President Obama’s 2011 Education Budget continues an impressive funding commitment in education. His budget sends the right message about balancing incentives with resources – spurring major school improvements and providing the resources needed to make them.
The President’s proposed budget includes a request for $49.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a $3.5 billion increase from last year’s request. It streamlines programs through consolidation and program elimination with an eye on program effectiveness. Specifically, the President’s budget will:
The President’s proposed budget includes a request for $49.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a $3.5 billion increase from last year’s request. It streamlines programs through consolidation and program elimination with an eye on program effectiveness. Specifically, the President’s budget will:
Drive Reform and Innovation
Transforming elementary and secondary education by introducing positive incentives and rewards to spur reform:
Strengthen Teaching and Leadership
Rewarding teacher and principal excellence, including nearly $5 billion for five new programs:
Improve School Climates
Promoting healthier and safer learning environments for students by investing:
Support Early Learning
Ensuring children continue to have access to early learning opportunities and child care:
Close Achievement Gaps
Supporting high expectations, increased accountability for all students, and the development of high quality standards and assessments:
Support Higher Education
Increasing access to higher education by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,710 for the 2010-2011 award and linking future increases of the maximum award to the Consumer Price Index. In addition, proposals to:
Transforming elementary and secondary education by introducing positive incentives and rewards to spur reform:
- $1.35 billion to continue the Race to the Top program;
- $500 million for Investing in Innovation;
- $261 million for Research, Development, and Dissemination ($60.5 million increase over FY 2010);
- $65 million for Statewide Data Systems ($6.75 million increase over FY 2010);
- $1.0 billion in contingency funding to support newly reauthorized ESEA initiatives.
Strengthen Teaching and Leadership
Rewarding teacher and principal excellence, including nearly $5 billion for five new programs:
- $3.9 billion for Excellent Instructional Teams programs, which include the following 3 new programs:
- $2.5 billion for Effective Teachers and Leaders State formula Grants;
- $950 million for a competitive Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund program;
- $405 million for a competitive Teacher and Leader Pathways program;
- $1 billion for three new effective teaching initiatives focusing on literacy, STEM and interdisciplinary subjects.
Improve School Climates
Promoting healthier and safer learning environments for students by investing:
- $210 million for Promise Neighborhoods;
- $1.16 billion for 21st Century Community Learning;
- $410 million for Successful, Safe and Healthy Students.
Support Early Learning
Ensuring children continue to have access to early learning opportunities and child care:
- $1 billion for Head Start – allows current levels of services to be maintained;
- $1.6 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grant Program funding an additional 235,000 kids.
Close Achievement Gaps
Supporting high expectations, increased accountability for all students, and the development of high quality standards and assessments:
- $14.5 billion for Title I, part A, renamed College and Career Ready Students;
- $11.8 billion for IDEA, Grants to States, a $250 million increase over the FY 2010 level, excluding ARRA funds, which would maintain the federal contribution for special education at 17 percent;
- $800 million for the English Learner Education, a $50 million increase over FY 2010;
- $445 million for State Assessments, renamed Assessing Achievement, a $39.2 million increase over FY 2010.
Support Higher Education
Increasing access to higher education by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,710 for the 2010-2011 award and linking future increases of the maximum award to the Consumer Price Index. In addition, proposals to:
- Convert Pell into a mandatory entitlement program;
- Cap payments under Income-Based Repayment at 10 percent of income and forgiving balances after 20 years.
- Reinforce the Administration’s support for SAFRA which includes among other things:
- Elimination of FFEL and a switch to Direct Loans;
- $2.5 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions;
- An expansion of the Perkins Loan program to provide $6 billion in new loan volume;
- $10.6 billion for an investment in community colleges;
- $9.3 billion for an Early Learning Challenge Fund to provide competitive grants to states to improve early learning programs.
