I never thought that I'd hear about a cut in the state budget of any size as good news, but when the House came out with a 1% cut for adult basic education, I celebrated; I did a little dance...

So opened the interview with Bob Bickerton about the recent state budget situation and its affect on the adult basic education system in Massachusetts.

The fact that ABE got cut only 1% is a real vote of confidence for the system, Bickerton said. The state was faced with the need to cut 25% off the parts of the state budget that aren't "fixed in place," and ABE suffered far less than many other services. (In fact, the governor proposed a 3% increase in the ABE budget for next fiscal year, but the House modified that to a 1% cut.) This support suggests that ABE has much more visibility and has become a more central part of our state's policies than it was a few years ago. There are several reasons why we've become more central.

The field of ABE does a wonderful job of making our work understandable to the public. We have focused on our accomplishments, including data and results. We need both stories and numbers to show people that we have an effective system. Some people are moved by stories; others want numbers. The SMARTT system has helped us pull numbers and use them for effective quantitative data. We've worked with other organizations like MassINC and Nellie Mae in a very open fashion. We accepted the "risk" of opening our books to them and it's paid off! Through our connection with agencies like these, our stories have been put in the spotlight; the attention we receive from public policy leaders through reports from organizations like MassINC and Nellie Mae have helped advance support for our work.

Bickerton reminded us that as ABE has become an emerging public policy priority in the state, we need to take advantage of that momentum, continuing to educate the general population and policy makers about the value of our work so we can continue to flourish.

Bickerton noted that he also feels tremendous sadness about the ABE budget: By holding the line on one area (in this case, ABE) we are still losing necessary social and post-secondary education services for the same people we serve. We need a broad view to help the disenfranchised get the services they need and deserve.

Federal Cuts
In addition to the 1% cut in state funding, Massachusetts ABE is also losing 7.5% in federal money, purely as a result of the 2000 census figures, where Massachusetts showed limited growth. The net result of these cuts is a net 3% loss of ABE funding for FY 2004. (Note: That’s because we receive almost three times as much state as federal funding.)  

How Will the Cuts Be Taken?
Research has shown, and we know from our own experience, that when you try to serve more people than the funding and support allows, you are short-changing students, so we are striving for a balance in budget cuts across all areas: administration, instruction, and staff development. We will base our information on the ABE Rates system; all areas will see a reduction in funds. There’s no way we can assure the majority of our enrolled students of success without reducing the quantity of services overall.

Governance Issues for ABE
As mentioned, the governor originally proposed a 3% increase on ABE budget, a clear display of support in troubled fiscal times. The governor had also proposed another change: moving ABE under the auspices of the Board of Higher Education. This proposal was ultimately rejected by the House. Why did the governor propose this change?

Bickerton explained: It had nothing to do with dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the present work or administration by the Department of Education, he noted. By locating ABE in the higher ed system, the administration was hoping to create a stronger sequence of ABE from basic skills through higher education. They recognize that a GED is no longer enough of a credential for people who want to advance beyond basic entry level work.

Though ABE will remain within ACLS, Bickerton noted that he has already begun discussing possibilities with the Board of Higher Ed to ensure that ABE students successfully transition to the community colleges and other postsecondary institutions.

Wider Implications: With Visibility Comes Responsibility
That ABE has become a policy priority in the state reflects well on us as a system. As such, we are poised to expand on our successes and to accomplish the work that still needs to be done: eliminate waiting lists, reach out to greater populations, and professionalize the field. With this increased visibility, however, comes an increased expectation for accountability. Once we become a funding priority, we are faced with more acute scrutiny to measure the successes of our work. Increased expectations by legislators, the governor’s office, and the state will necessarily require more thorough reporting to illustrate our outcomes. This kind of expectation for increased accountability, added to the requirements we already face from the federal National Reporting System of the Workforce Investment Act, has changed the field of ABE dramatically.

A big question looms as we do work under these conditions: is there a way to deal with accountability that is true to teaching/learning needs and is not just to satisfy funding sources? Can we still make accountability benefit our ABE system and not take us off course? Can increased accountability requirements work for students, teachers, and funders reliably? If so, how? In the next “State of the State,” Bickerton will discuss the topic of accountability. In the meantime, you are encouraged to voice your opinions, experiences, frustrations, and possibilities in a letter to the editor for the next Field Notes.

Bob Bickerton is the director of Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS) at the Massachusetts Department of Education. He may be reached at: rbickerton@doe.mass.edu