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WASHINGTON, DC -- In a new report released today, government auditors have raised concerns about whether the U.S. Department of Education is properly allocating over $650 million per year in funding to states for the purpose of educating children of limited English proficiency under the No Child Left Behind education law.
Since the 2005 fiscal year, the Education Department has relied on Census Bureau data to determine how many limited-English-proficient (LEP) students reside in each state in order to determine how much federal funding each state should receive for LEP education. But Census data – which are based on household surveys and are therefore subjective – often yield unreliable estimates of LEP needs by state, resulting in the inefficient distribution of federal funds.
The Department of Education has opted to use the Census Bureau data rather than data provided directly by the states. According to the GAO report, the Department of Education does not use the state data – even though they may be more accurate – because it lacks complete and consistent data from every state. The GAO faulted the Education Department for not offering clearer guidelines to states about how to report information on LEP students. It also faulted the Department for not doing more to assess the reliability of the data.
U.S. Reps. George Miller, Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), and Raul Grijalva requested the GAO report in 2005.
“It’s been almost five years since the No Child Left Behind Act became law. Considering the importance of this issue, we need the best information possible about where the students are who need these services, and how these dollars are being spent – so we can ensure these scarce resources are spent as wisely as possible,” said Miller, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “I will make sure a review of NCLB’s provisions affecting English language learners is a priority so we can make sure that the law works as intended for these children.”
“We knew that the Bush Administration had grossly underfunded our children's schools,” said Woolsey, the senior Democrat on the Education Reform Subcommittee, “but today's report shows that in this case they not only underfunded this important program, they also may have incorrectly allocated the funds. So, who suffers? The students who most need English-language instruction. The department must follow the GAO's recommendations to address this problem, and do it at once!”
“It is time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work – in partnership with the administration, with states, with local school districts, and with our community – to keep our No Child Left Behind promise to English Language Learners,” said Hinojosa.
“The Department of Education’s failure to adequately assess which data set better reflects the English language learner population has lasting and far-reaching consequences on the resources available to states and school districts,” said Grijalva. “Now almost five years into the law, we are still leaving our English language learners behind. It's time to stop neglecting these children and address the issues raised by this report.”
Under NCLB, more districts now receive funding for English language instruction, professional development for teachers of English, and other LEP programs. The Department of Education provides states with over $650 million each year through NCLB, mostly in the form of grants, to support these programs.
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