Rutgers University has announced a $1.8 million grant from the William Penn Foundation to its National Institute for Early Education Research to conduct a three-year evaluation of Philadelphia's plan to provide free pre-K to all children in the city.

Working with the Mayor’s Office of Education, NIEER will assess the cost-effectiveness and economic impact of the city’s PHLpreK program in comparison to similar programs in other cities. Philadelphia is planning to use a controversial "soda tax" to fund the program, which will provide free daycare to eight thousand three- and four-year-olds over the next five years. Among other things, the institute will evaluate the program through a combination of classroom observations, interviews with pre-K providers, and skill development assessments. Following the evaluation, the institute will give the city feedback on the program’s design, implementation, and impact on participating children’s learning development.

The grant from the foundation was announced as state lawmakers filed a brief in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania calling for the soda tax to be overturned, the Philadelphia Tribune reports. The brief challenges the constitutionality of the tax, saying it will "result in lost sales tax revenue collection into the Commonwealth's general fund, directly impacting the budget and jeopardizing the ability to pass a timely budget and the funding of important services."

"The William Penn Foundation has been an incredible leader in advancing early childhood education throughout our region," said Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney. "I am extremely grateful for their continued investment in this field, support of PHLpreK, and unwavering commitment to improving educational opportunities for all Philadelphians. This funding to NIEER will enable the city to strengthen PHLpreK and ensure that public dollars are invested in areas that will maximize program impact for our children, families, schools, pre-K providers, and the local economy."