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.
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| 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% |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
|---|---|
| Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch |  Increasing |
| Prekindergarten Participation | 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 |
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