||||||||||
| Reading city | |||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | |||||||||||
| Chester County | 3% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
| Lancaster County | 9% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 15% |
| Lebanon County | 22% | 29% | 25% | 24% | 22% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 25% | 27% | 24% |
| Lehigh County | 11% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| Montgomery County | 3% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 10% |
| Schuylkill County | 19% | 23% | 23% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 20% | 19% | 23% | 25% | 28% |
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 46,566 | 50,701 | 52,064 | 51,615 | 52,137 | 49,633 | 47,158 | 56,206 | 55,242 | 59,729 | 68,972 |
| Berks County | 1,142 | 1,292 | 1,310 | 1,361 | 1,291 | 1,312 | 1,278 | 1,570 | 1,509 | 1,709 | 1,859 |
| Berks County Regions | |||||||||||
| Central | |||||||||||
| Northeast | |||||||||||
| South | |||||||||||
| Southeast | |||||||||||
| West | |||||||||||
| Reading city | |||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | |||||||||||
| Chester County | 451 | 515 | 550 | 508 | 501 | 512 | 527 | 944 | 901 | 929 | 1,031 |
| Lancaster County | 1,215 | 1,538 | 1,513 | 1,484 | 1,463 | 1,422 | 1,377 | 1,605 | 1,546 | 1,736 | 2,111 |
| Lebanon County | 666 | 848 | 749 | 739 | 760 | 751 | 788 | 871 | 865 | 924 | 872 |
| Lehigh County | 898 | 1,132 | 1,105 | 1,169 | 1,203 | 1,221 | 1,161 | 1,324 | 1,275 | 1,294 | 1,300 |
| Montgomery County | 699 | 894 | 879 | 945 | 877 | 837 | 721 | 1,121 | 1,129 | 1,434 | 1,825 |
| Schuylkill County | 551 | 664 | 670 | 693 | 690 | 657 | 641 | 623 | 743 | 816 | 837 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten Participation |  Increasing |
| Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch | Increasing |
| English Language Learners | Increasing |
| Students Receiving Special Education Services | Increasing |
| Per Student Spending |  Maintaining |
| High School Cohort Graduation Rate | Increasing |
| Education Levels of Adults | Not Applicable |
| Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
| Brain Drain/Gain | Maintaining |
| Plans of High School Graduates | Not Applicable |
| Enrollment in Local Colleges |  Decreasing |
Children & Youth
Demographics
Economy
Education
Financial Self-Sufficiency
Health
Housing
Living
Public Safety
Transportation