[NLA] Discussion: WIA Reauthorization and OMB Four common Measures

[David J. Rosen]

NLA Colleagues,

At the final plenary of the National Workforce Alliance Conference in 
Washington, D.C. yesterday, a representative of the U.S. Department of 
Labor (DOL) outlined some of the factors which we might expect to 
influence WIA authorization in 2003.  Among them she mentioned the 
recommended change from the current 17 to four common measures 
recommended by the White House Office of Management and Budget. She said 
the four proposed performance measures for programs serving adults are: 
employment entry rate, job retention rate, earnings increases, and an 
efficiency measure involving the appropriation level per participant, 
something like a return on investment assessment figure.

She also mentioned that DOL is concerned about the increasing number of 
immigrants with employment-related goals who are limited English 
proficient, that the DOL would like to do something about that.  In the 
question and answer period I pointed out that the four common measures 
would discourage programs from providing English language services, 
especially under WIA Title II, since clients seeking beginning English 
language and adult literacy services often will not be able to attain 
these program outcomes within a funding year. She said they would have 
to look at that. (In a downturned economy, with an unemployment rate of 
6%, all employment-related outcomes are challenging to attain.  Programs 
would have to be selective about who they admitted, and would serve only 
those who could produce these outcomes in a year, in a word would "cream.")

We must be concerned about the OMB four common measures recommendation. 
  Apparently it is being taken seriously.  For example, if the 
Administration put this forward to Congress in its WIA Authorization 
plan this winter, and if, as we saw with the Administration TANF 
reauthorization plan last year, debate in Congress were limited, and if 
the administration proposal passed largely as proposed, the four common 
measures could be part of the law. This would compromise one of the most 
important principles advocated by our field, that public adult education 
funding must be broad, to serve a variety of legitimate student and 
community goals and needs, not only employment.  WIA Title II, as many 
on the NLA list know, is funding which was before in the National 
Literacy Act, now called Adult Education and Family Literacy.  If the 
four common measures recommendation holds, that would be the end of 
federal broad-purpose funding for adult education and literacy.

Through our NIFL advocacy campaign the past few months, we have 
identified friends in Congress. That's good news because we are going to 
need a lot of friends in Congress in 2003.  As I read the signs, we are 
going to need to work very hard for adult literacy education this year.

David J. Rosen
NLA List Moderator


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