Bush Budget FAQs
Q: I heard Upward Bound and Talent Search funding will be ending. What does that mean?
A: Our national organization, the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), has found out from reliable sources that President Bush plans to eliminate funding for both Upward Bound (UB) and Talent Search (TS) Programs in his next budget request to Congress. Reports are that he plans to use this money to fund the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) legislation passed during his first term. The major criticism on NCLB has been that there was insufficient funding passed along with the testing requirements. The President also wants to extend NCLB into the high schools.
Q: Does this mean students will not have a program this summer and beyond?
A: No. Our TRIO programs are "forward-funded." This means that funding for the next program year has already been passed. Should UB and TS Programs be eliminated in the next budget, the earliest it would take effect is the 2006-2007 program year.
Q: This is a huge threat to our programs. Shouldn't I be doing something right now?
A: Yes, this is a major threat to our programs. But then again, it is not the first time TRIO has been threatened. During previous administrations in the 1980s and 1990s, all TRIO programs were cut from the proposed budget. Subsequent action brought about a restoration of TRIO funding in the final budget, sometimes with substantial increases. Yes, everyone should be doing something about it. Continue reading through for our recommendations.
Q: Okay, what should I be doing?
A: First we must make sure that we all know who to talk to and why. This begins with a basic understanding of the budget process. While the President (Bush) is making his budget request, it is Congress that will approve it. In a nutshell, the President proposes a budget, both the House and Senate pass their revisions to it, and if there is a difference on particular items, that part of the budget goes to a joint committee to resolve those differences. Once both houses agree and approve that budget, it goes to the President for his signature. It is Congress, therefore, that has the most influence on how the final budget looks. For more information, talk to the Legislation and Education Committee people in your Chapter or on the Board.
Q: It feels like we are still doing nothing. Shouldn't we be taking action?
A: For any battle you hope to win, you should always go into it prepared for what might be fired back by the other side. As has been stated at the Chapter Professional Development Seminars, this will be a war against our programs. In order to win this war, we must do our best to equip our warriors with the ammunition needed to thwart efforts against our programs. Frantic and drastic action is not the answer.
Q: How do we prepare for the probable battle?
A: The Council has been pushing our State Initiatives and voter registration campaigns for several years now. We will need take that effort to the next level. Programs should be visiting their Congressional Representatives on a regular basis to thank them for their support of TRIO Programs, and highlight the many success stories of TRIO Alumni. Likewise, any groups our programs work with should be informed of the possible cut in TRIO Programs, and what effect it might have on them. You should also set up an e-mail account not associated with your program, as lobbying is not allowed with Federal funds.
Q: Shouldn't we be more vocal about this right now?
No. The budget has not been released, and until it is on February 7, 2005, it may change. If we start screaming about what may happen with rumors and not facts, many will not be listening when we will need their help. We should work in conjunction with the Council on planning rallies or the like. We have a regional concern, but this is a national issue. Keep in mind that current programs can visit with Congressional Representatives to thank them for supporting TRIO in the past.
Q: I heard this is not enough action, and that we need drastic measures now.
A: Once again, we need to have a thoughtful battle plan to effectively counter potential cuts in TRIO, no matter where they come from. Hopefully this effort will draw our members and other Associations together in this fight. We ask that any who would like to help with phone trees, organizing rallies, or any way, shape or form to contact us to see what needs to be worked on in the current time frame. We need programs to take the actions outlined here now, and for all concerned to pay attention to any announcements put out on the list-serve. Our Legislation and Education Committee will be leading our efforts in this regard, and our Board Committees will be working together to make sure our membership is informed. We want to ensure our actions will have a positive affect.
Q: What is the Board going to do about this?
A: All that we can! Please remember that WESTOP does not have paid employees who will handle this on our behalf. Board members also have programs to run just as the rest of the membership. We will need the efforts of everyone in the Association to help out! California has become a key player in this scenario, as the House Appropriations Chairman is from the San Bernardino area. We hope this issue will help to get everyone working together to maintain the future of our programs. Please keep yourself updated on COE's and WESTOP's efforts and help out where you can.
Q: What is this "Mathematica" report I hear about?
A: That refers to a study being done on the performance o Upward Bound Program participants on a national level. While the initial report considered UB programs to be "ineffective," a subsequent report recently released found some other interesting facts, such as UB students tending to take larger class loads in college. Each report is lengthy, and might be good reading for some. Statistics can be manipulated to prove many different things, as they only show statistical correlations. A visit with a successful TRIO alumni or current student will speak volumes, however, to the Congressional Representative you visit.
Q: Why Should Upward Bound Students Be Punished for the Department of Education Failures as Noted in OMB’s Upward Bound “PART Score?” What is “PART?”
A: “PART” is an assessment rating system developed by the Office of Management and Budget to “grade” the effectiveness of Federal agencies and federally funded programs. It has four components: Program Purpose & Design, Strategic Planning, Program Management, and Results. The most heavily rated section is “Results.” Under “Results” Upward Bound received a 17% score.
Fully 50% of the Results score can be attributed to the fact that “The Department of Education recently finalized its goals and targets for Upward Bound but does not yet have information to measure program progress.” (OMB PART Score, p. 450) This is true despite the fact that colleges sponsoring Upward Bound programs have been submitting individualized data on long-term program outcomes for over ten years. The Department just has not bothered to analyze it.
Q: Why Can We Evaluate our Children and Youth but Not Educate Them?
A: OMB has rated 56 programs through the PART rating system. Only two have been rated effective – the National Center on Education Statistics and the National Assessment. Despite the fact that the Department of Education’s Budget totals $69.4 billion, no program educating students has been rated effective.
Q: What should I be doing again?
A: Remember that lobbying is not allowed with Federal funds. Right now we should:
· Assure our students that they will continue to be served by current programs for the time being.
· Prepare our alumni and students for visits with our Representatives to share their success stories.
· Compile statistics for your program(s) such as graduation rate, college going rates, college graduation rates and compare them to the general rates in your area
· Participate in the current COE survey of TRIO pre-college programs.
· Be ready to present your findings to your Congressional Representatives.
· Make plans to attend the WESTOP Conference and COE Policy Seminar.
· Establish our own email accounts on yahoo or hotmail, or another Internet Service Provider.
· Contact your campus president to alert her/him of the threat to the funds your institution receives to sponsor a TS or UB program. Be sure to detail the benefits your program brings to the community you serve.
· If your campus has a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., have your president contact them to put them on alert.
· Work with your campus Public Information/Media Relations office to craft one or a series of articles on the great work your program(s) do...include as many student quotes/interviews as possible.
