CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: May 27-June 2

This week in Washington, Congress was focused on final negotiations to complete a deal to raise the federal debt limit before a potential government default. The final bill passed the House on May 31 and the Senate on June 1. After President Biden signs the legislation today, the focus will shift to determining overall spending allocations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies spending bill. We have recapped the core parts of the deal in greater depth below, but we will gain a clearer picture of funding levels for education and workforce development programs over the next few weeks. As we await more details, here are some news and notes:

• Deal Reached on Debt Limit: House Republicans and White House negotiators reached a deal last weekend on a legislative package that would suspend the debt ceiling until January 2025, set limits on federal spending in FY 2024 and 2025 for defense and non-defense programs, rescind some unspent COVID relief funding, change some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) rules that would limit eligibility for some, and reallocate some of the Internal Revenue (IRS) funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. Learn more about R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, and its impact on CTE and workforce development programs here.

• Nominations Extended for Career Clusters Advisory Groups: Recently, nominations were opened for a set of 15 national advisory groups that will help to provide input into potential changes to the National Career Clusters Framework. The nominations have been extended until June 16. See more from Advance CTE here.

• Meet Rose Schoshinski, ACTE's New Public Policy Intern: Rose Schoshinski recently joined the ACTE team as an intern in the Public Policy Department. Learn more about Rose here.

Research Roundup: Condition of Education Report, Non-Degree Credentialing Research

Condition of Education 2023: The Institute of Education Sciences recently released its Condition of Education 2023 report with an overarching theme that educational institutions are still recovering from the pandemic. Enrollment at the K-12 level remains below pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the report notes that 70% of public schools have seen an increase in students seeking mental health services. To support these needs and address pandemic learning losses, more than 70% of public schools are engaging in student assessment, summer enrichment programs, remedial instruction, and mental health and trauma support. On a positive note, the average high school graduation rate increased from 79% in 2010-11 to 87% in 2019-20.

Teacher vacancies are another challenge facing K-12 education. In 2020-21, 31% of public schools reported having difficulty filling CTE teaching positions in comparison to 20% in 2011-12. Additionally, the number of individuals completing traditional teacher preparation programs decreased by 28% between 2012-13 and 2019-20.

On the postsecondary level, between fall 2010 and fall 2021, undergraduate enrollment at two-year colleges decreased from 7.7 million to 4.7 million students (a 39% drop). The decline was relatively steady across the decade, with a slightly larger decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition:

• Slightly fewer postsecondary certificates were conferred in 2020–21 than in 2010-11.
• In 2020-21, associate degrees were awarded predominantly in liberal arts, humanities and general studies; health professions; and business fields.
• Since 2010-11, the number of associate degrees awarded has decreased the most in homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting fields and engineering technologies.

Recent Developments and New Opportunities for Non-degree Credentialing Research: The George Washington University Non-degree Credentials Research Network recently released a report on developments and opportunities for non-degree credentialing research such as new sources of data, increasing federal interest in credentialing and the skilled technical workforce, and the rise in state-level tools for career navigation. The document highlights initiatives and research that are driving change in the non-degree ecosystem:

• The U.S. Census Bureau’s National Training, Education and Workforce Survey, which launched in the field in 2022. This survey will be longitudinal, enabling researchers to study non-degree credential attainment over the next decade.
• Research from the RAND Corporation found that returns from non-degree credential attainment are concentrated in a higher probability of employment for women and in higher earnings for men.
• Research by the University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative and others that is supporting interactive mapping of credential demand by geographical region.
• Data analysis and solutions from Opportunity @ Work and others focused on workers who are STARs: “skilled through alternate routes” other than a bachelor’s degree.

The publication also highlights the Learn & Work Ecosystem Library, a crowd-sourced online library that collects, curates and coordinates resources to support the learn-and-work ecosystem. 

Findings from Virginia’s FastForward Programs: This Brookings Institute article examines the rising popularity of noncredit workforce training programs as a solution to the growing skills gap that is preventing employers from filling over 10 million job vacancies, according to May 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The authors report that noncredit CTE programs account for more than 2.5 million students enrolled in the community college system. However, a barrier to wider implementation of these programs is that researchers know very little about the characteristics of participating students, the rates at which they graduate and earn workforce-relevant credentials, and whether their respective CTE programs truly lead to improved workforce outcomes.

One exception is Virginia’s FastForward initiative, which helps students pay for short-term, non-credit programs that can lead to high-paying jobs in high-demand industries while tracking student data and could serve as a model for a similar nationwide system. Research findings include the following about FastForward programs:

• They attract a higher share of Black students, male students and older students than short-term, for-credit programs at community colleges.
• Most enrollees do not have prior enrollment in credit-bearing programs, and less than 14% have pursued subsequent credit-bearing education.
• Credential attainment rates are high, with 70.1% of students earning an industry credential within six months.

Meet Rose Schoshinski, ACTE's New Public Policy Intern

My name is Rose Schoshinski, and this week I joined the ACTE team as an intern in the Public Policy Department. I recently completed my sophomore year at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, as a Government major and Hispanic Studies minor. I am excited to supplement this coursework with this opportunity to work alongside and learn from the respected professionals in the Public Policy Department while advocating for CTE.

In this position, I will assist in conducting research, writing for the CTE Policy Watch Blog, and crafting advocacy materials. Additionally, I will have the opportunity to attend meetings and hearings on Capitol Hill relating to CTE. Through this work I am excited to contribute to advocacy for CTE programs that provide crucial opportunities for many Americans. 

Before joining this team, I conducted advocacy work for humane immigration policies. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic I co-founded an online platform called “The Voices of Migrants” with the goal of elevating the stories of immigrants as an essential step toward facilitating legislation in support of these communities. Through informational blog posts, webinars, interviews and social media campaigns, the site displays the reality of the migrant experience and the human element that can often be overlooked in policy. 

Through this work I saw firsthand the importance of education, but also observed that certain groups do not have equal access to educational opportunities. Additionally, this year I had the opportunity to take a course about the historical and modern role of race and ethnicity in the U.S. school system. In this course, I learned about many shortcomings of our current education system, but it also introduced me to CTE as a current strength of the system. I studied the ways in which CTE develops important skills for students that can generate future success and provide crucial opportunities. Through this I developed a particular interest in education and CTE that draws me to this work.

Given this passion, I am excited to become a part of the ACTE team and begin this critical work. I am grateful to the Public Policy Department and the entire team for welcoming me to the organization and providing me with the opportunity to advocate for CTE. I look forward to working on behalf of our members toward greater access and quality of CTE programs across the United States. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if I can be a resource to you. 

Congress, White House Strike Deal on Debt Limit

House Republicans and White House negotiators reached a deal over the weekend on a legislative package that would suspend the debt ceiling until January 2025, set limits on federal spending in fiscal years (FY) 2024 and 2025 for defense and non-defense programs, rescind some unspent COVID relief funding, change some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) rules that would limit eligibility for some, and reallocate some of the Internal Revenue (IRS) funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. Congressional leaders in the House and Senate are now working to pass H.R. 3746, The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, before the United States defaults on June 5. 

Notably, the Fiscal Responsibility Act will place caps on FY 2024 and FY 2025 non-defense funding, which includes funding for education and workforce development programs. After a number of adjustments, the deal will hold non-defense spending roughly flat in FY 2024 and increase it by 1% in 2025. If Congress does not complete this year’s appropriations process before January 1, 2024, the bill would also enact an automatic continuing resolution which would prevent a government shutdown by implementing a 1 percent across-the-board funding cut from the previous fiscal year. 

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees were delayed in marking up their FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills because of the debt limit impasse. Once the debt limit bill has been passed, appropriators will resume work on an appropriations bill that will include funding for CTE programs. Their jobs will be much more challenging though, and it will be very difficult to secure any increases for any education or workforce programs under these caps.  

Despite these challenges, ACTE is closely monitoring developments in the appropriations process, and we will keep you updated so that you can continue to advocate for the highest possible levels of CTE spending within this budget agreement. Please let us know if you have any questions! 

DC Digest: May 20-26

This week in Washington was again dominated by negotiations to raise the debt ceiling before a June 1 default date. As of late this week, some progress has been made toward reaching a deal, but the House is set to leave town for the Memorial Day recess period. It is expected that lawmakers will be called back to Washington to vote potentially early next week if a deal is reached over the weekend, providing for at least 72 hours to review any legislation. We will be closely monitoring the negotiations, as they may have significant implications for CTE and workforce development programs. The Senate is in session next week, but the House is out of Washington for the next week. In the meantime, here are a few notes: 

• OCTAE Releases Notice of Proposed Priorities for Perkins Innovation and Modernization: On May 24, OCTAE released the Notice of Proposed Priorities (NPP) for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization grant program for FY 2023. View the Federal Register notice here. Comments must be received on or before Thursday, June 15, 2023. Read more about the NPP here. 

• Department of Education Shares Recommendations for Artificial Intelligence: The Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology (OET) has released a report, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations," summarizing opportunities and risks for AI in teaching, learning, research and assessment based on public input. A webinar will be held on June 13, 2023, from 2:30-3:30PM ET. Read the full report here, core messages here and look for more information about the webinar at tech.ed.gov/ai. 

• Department of Education, NASA Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance STEM and Space Education: NASA and the Department of Education have signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to strengthen efforts to increase access to high-quality STEM and space education to students and schools across the nation. Read more about the partnership here. 

• Student Loan Hearing: The House Education and the Workforce Committee on May 24 held a hearing titled, “Breaking the System II: Examining the Implication of Biden’s Student Loan Policies for Students and Taxpayers.” Republicans on the Committee pressed senior department officials for firm answers and commitments on responding to requests for documents and details and on other issues. This hearing was the second in a series examining the implications of the Biden administration’s policies on the student loan system. This time, Under Secretary James Kvaal and Federal Student Aid (FSA) chief operating officer Richard Cordray testified. Both defended the administration’s student loan policies and shared some details about efforts to restart loan payments and to modernize the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A recording of the hearing can be found here. 

Legislation to Support the Educator Workforce Introduced

On May 11, two bills to support recruitment and retention of the educator workforce were introduced in Congress  – the Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act, or RAISE Act, and the Retaining Educators Takes Added Investment Now (RETAIN) Act. ACTE has endorsed both pieces of legislation.

The RAISE Act (S. 1584/H.R. 3264) is led in the House by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Larson (D-CT), Mark Takano (D-CA) and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) and in the Senate by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), and was also introduced last Congress. It would provide all eligible educators with a $1,000 refundable tax credit, which could increase to up to $15,000 for teachers in under-resourced schools and communities. It would also double the educator tax deduction to $500 to offset the cost of school supplies.

In addition, the RAISE Act would:

• Create a refundable tax credit of up to $10,000 for early childhood educators with an associate degree or a Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate.
• Provide at least $5.2 billion in annual mandatory funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) Title II
• Create and fund a federal grant program to support and incentivize local educational agencies to increase teacher salaries, and provide programs to strengthen, retain and diversify the educator workforce.

Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Haley Stevens (D-MI), along with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tina Smith (D-MN), also introduced the RETAIN Act (H.R. 3265/S. 1567), which would create a similar refundable tax credit for teachers, paraprofessionals, mental health providers and other professionals in Title I schools and early childhood education (ECE) programs. The tax credit initially increases as these professionals become more experienced in an effort to incentivize retention.

DC Digest: May 13-19

This week in Washington, Congress was focused on negotiating a debt ceiling and broader budget deal before the potential June 1 default deadline, and lawmakers plan to continue negotiations throughout the weekend. We are following the debt limit deal closely as it has the potential to impact overall federal spending levels for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, and funding for education and workforce development in particular. While the House is in session next week, the Senate has recessed for a state work period. Senators will return if a deal is reached and ready for a vote. In the meantime, here are some news and notes:

• Broad Coalition Sends Letter on FY 2024 Appropriations: On May 15, a broad coalition of organizations focused on education, workforce, healthcare and other domestic priorities sent a letter to congressional leadership urging against cuts to non-defense discretionary spending in FY 2024 appropriations.

• Secretary Cardona Testifies in House: On May 16, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce during a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” The hearing included significant discussions about the value of CTE and the importance of a strong federal investment in CTE and workforce development programs, and you can read more here.

• Department of Education Proposes New “Gainful Employment” Rules: On May 17, the U.S. Department of Education released new proposed regulations related to accountability for all postsecondary certificate programs and degree programs at for-profit institutions. The proposed metrics relate to student loan debt and earnings, and comments are due on June 20. We will have more in-depth analysis soon.
  
  
• Nominations Open for Career Clusters Advisory Groups: Recently, nominations were opened for a set of 15 national advisory groups that will help to provide input into potential changes to the National Career Clusters Framework. See more from Advance CTE here.

• Deputy Secretary of Education Visits CTE Programs: On May 15, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten visited CodeRVA Regional High School in Richmond, Virginia, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), where they learned about how the school is preparing students for careers in computer science and coding. Read more about the visit here.

• Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Strategies to Train and Connect American Workers to Jobs: On May 16, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts to ensure all Americans can access good jobs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Read more about these strategies here.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding Availability to Expand Employment of Disabled Youth: The Department of Labor has announced the availability of $1.5 million in funds to support the first year of a cooperative agreement for the operations of a policy development center focused on advancing employment opportunities and outcomes for disabled youth. Read more here.

• Department of Labor Welcomes 98 New Apprenticeship Ambassadors: The Department of Labor has announced the latest 98 additions to Apprenticeship Ambassadors to help the department promote and support Registered Apprenticeship opportunities nationwide. Read more about the program here.

• Department of Labor Hosts Workforce Summit: This week, the Department of Labor hosted “ETA Vision 2030: Investing in America’s Workforce,” with more than 500 key stakeholders. Attendees connected with partners from across the broader workforce ecosystem at a three-day event aimed at leveraging the Administration’s investments in infrastructure, climate and advanced manufacturing sectors to develop talent pipelines and create pathways to good jobs for workers across America. Read more about the conference here.

Secretary Cardona Testifies Before House Education and the Workforce Committee

On May 16, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce during a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” The hearing included significant discussions about the value of CTE and the importance of a strong federal investment in CTE and workforce development programs.

Secretary Cardona highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support CTE and global competitiveness in his opening statement, most notably the Administration’s $200 million investment in a competitive grant program to establish career-connected high schools. He also discussed the $43 million increase proposed for the Basic State Grant, and discussed the expected influx of new jobs created as a result of recent federal investments such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) spoke about the impact of Perkins funding on regional workforce needs, such as in eastern Connecticut, which boasts a robust shipbuilding industry. “The mission and the curriculum of career and technical education is perfectly positioned to help close the skills gap to fill many of those positions,” said Rep. Courtney. He also called attention to the potential impact of debt limit negotiations on Perkins funding.

Reps. Lori Chavez-Deremer (R-OR) and Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) called out WIOA and short-term Pell as potential areas of bipartisan compromise, while Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN) asked how the Administration’s budget proposal would support development of the educator workforce. “Our budget proposal includes measures to drill down and fund pathway programs that are grow-your-own programs,” said Secretary Cardona in response.

Notably, House CTE Caucus co-chair Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA) asked Secretary Cardona about the viability of funding the Career-connected High Schools program instead of directing the funding through the Perkins Basic State Grant program.

“We recognize, sir, that if we continue with the way we're going, we're never going to meet the demand. What we need to do is not only engage in supporting state grants through Perkins, but also make sure that we're providing not only funding, but support, guidance and a push to evolve our high schools to create better college and career pathways to engage to our two-year schools and our workforce partners,” said Cardona of the proposal.

You can watch the full hearing at the link here.

Research Roundup: Community College Financing, Early Postsecondary Credit and Informational Inequity

The Community College Research Center (CCRC) recently released multiple publications covering the effects of community college finance systems, college-credit-in-high-school programs and the role of information inequality in postsecondary outcomes.

Budgets as Value Statements: Mapping How Finance Systems Drive or Reduce Inequities in Community Colleges: This publication underlines the importance of community colleges for postsecondary education and workforce training but notes that these institutions’ potential for improving economic outcomes and equity of opportunity remains unrealized due to inadequate funding and ineffective finance systems. To remedy this and find potential solutions, the CCRC researchers analyzed the funding mechanisms of community colleges in California, Ohio and Texas. Researchers found the following:

• The finance systems of all three states are tied to enrollment incentives, particularly in California where 80% of the financing relates to enrollment.
• The percentage of revenue tied to student outcomes is lowest in Texas (3%) and highest in Ohio (42%).
• Incentives for equitable student outcomes were strongest in Ohio.

The researchers recommend that states begin by mapping their existing revenue streams and related policies as part of efforts to help community colleges better meet goals for postsecondary attainment and career preparation.

Assessing College-Credit-in-High-School Programs as On-Ramps to Postsecondary Career Pathways for Underrepresented Students: In this report, CCRC researchers analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of earning postsecondary credit in high school through the five most common models – AP, IB, dual enrollment, early college high schools and P-TECH schools, and high school CTE programs – to assess how well they serve their intended purposes. The point of this brief is not to select the best model but rather to analyze these models’ strengths and weaknesses to allow practitioners in the field to identify areas for improvement.

Researchers reviewed relevant research and concluded the following about high school CTE:

• There is evidence that CTE programs impact college-going, with concentrators being 7% more likely than non-concentrators to graduate high school and 10% more likely to enroll in a postsecondary program within two years.
• CTE produces strong labor market outcomes, with career academy participants being likely to earn sustainable salaries post-graduation.
• College credit in high school earned through CTE does not always transfer to postsecondary institutions, which speaks to the need for regional CTE networks to improve articulation across secondary and postsecondary programs.

Researchers also encouraged practitioners to consider other factors such as outreach, advising, quality teaching and academic support as part of a multifaceted solution for improving postsecondary outcomes for students, especially those from an underrepresented background.

Choice Is Not Always Good: Reducing the Role of Informational Inequality in Producing and Legitimating Higher Education Inequality: This CCRC report analyzes the societal inequalities that are perpetuated when students make uninformed choices about postsecondary pathways. The researchers emphasize that students from underrepresented backgrounds are more likely to fall victim to the problem of informational inequity when making their postsecondary pathway choices. In this report, they seek to help educators and administrators better understand this inequity gap and ultimately lessen it, to help more students find the right paths for them. The researchers make the following recommendations as potential solutions:

• Expanding college and career advising is crucial: According to a 2011 survey by the College Board, in schools where 75% or more of students were receiving free or reduced-price school lunch, the average student-to-counselor ratio was 427-to-1 while schools with wealthier students have a 352-to-1 ratio.
• Implementing “choice architecture” such as guided pathways could simplify the choices students have to make and nudge them toward pathways that are a better fit.
• Tracking student progress could enable practitioners and counselors to intervene when needed.

CTE Among the Pathway Changes for Better Workforce Outcomes

The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) recently released a report on youth and young adult pathway changes. More specifically, the report sought to identify 10 pathway changes with “the greatest potential to improve employment outcomes” for this population, considering the impact that pathway changes could have on a person’s future during critical junctures of their lives.

The 10 pathway changes involve a variety of initiatives such as increasing educational attainment toward a certificate, associate degree or bachelor’s degree; specializing in CTE at the high school level; working in the skilled trades; and working in STEM fields. For this analysis, CEW researchers created the Pathways-to-Career policy simulation model that uses longitudinal data to identify the pathway changes that would best increase a student’s chances of working a “good job.” The report defines a “good job” as one that pays at least $38,000 for younger workers and at least $49,000 for workers 45 and older in 2020 dollars, with 30-year-old workers with good jobs earning a median salary of $57,000.

The overarching takeaway from the analysis is that layered pathway changes are almost twice as effective as any individual pathway change, therefore it is important to invest across all three domains: educational attainment, career training and work experience.

When it comes to specializing in CTE in high school, this pathway change was the most likely to lead to good jobs for youth who are expected to graduate from high school but do not plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree by age 22. CTE was also a particularly effective pathway change for white learners, male students and low socioeconomic status (SES) learners; somewhat effective for Black/African American learners; and not effective for Hispanic/Latino learners.

In addition, the analysis shows that pathway changes produce different effects based on students’ race/ethnicity, gender and SES:

• The single most effective pathway change leading to “good jobs” is earning a bachelor’s degree by age 22.
• Most pathway changes are more effective for men than for women, particularly for men without a high school diploma in low-wage jobs who transition to skilled trades occupations.
• For Black students, earning a bachelor’s degree and working in a STEM or other high-paying occupation are the most effective pathway changes.
• For Hispanic/Latino learners, the most effective pathway changes are earning a certificate, associate degree or bachelor’s degree.

Researchers noted the importance of prioritizing pathway changes considering both effectiveness and the total number of individuals who could be affected by a particular change as well as differential impacts across race/ethnicity, gender and class. The best approach is to make strategically targeted interventions for underserved groups over a one-size-fits-all solution. For instance, the findings above suggest value in promoting CTE pathways that incorporate postsecondary credentials and lead to high-paying jobs for all learners and particularly for Black/African American students and Hispanic/Latino students.

One important caveat to this analysis is that it is based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, an ongoing study that tracks the outcomes of a nationally representative sample of individuals who were aged 12-16 in the late 1990s. Therefore, this data predates many innovations in CTE program offerings and delivery that have occurred in the past 25 years. The researchers acknowledge that their analysis may understate the current impact of CTE on increasing access to good jobs.