CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Updates on COVID-19 and Federal CTE Policy

The ongoing global pandemic has impacted our lives in countless ways, including career and technical education. ACTE has been closely monitoring federal policy updates related to the coronavirus and how they might impacted CTE programs. You can find a complete list of CTE-related coronavirus federal policy updates at this link, which will be continually updated. Below is a brief summary of the most recent updates, along with important resources.

RESOURCES

• ACTE Resources on Distance Learning
• CDC Coronavirus Webpage
• U.S. Department of Education Coronavirus Webpage

SUMMARY OF THE CARES ACT

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a wide-ranging, more than $2 trillion package that includes a variety of provisions. On the education front, the law allows Federal Work Study payments to continue, doesn't penalize students who dropped out of school from Pell Grant eligibility, allows additional flexibility on the student loan front, provides the Secretary of Education with certain waiver authority, defers student loan payments/principal/interest for 6 months on all federally owned loans without penalty, provides local workforce boards with additional flexibility under WIOA, and exempts teachers from certain requirements related to TEACH grant obligations or Teacher Loan Forgiveness if they can't finish the teaching year. It also appropriates $30.9 billion to the Department of Education, including $13.5 billion for K-12 and $14.25 billion for higher education funding to meet a variety of coronavirus-related needs.

• Bill Text
• Summary of Appropriations and Summary of Education-related Provisions
• ACTE Blog Post on CARES Act

ACTE CORONAVIRUS PRIORITIES

• At least $1 billion in dedicated funding for CTE programs in response to the coronavirus
• Additional flexibility and waivers, including by enacting a redistribution waiver for Perkins funds, passing waivers for Perkins eligible agencies, extending the waiver of the definition of “professional development” in ESEA to Perkins, rescinding supplement not supplant provisions for one year in Perkins, and expanding pooling flexibility in Perkins.
• Expand Pell Grants to high-quality, short-term programs and reinstate Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals
• Increase support for non-traditional learners in postsecondary education
• Invest in research and development to scale the quality of online education

SELECTED LETTERS TO POLICYMAKERS

• ACTE, Advance CTE Letter Raising Concerns on the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families,
  Schools and Small Businesses Act (09/10/20)
• ACTE, Advance CTE Response to ED's Interim Final Rule Regarding the
  Eligibility Determination of Students at Institutions of Higher Education for Funds Under the CARES Act (7/16/20)
• ACTE, Advance CTE Response to the HEROES Act and Lack of Dedicated CTE Funding (5/13/20)
• ACTE and Advance CTE Letter on Concerns Regarding Certain Coronavirus Student Aid Exclusions (4/23/20)
• ACTE and Advance CTE Coronavirus-related Funding, Waiver and Policy Priorities (4/8/20)
• ACTE & Advance CTE Letter on CTE-related Coronavirus Investment Priorities (4/1/20)

LATEST UPDATES 

July 28

• Congressional Update: Senate Republicans released the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protections, and Schools Act (HEALS Act), an approximately trillion-dollar proposal for the next round of relief funding aimed at quelling the economic and public health crisis ignited by the pandemic. Some of the larger provisions of the HEALS Act include $200 per week in unemployment insurance, down from $600 in the previously enacted CARES Act, another round of stimulus checks, liability protection for businesses and schools, an additional round of Paycheck Protection Program loans, among other measures.

August 8

• Administration Update: With negotiations for a next relief package broken down, President Trump issued four executive orders attempting to provide additional economic relief to millions of Americans on his own. These executive orders include a deferral (not cut) for payroll taxes until the end of the year, waive student debt payments and interest through the end of 2020, extend unemployment benefits at $400 per week (down from $600), and instructs officials to “consider” whether there should be a ban on evictions during the pandemic. It is likely Trump will face a legal challenge over these actions. Since the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the "power of the purse," any changes to taxes or spending are supposed to originate in Congress.

August 13

• Congressional Update: The House is on August recess and is not set to return until after Labor Day, unless a deal on a new coronavirus relief package materializes. As of now, both parties remain far from a compromise on many key issues including, overall price tag, liability protections for businesses and schools, earmarking funds for schools to physically reopen, providing additional assistance to state and local governments, etc. With both parties posturing and placing the blame on the other, there is a growing likelihood that a deal won't come to fruition until at least September. 

CLICK HERE FOR ACTE’S COMPLETE COVID-19 FEDERAL POLICY RESOURCES 

DC Digest: September 7-13

Annndddd we’re back! Congress is back in session after the August recess and Labor Day holiday, which means the DC Digest is back from its brief hiatus. Activity on the Hill was primarily focused on a new COVID-19 relief package this week, which we have more details on below. Congress is also trying to work with the White House to come up with a plan to keep the government funded for the rest of the year as the end of the fiscal year approaches on September 30. Here are a couple of other notes from the week: 

• Extended Deadline for Postsecondary Institutions to Apply for CARES Act Funding: The Department of Education (ED) has extended the deadline for approximately $13 billion in CARES Act funding to give colleges extra time to apply for their share of the funding. The new deadline to apply is September 30, after which the ED will calculate and redistribute any funds that were not claimed.
• New Senate “Skinny” COVID-19 Relief Proposal: The Senate GOP released their new COVID-19 relief package on Tuesday, called the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. This proposal would allocate roughly $500 billion to focus on some of the more pressing healthcare, education and economic needs. The proposal did not pass the Senate on Thursday, making a new COVID-19 relief package unlikely in the near future. 
• ACTE Letter to the Senate on the Latest COVID-19 Relief Bill: ACTE sent a letter to the Senate expressing our concerns with the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. We believe that this latest COVID-19 relief package falls short in addressing the resources needed for the nation’s workforce systems, including CTE, and are concerned about requirements for funding linked to physical reopening. 
• Rep. Thompson Supports Investing CTE: Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, wrote an op-ed for The Hill expressing the need for CTE to help build a highly-skilled, trained workforce, which is needed now more than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson emphasizes that CTE is the way to bridge the skills gap for students who are entering the workforce for the first time, learning a new skill or reentering the workforce . 

Senate GOP Introduces New “Skinny” COVID Relief Proposal

On Tuesday afternoon, Senate Republicans released the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act, an approximately $500 billion proposal for the next round of relief funding, focusing on some of the more pressing healthcare, education and economic needs.

Some of the larger provisions of the new proposal include a $300 per week federal unemployment benefit through the end of the year, an additional round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding and liability protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits. It also includes $16 billion for coronavirus testing and a provision that would make a Treasury Department loan to the Postal Service, authorized under the CARES Act, forgivable.

More specifically for education, the proposal mirrors the HEALS Act, the Senate Republican’s July proposal, and calls for $105 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund. Of the $105 billion, the Elementary and Secondary Education fund would receive $70 billion, with two-thirds of that  conditioned on local education agencies meeting certain requirements around in-person reopening. Higher education institutions would receive $29 billion with funding being allotted based on the number of Pell Grant recipients. The last $5 billion would go to the Governors’ Emergency Relief Fund, which could be used for any emergency grants for any part of education. Although the proposal does not include dedicated funding for CTE programs, CTE educators and programs could certainly benefit from funds allocated to the Education Stabilization Fund.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that he expects to vote on the proposal later this week, but it is not expected to meet the required 60 vote threshold to pass. Democratic leaders have already called this proposal a non-starter because they believe it does not come close to addressing the problems at hand and they largely see it as a political exercise to try and protect vulnerable Republican Senators in their upcoming reelection bids. Negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House have been at a stalemate since being derailed last month.

We are continuing to advocate for critical resources for CTE and workforce programs to be included in the next relief package to ensure learners are prepared for labor market needs, particularly as the economy begins to rebuild after the pandemic. We need your help to emphasize this message with Congress. Click here to ask your Members of Congress to support the inclusion of funds for CTE, as provided in the Relaunching America’s Workforce Act, in the next relief package.

Research Round-up: Educator Self-Study Guide for Career Readiness, Labor Market Returns for Community College Graduates, Evolving IT Training Programs

Momentum Metrics for Postsecondary Success: The Education Strategy Group and Level Up Coalition released a report that introduces a framework of postsecondary transition metrics to help states and communities transition students to and through higher education. These metrics are known as Momentum Metrics, and help teachers and administrators identify individual students' needs for resources and supports, as well as aggregate level information about advising programs and policies. There are eight metrics that represent the most predictive indicators of postsecondary preparation, retention and success.

Career Readiness Self-Study Guide for Educators: A new educator self-study guide was created by the Institute for Education Statistics and the Regional Laboratory Southeast to provide guidance and reflection on strengths and challenges of career readiness practices, and to start conversations among educators when planning and implementing district and school career readiness activities. A template is included in the guide for data collection and guiding questions for educators to discuss to ensure students are able to earn high school diplomas and transition successfully to enter into a workforce training program or a career.

Long-Term Labor Market Returns for Community College Graduates: This report explores how associate degrees and certificates affect labor market returns. The researchers use administrative data from Ohio to examine student outcomes up to 11 years after initially entering into a community college. The researchers found that the value of an associate degree grows substantially after graduation, leading to higher paying jobs, more long-term job stability and a greater likelihood to earn a living wage. The findings from certificates show the returns being relatively flat over time, but are “more sensitive to assumptions about individual-specific earnings trends.” 

Community College Attributes Impact on Future Earnings: Researchers studied the relationship between community college attributes and the mean earnings of community college graduates. Of the 53 variables that were studied, 12 had a significant impact on mean earnings of students, including the socio-economic status around the community college, student demographics, students who graduated in two-years, students who received a Pell Grant or federal student loan, and more. These findings highlight the challenges community colleges face when demographics of students change, cost of tuition increases, and students need additional supports to complete credentials.

Evolving IT Training Programs: As the IT industry continually evolves, JFF provides recommendations to IT training providers to ensure IT is offered equitably, and is better connected to the workforce. To help IT participants be successful in the field, JFF recommends providers connect training participants to accelerated career advancement opportunities.  The report also lays out key considerations for providers and employers to address as a means to decrease barriers and increase equity in the IT field.

New Distance Learning Rules Offer Flexibility for Clock-hour Programs

The Department of Education has released a final rule updating the regulations that govern distance education in higher education. Work on the Distance Learning and Innovation regulation started more than a year ago with negotiated rulemaking, and the final rule reflects changes made as a result of a recent public comment period on the draft rule. The rule covers a wide variety of topics around the requirements for distance learning programs in relationship to eligibility for federal financial aid, including a focus on updating regulations to reflect current technologies and innovative instructional design methods.  

Particularly important to CTE, the new regulations will allow asynchronous distance delivery of some courses or portions of courses delivered as part of clock hour programs, including those at area CTE centers. While area CTE centers have been given flexibility to offer courses by distance learning during the pandemic, this change will allow clock hour programs to continue offering both synchronous and asynchronous remote experiences to students in the future, provided other requirements of the rule are met. This was a big victory for clock hour CTE programs, and one ACTE and our partners at Advance CTE, as well as many members, had weighed in on during the public comment period.

The new regulations will take effect July 1, 2021, but the press release on the rules stated that “institutions have the ability to voluntarily utilize the new flexibilities as soon as the regulation is officially published in the Federal Register,” which should occur in the next few days. You can view the full rule and a fact sheet on the Department of Education’s website.  

DC Digest: August 17-23

Both the House and Senate have returned briefly to DC to address issues related to the US postal service, so the DC Digest will make a quick return to ensure you are informed about all the news from the Hill, as well as provide updates on initiatives from the Department of Education. Here are some other happenings from DC last week:

• Grant Program for Educational Institution Resiliency and Expanding Opportunities: The Department of Education announced a new grant program to encourage postsecondary institutions to continue promoting institutional resiliency and expanding learning opportunities for students during the coronavirus pandemic. These grants can be used in a variety of ways such as resuming operations, reducing virus spread and developing models to support students that cannot or choose not to attend in-person classes. Additional consideration will be given to institutions that offer dual credit opportunities to high school students who live in rural communities or in an Opportunity Zone.
• Department of Education Implements Student Loan Relief: President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum on August 8 required student loan payments to be halted until December 31, 2020, and the Department of Education has now fully implemented these changes. All federal students loan payments are suspended until the end of the year and interest rates will continue to remain at 0% until December 31.
• Draft of Senate Republican COVID-19 Relief Bill: On Tuesday, August 18, a draft of a new Senate Republican COVID-19 relief bill was circulated highlighting their priorities on unemployment benefits, liability lawsuits relating to the virus and funding and testing for schools. This bill has not been fully introduced and it is unclear if it will move forward. The education provisions are very similar to those in the previous Senate Republican bill introduced in late July.

Space Mission Challenge for High School Students

The Department of Education has released a new national challenge, CTE Mission: CubeSat, to encourage high school students’ interest in STEM fields, and allow CTE students to build technical, creative and collaborative skills for careers in aerospace. This challenge calls for students to create CubeSat (cube satellite) prototypes, or satellites that aid in space research. Any secondary school that is eligible to receive funding under Perkins can participate in the challenge. Schools with students who are interested need to put together a team and submit a mission proposal, which consists of school information, a team profile, a project proposal and anticipated learning outcomes, and submit the proposal by October 16, 2020, at 5:59 p.m. ET.

In phase two of the challenge, up to five teams will be chosen to build a prototype between January and May 2021. Each team will be provided access to expert mentorships, as well as $25,000, satellite development, hardware and software kits. During this time, teams will also have to navigate COVID-19 challenges to ensure the safety of all those involved. 

Schools that are interested in participating are encouraged to attend a virtual information session on September 1, 2020, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET for an overview of the challenge and an opportunity to ask questions about the challenge and submission process.

New Funding Opportunities

Two new, CTE-related funding opportunities have recently been announced.  

The first funding opportunity is from Social Finance and Jobs for the Future (JFF), who have partnered to host a national Pay for Success Competition to expand CTE access to underserved and high-need youth. This program is available to Perkins-eligible CTE providers, and winners will receive free technical assistance and approximately $150,000 - $225,000 to expand their CTE programs. A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be available in late summer on the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN). Members of Social Finances are also available to provide more information or answer any possible questions that may arise. 

The second funding opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recently released applications for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development (EWD) grant program. This program aims to encourage the training or retraining of the agricultural workforce by providing grants to institutions of higher education, non-profits or other entities to develop a technology- and data-savvy workforce. More information can be found on the RFP. The deadline to apply is Thursday, September 24, 2020.

DC Digest: August 3-9

Most members of both the Senate and the House have left town, although the chambers  will continue to have pro-forma sessions and committee meetings throughout the August recess. Due to the slowing activity in DC because of the recess, DC Digest may be on hiatus for the next few weeks, but we will continue to bring you important news in others ways on the blog. Here are a couple of other notes about last week’s news:

• COVID-19 Relief Bill Update: Congress has still not reached a deal for the next coronavirus relief package. Both chambers and the Administration  were in talks all week yet leaders are still very far apart.. While negotiations have currently stalled, they could pick up at any time, and education funding remains a critical part of the conversation. Remember to keep the pressure on lawmakers to include resources for CTE in the next package!

• House Subcommittee Hearing on Safety of Opening Schools: The House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Select Coronavirus Crisis held a hearing with former Education Secretary Arne Duncan to discuss opening schools during COVID-19, the need for guidance from the CDC, and the safety of children when returning to in-person learning. Duncan emphasized the need for more funding specifically directed at the most vulnerable students, low-income schools and child care. He also stated that funding should be put toward a national tutoring initiative for students who need to regain lost learning time, as well as funding to close the digital divide gap. Watch the full hearing here. 

• Executive Order on Student Loan Continued Deferment: In absence of a deal on the COVID-19 relief bill, President Trump announced on Saturday four new Executive Orders for COVID-19 relief funding, including deferring payroll taxes, deferring student loan payments, continuing eviction moratoriums and extending unemployment benefits at a reduced level. In March, students loans were deferred under the CARES Act until the end of September, but will now continue to be deferred until the end of the year. 

COVID-19 Research Round-up (Part II)

Data on the Impact of COVID on Postsecondary Institutions: A new resource from Watermark explores how postsecondary institutions can evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and discover what has changed and what will come next. In order to understand this, researchers sent out a survey to postsecondary professionals to gauge the effects on current and planned teaching, assessments, student feedback, faculty activity reporting and reviews and cataloging curriculum management. The survey results provide insights on the impact of the virus and promising practices that can improve the delivery of teaching in the fall. 

Impact of COVID on Community Colleges: The Community College Research Center created a resource which contains a series of essays on the different aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on community colleges. The topics of the essays include funding, enrollment, student experience, instruction, student supports and more. 

Importance of Transparency on Report Cards During COVID-19: The Data Quality Campaign has created a short infographic for schools to use to ensure that transparency and public trust continues to be at the forefront when reporting state and local data on ESSA Report Cards during COVID-19. The infographic provides both short- and long-term actions that school leaders can take in their decision-making and recovery efforts, and as they  present updates on recovery efforts and provide transparency on how schools are moving forward.

Using Data During COVID to Prioritize Resources: Another short infographic from the Data Quality Campaign was published to show the importance of using data as a tool during COVID-19 to help prioritize resources that are needed to invest in policies and programs that best serve the community. This resource provides short-term guidance on investing in data systems, gathering information from the community and mobilizing research partnerships to start answering complex questions. The long-term guidance suggests that leaders need to manage their research agenda and modernize cross-sector longitudinal data systems to identify solutions to present and future challenges. 

Homework Gap During COVID: One out of three Black, Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native households do not have home access to high-speed internet, and 16.9 million households do not have high-speed internet access to successfully complete online learning, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. These results are from a 2018 American Community Survey that show that many children lacked high-speed home internet service and a computer. COVID-19’s shifts to remote instruction have resulted in a an exacerbation of this “homework gap.” The researchers call on Congress to invest $6.8 billion to cover immediate costs related to high-speed home internet access and devices in the next COVID-19 relief package. 

Compilation of Surveys Performed on Education During COVID: During these unpresented times, many surveys were performed by various groups to understand the impact of COVID-19 on education. Below are some of the surveys that focus on the delivery of education during the pandemic:

• Data on School Districts Approach to Pandemic: Preliminary results from two reports were released by the American Institute for Research (AIR). The first report is preliminary survey data investigating the reaction of school districts when the pandemic hit. The responses are from approximately 500 school districts and cover a range of topics from school closures to challenges and approaches for distance learning to meeting the needs of special populations. The second report is preliminary data on how school district leaders approached the difficulties from the pandemic, such as how schools innovated in the spring and some of the promising practices and challenges districts faced during the pandemic. 
• Perceptions on In-Person Learning for the Fall: The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published survey results on public perceptions of schools resuming in-person schooling. The results show only 8% of respondents think K-12 schools should open for normal in-person learning and about half of the respondents think that major adjustments are needed if in-person school resumes. These perceptions are also shared among respondents regarding in-person postsecondary institutions. 
• Teachers and Parents Perceptions on Schooling in the Spring: Chalkbeat performed a national and state survey consisting of parents, students, educators and principals on the perceptions of online learning in the spring. Failures of the spring term included lack of internet access and technological devices by primarily Black and Hispanic students and students from low-income families and low student engagement with schoolwork. The survey does show that respondents thought most teachers made a rapid switch to online learning and most parent respondents gave high marks to their child’s school. 
• Postsecondary Students on Online Learning During the Pandemic: College Pulse interviewed 5,000 postsecondary students in two- and four-year colleges to understand how COVID-19 impacted students’ learning and what the priorities of students are in postsecondary education. The researchers found that most students were satisfied with how their school responded to pandemic. One of the main priorities of the respondents for attending a postsecondary institution is to obtain a credential for their desired career, which will require continued support for CTE programs and CTE educators. 
• Postsecondary Students Satisfaction with the Spring Semester: Digital Promise and Langer Research surveyed about 1,000 postsecondary students to understand students’ experiences during the spring semester. Despite student satisfaction decreasing after the shift to remote learning, respondents felt positively about the way the faculty handled the shift and reported that many faculty held live sessions for questions and comprehending content and over half reported that lecturers were live instead of prerecorded. The satisfaction with courses positively correlated with how much the faculty engaged and made the course interactive.
• Postsecondary Faculty Satisfaction with Online Learning: Tyton Partners performed a national survey of approximately 4,800 postsecondary faculty to understand their satisfaction with online learning. Respondents who were the most satisfied with the learning in their classes were the faculty who used the largest range of instructional practices. These faculty were twice as likely to have prior experience teaching online courses and significantly more likely to have access to a campus-based teaching and learning center or other forms of support. 

New Tool to Ensure CTE is Prioritized in the Fall: Advance CTE created a resource to help state CTE leaders take actionable steps to prepare and implement strategies for the fall to adequately support CTE students through high-quality CTE programs. The tool is organized into seven key topics that must be addressed in order to achieve high-quality programs:

1. Equity and access
2. CTE teachers and faculty
3. CTE instruction
4. Assessments and credentials
5. Work-based learning 
6. Counseling and advisement 
7. Career Technical Student Organizations 

DC Digest: July 27-August 2

Congress struggled all week to try and agree on a COVID-19 stimulus package before the House was scheduled to start their August recess on Friday. They were unsuccessful, however, and both chambers will continue talks although it is unlikely that a consensus will be reached in the near future. Here are a few other notes on the happenings of last week:

• House Approves Six More Spending Bills: On Friday, the House passed a $1.3 trillion spending package for fiscal year 2021, which included the Education spending bill. The bill also included funding for the Defense spending bill, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water, Financial Services and General Government, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development measures.
• Rethink K-12 Education Model Grants Awarded: The Department of Education announced that 11 states were awarded more than $180 million in Rethink K-12 Education Model Grants, a grant program that encourages states to think innovatively about how to serve students better during the pandemic. This funding comes from the CARES Act to help states address specific educational needs of students, parents and teachers in K-12 schools. 
• Action Needed to Support Perkins Funding in Next COVID-19 Relief Package: COVID-19 stimulus relief packages from both chambers have not included funding for CTE programs, nor an adequate amount of funding for the other programs that make up our federal education and workforce systems. Please ask Congress to include $1 billion to go toward Perkins funding and robust funding levels for the entire education and workforce development systems.
• House Subcommittee Hearing on COVID-19 and Reopening Schools: Some of the nation’s top public health officials testified before a House subcommittee on Friday to determine if the federal response to the pandemic has been adequate and how the continued spread would affect public life, specifically education. Members asked the officials about whether schools need more funding for virus prevention expenses if schools resume in-person learning and about the speed of children contracting the virus then spreading it to adults, and whether testing to detect cases has too much lag time to be helpful to prevent further spread in schools.