Education leaders reacted positively to some of the principles outlined by the White House as Congress works toward reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, but questioned the possible direction of other aspects based on details yet to emerge.
Accountability and transparency were key themes observed in the five-page “Proposal to Reform the Higher Education Act” issued this week by the U.S. Department of Education.
“I think it’s very good,” said Dr. Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. “It reflects broad consensus among a lot of people from Elizabeth Warren to Orrin Hatch and what is becoming a bipartisan consensus on these issues. And that is that we need transparency and accountability in higher education, and we need it at the program level. That’s what really distinguishes this. They are calling for institutional-level accountability on things like graduation rates and costs. But what is powerful but subtle in this proposal, and a number of proposals on the Hill, is that transparency and accountability are shifting to the program level and below the institutional level.”
The department is urging Congress to make reforms in 10 specific areas, much of which mirrors conversations already underway among legislators, educators and other stakeholders:
1. Reorient the accreditation process by streamlining the 10 standards of accreditation to focus on educational quality and student learning.
2. Increase innovation in the education marketplace by creating a pilot program to increase access to market-driven workforce-development programs.
3. Better align education to the needs of today’s workforce by expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include programs that provide students with a certificate, license or other credential in a high-demand field and reforming the Federal Work Study program to support workforce and career-oriented jobs for low-income undergraduate students.
