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Increase for Education in 2004
Adult Education and Literacy
High School, Postsecondary, and Career Education
Trend Watch
Increase for Education in 2004
President George W. Bush released his proposed budget this week to Congress. For those of us affected by education, it was a cause for celebration. In times of shrinking revenues and increasing costs, a war on terrorism and crisis situations abroad, education remained a priority for President Bush. The Department of Education received a 5.6 percent budget increase. Title 1, IDEA, and Pell Grant increases alone comprised one-third of the new discretionary dollars for the entire domestic agenda. Since 1996, our discretionary spending has risen 117 percent, far beyond the increases seen by the Department of Defense and Health and Human Services.
Increased funding will further along President Bush's vision for education reform. The last 30 years witnessed education spending rise beyond the rate of inflation only to have reading and math proficiency scores remain stagnant. To continue the reform started under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the proposed budget highlights spending on implementing the new law, Reading First programs, choices for parents, and flexible spending for states and school districts.
Other features of the education budget focus on helping students with disadvantaged backgrounds:
- $1.9 billion increase for Pell Grants, helping an additional one million disadvantaged students attend postsecondary schools including community colleges
- $12.2 billion for Special Education and Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
- Incentive to highly qualified math and science teachers to teach in disadvantaged communities by raising the loan forgiveness mark to $17,500
The FY 2004 Proposed Budget Summary is available online.
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Adult Education and Literacy
ME Partnership to Smooth Transition From Adult Ed to College
Maine's technical college and adult education systems signed a formal agreement January 22 to work collaboratively to build a "seamless bridge" to higher education for Maine adults who need more academic preparation for college. John Fitzsimmons, President of the Maine Technical College System (MTCS), and Rob Wood, President of the Maine Adult Education Association (MAEA), signed the statewide agreement. The goal is to create a pathway convenient for adults, effective in its results, and cost-efficient for both students and the state. The agreement will enhance the state's ability to fulfill the community college mission of providing open access to college regardless of academic, ethnic or socio-economic background.
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High School, Postsecondary, and Career Education
How is OVAE Staff Celebrating CTE Week?
In honor of Career and Technical Education Week, Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico, Deputy Assistant Secretary Hans Meeder, and High Schools, Postsecondary and Career Education Division Director Richard La Pointe will be on the road at the following events: Community College Seminar at Columbia University, Community College of Denver Convocation Ceremony, Southern Regional Education Board Meeting with State Directors to discuss the future of vocational education, Association of Community College Trustees Legislative Session, and site visits to local high schools in the Harrisburg, Penn. area concluded by a business partners breakfast.
Impending Workforce Crisis
A new book outlines the workforce crisis ahead with jobs becoming more skilled while the public education system remains inadequate. According to Impending Crisis, employers are dissatisfied with the level of capability today's high school graduates possess with some lacking even basic literacy and numeracy skills. Authors Roger Herman, Tom Olivo, and Joyce Gioia also discuss solutions for businesses to combat turnover as a way to deal with the crisis.
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Trend Watch
Kindergartners, 20 Years Later: Completion Rate for Secondary and Postsecondary
Of every 100 Asian kindergartners, 94 graduate from high school, 80 complete at least some college and 49 obtain at least a bachelor's degree.
Of every 100 Black kindergartners, 87 graduate from high school, 54 complete at least some college and 16 obtain at least a bachelor's degree.
Of every 100 Hispanic kindergartners, 62 graduate from high school, 29 complete at least some college and 6 obtain at least a bachelor's degree.
Of every 100 White kindergartners, 91 graduate from high school, 62 complete at least some college and 30 obtain at least a bachelor's degree.
To ask questions, provide comments, or receive email notification of the next issue, please email the Office of Vocational and Adult Education.
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Last Modified: 10/02/2006
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