- Senate Democrats blast McMahon for latest firings
- Focused on data-informed strategies
- State guide on Workforce Pell
Senate Democrats blast McMahon for latest firings
Several Democratic senators are warning U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon that the latest firings at the department will have dramatic effects on critical programs in K-12 and postsecondary education, especially for students who need assistance the most.
The latest Education Department reduction since the beginning of the federal government shutdown has resulted in an additional 465 layoffs, which is about 20% of the department’s remaining workforce, according to an October 20 letter signed by 30 Senate Democrats and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont). The staff cuts include nearly everyone in the Office of Higher Education Programs, which oversees programs such as TRIO, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other Minority-Serving Institutions, the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program, the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program, Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program, and the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Program.
The lawmakers noted that ED held releasing fiscal year 2025 funding for many of these programs until the eve of the new fiscal year on October 1. In addition, many other programs have obligated appropriations that must be spent by the end of the calendar year. Not having an adequate staff to implement the awards put the grants at risk of expiring, the lawmakers noted.
Focused on data-informed strategies
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) are launching a network focused on data-informed strategies to drive student success. Austin Community College (ACC) in Texas and the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges will represent the public two-year sector.
“Over the next year, these teams will leverage their institutions’ data to pinpoint barriers to student success, inform policy and practice decisions and implement evidence-based strategies that support persistence, retention and completion,” according to a release from IHEP and AIR.
ACC will draw on data from across its campuses to evaluate the impact of free-tuition programs on persistence and completion. The Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges will build a framework to capture qualitative and quantitative data on historically underserved students to bolster institutional data capacity and improve student-outcomes tracking.
State guide on Workforce Pell
The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association (PWDA) on Thursday released a guide to help postsecondary institutions prepare to qualify for the new federal Workforce Pell program.
PWDA’s guide aims to help institutions determine program eligibility and offers an assessment to assist postsecondary institutions in choosing the right path to implement the program. Congress included Workforce Pell — which opens eligibility for the grants for qualifying short-term workforce education programs — in the budget reconciliation law passed this summer. The U.S. Education Department in December and January will hold negotiated rulemaking sessions to help draft proposed regulations for the program.
PWDA said it will update its free guide throughout the regulatory process and to make sure institutions have up-to-date information that reflects federal and state guidelines.
