CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: January 13-19

Despite the fact that much of Congress’ attention was focused on preparation for the impeachment trial, several new developments regarding education occurred in the third week of the new year. Read more below to find out more!

• House Disapproves of Borrower Defense Rule: The House passed a resolution to revoke the Department of Education’s borrower defense rule, which they think would make it more difficult for students to receive debt forgiveness from defrauded colleges. The resolution now goes to the Senate, but faces an uphill battle to enactment.
  
  
• Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) Joins the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP): Loeffler replaces Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) on the HELP committee, which oversees authorizing legislation affecting education like Perkins, making her the second woman to represent Georgia in the Senate. She was formally the chief executive of Bakkt, which is a trading platform for bitcoin.
  
  
• Updated Rules Treatment for Faith-Based Education Institutions and Guidance on School Prayer: The Department of Education has announced a series of actions related to religious liberty. The actions include proposing new rules related to equal treatment of faith-based institutions and the implementation of First Amendment freedoms on college campuses, and updated guidance on prayer in schools. The new documents are based on current legal rulings, so do not represent policy changes, but do contain some new institutional requirements.

DC Digest: January 6-12

The second week into 2020 has been relatively quiet for federal education policy, despite the House and Senate coming back in session. However there have been some CTE-related activities and news that have kick-started the new year.

• 2020 National Career Development Summit: On January 8, the National Career Development Summit brought together over 200 attendees (including ACTE representatives) to discuss topics of career readiness. Scott Stump, the Education Department’s Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, spoke about promoting career development and ensuring accountability. There were other panels on promoting equity, the role of businesses, career development technology and work-based learning.
  
  
• Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn) Retiring: Rep. Roe, who is on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has announced he would not seek reelection for a seventh term in 2020. While in office, he supported CTE and the passage of Perkins V.
  
  
• ED Games Expo: The Education Department hosted the 7th annual ED Expo Games which brought together students, developers, government representatives, and industry partners to exhibit learning games and technologies. The game topics ranged from STEM to early learning, and emphasized that this type of technological learning can be accessed in all classrooms.
  
  
• Federal Financial Aid Deadlines: The Department of Education released deadlines for institutions participating in campus-based aid programs for the 2020-21 award year, including the Federal Perkins Loan Program, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs. If your institution participates in one of these programs be sure to check out the deadlines here.
  
  
• IES Update: The Director of the federal Institute of Education Sciences, which oversees federally funded research projects across a wide range of topics, released an update on the agencies plans this week, including simplifying research reports and releasing more info on CTE in community colleges.

DC Digest: December 16 – January 5

Happy New Year! While we hope you were able to unplug and relax over the holiday break and to ring in the New Year, on the CTE policy front, things remained busy. 

• Several Bills Signed into Law: Among a number of bills signed into law in the final days of 2019, an appropriations bill increased Perkins Basic State Grant funding by $20 million for Fiscal Year 2020. The FUTURE Act was also signed into law, which extends mandatory funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, including some postsecondary CTE programs. Additionally, the bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act was signed into law, which creates and expands STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation, including a special focus on girls in computer science.
• National Competitiveness Forum Held: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke at the National Competitiveness Forum, where she touted a proposal for federal tax credits in exchange for donations to state scholarship programs as a way to address workforce development needs in the 21st century.
• New White House Child Care Principles: As part of the Trump Administration’s child care reform principles, the White House states it aims to address the child care workforce shortage. Postulating that postsecondary education is an “uncertain proxy for quality child care,” the Administration aims to pursue alternative metrics for competencies and skills “irrespective of academic degrees.” Additionally, it seeks to promote child care apprenticeships.
• New Student Aid Website: The Trump Administration launched a new gov website aimed at providing additional information for students, parents and borrowers. The website aims to be a centralized hub to assist those pursuing financial aid.
• New Bill on Community College Reporting: Three Republican senators recently introduced a bill to amend reporting requirements at community colleges to reflect and account for the often more diverse populations of part-time, returning students at community colleges.
• Senate, House Return: While the Senate returned on Friday, January 3 with potential votes scheduled for Monday, January 6, the House is set to return on Tuesday, January 7.

Research Round-up: Competency Model Resources, Veterans Without Degrees, Credit Versus Non-Credit Programs

Recent publications describe various CTE topics ranging from new data on postsecondary student outcomes to research on veterans without degrees.

Competency Model Resources for Career Pathways: To ensure the creation of meaningful career pathways aligning with industry and market demands, the U.S, Department of Labor created three new resources as part of their Competency Model Clearinghouse. These three resources relate to curriculum development, convening and peer learning.

Veterans Without Degrees: As the second part of their series of research on education for veterans, Gallup and the Lumina Foundation focused this report on veterans without degrees. The researchers talked with over 30,000 U.S. veterans and summarized three key findings:

1. Veterans disproportionately hold certificates or certifications compared to non-veterans.
2. Certificates and certifications boost employability and earnings premiums for veterans without degrees.
3. Veterans without degrees perceive less of a need for additional education than non-veterans without degrees.

Comparisons of U.S. 8th Graders’ Computer and Information Literacy: The National Center for Education Statistics compared the U.S. 8th graders’ computer and information literacy to thirteen other educational systems in their report, “U.S. Results from the 2018 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) Web Report.” Compared to the other international education systems, the U.S. ranked fifth out of 14 participating educational systems for computer and information literacy (CIL), and ranked fifth out of 9 participating educational systems for computational thinking (CL). Another finding shows that the average score for CL was higher than in 2018, but the scores for CIL were not significantly different compared to 2018.

Gaps Between Credit and Non-Credit Programs: There is a wage and opportunity problem between students who take for-credit or noncredit postsecondary classes, finds Jobs for the Future (JFF) in their report “Closing the Credit-Noncredit Divide.” The researchers found six main differences in credit and noncredit programs: expected outcomes, financial aid, prerequisite courses, course selection, credit hours versus seat time and accreditation. They also described characteristics of quality noncredit programs, and showcased community colleges who were being innovative and working to overcome the divide to create an easier transition between noncredit and for-credit programs.

New Data on Postsecondary Students: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released new data on different student cohorts in the areas of postsecondary graduation rates, outcome measures, student financial aid and admissions. For example, one new data point was that 19 percent of students enrolled in a 2-year program in 2013 graduated in two years, but when extended to four years, graduation rose to 38 percent. Another relevant finding was that 46 percent of first-time, full-time students attending a 2-year program in 2014 graduated within two years, and 70 percent of first-time, full time students graduated within 4 years.

Florida Industry Certification Study: In 2018, Florida researched the implementation of and results from the Florida Career and Profession Education (CAPE) Act to discover its impact on students passing certification exams and the correlation between receiving a certification and secondary/postsecondary success. Researchers found that after approximately five years of implementation, approximately 46,000 certifications were awarded, 77% of schools were providing certification-specific professional development for certification courses, and 81% of schools found the teacher professional development requirements challenging for certification programs.

Perkins Basic State Grants Receives Increase in Funding for FY20; Marking Third Straight Year

On Monday, negotiators published final text and report language for two legislative packages that contain all 12 government funding bills for fiscal year (FY) 2020. These two packages, totaling $1.4 trillion in spending, were negotiated extensively between House and Senate leadership and provide concessions for both parties, allowing them to come to an agreement to alleviate any threat of a government shutdown ahead of Friday’s fiscal deadline (when the current Continuing Resolution expires).

One of the bills, H.R. 1865, contains the Labor-HHS-Education (Labor-H) bill, which received a base increase of $4.9 billion over the FY 2019 level. This final number represents a $6.8 billion decrease from the House-passed level but $4.7 billion increase over the bill proposed, but not acted on, in the Senate—a true compromise between the chambers. Within that total, the bill provides a net total of $72.8 billion for the Department of Education (ED), an increase of approximately $1.3 billion over the 2019 level. 

More specifically, the Perkins Basic State Grant was appropriated at $1.283 billion for FY20, which is $20 million, or 1.6%, above the FY19 level. This marks the third straight year that Congress has increased appropriations for the Basic State Grant, bringing the total from $1.118 billion in FY17, to 1.283 billion today. Below are some additional programmatic funding levels, and how they compare to FY19, that are important to ACTE and our membership:

• CTE National programs: $7 million, flat funded from FY19 level
• Federal Work-Study: $1.18 billion, an increase from $1.13 billion in FY19
• Adult Education: $671 million, an increase from $656 million in FY19
• DoL Training and Employment Services programs: $3.611 billion, an increase from $3.502 billion in FY19
• Career Pathways for Youth Grants: $10 million, new program in FY20
• Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants: $2.132 billion, an increase from $2.056 billion in FY19
• ESSA Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants: $1.21 billion, an increase from $1.17 billion in FY19
• Pell Grant: $6,345 for the maximum award, an increase of $150 from FY19 level

On Tuesday, the House passed the measure by a vote of 297 to 120.

12/19 UPDATE: The Senate passed the measure by a vote of 71-23, sending it to the President's desk to be signed into law before the Friday deadline.

Please continue to monitor ACTE’s Policy Watch Blog for updates throughout the funding process.

DC Digest: December 9-15

This week, lawmakers were busy with impeachment hearings, but they managed to make progress toward year-end deals on a number of issues, such as a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada and a final appropriations bill. Here’s what was happening in DC this week related to education and workforce development:

• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Anniversary: Policymakers and advocates for ESSA celebrated the four-year anniversary of its passage this week. . An  event on the Hill featured discussions on the impacts ESSA has made, and speakers including Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), the chair of the House Education and Labor committee; and former Committee Chair John Kline (R-MN) all shared their thoughts on the law’s implementation
  
  
• Expanding Computer Science Access to Women: On December 9, the House passed a bill to increase access to computer science education for women, sending it to the President to be signed into law. This bill will award grants to incentivize women to pursue computer science degrees.
  
  
• Expanded Access to Teacher Education Assistance for College Higher Education (TEACH) Grants: Secretary DeVos proposed a new rule to expand access of TEACH grants by eliminating some certification and annual reporting requirements, reducing the chances that grants are converted to loans, and creating processes for resolving grants that were incorrectly converted to loans. Access is also proposed to be expanded to elementary school educators who teach in high-need areas and. faith-based
  
  
• The Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act: On December 10, the House passed the FUTURE Act to allow for permanent funding for historically black colleges and universities, as well as simplify the FAFSA by eliminating up to 22 questions and allowing tax information to be shared from the IRS to the Department of Education.
  
  
• Another Appropriations Update: Republican and Democrats have reached a tentative federal spending deal to avoid a government shutdown. Details have not been released, but we will provide more information on education and workforce development funding as soon as it is available.

DC Digest: December 2-8

Last week, ACTE hosted our annual VISION conference in Anaheim, California! We, as the Public Policy Department, hosted a number of sessions where we got to hear feedback and suggestions from you, our members, based on the programs and issues that we are advocating for on your behalf. You’ll see more opportunities to provide input on these critical issues in the new year. In the meantime, let’s catch up on some other news that happened while we were out.

• Secretary DeVos Unveils Her Vision for Federal Student Aid (FSA): On December 3, Secretary DeVos announced her vision for a stronger, more student-centered FSA Office. Her plan entails continuing what FSA is currently doing, as well as including a myStudentAid app and adding in structural and governing changes. Read more.
  
  
• The Opportunity Zone Priority: Secretary DeVos announced that the Department of Education will prioritize funding for grant applications to “Opportunity Zones” which include students, teachers and parents in economically distressed communities. The goal is to provide students who are the most economically burdened with innovative educational opportunities no matter where they live. Read more.
  
  
• Government Funding Update: The new Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded ends on December 20, and Congress continues negotiations in hopes of reaching agreement on funding bills before the holidays. If an agreement is not reached, the House and Senate will likely pass another CR to keep the Government from shutting down—as a shutdown does not seem likely at this point.

ACTE, NRCA Push for Additional CTE Funding

ACTE and the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) recently partnered to urge Congress to increase the federal investment in CTE. The op-ed underscores the growing skills gap and strong labor market demand for CTE-related careers, including in the roofing and construction industry. But as ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Wilson and NRCA CEO Reid Ribble note, federal funding for CTE hasn’t kept pace with the demand for it. The authors cite to labor market demand and bipartisan calls to invest in CTE in urging Congress to prioritize CTE investments in its Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations bill ahead of the December 20 deadline on the current continuing resolution.

Read the op-ed by clicking here.

ACTE continues to work with other organizations and Congress to secure additional funding for CTE programs nationwide.

House Education Committee Hearing on Labor Department’s Apprenticeship Program

Last week, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment held a hearing to examine the “policies and priorities of the Labor Department’s apprenticeship programs.” This hearing stems from committee Democrats’ concerns over funding and oversight of the newly announced Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP).

Committee Democrats’ concerns were two-folded. The first was the merits of using industry-recognized apprenticeships instead of the more traditional and proven registered apprenticeships. They argued that replacing government oversight with industry-run oversight authority would result in an untested program lacking the wage, safety, and civil rights protections that the registered apprenticeship system has maintained for more than 80 years.

Ranking Member Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), in his opening statement countered the Democratic concerns by stating that, “Registered apprenticeships are one tool we can use to strengthen the workforce, but it’s important to give recognition to increasingly innovative and growing employer-led apprenticeship programs.” He continued by arguing that employers know best what skills their workforce needs to excel and that Congress must do what they can to “cut the regulatory rep tape” that prevents them from participating.

The other issue extensively covered by Committee Democrats in the hearing was the Department of Labor’s (DOL) misuse of funds in excess of $1.1 million that were appropriated for registered apprenticeship programs, on outside contracts that financed IRAPs. The witness, John Pallasch, head of the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), reassured members on the subcommittee that he became aware of the funding issue shortly after joining the department in July, and immediately directed the ETA to “take appropriate corrective action.”

About IRAP System

The IRAP system, a White House priority, was established to incentivize companies to play a larger role in training workers by giving them more say in what skills are needed in their respective industries. President Donald Trump outlined the initiative in an executive order, and the administration said it intends to release a final regulation in April 2020 to create the program. Click here to read ACTE’s coverage of the announcement from June.

Research Round-up: Equity Edition

Over the past few months, there have been a number of new resources and research papers released on equity in CTE or related education and workforce development programs. See below for more details:

• Making Good on the Promise: Ensuring Equitable Success Through CTE
  The fifth brief in Advance CTE’s “Making Good on the Promise” series, this report examines ways that states can help more students complete their chosen career pathway. It explores three state strategies, including using data-driven support systems to meet learners’ needs; providing integrated support services to secure wellness, academic preparation and financial stability; and creating the enabling conditions for successful transitions. 
  
  
• Practitioner Perspectives on Equity in Career and Technical Education
  MDRC’s Center for Effective Career and Technical Education released this brief over the summer to share insights from practitioners in innovative CTE programs around the topic of equity. The brief shares the results of practitioner discussions on barriers to equity within CTE and ways to address those challenges in order to achieve more equitable access and outcomes.
  
  
• Ensuring Equity in Evolving High school Career and Technical Education Policies
  This research/policy brief from the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) presents key takeaways from a research workshop hosted by the IRP at the University of Wisconsin–Madison involving researchers, practitioners and policymakers. Suggestions include making equitable access a policy goal, addressing rural challenges and investing in data collection.
  
  
• Unlocking Potential: A State Policy Roadmap for Equity and Quality in College in High School Programs
  This report, from the College in High School Alliance and Level Up coalition, provides policy recommendations and state examples around increasing equity within six key components of college in high school programs: (1) equity goal and public reporting, (2) program integrity and credit transfer, (3) finance, (4) course access and availability, (5) instructor capacity, and (6) navigational supports.
  
  
• Funding for Equity: Designing State Dual Enrollment Funding Models to Close Equity Gaps
  This report, also from the College in High School Alliance, presents a breakdown of funding models for dual enrollment programs, which states are using those models, policy questions to consider and best practices. A goal of the paper is “to help states identify a dual enrollment funding model that maintains a focus on equity while taking leaders’ programmatic aspirations and a state’s funding predispositions into account.”

• Passively-sensed Behavioral Correlates of Discrimination Events in College Students
  A new study from researchers at the University of Washington and University of Michigan examines the short-term physical and psychological impacts of discrimination on college students (with engineering students a particular focus of the study) that have the potential to impact educational outcomes. The study found that incidents of discrimination led to acute changes in students’ sleep and social patterns.

• CTE in the Juvenile Justice System (recording will be available soon at https://careertech.org/webinars)
  Advance CTE, the Council of State Government (CSG) Justice Center, and Oklahoma’s CareerTech program hosted a webinar to discuss how state leaders can leverage Perkins V funding to improve CTE programs in juvenile justice systems. CSG discussed findings from their most recent publication “On Track: How Well Are States Preparing Youth in the Juvenile Justice System for Employment,” which included: states lack necessary workforce development for successful programs, many programs lacked partnerships with workforce development agencies, and most states do not have enough workforce data on incarcerated youth. Oklahoma also showcased best practices from their CTE program involving incarcerated youth.
  
  
• The Roadmap for Racial Equity: An Imperative for Workforce Development Advocates
  This report, from the National Skills Coalition, addresses “issues of racism and exclusion in the workforce and education systems, as well as potential solutions for remedying these persistent problems.” The report presents nine recommendations to advance racial equity through workforce and education policy.
  
  
• The Equity Equation
  McGraw Hill has released a paper outlining strategies to address the college completion gap that persists for first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color. The paper focuses on adaptive learning solutions and provides examples from various colleges.