Greetings and Salutations Central
California, I received this the other day and I thought some of you might be
interested.
R. Marmolejo
ED offers newest UB grantees option to
change objectives before August 31st
The newest Upward Bound programs, including those funded under the
HR2669 and first-time grantees in the 2007 UB, UBMS, and VUB competitions, will
have the option to seek changes to their grant objectives if tied to the
"needs" sections of their grants, the director of the federal TRIO
programs said Friday.
The U.S. Department of Education is offering this opportunity to
modify grant objectives because, in some cases, there is no other way these
projects can be successful, federal TRIO Director Linda Byrd-Johnson told the
COE Board of Directors. She estimated that 250 projects fell in this newest UB
category and would be eligible to seek the changes before August 31st.
In some instances, the new projects have set objectives reflecting
80%-90% student achievement levels while serving schools with only 30% student
achievement levels, she said - an apparent recipe for failure. That is why the
Department is willing to consider permitting these changes.
With regard to the newly-awarded external TRIO monitoring
contract, Byrd-Johnson said that projects selected for site visits by the
outside monitors (from the American Institutes for Research - AIR) would
receive written notice six weeks in advance. Approximately 45 institutions are
slated for site visits, beginning as early as July, but more likely September
or even later. She also indicated that exact site visit dates may be
negotiable, based on local circumstances.
The 45 institutions on the Department's TRIO "monitoring
index" are based on a number of factors, including overall funding levels,
accreditation status, and matching requirements, she told the COE Board at a
luncheon meeting at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The monitoring index does not
relate to TRIO programs, but to overall funding from the Office of
Postsecondary Education. However, all institutions on the index do
sponsor TRIO programs.
Apparently seeking to reduce anxiety about the external monitoring
process, Byrd-Johnson said:
· The
outside monitors will conduct the site visits "as though TRIO staff"
were doing it, and she has found the AIR team "extremely responsive;"
· "Monitoring
is not necessarily a bad thing," she observed, because it may yield useful
information on best practices that the TRIO staff can pass along;
· All
site visit reports will go through Byrd-Johnson's office and be reviewed by her
before being released to ensure consistency and fairness;
· ED's
TRIO staff will still make some site visits, particularly in response to
complaints from "disgruntled parents, students, and former
employees."
Between 1999 and 2002 the TRIO programs collectively returned $52
million to the U.S. Treasury because those funds lapsed (i.e. were not spent
before the end of their grant awards.) Byrd-Johnson said she wants to
make sure that does not continue to happen, and urges TRIO directors and staff
to draw down their funds appropriately to pay for expenses in a timely fashion.
Next year, I don't want to have to refuse to award continuation
grants because grant funds were not used on time, she warned. The money should
be used to replenish books and supplies or otherwise appropriately support
students, she said. The money was allocated to serve TRIO students and should
be used for that purpose.
Byrd-Johnson was warmly received by the COE Board during the final
day of the board's spring meeting. Other comments by Byrd-Johnson:
1. The Training Grants deadline was May 23rd and she hopes to make
the awards by June 30.
2. The SSS Competition application will be published soon, and ED will sponsor
workshops (dates to be announced).
3. If the Higher Education Act is reauthorized before fall of 2008, it will
have an impact on the SSS competition, specifically because it will allow
branch campuses to apply for grants.
4. A report from the U.S. Office of Inspector General about the investigation
into the 2006 Talent Search and EOC competitions will likely be released by the
end of the summer.
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