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

[Gail Spangenberg]

Jon, I think you and all of us should indeed be concerned about this 
kind of inappropriate measure.  And I think you've assessed the 
"slippery slope" nature of it about right.  Gail



>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
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
>http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
>LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
>http://literacytent.org


-- 
Gail Spangenberg
President
Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Floor
New York, NY 10020
212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610
_______________________________________________
NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org