PITTSBURGH - A statewide crime-fighting group used a national poll of kindergarten teachers to illustrate the need for more preschool education funding, saying that early investments can reduce youth crime and violence.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Pennsylvania has called for increased federal and state funding to expand access to pre-kindergarten. The National Kindergarten Teacher Survey reinforces its position, Bruce R. Clash, the group's state director, said at a news conference Wednesday at a Pittsburgh preschool.

The telephone survey of 800 kindergarten teachers conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research last month found 86 percent of the educators believed children in their classes last year who attended pre-kindergarten will do better in school than the children who did not attend pre-kindergarten.

Most of the teachers who participated in the survey said students who attended quality preschool programs were more likely to get along with others and were less likely to be disruptive in class.

Nine in ten teachers surveyed believed more children would succeed in school if all families had access to pre-kindergarten programs, because educators would spend less time focusing on troubled students, Clash said.

"This poll should be a wake-up call to every parent," Clash said next to Pittsburgh Police Chief Robert McNeilly and in front of 11 preschool-age children. "You send your child to the finest pre-kindergarten program, but that child's progress is in jeopardy in kindergarten if the teacher must spend excessive time on the least-prepared children."

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization of more than 150 victims of violence, police chiefs, sheriffs and other law enforcement officials. It advocates that an investment in early childhood education, after-school programs, child abuse prevention and intervention projects will help reduce crime.

The state group is part of a national group claims more than 2,500 law enforcement officials, crime victims, criminologists and child development experts as members.

"We know from experience, and research tells us, that among our strongest weapons in our fight against crime are investments proven to give kids the right start in life," Clash said. "Research also shows that high-quality pre-kindegarten programs reduce the risk that children will grow up to be delinquent later in life."