1.2: Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning to Enhance U.S. Competitiveness Other Information:
Ensuring lifelong learning opportunities that enable people to learn and attain skills throughout their lives—from early childhood
through their adult years—is critical to our society’s well-being and long-term ability to compete in a global marketplace.
The education system is contending with rising student enrollments, ever higher costs, and tight budgets. The federal employment
and training system has been stretched thin in its efforts to serve the increasing numbers of laid-off workers who need assistance.
The federal government invested $82 billion in fiscal year 2008 on programs that foster the development, education, and skill
attainment of children and adults of all ages. Although this funding is expected to increase to almost $96 billion in 2010,
these challenges highlight the need to effectively manage and target federal resources. Educating children: The federal government
faces significant challenges in supporting the education of children, particularly during a period of significant fiscal constraint.
Policymakers have advocated the need for a more integrated and seamless continuum of programs for children from birth through
school age. The current administration is considering ways that would better align early care and development systems with
kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education through upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA) and the Child Care and Development Block Grant. For example, options are being discussed to include inserting professional
development and credentialing requirements in ESEA that would encompass both K-12 and pre-K teachers, as well as providing
expanded flexibility to local education agencies to use ESEA funding for pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs. Partly as a result
of adverse long-term fiscal conditions, the imperative for a growing portion of the population to self-finance an adequate
retirement income, and the increased financial complexity of many common consumer decisions, policymakers have also identified
the need for schools to improve the financial literacy skills of their students. However, the lack of integrated data systems,
the absence of coordinated standards for what students should learn, and protracted and worsening fiscal constraints limit
the capacity of both federal and state governments to align, coordinate, and monitor programs and funding in ways that can
accomplish these goals. Student performance: The administration and the Congress have also made improving low-performing schools
a top priority, providing $3 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act) to help these
schools. Title I of ESEA, also referred to as No Child Left Behind, is targeted to low-income school districts and schools.
ESEA has focused national attention on increasing accountability for states and school districts to improve achievement for
all students, while continuing the traditional focus of federal K-12 programs that provide opportunities for children from
disadvantaged families. One key factor for closing achievement gaps and improving student performance will be the effectiveness
of the nation’s teaching workforce. GAO and others have identified obstacles to these goals, however, such as weak coordination
among the many federal programs addressing teacher issues. It will be essential for the federal government to address these
obstacles and leverage federal expenditures to improve the effectiveness of the teaching workforce in raising student achievement
and ensure consistent access to high-quality education. Higher education: America’s higher education system is also beset
by a number of challenges: „„ Students and their families face escalating educational costs. „„Postsecondary enrollments are
projected to increase in the next decade. „„Fiscal and budgetary pressures will constrain federal and state support to higher
education. In fiscal year 2009, the federal government provided about $113 billion in financial aid to almost 13 million students
and their families, a substantial increase in funding over fiscal year 2008. Given the likelihood of increased demand for
these funds to help cover the cost of college, it will be important to look for ways to control rising costs and maximize
the federal investment in them, as well as in programs that promote access, affordability, and completion for disadvantaged
students. Federal efforts must address these challenges and improve oversight to ensure that the federal investment in postsecondary
education is adequately protected. Employment and training: High levels of unemployment and long-term joblessness, and the
increasing number of dislocated workers highlight the need for job training and related services. For example, the percentage
of the unemployed who remain jobless 27 weeks or more rose from 11 percent in 2000 to 46 percent in April 2010, while the
percentage who are unemployed less than 5 weeks declined from 45 percent in 2000 to 18 percent in April 2010 (see fig. 22).
While unemployment may decline somewhat as the economy recovers, the number of unemployment insurance beneficiaries is expected
to remain higher through 2013 than it was in 2008. Moreover, even when the economy starts adding more jobs than it loses,
there are concerns that many of the unemployed will find that the types of jobs they previously held are no longer available.
The Department of Labor (Labor)anticipates a significant increase in the depth and breadth of training needed for dislocated
workers and youths. Job search assistance, training, and re-employment services—such as those offered through the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance programs—can help develop the skills that employers require, while minimizing
long-term unemployment. Key issues for policymakers will be how limited funding can best be leveraged and targeted to enhance
the skills of the U.S. workforce, strengthen program accountability and oversight, and improve coordination among employment
programs. As the Congress and federal government continue to refine the country’s education and employment programs, they
will need reliable information on: „„ how efficiently and effectively federal funds are used to provide or augment educational
and lifelong learning opportunities, particularly among those most in need of help; „„ how well federal programs are achieving
their objectives and meeting the changing needs of workers; and „„ how the management and oversight of these programs can
be improved. The Congress and GAO will also be monitoring the impact under the Recovery Act of increased funding to education
and employment programs—such as Title I of ESEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and WIA—and tracking
the expansion of early childhood programs, such as Head Start and Early Head Start. These efforts will require a large role
for the federal government and the states as they oversee the distribution of additional funds. To support efforts by the
Congress and the federal government to address these issues, we will use the following performance goals and key efforts:
Indicator(s):
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