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![Page 1: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 2: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 3: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 4: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 5: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 6: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 7: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 8: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 9: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 10: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 11: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 12: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 13: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 14: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 15: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 16: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 17: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 18: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 19: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 20: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 21: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 22: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 23: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 24: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 25: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 26: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 27: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 28: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 29: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 30: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 31: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 32: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 33: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 34: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 35: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 36: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 37: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 38: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 39: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 40: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 41: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 42: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 43: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 44: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 45: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 46: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 47: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 48: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 49: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/49.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 50: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/50.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 51: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/51.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 52: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/52.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 53: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/53.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 54: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 55: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/55.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 56: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/56.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 57: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/57.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 58: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/58.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 59: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 60: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/60.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 61: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/61.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 62: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/62.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 63: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/63.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 64: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/64.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 65: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/65.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 66: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/66.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 67: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/67.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 68: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/68.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 69: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/69.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 70: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/70.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 71: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/71.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 72: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/72.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 73: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/73.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 74: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/74.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 75: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/75.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 76: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/76.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 77: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/77.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 78: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/78.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 79: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/79.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 80: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/80.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 81: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/81.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 82: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/82.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 83: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/83.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 84: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/84.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 85: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/85.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 86: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/86.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 87: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/87.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 88: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/88.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 89: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/89.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 90: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/90.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 91: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/91.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 92: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/92.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 93: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/93.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 94: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/94.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 95: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/95.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 96: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/96.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 97: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/97.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 98: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/98.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 99: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/99.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 100: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/100.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 101: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/101.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 102: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/102.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 103: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/103.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 104: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/104.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 105: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/105.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 106: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/106.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 107: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/107.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 108: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/108.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 109: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/109.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 110: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/110.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 111: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/111.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 112: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/112.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 113: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/113.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 114: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/114.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 115: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/115.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 116: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/116.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 117: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/117.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 118: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/118.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 119: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/119.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 120: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/120.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 121: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/121.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 122: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/122.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 123: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/123.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 124: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/124.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 125: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/125.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 126: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/126.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 127: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/127.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 128: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/128.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 129: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/129.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 130: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/130.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 131: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/131.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 132: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/132.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 133: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/133.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 134: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/134.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 135: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/135.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 136: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/136.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 137: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/137.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 138: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/138.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 139: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/139.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 140: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/140.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 141: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/141.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 142: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/142.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 143: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/143.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 144: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/144.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 145: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/145.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 146: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/146.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 147: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/147.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 148: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/148.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 149: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/149.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 150: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/150.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 151: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/151.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 152: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/152.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 153: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/153.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 154: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/154.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 155: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/155.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 156: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/156.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 157: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/157.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 158: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/158.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 159: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/159.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 160: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/160.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 161: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/161.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 162: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/162.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 163: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/163.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 164: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/164.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 165: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/165.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 166: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/166.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 167: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/167.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 168: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/168.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 169: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/169.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 170: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/170.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 171: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/171.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 172: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/172.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 173: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/173.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 174: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/174.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 175: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/175.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 176: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/176.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 177: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/177.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 178: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/178.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 179: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/179.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 180: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/180.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 181: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/181.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 182: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/182.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 183: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/183.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 184: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/184.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 185: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/185.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 186: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/186.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 187: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/187.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 188: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/188.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 189: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/189.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 190: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/190.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 191: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/191.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 192: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/192.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 193: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/193.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 194: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/194.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 195: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/195.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 196: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/196.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 197: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/197.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 198: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/198.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 199: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/199.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 200: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/200.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 201: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/201.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 202: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/202.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 203: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/203.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 204: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/204.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 205: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/205.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 206: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/206.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 207: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/207.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 208: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/208.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 209: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/209.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 210: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/210.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 211: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/211.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 212: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/212.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 213: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/213.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 214: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/214.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 215: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/215.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 216: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/216.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 217: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/217.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 218: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/218.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 219: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/219.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 220: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/220.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.
![Page 221: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/221.jpg)
February 23, 2010
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500
Re: Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), which unites 26 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for nearly 50 million Hispanics living in the United States, we write to express our concerns regarding the education funding allocations included in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.
Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of the public school population and make up nearly one in five public school students. Unfortunately, the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers remains wide, and the gap is even more pronounced for English language learners (ELLs). This gap, which is evidenced even before children enter kindergarten, has led to an alarmingly high dropout rate and low levels of enrollment in higher education programs. Only 58% of Latino students are graduating high school in four years.*
Given the challenges Latino students face in American public schools, the HEC shares many priorities for education reform with the new administration. These include strategies to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, middle school success, dropout prevention, and access to higher education. Clearly, as the Latino student population continues to grow and as more Hispanics enter the workforce, it is critical that investments in these areas are made to secure the success of this vulnerable population. On February 1, 2010 when the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released, the HEC was particularly disappointed to see that the administration eliminated or flat-funded a number of programs of great importance to Latino students and families that would address those shared priorities.
HEC Priority Programs
The proposed budget decreases and eliminates two critically important programs:
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
* Diplomas Count by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008
![Page 222: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/222.jpg)
According to the 2005 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 93 million adults in the U.S. had limited reading, writing, and math skills. While Hispanics represented only 12% of the total NAAL population, more than 39% of these adults tested below basic in prose literacy. Although demand for English language instruction has dramatically increased, federal funding for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs has actually declined. The HEC is very concerned that the administration would recommend a decrease in funding for these programs in a time of economic crisis as the Latino unemployment rate has skyrocketed.
The proposal to eliminate funding for the Even Start program is particularly disheartening to HEC. The Even Start program directly addresses many of the educational challenges faced by Latino families by providing effective family literacy instruction that enables parents to be active participants in their children s education. Evidence shows that the program has helped thousands of Hispanic parents reach their educational goals and increase their job skills while at the same time improving the school readiness of their young children. Furthermore, 53% of the families served by the program are Hispanic. During this economic downturn, when Hispanic families are most in need, it is inconceivable that the new administration is proposing the elimination of such an essential program.
Additionally, the HEC was disappointed to see that the fiscal year 2011 budget has proposed level funding for four HEC priority programs. Those include:
Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP)
Title V of the Higher Education Act, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
TRIO Programs
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
Each of these programs is essential to securing the academic success of Latino and ELL students in American schools. The HEC is dismayed to see that the new administration has not shown a renewed commitment to these programs and has in fact kept funding levels equal to those during the Bush administration.
The budget for fiscal year 2011 included increases for the following HEC priority programs:
Head Start
Title III English Language Acquisition
The increase in Head Start will help to sustain the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by maintaining higher levels of enrollment in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This level of funding will also support a cost of living increase, technical assistance, and quality improvements each important elements for Latino and ELL children in these programs.
![Page 223: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/223.jpg)
Despite these improvements, more investments must be made to allow more eligible Latino and ELL children, particularly infants and toddlers, to access these programs. According to the Department of Education, the $50 million increase in Title III funding is proposed to be structured as competitive grants. Although the HEC strongly supports additional funding for competitive Title III grants for innovative approaches to working with ELLs, an $800 million funding level (with $50 million for competitive grants) will leave states with the same level of funding as they had in fiscal year 2010 ($750 million) at a time when the ELL population is increasing and shows no sign of decreasing. Over the past 15 years, ELL student enrollment has nearly doubled, and experts predict that one-quarter of the total U.S. public school population will be made up of ELLs by 2025.* As currently appropriated, Title III funds provide approximately $90 per student annually.
Although we applaud the administration s modest increase in funding for these important programs, funding for these programs must continue to increase if they are to meet the growing demands for these services.
New Programs and Proposals
The budget included several new proposals that will undoubtedly impact Latino students and families. These include Race to the Top, State Early Learning Challenge Grants, Promise Neighborhoods, and the High School Graduation Initiative. These programs are instrumental to generating innovation for education reform; however, the HEC remains concerned about how these programs will work to improve the educational outcomes of Latino and ELL students. Without a targeted strategy, these students are likely to continue facing challenges in achieving academic success and will continue to fall behind.
In closing, we recognize that the administration has developed an education budget proposal that is closely aligned with its goal of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). However, the success of this budget proposal greatly depends on Congress moving quickly to reauthorize ESEA with the critically needed improvements to secure the success of Latino and ELL children. Until Congress and the administration work together to clearly define how specific programs will meet the needs of Latino and ELL children, many of the proposed budget increases will only be an empty promise for our nation s future.
Sincerely,
cc: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Education Task Force Chair Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
* U.S. Department of Education See also http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/expert/faq/08leps.html and http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/english/lepfactsheet.html.
Erika BeltranNational Council of La Raza HEC Co-chair
Iris Chavez League of United Latin American Citizens HEC Co-chair
![Page 224: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/224.jpg)
Enclosure
HISPANIC EDUCATION COALITION PRIORITY PROGRAMS
Program Fiscal Year (FY)
2010 (in millions unless otherwise noted)
President s FY 2011 Budget Proposal (in millions unless otherwise noted)
FY 2011 HEC Request (in millions unless otherwise noted)
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs
$66.45 $0 $100
Head Start $7.2 billion
$8.2 billion
$10.9 billion
Title III of ESEA: Language Acquisition
State Grants $750 $800 $850
Title I, Part C, ESEA: Migrant Education
Program $394.77 $394.77 $475
Federal TRIO Programs $853 $853 $937
Special Programs for Migrant Students
(Higher Education Act (HEA) IV.A.5): High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP)
$36.7 $36.7 $50
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate
support $ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $123.3
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 10.5
Title V, Part A of the HEA: undergraduate
support $175
Title V, Part B of the HEA: graduate support
$ 100
![Page 225: file_HEC_FY11_Pres_Budget_Response](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022042903/568c49f91a28ab491696440d/html5/thumbnails/225.jpg)
Adult Basic Literacy Education Grants
(Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act)
$628.2* $612 $750
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
$323.2 $323.2 $400
Development of STEM and
Articulation Programs (371.b.2.B.)
n/a n/a $100
* The request is $15.9 million below the 2010 level but actually reflects an increase of $30 million in program support because the 2010 level included a one-time increase of $45.9 million to compensate certain States for errors in calculating formula grant awards between fiscal years 2003 and 2008. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, provides the Department with the opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system. The Department is preparing legislative options for reauthorization involving innovative programs that include technology, career pathways models, and high school completion models with multiple pathways.