Community College News from Inside the Beltway

2011 ACCT Congress: Incoming ACCT Chair Emphasizes Student Success, K-12 Collaboration

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000

As the 2011 ACCT Congress drew to a close, incoming ACCT Chair Roberto Uranga stressed the importance of continuing to build on the commitment made to student success and working more closely with K-12 schools.

“Last year, we planted a seed,” said said Uranga, a trustee at Long Beach City College in California. “[This year’s] symposium and lively town hall meeting represented the sprouting root of that seed. I look forward to working with ACCT’s visionary board and talented staff to make that sprout grow and blossom as we keep moving forward with our goal of increased student success in 2012.”

The first Hispanic trustee to serve as ACCT Chair, Uranga cited the association's success in growing membership and expanding the state, province, and territory coordinators network over the past year. Uranga stressed the importance of community college boards working with K-12 school systems and their boards, saying his top priority as ACCT Chair will be to develop a toolkit to help foster and promote school board and college board collaboration.

“We need to do it together,” he said.

The final Congress keynote speaker, Philip “Uri” Treisman, urged trustees to seek ways to share information about what works on their campuses, particularly in the critical area of developmental education. “Good ideas from good people do not spread in our sector of higher education,” said Treisman, professor of mathematics and public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. “One of our roles in governance is creating structures... for making that happen.”

Uranga closed the 2011 Congress on a note of change. “The changes taking place will continue to challenge our boards,” Uranga said. “But I know we’ll be rewarded in the short- and long-run. ACCT has never been positioned so well to make a difference.”

(See previous 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress coverage here ).

2011 ACCT Congress: Education Department Official Details Progress, Partnerships

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:00:00 +0000

U.S. Education Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges Frank Chong reassured 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress attendees that community colleges remain “a bipartisan issue” for lawmakers and highlighted the administration’s work in helping raise their profile.

“It’s rarely that the President speaks that he doesn’t mention community colleges,” said Chong, former president of Laney College in California. “That’s intentional. He gets the role they play in the economic vitality of our communities.”

Chong noted that the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges, held last fall, helped kickstart important collaborations such as the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which announced its 10 finalist institutions in September; Skills for America’s Future, an industry collaboration aimed at addressing skills gaps in high-demand areas such as healthcare, IT, and advanced manufacturing; and a series of regional summits that brought together community college leaders, local employers, and philanthropic organizations.

"Oftentimes... a summit is a photo op,” Chong said. “I’m proud to say we followed up on the promises we put forward.”

Chong also stressed the importance of continuing to advocate for the $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant (CCCTG) program, which will provide $500 million annually in grants to colleges and consortia over four years.

“It’s one of the few new [sources] of funding for community colleges,” he said. “Don’t take it for granted.”

Chong reiterated the administration’s commitment to access in the form of continuing support for Pell Grants, and said the Education Department is planning to find new ways to help community colleges share best practices online. Reducing time to degree through more seamless transitions, prior learning assessment, and improved apprenticeship programs are among other priorities, he said.

“It’s a very challenging time in Washington, D.C.,” said Chong. “We’re going to have to pivot... and push the envelope on how important community colleges are.”

2011 ACCT Congress: Update on Federal Legislative Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:01:00 +0000

An overview of community college federal legislative priorities held during the 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress had its share of good news for two key community college programs -- Pell Grants and the $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant program. However, public policy experts from ACCT and AACC warned trustees that it is no time to become complacent.

“The most important thing to come away with is that the Budget Control Act... is going to mean that Congress is going to have less money to send overall on our programs in the coming years,” said David Baime, AACC senior vice president for government relations and research. “It’s going to mean some belt-tightening for our institutions, regardless of what happens.”

With the Pell Grant maximum maintained at $5550 as part of a $17 billion agreement, Pell Grants were the only federal program to receive added funding as lawmakers deliberated this year. But as a bipartisan supercommittee prepares to identify at least $1.2 trillion in savings through 2021, Pell will be on the table with all other federal programs. “No matter what you’ve heard regarding Pell Grants being protected, basically the supercommittee can make cuts to anything,” said Jennifer Stiddard, ACCT senior public policy associate. “We need to be diligent.” Congress may also consider addressing the unprecedented growth in the program, which now provides $11.3 billion in aid to 3.5 million community college students, by changing the eligibility criteria in ways that impact community colleges, Baime warned.

The $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant (CCCTG) program has also survived budget cuts thus far, and 32 states and consortia received awards in September, said Jim Hermes, AACC director of government relations. Overall, community colleges and their partners submitted more than $3 billion in proposals for the $500 million earmarked for first-year funding, making it critical that community college advocates fight to maintain funding for the remaining three years of the program. “We’ve already fended off two semi-serious threats to finding for this program, and we anticipate there will be more,” Hermes said. “There’s incredible demand for these programs, and ... continued vigilance will be required for all of us.”

President Obama’s $447 billion American Jobs Act includes $5 billion for modernizing community college infrastructure -- double the amount proposed in the American Graduation Initiative. While the bill has stalled, Congressional leaders may consider individual pieces of the bill in the coming months, said ACCT Director of Public Policy Jee Hang Lee. “Hopefully, modernization will be part of the puzzle,” he said.

As Congress and the supercommittee look to broader deficit reduction measures, budget deliberations have been firewalled between defense and non-defense discretionary spending -- “which is very good for our institutions, because in the past we’ve seen education dollars raided in these situations,” said Stiddard. However, it is not clear what cuts the supercommittee may wind up proposing, and if any deficit-reduction plan it proposes fails to pass Congress later this year, automatic across-the-board-cuts of 7.8 percent on all non-defense federal programs will take place.

While all education spending represents only 3 percent of the overall federal budget, “those cuts represent a huge impact on us,” Stiddard said. “We in the education community really need to push that the impact of this is that we [may] not survive those cuts.”

2011 ACCT Congress: Symposium on Student Success Focuses on Advancing Board Goals

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Held immediately before the 42nd Annual ACCT Leadership Congress, the Symposium on Student Success brought together more than 80 trustees, 14 college presidents, and representatives from 10 state associations and 22 national organizations to discuss how trustees can advance the completion agenda on their own campuses.

Sponsored by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the symposium’s attendees spent much of the two days developing model policy goals that governing boards can use to “consider how well they are helping guide their colleges towards an even stronger commitment to student success,” ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown said at the Congress opening session.

The policy goals, which will be further refined during a Thursday town hall meeting, focus on a range of issues, including effective partnerships, ways to foster an institutional focus on student success, and the importance of balancing student success with community colleges’ commitment to access and equity. “We are very proud of this work and our ability to engage in it,” Brown told symposium attendees. “You cannot underestimate the importance of putting the right people in a room for a set amount of time. That’s how you move the needle.”

Dr. Anne Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association, told symposium attendees that community colleges and the K-12 systems her boards represent must work together to address the challenges of a time when expectations are higher and the needs are greater than ever before. “We can get this right by working together," she said. "How we align ourselves to serve the neediest students is absolutely critical.”

Dr. Linda Baer, senior program officer with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, stressed that trustee leadership is critical in sustaining a momentum shift at their institutions. “We can’t invest in anything more important than the leadership of the trustees for the important work to be done—building and sustaining community colleges to optimize student success,” she said, urging attendees to focus on narrowing a looming skills gap that has already left jobs unfilled at a time of high unemployment.

Symposium speakers reiterated that proven practices have emerged from the growing body of research on student completion issues, including simplifying choices for students, providing clearer pathways, engaging students through programs such as orientations, advisories, and supplemental instruction, and tracking student progress from their first days on campus. But they also urged trustees to focus on ensuring that their colleges weave completion into their overall mission and strategic goals. “Sometimes I think we’ve studied things to death,” Baer said. “It’s time to take action.”

“The hardest work is not changing practice, but changing cultures,” added Dr. Kay McClenney, director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin. “The board plays an extremely important role in... shifting to an understanding that access without success in 21st century America is an empty promise... and [that] we’re not talking about itty-bitty changes around the edges.”

“If you owned your power with respect to the issue of student success, the conversation on the campuses you govern could be very different,” agreed Dr. John N. Gardner, president of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. “I hope you will own this power and focus on this issue in new ways.”

McClenney told trustees it was critical to “frame the way you think about what you need to think about. It’s not your role to decide what the curriculum and interventions are going to be,” she says. “But it surely is your role to ask questions about what the college is doing and monitor the data to see if these actions are closing achievement gaps.”

Completion by Design, the five-year initiative funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is now in the planning phase on 21 campuses in four states. Emphasizing programs that “start with scale” and reach broad swaths of students, Completion by Design has also led to a change in mindset among its four managing partners. “We had seen incremental process,” said Dr. Richard Carpenter, chancellor of Lone Star College, whose Completion by Design efforts will reach one-third of all community college students in Texas. “What intrigued us was the capability to be transformational.”

With its focus on developing model policy goals, the symposium confirmed the critical role trustees play in that transformation. “Effective governance has never been more important,” Carpenter said. “Boards really need to be bold.”

Understanding Continuing Resolutions: A Staple of Congressional Procedure

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:47:00 +0000

This week, Congress once again faced the task of making a last-minute deal to avert a government shutdown. Over the past nine months, this had happened several times, and the American people have become more familiar with the term “continuing resolution.”

Congressional budget and appropriations are complex topics even when everything goes as designed, which is quite rare. We are frequently left with the likes of the omnibus, minibus, unanimous consent agreements, cloture, and, of course, the continuing resolution.

As the rules of the House and Senate are written, the fiscal year runs from October 1st – September 30th. Starting on Saturday, October 1st, we began fiscal year 2012. The House and Senate are supposed to each pass budget resolutions by April 15th to determine spending caps for the appropriators. Once those caps are set, it is up to the House and Senate to determine how the money is distributed within those caps. They must pass 12 appropriations bills before September 30th to fund the upcoming fiscal year. This process involves several steps: the House and Senate write their own bills; the relevant appropriations subcommittee and appropriations full committee mark up (a process where the legislation is debated and amended) and discharge each bill; bills are considered, debated, and passed on the House and Senate floors; a conference committee works out the differences between the House and Senate bills; the House and Senate vote on an identical compromise bill; and the President signs it into law.

Has Congress ever completed the process under this timeframe? Well, since the current budgetary deadline of April 15th was set in 1985, Congress has met the target four times: 1993, 1999, 2000, and 2003. On the appropriations front, since 1977, all bills have passed before September 30th three times: 1989, 1995, and 1997. Note that none of these years correspond. Is it inefficiency? Is the process to vet these bills too cumbersome? Or is this simply part of our democratic government structure? One thing for certain is that barring an overwhelming single-party control of Congress and the presidency, it’s highly unlikely that all target deadlines will ever be met in a single year.

Hence we are left with the omnibus, minibus, unanimous consent agreements, cloture, and continuing resolution. CR’s, as they are commonly referred to inside the beltway, can provide level fund, specific cuts, across-the-board cuts, certain increases, or even new authorizations. They can fund one day or a whole year. In general, they lack the specificity you’d find in an individual appropriations bill or even an omnibus that combines several appropriations bills into one. Usually they pass without much notice or controversy. In fact, Congress passed around 150 CRs between 1977 and 2010. Yes, there were times when the last-minute deal averted shutdown, or the government in fact did shut down. However, over the past nine months, the standoffs over the CR have risen as a symbol of the current political infighting in Washington.

For community colleges, many of the discretionary programs important to our institutions have faced targeted or across-the-board cuts under continuing resolutions. Spending reductions may be necessary, but for the most part, these cuts are not vetted or examined based on need. Passing individual appropriations bills allows for greater debate, scrutiny, and compromise. The good news is that we may be moving toward that direction. All indications are that Congress will at least attempt to pass an omnibus bill before winter. This allows ACCT the opportunity to better organize and advocate priorities to members of Congress.

While the process may be frustrating and at times confusing, ACCT public policy staff is available to answer any questions. We rely on your engagement and efforts as we continue to advocate in Washington, DC.

DREAM Act Reintroduced, Job Training Hearing, Negotiated Rulemaking

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Today, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) re-introduced the DREAM Act with 32 other Senate co-sponsors. The DREAM Act would allow students to obtain permanent legal residence if they came to the U.S. as children (15 or under), have had continuous physical presence in the country for at least five years, graduated from high school or obtained a GED, and completed two years of college or military service in good standing. A video of Senator Durbin’s press conference and further information on the DREAM Act can be found at: http://1.usa.gov/iPUARJ.

Also, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing today chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) to examine the efficiency of federal job training programs. A March 2011 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified 44 out of 47 federal job training programs that overlap with another program, and it stated that only five have conducted an impact study since 2004 to examine outcomes. The subcommittee examined state and local efforts to consolidate and improve workforce training initiatives and questioned witnesses about the potential for consolidating programs within the context of reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

Negotiations over both the FY 2012 budget and an extension of the debt limit are ongoing. The Senate Budget Committee may mark up an FY 2012 budget resolution next week. Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad’s (D-ND) resolution is likely to include some of the recommendations of the President’s fiscal commission, which would cut the deficit by $4 trillion over 10 years through a 50/50 combination of spending cuts and revenue increases by eliminating tax expenditures and letting the Bush-era tax cuts on income above $1 million expire.

White House-led talks with Congressional leaders continue to seek an agreement on a debt reduction package to move in conjunction with an increase the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. Rather than negotiate a comprehensive agreement on taxes and entitlements, the emerging expectation is that any agreement will include some substantial spending cuts along with some form of budget controls to reduce future deficits. Battles over the larger tax reform and specific entitlement cuts may be tabled until a later date.

Finally, tomorrow the Department of Education begins another round of negotiated rulemaking to craft regulations under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Hearings will begin in Nashville, TN and also be held in Tacoma, WA; Chicago, IL; and Charleston, SC. To see a schedule of the hearings and information about public participation, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2011/hearings.html

Senate Fails to Advance FY 2011 Spending Measures; 2nd Comm. College Summit Convenes

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:36:00 +0000

The Senate voted on two competing measures today to fund the federal government for the remainder of FY 2011 (through September 30), and both failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to advance the legislation. The House-passed continuing resolution (CR), H.R. 1, which would cut $66 billion from current spending levels, failed in the Senate by a vote of 44 to 56, with all Democrats and three Republicans opposed. The Senate Democratic alternative CR, which would cut $8.7 billion from current levels, failed by a vote of 42 to 58, with all Republicans and ten Democrats opposed. The Senate Democratic alternative would have maintained the $5,550 Pell Grant maximum for the upcoming academic year, but it also would have rescinded the $125 million in funding for the Career Pathways Innovation Fund (CPIF) and the $561 million in funding for the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG).

Senate leaders did not expect either measure to pass; they intend to use the votes to create pressure for a bipartisan compromise. It remains unclear at what funding level the House and Senate will come to an agreement. The current bill funding government operations ends on March 18th. It is unlikely that a compromise will be reached and passed by that time, so another short-term funding measure will need to be enacted to prevent a government shutdown.

In other news today, the U.S. Department of Education kicked off the second in a series of four regional community college summits. Held at Lone Star College System in Houston, TX, today’s summit focuses on “Successful Transfer Programs.” More information is available at: http://www.ed.gov/blog/2011/03/community-college-regional-summit-in-houston/.

Also, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before the House Education & Workforce Committee today on the Department of Education’s budget and policy proposals. Sec. Duncan discussed the reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and stressed the need to maintain investments in education, including federal student aid. Sec. Duncan also requested legislation to enact the Presidents FY 2012 proposals for the Pell Grant, including the elimination of “summer Pell” and the in-school interest subsidy for graduate student loans, which would save $20 billion in FY 2012. Sec. Duncan will testify on the Department of Education’s FY 2012 budget proposal again tomorrow before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Finally, videos of the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit are now available at http://www.acct.org/events/legislativesummit/nls-videos.php.

Ed. Dept. Community College Summit Today in Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:43:00 +0000

ACCT public policy staff are in Philadelphia today to participate in the first U.S. Department of Education Community College Summit in Philadelphia.

We will report live from Philadelphia later today. In the meantime, here is more information from the Department of Education...

ED is holding a regional community college summit in Philadelphia on February 28.

Secretary Duncan and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will participate in the summit, which is the first of four regional meetings being held as follow-up events to the White House Summit on Community Colleges in October 2010.

The Philadelphia summit — “Challenges, Solutions, and Commitments” — will bring together 150 participants from 15 surrounding states, representing community colleges, business, industry, philanthropy, labor, state and local governments, as well as students. The summit focus is “Transitioning Adult Learners to Community Colleges and the Workforce.”

The morning session will be streamed live (from 9:00 am – 12:15 pm ET).

The remaining three regional meetings will be held around the country during the spring. The purpose of the meetings is to identify promising practices for increasing completion at community colleges.

Duncan has described community colleges as the linchpin for meeting the President’s national goal of once again leading the world in college completion by 2020.

While they’re in Philadelphia, Duncan and Solis will tour the 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund’s Learning Center, a joint labor-management partnership that provides job skills training in the health fields to over 2,000 adult students every year.

2011 National Legislative Summit: House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy Predicts Financial Challenges Will Lead to Consensus

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:13:00 +0000

As the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit drew to a close Wednesday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), predicted that the divisiveness that has characterized Washington politics in recent years will be supplanted by the common need to address pressing financial challenges.

“The mindset on both sides of the aisle is knowing that the crunch is about to hit us,” McCarthy, the majority whip in the U.S. House of Representatives, told summit attendees during Wednesday's general session. Arguing that the federal budget deficit is no longer sustainable, he urged attendees to watch closely the deliberations over funding the current FY11 budget, as Congress works to avert a potential early March shutdown of the federal government. “The next two weeks is going to tell us whether we can work together and put politics aside to put the country first,” McCarthy said. “What happens... will determine how the debate on other things will go.”

Asserting that “structure dictates behavior,” McCarthy pointed to both changes within Congress and external factors as signals that the rancor of recent years may change. As majority whip, McCarthy said he regularly has lunch with his counterpart on the other side of the aisle to seek common ground. Other structural changes to meeting and voting schedules will also help improve debate, he said, pointing to the hundreds of amendments already attached to the continuing resolution for FY11. “We’re going through a detox right now,” said McCarthy, whose political career began in 2000 when he was elected a trustee of the Kern Community College District. “In the long term, it will be so much better for us when we can have a debate where the best ideas can rise up and win.”

Beyond Capitol Hill, the need to put Americans back to work will play an even bigger factor in driving progress, McCarthy predicted. “Commonality is going to happen around jobs,” he said. “If we don’t get America working again, we’re never going to get anywhere... and if we don’t find a solution, no one’s going to be reelected. So I believe we have the opportunity to do something.”

Acknowledging that the current deliberations by both Congress and the Obama Administration have centered on the 14-16 percent of the budget allocated to discretionary non-defense spending, McCarthy predicted that will change as the focus shifts to the 2012 presidential elections. “Everything needs to be on the table,” he said. “If we go and debate things this year, they may not pass, but they will go into play in the presidential campaign. That will be healthy.”

As the NLS drew to a close following three days of Hill visits by trustees and community college presidents, ACCT officials reminded attendees of the importance of making advocacy a year-round effort. “Our work does not end today,” said ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr., a trustee at Midlands Technical College in South Carolina.

2011 National Legislative Summit: Second Lady Jill Biden, Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis Emphasize Administration Support for Community Colleges

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:23:00 +0000

The Obama Administration was represented at the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Second Lady Jill Biden, both of whom acknowledged the financial challenges ahead while reiterating the President’s ongoing commitment to community colleges.

“President Obama is committed to community colleges because he knows, as we all do, that community colleges are critical to getting the economy back on track,” Biden told NLS attendees Tuesday evening. “They are the key to the President’s goal of having the most competitive workforce in the world.”

Earlier in the day, Solis told attendees that her experience as a community college trustee helped prepare her for the financial decisions the Administration now faces. “One thing I learned is that you have to be adaptable and flexible in hard times,” she said. “And now is no different from then in many respects. We are faced with some very tough decisions and economic challenges.”

With 14 million people out of work -- and more than half of those unemployed for six months or more -- community colleges must mirror the Administration’s focus on putting people back to work, Solis said. “You must be able to to provide training that is transferable to a job,” she said. “The criteria isn’t a certificate anymore, but to cultivate your relationships with businesses to [ensure] a smooth transition. Most of you in this room have those relationships. Now it’s about moving a little further and thinking about the opportunities in 15 or 20 years.” As the economy improves, Solis urged community college leaders to help meet the workforce needs of employers who are “coming back online,” as the automotive industry has already begun to do.

Solis also touted the $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant Program (CCCTG), which recently began soliciting applications for $500 million in grants in its first year. “This money will help you in terms of building capacity,” she said, urging community college leaders to collaborate with businesses, non-profits, and each other to maximize the reach of the program -- and to emphasize results in conversations with lawmakers. “The money is there for a short time -- and money doesn't last for a long time here in Washington," she said. "I can tell you we have to make the case that your programs work and can provide the best training for employers.”

Administration officials are also following up on ideas generated during the White House Summit on Community Colleges last October, according to Biden, who stressed that the Administration will continue to advocate for education needs as lawmakers turn their attention to financial issues. “We know we will face some tough choices in the future, but we are working hard to build consensus about what we must do to provide a world-class education, both for K-12 and higher education,” Biden said. “Every American should have the opportunity to take advantage of a community college education.”

Focus on Budget Proposals, Pell Grants as 2011 National Legislative Summit Kicks Off

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:53:00 +0000

The 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit kicked off the same morning that President Barack Obama unveiled his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, an irony not lost on speakers, who cautioned a near-record turnout of community college leaders convening in Washington that the legislative focus has changed.

““It’s all about the budget,” former education policymaker and consultant Vic Klatt of the Penn Hill Group told NLS attendees during a Monday afternoon session. “Everybody is claiming to be reducing spending—the president, Congress, everyone.”

With lawmakers focusing exclusively on the 16 percent of the federal budget that excludes entitlements and military spending, making the case for community college programs playing critical roles in revitalizing local economies will be challenging, speakers cautioned. “My sense is that it’s going to be very difficult in this climate to have a thorough and logical discussion that starts with the needs of the people in your communities,” Meet the Press moderator David Gregory of NBC told attendees during a Monday general session. “It’s not just a debate about numbers and policy. It’s a debate about leadership in Washington.”

For now, the battle over the FY12 budget is taking a back seat to coming to an agreement over funding for the current fiscal year, with House Republicans proposing significant cuts to a range of programs as the potential of a government shutdown looms as soon as next month. “You couldn’t be here at a better time,” ACCT President & CEO J. Noah Brown told attendees. “What you do over the next few days will have a profound impact on securing scarce resources for your community.”

In outlining the 2011 Community College Federal Legislative Priorities (Word document), officials from ACCT and the American Association of Community Colleges cited potential reductions to the Pell Grant program and the possible use of funds intended for the $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant Program (CCCTG) to offset existing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs as two of the most significant legislative issues facing community colleges.

With the number of Pell Grant recipients having grown by 64 percent at the same time as the maximum award grew to $5,550, overall funding for the program has doubled over the past four years, making it a highly visible target for reductions in the current climate. “Part of it has to do with the economy, part of it has to do with the fact that community colleges are becoming first responders,” ACCT Director of Public Policy Jee Hang Lee said of the increase.

The Pell program has “grown bigger than most state budgets,” added David Baime, AACC senior vice president for government relations and research. “As the economy has tanked and students have come to our doors in record numbers, the program has come under immense financial strain.”

The most recent budget proposal for the current fiscal year offered by House Republicans would reduce the Pell Grant maximum by 15 percent. President Obama’s budget proposal for FY12 would leave the maximum untouched, but place limitations on year-round grants. Further qualifications based on metrics involving college costs and completion are also possible, Robert L. Moran, director of federal relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, said during an afternoon session. “We have dueling proposals from a Democratic president and a Republican House majority to see which one can cut Pell Grants more,” Wall Street Journal bureau chief David Wessel told attendees. “If you need any other reminder of the stakes you face, I can’t think of one.”

Other legislative priorities include grants, institutional aid, workforce development programs, funding for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) provided through a National Science Foundation initiative, and making the American Opportunity Tax Credit, extended for two years as part of the extension of the Bush tax cuts, permanent. Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act, TAA authorization, improvements to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reconsideration of the DREAM Act and programs to help community colleges serve veteran students round out the priorities. Making the case for these existing programs is especially important this year because no earmarks are expected for at least the next two years, AACC legislative associate Laurie Quarles told attendees. “Without your help this year, we’re going to see some pretty draconian cuts,” she said. “These programs... are where the money is -- and where it will be disappearing from if you don’t make the case for community colleges.”

Speakers urged community college leaders to focus on results in their discussions with lawmakers. “You don’t need rhetoric, you need money, and you need to convince people you’re doing something that makes sense,” said Wessel, encouraging community college leaders to emphasize the returns on investment yielded by retraining and remedial and developmental education, while not losing sight of their mission to help lift the underserved out of poverty. “If you close that door, you don’t deserve to exist,” he said to applause from the audience.

Despite the many challenges, NLS speakers remained upbeat about the future. “Our number one priority is getting people back to work, and community colleges are positioned to help us do just that,” said Penny Pritzker, chair of Skills for America’s Future, which aims to foster partnerships between businesses and community colleges by sharing best practices, identifying sources of funding, and “playing matchmaker” for prospective partners. “Putting our resources into training and development is one of the best investments we can make as a country,” she said. “It could not be clearer that community colleges are in the right place at the right time. The country has never needed you more.”

“We are entering a period of big, big challenges,” ACCT’s Brown said. “But I would submit to you we have big, big opportunities. I am confident today that we’re up to the task of meeting these big opportunities. Without you and the nation’s community colleges, this nation will not be the nation is has been up until this point in history. It’s up to you.”

House Considers TAA Reauth, Cut to CCCTGP

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:44:00 +0000

Tomorrow, the House will consider a bill to reauthorize the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program under a fast-tracked procedure known as “suspension of the rules.” The TAA program extends assistance to workers who lose their jobs as a result of foreign trade, and it is the law that governs the Community College Career Training Grant Program (CCCTGP). Most TAA programs are set to expire this Saturday, February 12.

The bill would extend authorization for the ‘TAA for Communities’ program and Sector Partnership Grants until June 30, 2011. Included in the budgetary offsets (pay-for’s) in the bill is a $238 million cut to the CCCTGP in FY 2014. Instead of receiving $500 million in FY 2014, CCCTGP would be allotted only $262 million. Despite the fact that this cut in funding would come several years down the road, the CCCTGP is a critical investment in the long-term competitiveness and innovative capacity of community colleges. Under “suspension of the rules,” the bill will require a 2/3 vote for passage. It is unclear how the Senate will proceed with the bill as written.

Finally, the House is still expected to act next week on a funding measure that makes $12.33 billion in combined cuts to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (7.3% of current funding) through the end of FY 2011. Specific programmatic cuts are not yet known but should be announced this week.

The President’s budget request will be released on Monday, February 14.

Senate to Abandon Earmarks for 2 Years

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:04:00 +0000

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) said Tuesday that he would not accept requests for earmarks during the next two years. This comes after President Obama said in his State of the Union address last week that he would veto any bills with earmarks. House Republican leaders have already agreed that they will not support earmarks during the 112th Congress. Inouye reiterated that he supports members directing funding back to their states as a constitutional prerogative of Congress, and he indicated that a review of Congressionally directed spending options may occur sometime in 2012.

The House is not in session this week, but the House Appropriations Committee is expected to begin considering a funding resolution next week after House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan (R-WI) sets new funding allocations. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has pledged to bring this funding measure to the floor on the week of February 14, since the current continuing resolution expires on March 4. According to media reports, House Republican leaders are tentatively planning to propose an aggregate cut of around $50 billion from current funding (FY 2010) levels, but they will allow conservatives to offer amendments on the floor to increase the cuts up to $100 billion. Expected programmatic cuts are not yet known.

The President will release his budget on Monday, February 14.

Congress Finalizes Committee Assignments

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:17:00 +0000

Yesterday, Senate Democratic and Republican leaders agreed to new committee assignments, completing the 112th Congress’ committee assignments for both the House & Senate. You can find a PDF of the committee assignments here.

Additionally, the Senate reached and adopted a bipartisan compromise last night on changes to the chamber’s rules to speed up the legislative process. Although some Senators had advocated for direct limits to the use of the filibuster, lawmakers instead agreed upon less-controversial reforms to secret holds, confirmations, and the reading of amendments. Under the compromise, secret holds on legislation and nominees will be eliminated, the number of executive branch nominations subject to confirmation will be reduced by about a third, and Senators will no longer be allowed to force chamber clerks to read aloud amendments if those amendments have been posted online for at least 72 hours. Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) entered into a “gentlemen’s agreement” to reduce the frequency of filibusters of motions to begin consideration of legislation, but this part of the compromise is not backed by any official rule change.

DOL Announces Grant Application for Community College and Career Training Grant Program

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:38:00 +0000

Today, the solicitation for grant applications for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program (TAA CCTG) was announced by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Applications will be accepted from both individual community colleges and eligible institutions, as well as consortia of two or more eligible institutions across a community, region, state, or industry sector. The Department of Labor intends to fund grants ranging from $2.5 million to $5 million for individual applicants and from $2.5 million to $20 million for consortium applicants. The TAA CCTG Program is authorized for $500 million for each of four years, fiscal years 2011 through 2014, to support educational and career-training programs focused on dislocated and unemployed workers. Each state will be guaranteed a minimum of 0.5% of the total funding, or $2.5 million per state per year.

Funds are provided to expand and improve education and career training programs that can be completed in two years or less, are suited for workers who are eligible for training under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers program, and prepare program participants for employment in high-wage, high-skill occupations. The targeted population of this program is workers who have lost their jobs or are threatened with job loss as a result of foreign trade. The deadline for applications is April 21, 2011.

To see the official solicitation for grant applications, please visit http://www.doleta.gov/grants/pdf/SGA-DFA-PY-10-03.pdf

Senate Introduces Omnibus Appropriations Bill

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:45:00 +0000

Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Daniel Inouye (D-HI) introduced the Omnibus Appropriations bill, which totals $1.1 billion. The Omnibus bill includes $5.7 billion for the Pell Grant shortfall, all appropriations bills for FY2011, and earmarks. Chair Inouye noted that he believes he has the 60 votes necessary to get cloture and pass the bill. If the Senate passes the Omnibus bill, the House is expected to move and pass the bill as well. Earlier this month, the House passed a year-long continuing resolution but was looking to the Senate to finalize action on the Omnibus bill. Congress needs to pass the Omnibus bill before December 18th, because that is when the current continuing resolution is set to expire.

The Omnibus bill can be viewed here.

The Senate is continuing to work on the tax-cut extenders bill, which incorporates the agreement between the Administration and Senate Republicans. The Senate voted 83-15 for cloture to move to consider the bill. When the Senate completes this action, the bill will be sent to the House for consideration. With a full legislative calendar, the Senate is expected to be in session next week. The Senate is also expected to vote on cloture on the House-passed DREAM Act this week.

House Passes Continuing Resolution, DREAM Act; Senate Expected to Consider Both Bills

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:16:00 +0000

Last night, the House approved H.R. 3082, a year-long continuing resolution to fund the government until the end of the current federal fiscal year (September 30, 2011), by a vote of 212-206. Now that the House has passed the bill, it will be presented to the Senate for consideration. In past years, continuing resolutions typically have been less robust, but this continuing resolution will provide additional funds to crucial areas. Most importantly for community colleges, the bill provides an additional $5.7 billion to deal with the Pell Grant shortfall. Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) continues to work on an Omnibus Appropriations bill, and he will attempt to present the Omnibus bill as a substitute for the House continuing resolution. If the Senate gets the 60 votes necessary Omnibus bill cloture, the bill will be sent back for the House’s consideration. The Omnibus bill is preferable to a long-term continuing resolution, because it would include higher funding levels (and earmarks). ACCT is also hopeful that the program changes to the Community College and Career-Training Grant Program will be included in the Omnibus bill.

In other news, the House approved its version of the DREAM Act last night by a vote of 216-198. The bill will move to the Senate, but the bill approved by the House is different than the one that will be considered by the Senate. If the Senate passes its bill, the House will need to consider the Senate-passed version of the bill. The Senate is slated to vote on cloture on S. 3992, which is the latest version of the DREAM Act authored by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL). S. 3992 has been amended to gather the additional support necessary to reach the 60 votes necessary for cloture. Unlike other versions of the DREAM Act, the bill does not repeal the federal ban on in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants and does not allow undocumented immigrants to receive Pell grants. However, the bill does provide a legal pathway for immigrants to pursue citizenship, provided that they meet set criteria. The text of S. 3992 can be found here.

Additionally, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) attempted to move “The Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2010,” this past weekend, but the bill was not able to get cloture. Because of this outcome, the Administration and Senate Republican leaders later agreed on a tax extenders bill. The major provisions of the tax measure would include the income tax cuts that were passed during the previous Administration. For higher education, the bill includes a two-year extension of the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The Senate is working to finalize the whole package, but the measure may face a filibuster, which would delay consideration and final passage.

While most Congressional leaders were determined weeks ago, the House Republican Steering Committee met this week and recommended Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) to be the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Rep. John Kline (R-MN) to be the Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. The House Republican conference supported the recommendations. Incoming House Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the upcoming House calendar for 2011. The schedule can be accessed here.

Don't miss your opportunity to meet with your members of Congress, Congressional Staff, and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory during the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit this February 13-16 in Washington, D.C. Make sure to register before December 22 to secure the early registration discount. And be sure to register for the pre-Summit Advocacy Academy on February 13. This new academy is tailored to the needs of federal advocacy for community colleges. For more information and to register, click here.

House Passes Two-Week Stop Gap Funding Bill: DREAM Act Vote on the Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Today, the House of Representatives by a vote of 239-178 passed a two-week continuing resolution to fund the government until December 18. The Senate will now consider the legislation. For the past month, Congressional leaders and the Administration have been working to resolve the FY11 appropriations bills. The current continuing resolution will have expired this Friday, December 3. The discussions are now centered on a short-term or long-term continuing resolution or an Omnibus Appropriations bill. Appropriations leaders are supporting an effort to finalize an Omnibus Appropriations bill because the funding totals will be higher and the bill will include Congressional earmarks. Either way, leaders are crafting a bill that will be funded at a substantially lower level than that of the President's budget request. Furthermore, the $5.7 billion Pell Grant shortfall continues to be an issue that will likely need to be addressed next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has announced that there may be a vote to consider the DREAM Act as a stand-alone bill this week. While the bill has majority support, it still appears that the bill lacks the 60 votes necessary to proceed. ACCT is a member of the Act on the DREAM Coalition and supports the passage of the bill. In a move that complicates all Senate action, all Senate Republicans sent a letter to Majority Leader Reid stating that they would not vote for cloture on any bill until the Senate resolves the federal funding bills and the Bush-era income tax cuts are extended.

Also today, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which was tasked to address our nation's fiscal challenges, released its report, the Moment of Truth. The Commission was charged with identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. Of note, the report stated that increased funding should be focused on “high-priority investments America will need to remain competitive, such as increasing college graduation rates.”

The report can be viewed here.

Lame Duck Congress Returns for Leadership Elections

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:42:00 +0000

The lame duck Congress returned to Capitol Hill this week to elect leaders for the upcoming 112th Congress. The House Republican Caucus elected Rep. Boehner (R-OH) as Speaker-designate, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) as selected Majority Leader, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Majority Whip. The House Democratic Caucus elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as Minority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) as Minority Whip, and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) as Assistant Minority Leader (a new position). The new leadership will take office in January.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, the leadership positions will remain the same. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) will remain as Majority Leader and will be joined by Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL). Republicans elected Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Minority Leader and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) as Minority Whip.

With Congress returning, Congressional leaders have been working to resolve the FY11 appropriations bills. The current continuing resolution expires on December 3rd, but there does not seem to be a final conclusion to the funding process. There have been discussions about a short-term or long-term continuing resolution, each of which has pros and cons. Either way, leaders are working on crafting a bill that will be funded at a substantially lower level than that of the President's budget request. Furthermore, the Pell Grant shortfall continues to be an issue that will likely need to be addressed next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced earlier this week that he will bring the DREAM Act as a stand-alone bill. While the bill has majority support, it still appears that the bill lacks the 60 votes necessary to proceed.

Don't miss your opportunity to meet with your members of Congress and their staff during the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit this February 13-16 in Washington, D.C. And be sure to register for the pre-Summit Advocacy Academy on February 13. This new academy is tailored to the needs of federal advocacy for community colleges. For more information and to register, go to www.acct.org/events/legislativesummit/.

Lame Duck Congress Returns Next Week

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:31:00 +0000

Congress is expected to return to session next week to proceed with a series of bills, including all of the appropriations bills and the extension of tax cuts. The federal government is under a continuing resolution that will fund the government until December 3rd. It is unclear whether Congress will address the appropriations bills before the end of the 111th Congress or carry on a continuing resolution into 2011. While both parties strongly desire to address the bills this year, there will need to be a quick solution in order to finalize the bills. One solution would be to reach an agreement on reducing some of the funding within the bills to meet bipartisan approval. The collective thinking on the $5.7 billion Pell Grant shortfall is that Congress will not address it this year. Next year, Congress will likely be unable to address the Pell Grant shortfall unless they put the funding into an emergency spending bill, which it has done in past.

Outlook for the 112th Congress:

Congress will return this month to determine the Congressional leadership for the upcoming year. The week after Thanksgiving, the Democratic and Republican caucuses will determine the committee chairs, with the committee rosters following shortly thereafter.

Outlook for the 112th Senate:

The Senate in 2011 will have 53 Democrats (including 2 Independents who caucus with Democrats) and 47 Republicans (including one uncalled race, but the two front runners are Republicans). Senate leadership is not expected to change, with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) retaining their posts. Additionally, the committee chairman will largely be unaffected, as Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) will remain as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will remain as Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Outlook for the 112th House of Representatives:

On the House side, the election brought about significant change, as the Republican party gained control of the House for the 112th Congress. The current election results are 239 Republicans and 188 Democrats, with 8 uncalled elections. Current Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is expected to become the Speaker of the House, and current Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) is expected to be the Majority Leader. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), a former trustee from Kern Community College District, announced that he will seek the Majority Whip position. Current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has announced that she will run for Minority Leader. The current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) are running against each other for the Minority Whip position.

On the committee front, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) have announced their candidacy for the position of Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. John Kline (R-MN) has forwarded his name to be Chair of the Education and Labor Committee.

2010 ACCT Congress: Incoming ACCT Chair Outlines Key Partnerships, Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:18:00 +0000

As the 2010 ACCT Congress in Toronto drew to a close, incoming ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer Sr. stressed the importance of “game-changing” partnerships and initiatives that bring community colleges, philanthropies, and industry together to “reinvent the economic and social compact that will lift our nation to greater heights.”

Touching on the ACCT Board of Directors’ Access for Success initiative, the new Chair stressed the importance of initiatives that will help “shift us from enrollment driven policies to a policy of access with student success,” said Sercer, a trustee at Midlands Technical College in South Carolina. “We have worked to create partnerships and programs with this vision in mind and are well on our way to strengthening accountability and student success through governance.”

Sercer detailed five key ACCT initiatives currently underway in partnership with a range of corporate and philanthropic partners -- the Voluntary Framework of Accountability, the Governance Institute on Student Success, the association’s new partnership with Single Stop USA, an organization that provides community-based financial and legal services and counseling, 10,000 Small Businesses, a Goldman Sachs initiative that helps foster entrepreneurial skills, and the first-ever Summit on Completion, held immediately preceding the Congress.

“All five of these major initiatives are game changers that will help equip trustees with the tools and strategies they need to transform their schools and communities,” Sercer said, adding that he will seek additional strategic partnerships during his tenure as ACCT chair. Establishing accountability policies for the ACCT Board of Directors, strengthening the State Coordinators Network, and improving communications and accessibility are among Sercer’s other goals during the upcoming year.

“Together we will help redefine community colleges as the colleges of first choice and continue to emphasize... that community colleges are among our most important education institutions,” Sercer said.

Previous 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress Coverage:

2010 ACCT Congress: Education Department Officials Detail Community College and Career Training Program, Completion Agenda

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:10:00 +0000

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education stressed Friday at the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress that the $2 billion in community college workforce training grants signed into law earlier this year can--and should--be used to help advance the completion agenda.

“What does [the Community College and Career Training Program] have to do with completion? Everything,” Amy Laitinen, policy advisor to the assistant secretary in the Education Department’s office of vocational and adult education, told Congress attendees. “Most trade-impacted students look a lot like your students.... When you create programs with those [students] in mind, we hope that many of them will impact many more students.... We want to think more broadly.”

“Looking at the federal agenda, it’s all about completion, and it’s had a real viral effect down to your campuses,” said U.S. Education Deputy Assistant for Community Colleges Frank Chong. “We know we have to make systemic change.”

While the federal government provides less than 10 percent of total community college funding through its broad array of grant programs, CCCTP has the potential to “leverage transformations in colleges,” said Laitinen. Despite the program’s auspices under the Trade Adjustment Act, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor with support from the Education Department, the grants should be seen as an opportunity to create programs that support workforce and student success agendas, officials said.

The grant program will focus largely on supporting programs that either meet new local workforce needs or offer new approaches to delivering or teaching skills; both technical and academic skills can be emphasized. At the same time, “the connection between employers and colleges is extremely important,” Chong added. “It’s an employment education program, but careers are the main focus.” For that reason, grant applicants should look at ways to collaborate with workforce boards and other local organizations to ensure that programs “meet the education and training needs of the population for jobs in the community,” Laitinen said.

Accountability will be key, speakers cautioned. “What we’re really looking to do is to drive federal dollars to programs that are driven to work,” Laitinen said. “Where we don’t have evidence, we’re looking to build an evidence base.”

With the solicitation of grant applications expected in the coming months, not all the details of the program have been finalized. But many aspects of the program mirror the Community Based Job Training Initiative, said Judith Cawhorn, executive director of grant development at Mott Community College in Michigan. “That’s a good thing, because we know how to talk about career pathways, work with industry, and identify needs,” she said. At the same time, there will likely be significant differences, in part because the program does not include funds for training. “The emphasis is on building new programs and filling some new needs,” she said.

While all the specifics of the program won’t be known until the grant application information is released, “your colleges should be in the thick of conversations” with industry and potential partners, Cawhorn said. Trustees can play a strong role by leveraging their industry and community connections, she added.

Chong and Laitinen referred attendees to a Trustee Quarterly Q&A on CCCTP with Department of Education Under Secretary Martha J. Kanter and Department of Labor Assistant Secretary Jane Oates, as well as a factsheet on the program, both of which are available here.

Department officials also discussed the broader policy direction of the Education Department. On the department’s ongoing examination of accountability issues, “we are hopeful that your work with the Voluntary Framework of Accountability will inform our efforts,” Laitinen said. The department also plans to continue the work that began at the White House Summit on Community Colleges with a virtual summit and listening tours next year, according to Chong, who identified articulation, better serving veterans, and examining competencies and prior knowledge through new assessments versus “seat time” as key challenges for community colleges to pursue. Chong also acknowledged the financial challenges community colleges face, and credited ACCT and AACC’s leadership for providing valuable insights and support.

“During these difficult times, it’s all about partnering,” Chong said. “[ACCT and AACC] have been great partners to have.”

2010 ACCT Congress: Maintaining Momentum on the Completion Agenda

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Community college leaders continued discussing shifting the focus of their institutions to produce more graduates and certificate holders at the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress Thursday. With the imminent election of as many as 30 new governors nationwide, continued work on the Voluntary Framework of Accountability, and the need to prepare college leaders to support student success, “we have a lot of work to do in the next 12 months,” ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown told a standing room-only group of community college leaders at a town hall meeting.

In candid discussions throughout the day, community college leaders explored some of the challenges and strategies needed to maintain momentum on the completion agenda. One key, speakers said, will be ensuring that boards of trustees and college presidents are on the same page.

“Trustees have been listening to the President of the United States saying we need to educate and complete... We really need to support [college presidents] if they have the courage to do the right thing,” said Thomas W. Malone, a trustee at Seattle Community Colleges. “There’s a realization that if we support each other, we can do the necessary difficult things.”

“These courageous conversations are going on in board rooms across the country,” added Karen Stout. As president of Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania, Stout has replaced her reports on enrollment to her board of trustees with a student success report, and she credits her board with patience as faculty members brought a redesign of a developmental math curriculum up to scale. “Yes, it was too slow, but will move the institution ahead in the long run,” Stout said.

Increasing leaders’ capacity to focus on student success is one goal of the the Governance Institute for Student Success, a joint effort of ACCT and the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin, with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After participating in a pilot of GISS that brought together community college trustees and leaders from across Ohio, “we’re starting to see conversations where you have access and success almost at the same level,” said Lawrence Porter, a trustee at Sinclair Community College. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there.”

With new governors in statehouses facing severe budget crises, the collection and use of data will become critical, said Travis Reindl, program director at the National Governors Association. Repeating a theme emphasized by many participants during the Pre-Congress Summit on Completion, Reindl stressed that “we’ve come to the realization that policymaking by anecdote hasn’t worked, doesn’t work, and won’t work. Until we have some really solid metrics behind us, we cannot get about the business of increasing the number of degree and certificate holders the economy needs.”

In the absence of relevant data, all too often higher education policy is still “focused on the full-time on-campus student,” not the first generation, low-income and minority students that are increasingly defining the “21st century student,” said Mark Milliron, deputy director for post-secondary improvement for The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To that end, U.S. Education Deputy Assistant for Community Colleges Frank Chong told town hall attendees that his department is “taking a serious look for the first time in a long time” at revamping the Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) reporting procedures. The Voluntary Framework for Accountability, under development by ACCT, AACC, and The College Board, has been included in discussions on accountability metrics at both the Education Department and the National Governors Association.

“We are not going to flip the funding model in our favor unless we demonstrate accountability,” Brown said. “The best change element for flipping those levers are the boards.”

Chong also stressed that the Education Department is looking to the local level for solutions that can be shared. “Programs... in workforce development, in working with low-skill adults and getting students through the pipeline are happening at your campuses,” he said. “The challenge is how do we duplicate and replicate these programs to help other community colleges that might not have the type of resources that you have.”

Town hall attendees shared examples of successful programs at their colleges, including math tutoring labs, counseling programs, working with K-12 students and systems, and combined basic education and workforce skills training. The challenge remains building those programs to scale -- and, often, making strategic decisions exacerbated by tight budgets. Pointing to the I-BEST program developed by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, Milliron notes that pairing workforce and basic skill instructors is more expensive -- yet increases student completion rates significantly. “You’re gong to have to have strategic sets of conversations,” he said.

Lest anyone doubt that trustees play the key role in shaping those conversations, I-BEST was the brainchild of a fellow trustee, Malone said. Pointing to the Democracy’s Challenge Call to Action signed by ACCT and other community college organizations, American Association for Community Colleges President and CEO George Boggs urged community college leaders to sign similar pledges on their own campuses. “It’s going to take all of us, but especially trustees and CEOs, to commit to this,” he said. And by way of example, Mauri Moore of Edmonds Community College in Washington told town hall attendees that she has pledged to graduate an additional 350 students from her institution each year over the next decade--her college’s share of the 5 million additional degree and certificate holders called for by President Barack Obama. When broken down to the individual college level, that goal “doesn’t sound too scary,” she said.

2010 ACCT Congress: Update on Federal Legislative Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:52:00 +0000

The $2 billion Community College and Career Training Program, proposed regulations that could impact community college career certification programs, and the federal appropriations process were among the key public policy priorities outlined during a Thursday session at the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress.

Among the programs discussed were:

The Community College and Career Training Program. Enacted as part of the landmark Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, the CCCTP allocates $500 million annually for four years to help community colleges develop workforce programs. While the program is under the aegis of the Trade Adjustment Act, the grants are expected to focus on the development of new programs, according to Jim Hermes, director of government relations for the American Association of Community Colleges. “The Department of Labor has emphasized over and over that this program is going to be about ‘building the box’,” he said.

The Department of Labor is expected to issue a solicitation for grant applications shortly, with applications due early next year and awards potentially announced in the spring. According to Hermes, the DOL considers $2.5 million to be the minimum grant size for individual institutions, with consortia eligible for higher awards. Department officials have also emphasized the importance of grant applications focusing on reform and innovation. “This is not going to be for mere program expansion,” Hermes said.

Gainful Employment Regulations The Department of Education has proposed two rule-making documents that would provide new regulations overseeing what job training and certification programs will remain eligible for students to receive federal financial aid. Targeted at the for-profit college sector, which collectively amassed $2.7 billion in profits in 2009, the proposed regulations could also impact the 170,000 students who receive certification at community colleges each year, said David Baime, AACC senior vice president for government relations and research. While the for-profit sector is engaged in a furious lobbying effort to thwart the proposed regulations, ACCT and AACC believe the new rules, which would set standards related to student debt/earning ratios and loan repayment rates, would not pose problems for most community college programs, whose students rarely borrow money. The two associations do remain concerned, however, about the additional regulatory and reporting burdens at a time when community colleges have limited resources to devote to them, Baime said.

American Opportunity Tax Credit. Included in the 2009 stimulus legislation, the AOTC replaced the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit, offering community college students a higher maximum credit, as well as the ability to apply the credit to course materials for the first time. The AOTC expires at the end of the year, and extending it for another 10 years would cost $58 billion, Baime said. Despite support from the Administration, “in a Congress increasingly concerned about deficit spending, that’s a high hurdle,” he added, especially since it is likely to become embroiled in the debate over extending the Bush tax cuts, which are also expiring. Should the AOTC not be extended, the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit would still be available, according to Baime.

Appropriations. With the uncertainty of midterm elections, none of the appropriation bills for FY11 were approved before the Oct. 1 start of the fiscal year, said Jee Hang Lee, ACCT director of public policy. Of key concern is the Pell Grant program, which has increased from serving 5 million to nearly 9 million students. While $13.5 billion was provided to address Pell Grant shortfalls in the healthcare reconciliation bill earlier this year, the program still has a $5.7 billion shortfall, and could see a reduction in the maximum award if that shortfall isn’t addressed, according to Lee. The Career Pathways Program has also been eliminated, in part because it was supposed to be replaced by components of the American Graduation Initiative. On the state level, the $10 billion education jobs bill passed earlier this year did not include funds for public higher education, but did include a provision requiring states to provide level funding for public colleges and universities. “We’re hopeful that the maintenance of effort [provision] will help states maintain a level of funding,” Lee said.

DREAM Act. A push for a Senate vote on the legislation fell short ahead of the midterm elections. The current legislative priority remains attempting to get it considered separately from any comprehensive immigration reform bill, though the timing remains unclear, according to Lee.

The focus on the legislative agenda will continue at the 2011 National Legislative Summit, held Feb. 13-16 in Washington, D.C.

2010 ACCT Congress: Progress on Voluntary Framework of Accountability Detailed

noreply@blogger.com (ACCT Public Policy) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:02:00 +0000

ACCT Leadership Congress attendees were updated on the status of the Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA), which will release a draft of its proposed initial measures next month, and heard community college leaders explain the value of “defining ourselves to the public.”

Once complete, the VFA will allow community colleges to “speak with one voice about the comprehensiveness of what we do and the unique nature of our students,” said Karen A. Stout, president of Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania.

To be released in a draft technical manual in November, the proposed stage one VFA measures are broken into three major components:

Student progress and outcomes measures. The proposed measures examine student progress at entry and through their time at a college. “One thing we know is that community college students follow a pipeline towards final outcomes,” said Kent A. Phillippe, associate vice president of research and student success at the American Association of Community Colleges, which is working with ACCT and The College Board to develop the VFA. “That’s why it’s important to get measures along the way, not just at the end.”

Measures of college readiness include students attempting their first English or math developmental education course; successfully completing developmental courses; and then attempting and successfully completing their first college-level course in the same subject area.

Measures of student progress and persistence include successfully reaching credit milestone thresholds at the end of two years; continued enrollment or lateral transfer to another two-year institution; and a course success rate.

Measures of outcomes and success include a complete degree or certificate; transfer to a four-year institution; or continued enrollment with academic progress.

Workforce, Economic, and Community Development Measures. These include enrollment data and retention rates for workforce measures; awards in Career and Technical Education programs; pass rates on licensure examinations; measures of program graduates employed with livable wages or enrolled in further education; wage growth of graduates; enrollments and credentials from non-credit workforce development courses; and transition from non-credit to credit programs. Additional measures to be added later include metrics involving adult basic education, GED and ESL programs. While not all colleges currently have the ability to collect some of this data, it’s important to say “this is what we should be doing to measure those outcomes,” Phillippe said.

Student Learning Outcomes. Eight potential outcomes proposed by a VFA working group include content/career specific skills and knowledge; global understanding and citizenship; analytical reasoning and critical thinking; information literacy; teamwork and collaborative skills; communication; quantitative literacy; and innovative and creative thinking. During the first stage, the working group will ask colleges to evaluate these outcomes and determine if they align with learning outcomes assessed by their institutions. “We can’t do a lot of work at this point without knowing better what colleges are doing,” Phillippe said.

As much work will go into how to display metrics represented by these measures, according to Phillippe. For example, measures of student outcomes would likely be displayed on a stacked bar, reflecting the cumulative impact of students receiving a degree, transferring to a four-year institution, and continuing to work towards a degree. The metrics will also likely be broken into sub-cohorts, including students who have demonstrated by their course load or other evidence that they intend to pursue a degree. “We need to be accountable for all students, but it’s important to get a sense of student intent,” Phillippe said.

Following the release of the draft measures for feedback, work will continue on developing wireframes to display the data. RFPs have also been issued for colleges willing to serve as pilot sites to test the measures, and working groups are ensuring that the completed framework reflects the needs and capacity of large and small colleges, as well as those in states that currently collect data and those that do not. The VFA working groups have also briefed the U.S. Department of Education and the National Governors Association, which are in the process of developing accountability systems of their own, said Phillippe.

Trustees will be able to use data collected by the VFA to “benchmark against national standards,” said Jeanne-Marie Boylan, board chair of Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts. They will also be able to use the data to benchmark and set policies supporting student completion, according to Carolane Williams, president of Baltimore County Community College in Maryland, which already uses student data to evaluate student intervention programs, including an “early alert” system that has helped retain struggling students. The framework will also allow community colleges to compare “apples to apples” by looking at similar institutions across the country to identify programs that are working, Williams added.

“We have a broad mission, and our mission is to serve people where they are,” she said. “The VFA identifies that, while other measures would lock us into a narrower mission and leave out people on the other end.”

For more information on the VFA, click here.