CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: February 10-16

CTE month is still in full swing and we hope that you are spending this time reflecting on the importance of CTE and encouraging others to expand CTE in schools and in your local communities, regions and states! The biggest education policy news last week was the release of the Administration’s budget, but there were several other developments as well.  . Here’s the news from last week:

• New Federal School Safety Website Launched: The Trump Administration released the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website to help address safety and security in schools. The website is a “one-stop-shop” where students, parents and educators can visit to get more information, tools and best practices regarding safety.
  
  
• Bipartisan Bill providing Community College Innovation and Career Training Grants Introduced: The Assisting Community Colleges in Education Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act was introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and is aimed at increasing college and career readiness for students. The bill includes resources to increase local and regional labor market demand for a skilled workforce such as providing work-based learning opportunities, wraparound services and creating career pathways. ACTE has endorsed this bill.
  
  
• Scott Stump Visits Hartland Community College: On February 14, Scott Stump, Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education, visited Heartland Community College in Illinois to see how Hartland is training students to fill the skills gap. Stump met with students and educators and talked about the importance of increasing technical skills and workforce development efforts.

President Proposes Large Increase for Perkins CTE in FY 2021 Budget Request

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 federal budget and appropriations process finally kicked off today with the release of the president’s budget request to Congress. The president’s budget proposal is not binding, but is a reflection of the Administration’s priorities for the year and can serve to inform congressional negotiations over spending decisions and new policy proposals.

In exciting news for CTE, the budget proposal included nearly $900 million in additional funding directed to career and technical education (CTE). This is composed of a $680 million increase (53%) for Perkins Basic State Grants, approximately $83 million increase (1112.8%) for Perkins National Programs (with a focus on competitive grants for innovation and modernization of programs), and over $100 million in additional funds that could be generated for Perkins through changes to the H-1B visa program. 

However, overall, both the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Labor (DOL) received glaring proposed cuts in their budget. The president’s ED budget came in 7.8% lower than the enacted FY 2020 level, while the DOL budget came in 10.7% lower. 

The ED budget proposes:

• Level funding for adult education programs 
• Significant cuts to Federal work-study programs, with a new funding level of $500 million (a 57.6% cut)
• The elimination of 11 programs, including State Longitudinal Data Systems, Gear Up, and the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education 
• A $100 million increase for IDEA (0.73%)
• The combination of programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act into a block grant with an overall cut of $4.673 billion (18%)
• Expanding Pell grants to short-term programs and incarcerated students

The DOL budget proposes:

• $855 million for WIOA Adult Employment and Training Activities, equal to the FY 20 enacted level
• $913 million for WIOA Youth Activities, equal to the FY 20 enacted level
• $1.213 billion for WIOA Dislocated worker programs, a cut of $110 million from FY 20 
• $200 million to expand both registered and industry-recognized apprenticeship opportunities
• Appropriations language changes to grant automatic WIOA training provider eligibility to institutions of higher education that already qualify as eligible to participate in Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs
• The elimination of several programs, including those targeting seniors, farmworks, and Native Americans.

You can read ACTE’s response to the budget here. We will be releasing additional analysis of other specific proposals soon, and in the meantime, you can also access additional budget materials on the Department of Education’s website at https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget21/index.html and the Department of Labor’s website at https://www.dol.gov/general/budget. 

What’s Next?

This budget request signals a large shift toward prioritizing CTE for the current Administration, and shows that our collective advocacy work is beginning to pay off. However, keep in mind the historic treatment of Presidents’ requests in Congress and our current budgetary environment. Most Presidents' budget requests are routinely ignored by Congress, for a variety of reasons, so the job is far from done. Further, the two-year budget deal that was signed into law last year provided only a small increase in Non-Defense Discretionary (NDD) funding for FY 2021 (which includes the Departments of Education and Labor). This will make it difficult for Congress to give any NDD program a significant increase. Within this context, we will need to continue to fight hard, be vocal and press for CTE this appropriations season! 

The next step will be for Members of Congress to begin discussing their FY 2020 appropriations bills and committees will begin to hold hearings where they host department and agency heads advocating on behalf of the President’s budget request. After this, the Appropriations Subcommittees will begin to write their prospective funding bills. Then they go through the normal legislative process, until they are ultimately signed into law by the president. At each step of the way, we will provide opportunities for you to engage your policymakers on the critical importance of increased funding for CTE.

DC Digest: February 2-February 9

It was a lively week for federal education policy on the Hill this week and a great way to start CTE month! Make sure you stay up to date on all the ways you can celebrate CTE this month in your local community or state. Now on to the news:

• Briefing on Opportunities to Improve the Higher Education Act (HEA): The National Skills Coalition, in partnership with the Senate CTE Caucus, hosted a Hill briefing on ways to improve HEA to provide students with a better framework to succeed. It included a panel of community and technical college leaders who discussed how wrap-around services, employer partnerships and guided pathways models can help prepare students for success in the classroom and in the workforce.
  
  
• Bipartisan Senate Letter on Analyzing Dual Enrollment ESSA Funding: Nineteen senators sent a letter to the Department of Education to explore how ESSA money is being used for dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and early college in high schools. The senators want an examination of the use of funds to evaluate how low-income and underrepresented students are being provided access to ensure college and career readiness.
  
  
• SouthTech Wins Second Round of Catalyzing CTE through Pay for Success Competition: Jobs for the Future (JFF) and Social Finance awarded SouthTech Academy in Palm Beach County, Florida, the second round of the “Catalyzing CTE through Pay for Success Competition,” an award to expand high-quality K-12 CTE programming for underserved communities through “Pay-for-Success” funding. SouthTech demonstrated how they will expand CTE pathways so students can integrate registered apprenticeships into their education, have opportunities to earn industry certified certifications and participate in work-based learning. A New Tech Academy in Advanced Manufacturing will be opened as well to help meet local needs in the manufacturing sector.
  
  
• Department of Education on CTE Month: Scott Stump, the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education, released a video in recognition of CTE Month, and on February 7, hosted a Town Hall Call to review new guidance related to civil rights monitoring in CTE programs.
  
  
• Briefing on Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs): On February 4, ACTE attended a briefing entitled, “TCUs: The Future of Higher Education” that was held in the Senate. A panel of four TCU presidents detailed the challenges and successes of TCUs around the nation such as ensuring the survival of their language and culture, teacher preparation and facilities upkeep.

Ask Your Senators, Representative to Co-sponsor 2020 CTE Month Resolution

The bipartisan co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus have introduced a resolution honoring February as CTE Month, as have the co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus. Last year, in part because of the advocacy of so many ACTE members, 51 senators and dozens of representatives cosponsored the resolution. This year, the Senate CTE Caucus, ACTE and other CTE advocates are aiming to beat that!

You must send two separate letters to email your Senators/Representative.

• Click here to contact your senators (deadline of Wednesday, February 12)
• Click here to contact your representative (deadline of Friday, February 21)

The resolution raises awareness about the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. Your advocacy makes a difference and encourages senators and representatives to cosponsor the resolution, so please contact your Members of Congress today!

CTE Mentioned in Presidential Proclamation, State of the Union

Last week, President Trump issued a proclamation declaring February as CTE Month. The proclamation recognized the importance of high-quality CTE and ensuring all students have access to it. Most notably, the proclamation stated that the President’s “fiscal year 2021 budget proposal to the Congress will include significant increases in funding for [CTE].”

The President’s professed commitment to increasing funding in CTE was also hinted at in his State of the Union address. There, he asked Congress to support his “plan to offer vocational and technical education in every single high school in America.” However, it is unclear whether President Trump was simply referring to Perkins funding, or whether he will unveil some other proposal to ensure CTE is offered at every high school. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos added in a statement following the address that the President has a “strong commitment to career and technical education and apprenticeship expansion.”

While the proclamation and State of the Union remarks provide hope that the President’s budget will increase funding for CTE, few details have yet been released. Historically, President Trump proposed a $168 million cut to Perkins Basic State Grants for fiscal year (FY) 2018, and proposed flat-funding for FY 2019 and FY 2020. A proposed increase to Perkins Basic State Grants for FY 2021 would be a welcome shift in policy.

It is important to note that presidential budgets—and this is not unique to President Trump—are not necessarily indicative of how Congress will exercise its constitutionally-granted power to appropriate federal funds. Rather, presidential budgets can be seen simply as suggestions or priorities. As evidence, Congress has chosen to increase funding for Perkins Basic State Grants in each of the last three fiscal years, even though President Trump’s budget has either proposed cutting or flat-funding the program.

Stay tuned to the CTE Policy Watch Blog for updates once the President’s budget and any other CTE-related policies are released. The President's FY 2021 budget is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2020.

DC Digest: January 27-February 2

The beginning of February kicks-off CTE month! All throughout the month will be a celebration of what CTE has accomplished and the value that CTE has around the country. Also, with the House back in session and the impeachment trial wrapping up, there could be more focus on education policy in the coming weeks. For now, here is what is in the news about federal education policy:

• White House Proclamation on CTE Month: On Friday, the White House released a proclamation on the 2020 CTE month. The Administration says this month reinforces their commitment to continue striving for expanding high-quality CTE for all Americans.
  
  
• Secretary DeVos Announces New Flexibility to States: Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont were the first states to be approved to participate in ESSA’s Education Flexibility Program (Ed-Flex), to allow states to waive certain federal regulatory requirements. It is important for stakeholders in these states to keep a close eye on this program to ensure the flexibility offered still requires a local focus on quality and equity.
  
  
• First Women in STEM Caucus: On January 29, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Jackie Walorki (R-IN) and Haley Stevens (D,MI) came together to form the first Women in STEM Caucus. They explained that this caucus was created to help support and increase the number of women in the STEM fields, as well as to help create policies that address the underrepresentation of women and other minorities in STEM education and careers.

House Democrats Unveil Infrastructure Investment Framework

On January 30, House Democrats released their “Moving Forward” framework, a five-year, $760 billion infrastructure plan to address our country’s critical infrastructure needs.

The $760 billion proposal includes $329 billion for roads and bridges, $55 billion for passenger rail, $30 billion for airports, $50.5 billion for wastewater infrastructure, $86 billion for rural broadband expansion, and $12 billion for a state of the art emergency call system. Addressing climate change is also a constant theme throughout the proposal, with provisions on expanding access to charging stations and other fueling options for electric and zero-emissions vehicles, promoting public transit options by investing into zero-emission buses and making roads safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

However, addressing the deficiencies in our nation’s vital infrastructure will require more than just new investments in roads, bridges, airports and waterways. It will also require a commitment to the development of a skilled workforce that can design, build, upgrade and maintain that infrastructure. Workforce development is referenced in the Framework, but not in a robust way. It only narrowly mentions two vague workforce development proposals that seek to “promote apprenticeship programs in water utility jobs” and “invest in workforce development programs to give workers the skills needed to find family-wage transportation jobs and to ensure that the workforce of today can build the transportation systems of tomorrow.”

CTE is well positioned to provide the education and work-based learning that individuals will need for career success in current infrastructure fields and future ones that would be created through a large-scale infrastructure investment. The broad scope of modern CTE reflects the wide range of industry sectors and occupations that contribute to the development of vital infrastructure. Put simply, rebuilding our infrastructure and securing its sustainability for the future will require a strong focus on developing a robust workforce pipeline. We will be working closely with Congress as the elements of the Framework are fleshed out in hopes of ensuring a robust workforce development component.

There was also one glaring critical infrastructure need that was absent from the framework – school modernization and construction. ACTE believes that any comprehensive infrastructure proposal should include our nation’s public schools, whose average age is nearly 50 years old. The American Society of Civil Engineers rated school facility infrastructure as a D+, estimating that 53 percent of schools need improvement to reach good condition. The condition of school buildings provide a crucial foundation for classroom learning that affects students and the American economy, which is why their prioritization is critical.

The renewal of infrastructure-related action in Congress in 2020 began the day prior when the Ways and Means Committee hosted a hearing entitled, “Paving the Way for Funding and Financing Infrastructure Investments.” This topic will be a significant part of the debate and the future prospects of any proposal passing will hinge on how it will be paid for. ACTE will continue to monitor the progress of this, and other potential proposals, and will continue to put updates on our Policy Watch Blog. Please continue to check back for updates.

New Data on Certificates and Associate Degrees

Future earnings for certificates and some associate degree programs are closely linked to the field of study, reports Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce researchers in their latest study, “The Overlooked Value of Certificates and Associate’s Degrees: What Students Need to Know Before They Go to College.”

Researchers first examined national postsecondary enrollment data to determine the prevalence of certificates and associate degrees within the U.S. higher education system. They found that 50% of postsecondary students are enrolled in certificate and associate degree programs, 47% are enrolled in bachelor degree programs, and 3% are taking coursework but are not enrolled in a certificate or degree program. Similarly, colleges award approximately the same number of associate degrees and certificates combined as bachelor’s degrees – in 2016, there were 1,948,500 certificates and associate’s degrees and 1,920,800 bachelor’s degrees awarded. Of the certificates and associate degrees, most are strongly linked to careers. About 94% of certificates and 57% of associate degrees are awarded in career-oriented fields.

The strong linkage to careers makes employment outcomes from certificates and associate degrees critical measures of success. Researchers found that earnings from associate degrees and certificates are extremely dependent on the field of study, and there was wide variation depending on career area. In addition, in line with previous research, this study showed that future earnings for some of these fields of study are more lucrative than for those requiring a bachelor’s degree. For example, workers with an associate degree in engineering have median earnings between $50,000 and $60,000 per year, which is significantly more than those with associate degrees in education and the arts whose median earnings are between $20,000 and $30,000 per year. Workers with certificate degrees in engineering technologies have median earnings between $75,000 and $150,000, which is significantly more than the median earnings of those with certificates in cosmetology and education (between $10,000 and $20,000), or even healthcare (between $20,000 and $30,000). Similar trends were evident in analysis of state data. “What you make depends on what you take, particularly for workers with certificates and associate’s degrees,” was a key conclusion of the report.

Finally, researchers examined the population of students who enroll in certificate and associate degree programs. Students in these programs were more diverse by socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and age than students in bachelor’s degree programs. Specifically, Black and Latino students were disproportionately enrolled in certificate and associate degree programs compared to bachelor’s degree programs. The reverse was true for White students, as 47% were enrolled in certificate and associate degree programs and 53% in bachelor’s degree programs, and White students earn a disproportionate share of bachelor’s degrees. Low income and independent students were also more likely to enroll in certificate and associate degree programs than bachelor’s degree programs. These trends reinforce current equity gaps in educational attainment and potential labor market outcomes.

To help address the gaps and ensure that all students can achieve success, the researchers stress the importance of educators and policymakers strengthening all pathways to and through college, providing students with more information about potential pathways and their economic returns, expanding federal data collection and strengthening accountability.

State CTE Policies: 2019 Year in Review

On the federal and state levels, 2019 was an important year for CTE. States have been creating their four-year state CTE plans for the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), responding to increased emphasis in the law on ensuring quality CTE opportunities and expanding access for all students.

In the 2019 calendar year, at least 45 states and Palau enacted or passed at least 208 policy actions related to CTE and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders, board of education actions and budget provisions, as documented in the newly released publication State CTE Policies: 2019 Year in Review.

The policy areas that states focused on in 2019 were similar to previous years. States most frequently addressed the following topics:

• Funding;
• Industry partnerships and work-based learning;
• Industry-recognized credentials;
• Governance; and
• Access/equity

This report from ACTE, Advance CTE and Education Commission of the States, the seventh annual review of CTE and career readiness policies across the United States, summarizes each state’s CTE policy activity and describes major themes across states.

In addition to reading the report, you can also join ACTE, Advance CTE and Education Commission of the States on Tuesday, February 18, 3:00-4:00pm EST for a webinar that will explore trends in state CTE policy and discuss implications for 2020 state policy. Participants will also hear from state leaders in Texas about major policies enacted in the state.

Sign up for this one-hour webinar at https://advancecte.webex.com/advancecte/onstage/g.php?MTID=e7e286cd64240dd0545cbcbd59dcc2360

DC Digest: January 20-26

Last week was fairly quiet on the Hill regarding federal education policy updates because of the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate and the fact that the House was in recess. Though little movement happened from the Hill, ACTE was still active this week:

• ACTE Signed House Infrastructure Letter: ACTE joined over 30 education advocacy organizations in signing a letter to House leadership urging them to include investments into school facility modernization and construction in any infrastructure package that is introduced in the House of Representatives. These funds could be used to modernize CTE programs nationwide.
  
  
• Meetings with Appropriations Committee Members: As the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations cycle gets started, ACTE’s public policy team began meeting with key Appropriations Committee members and their staff to advocate for increased funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant program.
  
  
• Looking Ahead: A quick reminder that the State of the Union will be held on February 4, and the President’s budget will be released on February 10 (both dates are a bit later than normal). Be sure to be on the lookout for information on education and workforce initiatives that may be addressed!