Proposed federal education budget could revamp NCLB

Changes to the controversial No Child Left Behind program — hinted at by the Obama administration’s education budget proposal for fiscal year 2011 — could thoroughly alter the way education funding is distributed in California.

A request for a $3.5 billion increase for Department of Education discretionary programs — including $1.35 billion solely for the already $4.35 billion strong Race to the Top grant program — would give the department close to $50 billion in federal education spending.

Though specifics remain sketchy, the proposal outlines the potential termination of a number of programs and an overhaul of NCLB accountability standards.

“This could have a pretty big effect,” California Director of Fiscal Policy Carol Bingham said.

The possibility exists, she said, of the state being required to fight for money previously allocated based on state statistics for public school students.

“Right now, a lot of funds come to us on a formula basis, and there are certain ways we can spend it,” she said.
The emphasis on competition, aptly demonstrated with the RTTT grants, has the potential to make funding more uncertain than in past years.

Though the shift toward competitiveness, rather than per-capita allotment, is intended to spur states to educational reforms, consequences could include an increase in paperwork as states battle for money for their schools.

“There could be more administrative costs if we have to apply to for that money, or compete for it,” Bingham said. “It becomes not as automatic, and it will take a lot of effort on our part.”

However, under the budget proposal, districts could be released from the strict NCLB standards that many educators feel punish students, even as they are, albeit slowly, making academic improvements.

According to the Department of Education press release summarizing the budgetary changes, a new, undefined system, focused on “the goal of helping all students graduate high school college- and career-ready,” would replace the current benchmarks.

The additional funding for RTTT, to the first round of which 40 states and the District of Columbia applied, reflects a clear shift in favor of allotting federal education money through competitive funding processes.

The message, according to Tulare County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent, Instructional Services Pansy Ceballos, is a positive one.

Increased funding in the budget, she said, reinforces the fact that “closing the achievement gap is critical for our society, and that all students should be prepared for college and/or career.”

However, Ceballos said, smaller districts could suffer in a grant-based funding system if they lack sufficient administrative resources.

“The assumption is that all schools have the same capacity to write for grants,” she said.

Alta Vista School District Superintendent Lora Haston said she — like other Porterville area educators — is waiting until the Department of Education further defines the budgetary aims, though she expects a fully reformed funding mechanism.

“There’s a long road between his budget and the reality of what we’ll have to deal with,” she said.

Still, Haston looks for the new education budget allotments to be directed toward creating national standards, which she believes could better reflect California’s educational achievements.

“Right now, with our accountability we set a higher standard than the rest of the states, so it looks like we’re doing worse that we are,” she said.

The possibility of fighting for funds does not faze Haston: “As far as competition,” she said, “bring it on. Whatever they do, we’ll cope.”

Administrators at larger Porterville area districts are also holding out for more details before passing judgement, though they feel generally positive about the potential of increased funding for schools that demonstrate improvement.

Burton School District Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Wendy Jones said she anticipates a model in which “kids are rewarded for their performance and growth,” as opposed to punished if they miss benchmarks by even a percentage point.

“The biggest thing we see is that Obama is leaning more toward a growth model than a proficiency model,” she said.

Incentives and rewards, Jones said, will motivate students more effectively than denying funding based on a number that all students must reach, or be deemed less than proficient.

Jones’ counterpart at Porterville Unified School District, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Ken Gibbs, said the district is waiting until they get more specific information to begin tailoring their budgetary distribution.

“They’re looking to increase the education budget, but there just aren’t any details yet,” he said.

Gibbs said once the competitive grants are defined, the district will begin to explore its “potential for success” for each such opportunity.

TCOE’s Ceballos expects administrators to “focus on the new requirements and be more strategic” when the end budget decisions are announced.

Any alterations to NCLB, Ceballos said, will hopefully reduce the program’s “one-size-fits-all approach” and expand the available methods for providing effective education for all students.

-- Contact Sarah de Crescenzo at 784-5000, Ext. 1045, or sdecrescenzo@portervillerecorder.com.