[NLA] Discussion: FY'04 Adult Basic Education and Literacy Budget

[Hal Beder]

John, could you give us more info on this?  What I gather from what you 
write, the administration plans to use the budget process rather than the 
law under WIA re-authorization to foster accountability.  Does this mean 
there will now be two accountability systems, one around the budget and one 
around the WIA NRS?  Does it mean that the budget process will be used as a 
lever to make employment the prime criterion for funding adult 
literacy?  Is OMB now a proactive agency enforcing the administration's 
will.   What's going on?



At 11:52 AM 2/13/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Note: The following FY'04 Budget issue is one our field
>should be aware of. However, at this time it is something
>that is best addressed by the leaders of the National
>Coalition for Literacy's 36 national organization members.
>
>Included in the Administration's FY'04 Budget Recommendation
>is the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) plan for
>evaluating the effectiveness of adult education programs.
>Data gathered for the measures in this plan will be used by
>OMB to make future budget recommendations. These measures
>are:
>
>1.      Percentage of participants who entered employment in the
>1st quarter after program exit
>2.      Percentage of participants who were employed in the 1st
>quarter after program exit who remain employed in 2nd and
>3rd quarters after exit
>3.      Percentage change in earnings based on (a) pre-enrollment
>to program exit and (b) 1st quarter after exit to 3rd
>quarter after exit
>
>Reporting on these measures is feasible in States that can
>track wage data using social security numbers for all
>program participants. However, States that must use the
>survey method because data match is not permitted are having
>a much more difficult time providing data for these
>measures.
>
>The problem as I see it is that adult education and literacy
>is an EDUCATION program, not an employment program! With
>these measures, we have one foot on the slippery slope to
>being judged a "poor performing" program, for which OMB
>recommends funding cuts or major program changes - like
>actually making ours an employment program.
>
>We've been assured by folks at the U.S. Dept. of Ed that OMB
>also will consider educational gains as reported through the
>National Reporting System. However, my understanding is that
>OMB indicated it would ACCEPT additional information - it
>made no promises to USE it in making its future budget
>recommendations. Educational gains are NOT listed as a Key
>Performance Measure in the Administration's FY'04 budget
>briefing book.
>
>Stay tuned!
>
>Best,
>Jon
>
>
>Jon Randall
>Consultant, Government Relations
>ProLiteracy Worldwide
>and Public Policy Committee Chair
>National Coalition for Literacy
>www.natcoalitionliteracy.org
>
>ProLiteracy Worldwide continues to underwrite
>the coordination of NCL policy efforts
>www.proliteracy.org
>
>FedStrategics, LLC
>8413 Park Crest Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910
>Tel: (301) 588-5304   Fax: (301) 588-5353
>jrandall at FedStrategics.com
>
>
>
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