U.S. Department of Education: Promoting Educational Excellence for all Americans

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Summary — February 4, 2008

 

Section II. C.  Career, Technical, and Adult Education

Overview

Programs in the Career, Technical, and Adult Education account provide formula grants to States to further State and community efforts to improve career and technical education programs, adult education and literacy systems, programs for incarcerated youth, and competitive grants to establish smaller learning communities in high schools. The Adult Education programs, the Smaller Learning Communities program, and the State Grants for Incarcerated Youth Offenders program (authorized under the Workforce Investment Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and the Higher Education Act, respectively), are subject to reauthorization this year.

Career and Technical Education
(B.A. in millions)

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
Career and Technical Education
  State Grants
$1,181.5 $1,160.9
Tech-Prep Education State Grants 104.8 102.9
National Programs 10.0 7.9
Total
1,296.3

1,271.7

The Administration requests no funding for activities under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006. The request is consistent with the Administration's policy of eliminating funding for programs that are unable to demonstrate effectiveness, are narrowly focused, or whose objectives would be better accomplished through other programs. The most recent evaluation of the State Grants program raised questions about the effectiveness of the program in helping prepare secondary students academically for the transition to postsecondary education and the workforce. The Administration believes that this goal would be better accomplished through funding increases and policy changes aimed at improving the quality of high school education, such as the high school reforms included in the Administration's reauthorization proposal for No Child Left Behind.

Funding for National Programs would be eliminated because these funds are used to support the implementation of, and evaluate the impact of, the State grants. No funds are requested for Tech Prep Education State Grants because the program is narrowly focused and has had only a limited impact.

Adult Education (Adult Basic and Literacy Education)
(B.A. in millions)

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
Adult Basic and Literacy Education
  State Grants
$564.0 $554.1 $554.1
National Leadership Activities 9.0 6.9 14.0
National Institute for Literacy 6.6 6.5 6.5
Total
579.6

567.5

574.6

The request for Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants will assist States in meeting a significant and ongoing need for adult education services. The request includes continuation of a $68 million set-aside for English Literacy/Civics Education State Grants to help States and communities provide limited English proficient adults with expanded access to high-quality English literacy programs linked to civics education. The requested increase for National Leadership Activities will support the Administration's goal of supporting a Web-based adult learning portal that will help expand the availability of adult education services, specifically services for low-level English language learners, as well as the "Bridge to College" demonstration program, which would help non-traditional students enter college prepared to complete college- level work. The request also includes $6.5 million for the National Institute for Literacy, which provides national leadership and coordination on issues related to adult and child literacy.

The Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants program received an Effective rating in 2006 on the PART, reflecting achievements in the areas of data quality, student outcomes, and program evaluation.

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services  Table of contents  Student Financial Assistance

For further information contact the ED Budget Service.

This page last modified—February 4, 2008 (mjj).