Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Summary  February 14, 2011

Section III. Programs Proposed for Consolidation or Elimination

Overview

The current Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) authorizes numerous programs with similar purposes, creating fragmented and inefficient funding streams that too often lead to a greater focus on complying with program requirements rather than improving student outcomes. Rather than running a large number of separate grant competitions and monitoring compliance, the Administration's reauthorization proposal would consolidate 38 existing ESEA programs into 11 new authorities that would allow the Department to direct funding to proven or promising practices while providing greater flexibility, support, and technical assistance to grantees. Similarly, as part of a proposal to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the Administration's 2012 request includes proposals for consolidating 9 programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act into 3 programs. The proposed consolidations would reduce duplication and administrative costs and improve program management, accountability, and the provision of rehabilitation and independent living services.

In addition, the 2012 request reflects the Administration's commitment to ending programs that national evaluations indicate are ineffective, duplicative of other authorities, poorly structured to accomplish their objectives, or do not reflect current needs and priorities.

The discretionary program eliminations table shown below is followed by a brief summary of each program, in alphabetical order, that would be consolidated or eliminated under the 2012 request.

Program (2011 CR BA in millions) Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships $63.9 Byrd Honors Scholarships 42.0 College Textbook Rental Pilot Initiative 10.0 Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners 8.8 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success 6.0 Loan Repayment for Civil Legal Assistance Attorneys 5.0 Recreational Programs 2.5 Women's Educational Equity 2.4 Underground Railroad Program 1.9 Erma Byrd Scholarship Program 1.5 B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarships 1.0 Training for Realtime Writers 1.0 Off-Campus Community Service 0.8 Total $146.8

Programs Proposed for Consolidation or Elimination in Fiscal Year 2012

(2011 CR BA in millions)

Academies for American History and Civics $1.9

This program, which makes 3 or 4 awards annually to support workshops for teachers and students in the areas of history and civics, is too small to have an impact on history and civics achievement nationally. The proposed Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority would support similar activities.

Advanced Credentialing $10.6

This program, which supports the development and implementation of advanced credentials based on the content expertise of master teachers, would be consolidated into the proposed Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund.

Advanced Placement $45.8

This program supports State and local efforts to increase access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes and tests for low-income students. Such activities would be supported under the proposed College Pathways and Accelerated Learning authority.

Alcohol Abuse Reduction $32.7

This program supports projects to reduce alcohol abuse in secondary schools, an activity that could be funded under the proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program.

Arts in Education $40.0

This program supports noncompetitive awards to VSA Arts, a national organization that sponsors programs to encourage the involvement of, and foster greater awareness of the need for, arts programs for persons with disabilities, and to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for its arts education programs for children and youth, as well as competitive grants for the development of model arts education programs and for professional development for arts educators. The proposed Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority would support similar activities.

B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarships $1.0

This program, which provides financial assistance to Olympic athletes who are pursuing a postsecondary degree, duplicates other programs that provide assistance to students to increase access to college. Athletes can receive grant, work-study, and loan assistance through the Department's postsecondary student aid programs.

Byrd Honors Scholarships $42.0

This program, which supports merit-based scholarships to high school students through formula grants to States, duplicates other programs that provide assistance to students to increase college access. Students can receive grant, work-study, and loan assistance through the Department's postsecondary student aid programs.

Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success $6.0

This program provides grants to institutions of higher education to encourage model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students. The Administration believes that this program duplicates services available under other programs such as Veterans Upward Bound and that limited Federal resources should be focused on building evidence of what works to improve postsecondary success under the First in the World initiative in the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.

Charter Schools Grants $256.0

This program makes competitive grants to State educational agencies and charter schools to support the planning, design, initial implementation, and dissemination of information regarding charter schools. A portion of the funding supports State efforts to assist charter schools in obtaining facilities. The proposed Expanding Educational Options authority would continue and expand support for charter and other autonomous public schools.

Civic Education $35.0

This program provides a non-competitive award to the Center for Civic Education to conduct We the People, a program to improve the quality of civics and government education, as well as non-competitive and competitive awards for the Cooperative Education Exchange, a program to improve civic and economic education through exchange programs. The proposed Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority would support similar activities.

Close Up Fellowships $1.9

This program provides a non-competitive award to the Close Up Foundation to support fellowships to low-income students and their teachers participating in Close Up visits to Washington, DC and other activities. The proposed Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority would support similar activities.

College Textbook Rental Pilot Initiative $10.0

This program provides grants to institutions of higher education to initiate pilot projects that expand the services of bookstores to provide the option for students to rent course materials in order to achieve savings for students. The Administration believes that program has achieved its objective and that limited Federal resources should be focused on building evidence of what works to improve postsecondary success under the First in the World initiative to be supported in the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.

Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities $8.3

This program, currently funded through the Charter Schools appropriation, provides assistance to help charter schools meet their facility needs. The new Expanding Educational Options authority would continue to make available such assistance.

Demonstration and Training Programs $11.6

This program, which supports competitive grants or contracts to expand and improve the provision of rehabilitation and other services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act, would be replaced with a new National Activities to Improve Rehabilitation Services program that would support projects designed to improve program performance and the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services, including technical assistance. In addition, the training activities under this program would be consolidated with the Training program.

Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff, and Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities $6.8

These funds support model projects that enhance the quality of higher education for students with disabilities by making discretionary grants of up to 3 years in duration to institutions of higher education to provide technical assistance and professional development for faculty and administrators. In place of this program, the Administration is requesting increased funding for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, which can support projects to improve college access and completion for individuals with disabilities.

Educational Technology State Grants $100.0

This program supports State, district, and school efforts to integrate technology into curricula in order to improve teaching and learning. These efforts would continue across various ESEA programs, including the Effective Teaching and Leading for a Complete Education programs.

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling $55.0

This program makes competitive grants to assist local educational agencies in developing or expanding elementary and secondary school counseling programs. These activities could be supported under the proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program.

Erma Byrd Scholarship Program $1.5

This program, funded under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, provides scholarships to individuals pursuing a course of study that will lead to a career in industrial health and safety occupations, including mine safety. This program is narrowly focused and is not specifically authorized under the HEA. In addition, this program duplicates other programs that provide assistance to students to increase college access, such as the Department's postsecondary student grant and loan programs.

Evaluation $1.2

These funds are used to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act. Under the request, short-term descriptive studies and program performance activities currently conducted under the Evaluation program would be conducted under the new National Activities to Improve Rehabilitation Services program and the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) would assume responsibility for conducting rigorous program evaluations and multi-year studies of programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act. The Rehabilitation Services Administration would continue to play a major role in identifying evaluation and research needs related to the programs it administers and would work collaboratively with NIDRR in the development of evaluation proposals.

Even Start $66.5

This program, which supports projects to improve educational opportunities for children and their parents in low- income areas by integrating early childhood education, adult education, and parenting education into "family literacy" programs, would be consolidated into the proposed Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy authority, in part due to evaluation findings that children and adults participating in Even Start generally make no greater literacy gains than non-participants.

Excellence in Economic Education $1.4

This program makes a competitive award to a national nonprofit education organization to promote economic and financial literacy among students in kindergarten through grade 12. The proposed Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority would support similar activities.

Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners $8.8

This program supports culturally based educational activities, internships, apprenticeship programs and exchanges for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, children and families of Massachusetts, and any federally recognized Indian tribe in Mississippi. All of the funding provided for the program is for statutory earmarks, and the Administration opposes the funding of earmarks because they support activities that have not gone through the rigor of a competitive process and have negligible accountability for results. Other Federal and non-Federal sources are available to support the activities carried out under this program.

Foreign Language Assistance $26.9

These funds support competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), State educational agencies (SEAs), and LEAs in partnership with institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish or expand foreign language study in elementary and secondary schools. Similar activities would be supported through the new Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority.

Foundations for Learning $1.0

This program makes competitive grants to local educational agencies, local councils, community-based organizations, and other public or nonprofit entities to enhance young children's development and school readiness. Similar activities could be supported under the proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program.

High School Graduation Initiative $50.0

This program provides assistance to help schools implement comprehensive efforts to increase high school graduation rates. Such activities would be supported under the proposed College Pathways and Accelerated Learning authority, as well as by other reauthorized programs such as Title I College- and Career-Ready Students and School Turnaround Grants.

Improving Teacher Quality State Grants $2,947.7

This program, which provides funds to States and LEAs to develop and support a high-quality teaching force through activities that are grounded in scientifically based research, would be replaced by the proposed Effective Teachers and Leaders State Grants program, which would emphasize the identification of effective teachers and leaders and improving access to such teachers and leaders across high- and low-poverty schools.

Independent Living Centers $80.3

This program provides competitive grants for consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential, private nonprofit agencies that are designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities and provide an array of independent living services. This program would be consolidated into a single new formula grants program, Grants for Independent Living, which would support State-level activities and subgrants to independent living centers. This consolidation would reduce program duplication, give States more control over their independent living programs, and increase accountability for implementing effective service systems and improving services in areas with unmet needs.

Independent Living State Grants $23.5

This program makes formula grants to States that are used to provide independent living services and to support independent living centers and State planning efforts. This program would be consolidated into a single new formula grants program, Grants for Independent Living, which would support State-level activities and subgrants to independent living centers. The consolidation would reduce program duplication, give States more control over their independent living programs, and increase accountability for implementing effective service systems and improving services in areas with unmet needs.

Javits Fellowships $9.7

This program provides fellowships to students of superior ability who are pursuing doctoral degrees in the arts, humanities, and social sciences at institutions of higher education. This program would be consolidated with the Graduate Assistance for Areas of National Need program, which provides support for graduate fellowships in areas of national need.

Javits Gifted and Talented Education $7.5

These funds support research, demonstration projects, and other activities designed to help elementary and secondary schools meet the needs of gifted and talented students. Such activities would be supported under the proposed College Pathways and Accelerated Learning authority.

Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships $63.9

This program has accomplished its objective of stimulating all States to establish need-based postsecondary student grant programs, and Federal incentives for such aid are no longer required. State grant levels have expanded greatly over the years, and most States significantly exceed the statutory matching requirements. State matching funds in academic year 2007-2008, for example, totaled nearly $1 billion or more than $950 million over the level generated by a dollar-for-dollar match.

Literacy Through School Libraries $19.1

This program helps school districts improve literacy skills by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials and professionally certified school library media specialists. The proposed Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy authority would make funding available to support such activities.

Loan Repayment for Civil Legal Assistance Attorneys $5.0

This program, first funded in FY 2010, provides up to $40,000 in loan forgiveness to individuals who enter and continue employment as civil legal assistance attorneys. This new program is unnecessary since civil legal service attorneys already qualify for loan forgiveness benefits under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness provisions of the William D. Ford Direct Student Loan program. In addition, the Department has found loan forgiveness programs funded through discretionary funds to be inequitable, given the likelihood that available funding will not be sufficient to fund awards to all eligible recipients.

Mathematics and Science Partnerships $180.5

This program, which supports State and local efforts to improve students' academic achievement in mathematics and science by promoting strong teaching skills for elementary and secondary school teachers, would be replaced by the proposed Effective Teaching and Learning: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. The new program would support professional development for STEM teachers, implementation of high- quality curricula, assessments, and instructional materials, and creation or improvement of systems for linking student data on assessments with instructional supports such as lesson plans and intervention strategies.

Mental Health Integration in Schools $5.9

This program makes competitive grants to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and Indian tribes to increase student access to mental health services by supporting programs that link school systems with the local mental health system. The proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program would support activities to improve the mental health of students.

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers $2.2

This program makes comprehensive vocational rehabilitation (VR) services available to migrant and seasonal farmworkers with disabilities, with the goal of increasing employment opportunities for them. To eliminate duplication and administrative inefficiencies, this program would be consolidated with the VR State Grants program. Consolidation would allow a stronger Federal focus on increasing the employment opportunities for all eligible individuals, including migrant and seasonal farmworkers with disabilities.

Model Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Into Higher Education $11.0

This program supports competitive grants awarded to institutions of higher education or consortia of such institutions to create or expand model comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities. In place of this program, the Administration is requesting increased funding for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, which can support projects to improve college access and completion for individuals with disabilities.

National Writing Project $25.6

This program makes a non-competitive award to the non-profit National Writing Project organization to support the effective teaching of writing in grades K-16. The National Writing Project would be able to compete for continued funding under the proposed Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy authority.

Off-Campus Community Service $0.8

This program provides grants to institutions of higher education to support work study payments to students engaged in off-campus community service activities. This program duplicates the Federal Work Study program, has minimal impact because of its size, and results in unnecessary administrative costs.

Parental Information and Resource Centers $39.3

This program makes competitive awards to provide training, information, and support to State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and other organizations in carrying out parent education and family involvement activities. The proposed Expanding Educational Options program would continue to support such activities.

Physical Education Program $79.0

This program makes grants to local educational agencies and community-based organizations to pay for initiating, expanding, and improving physical education programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, activities that would continue to be supported under the proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program.

Program Improvement $0.9

These funds are used to support projects designed to increase the Department's capacity for providing technical assistance to State VR agencies and other grantees. Technical assistance and program improvement activities currently supported under this program would be conducted under a new consolidated National Activities to Improve Rehabilitation Services program.

Projects With Industry $19.2

This program creates and expands job and career opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the competitive labor market by engaging the participation of business and industry in the rehabilitation process. Grantees provide job development, job placement, and career development services, and, to the extent appropriate, training services to assist individuals with disabilities to obtain or advance in employment in the competitive labor market. This program would be consolidated with the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants program, which already provides similar services to the same target population as Projects with Industry.

Reading is Fundamental/Inexpensive Book Distribution $24.8

This program makes a noncompetitive award to the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) organization to support local nonprofit groups and volunteer organizations that serve low-income children through book distribution and reading motivation activities. RIF would be able to compete for continued funding under the proposed Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy authority.

Ready-to-Learn Television $27.3

This program makes competitive awards to support the development and distribution of educational television and video programming and related outreach materials for preschool and elementary school children and their parents that are designed to improve school readiness and academic achievement. Competitive funding for such activities could be available under two new broader programs, Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy and Effective Teaching and Learning: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Recreational Programs $2.5

This program makes competitive awards that support recreation and related activities for individual with disabilities to aid in their employment, mobility, independence, socialization, and community integration. The Administration strongly supports helping individuals with disabilities become full and active members in society, but believes that recreational programs would be appropriately financed by State and local agencies and the private sector.

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Activities $191.3

This program supports competitive grants and other discretionary activities to foster a safe, secure, and drug-free learning environment, facilitate emergency management and preparedness, and prevent drug use and violence by students at all educational levels. The proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program would continue to make available funding for such activities.

School Leadership $29.2

This program supports competitive grants to assist high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) in recruiting, preparing, and retaining principals and assistant principals. The proposed Teacher and Leader Pathways program would support similar activities.

Smaller Learning Communities $88.0

This program makes competitive grants to local educational agencies to create smaller, more personalized learning environments in large schools. The new Expanding Educational Options authority would make available competitive funding for such activities.

Striving Readers $250.0

This program, which was expanded in the 2010 appropriations act, supports efforts to improve the literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading, and writing, of students from birth through grade 12. Similar activities would be a key focus of the new Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy authority.

Supported Employment State grants $29.2

This formula grant program provides supplemental funds to State VR agencies for providing supported employment services for individuals with the most significant disabilities participating in the VR State Grants program. This program would be consolidated with the VR State Grants program, as it has accomplished its goal and State VR agencies recognize supported employment as an integral part of the VR State Grants program and a viable employment option for individuals with the most significant disabilities.

Teach for America $18.0

This program makes a non-competitive award to Teach for America, Inc., which recruits, selects, trains, and supports recent college graduates who commit to serve as teachers in high-need schools and LEAs for at least 2 years. TFA would be able to compete for continued funding under the proposed Teacher and Leader Pathways authority.

Teacher Incentive Fund $400.0

This program makes competitive awards to improve student achievement by increasing teacher and principal effectiveness; reform teacher and principal compensation systems so that teachers and principals are rewarded for gains in student achievement; increase the number of effective teachers teaching low-income, minority, and disadvantaged students in hard-to-staff subjects; and create sustainable performance-based compensation systems. These activities would continue to be supported through the proposed Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund.

Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow $2.2

This small program includes two activities that could be supported under the proposed Teacher and Leader Pathways program. The Baccalaureate STEM and foreign language teacher training component provides competitive grants for programs that provide courses of study in STEM and critical foreign languages that are integrated with teacher education and lead to a baccalaureate degree in the primary subject matter with a concurrent teacher certification. The Master's STEM and foreign language teacher training component provides competitive grants for 2- or 3- year part-time master's degree programs in STEM or critical foreign languages that lead to a 1-year master's degree in teaching that results in teacher certification.

Teacher Quality Partnership $43.0

This program, which supports the development and implementation of model teacher preparation and teaching residency programs to improve the quality of teaching in high-need schools and early childhood education programs, would be consolidated into the proposed Teacher and Leader Pathways authority.

Teaching American History $119.0

This program supports competitive grants to local educational agencies to promote the teaching of traditional American history in elementary and secondary schools as a separate academic subject. Similar activities would be supported through the new Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education authority.

Tech Prep Education State Grants $102.9

This program provides support for developing structural links between secondary and postsecondary institutions that integrate academic and career and technical education. No separate authority is needed for such activities, which may be funded through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Grants program within the larger context of career and technical education programs within the State. The 2012 request would consolidate Tech Prep funding into CTE State Grants.

Training for Realtime Writers $1.0

This program promotes training and placement of individuals as realtime writers. This program is narrowly focused and the Administration believes limited Federal should be focused on building evidence of what works to improve postsecondary success under the First in the World initiative in the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.

Transition to Teaching $43.7

This program supports competitive grants to develop and implement comprehensive approaches to training, placing, and supporting teacher candidates through alternative routes to teacher certification or licensure. The proposed Teacher and Leader Pathways authority would make available significantly greater resources for such activities.

Underground Railroad Program $1.9

This program supports competitive grants to non-profit organizations to house, display, interpret, and provide information to schools, institutions of higher education, and the public regarding artifacts and other materials relating to the history of the Underground Railroad. This was not intended to be a permanent Federal responsibility. Federal funds previously provided have enabled a number of grantees to make progress in securing private support to create endowments. Funding may also be available under competitions conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Voluntary Public School Choice $25.8

This program makes competitive grants to State and local educational agencies to implement programs that provide students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, with expanded public school choice options. The proposed Expanding Educational Options initiative, in particular the promoting Public School Choice grants program, would continue to support such activities.

Women's Educational Equity $2.4

This program makes competitive awards to a variety of public and private organizations, agencies, and institutions to promote gender equity in education through projects involving the design and implementation of gender-equity policies and practices, with a priority on projects aimed at improving the achievement of women and girls in science and mathematics. The Administration is proposing to eliminate funding for this small, narrowly targeted program in favor of funding for broader programs that can provide continued educational support for girls and women.

Institute of Education Sciences Departmental Management

For further information contact the ED Budget Service.

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