CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Secretary DeVos Launches New Higher Education Experimental Site Focusing on Federal-Work Study Program

On May 20, Secretary DeVos unveiled that the focus of the first higher education experimental sites initiative of her tenure would be expanding the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program in an effort to promote better aligned job opportunities for students within their programs of study.

Sec. DeVos’ proposal makes a variety of changes to the current program, aimed at providing institutions with increased flexibilities that will enable students to earn work-study benefits while participating in apprenticeships, internships and work-based learning programs, as well as earn work-study wages while completing required clinical rotations, externships and student teaching. .

Among the proposed changes, the experiment plans to reduce many of the barriers that adversely affect schools’ abilities to partner with private-sector employers in hopes of allowing students the opportunity to gain work experience in their field of study. Specifically, it will lift limits on the amount of work-study funds that can be allocated to private-sector employers, remove some other requirements related to community service opportunities, and lower the wage share for some private sector employers, such as small businesses. Further, it will increase the amount of Job Location and Development (JLD) funds available to schools in order to help foster long-term partnerships with employers. This increase includes allowing these funds to be used to retain apprenticeship intermediaries, which would help increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities for students.

The FWS program is a federally-funded program that allows qualified students to earn money that can be used toward their education expenses by providing part-time jobs. Students must qualify, reserving participation for those that have a demonstrated financial need. According to the department’s press release, almost 92% of all funds spent in this program currently go to on-campus employment opportunities for students Students may also work for certain non-profits or governmental agencies, as long as the work they are performing is in the public interest.

The Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI) is an authority given to the Secretary through the Higher Education Act (HEA) to be able to test out new policy ideas on a smaller scale, before deciding whether to implement it nation-wide or not. The ESI gives the Secretary the authority to waive certain federal student aid statutory or regulatory requirements in order to test the alternative methods of administering student aid programs at a narrow number of institutions. For more information about current and former initiatives, please visit experimentalsites.ed.gov.

ACTE will continue to work with policymakers to ensure the FWS program is updated to encourage collaboration among institutional and community stakeholders, including local employers, in identifying and developing FWS employment opportunities that are more closely aligned to the program of study the student is currently enrolled in.

Changes to College Scorecard Announced

On May 21, Secretary DeVos announced that improvements have been made to the College Scorecard, the Department of Education’s consumer-facing postsecondary outcome research tool. Among the improvements is more comprehensive information about student graduation rates, now including part-time and transfer students in some calculations. In the past, graduation rates were only provided for first-time, full-time students, who make up only a small percentage of students at some postsecondary institutions, like community and technical colleges.

New information has also been added for approximately 2,100 non-degree-granting institutions that participate in federal financial aid programs, including many area CTE centers. About 3,700 degree-granting institutions were included previously. And finally, the Department is releasing preliminary information on student loan debt by postsecondary program (previous information on loan debt was only available at the institution level). Researchers have been cautioned that this information is still under review by colleges though, and could be adjusted.

In announcing these chance, Sec. DeVos said, "We committed to students that we would continually improve the College Scorecard so that they could access relevant, accurate and actionable data as they make decisions about their education after high school. The updates released today are another step in fulfilling that promise. We look forward to seeing how students, parents, institutions and researchers utilize this important information."

Unfortunately, much of the most valuable information in the Scorecard as it relates to CTE is limited—with only institution-level data or only information on students participating in federal financial aid. ACTE will continue to work with policymakers to increase the amount of robust, valid data that is available on CTE student outcomes.

Senate Caucus Briefing Explores CTE Data

The U.S. Senate CTE Caucus hosted a briefing this week that addressed the wide universe of data relevant to CTE program quality and improvement.

ACTE Research Manager Catherine Imperatore moderated the briefing. Panelists from national organizations and a state department of education addressed the opportunities for improved data alignment and quality provided by Perkins V, through the law’s enhanced connections to WIOA and ESSA and through its focus on data-driven decision-making. They also discussed challenges, such as difficulty aligning state secondary, postsecondary and workforce data systems and difficulty in accessing administrative data, particularly for post-school placement.

In addition, panelists shared best practices from states in accessing unique sources of data to improve systems alignment, such as Department of Motor Vehicle records, and in working to access data directly from industry certification providers. Nicassia Belton from Maryland described how the state shares data with stakeholders through interactive dashboards and how it disaggregates data to help CTE programs identify and address equity gaps.

The panelists were:

• Dr. Nicassia Belton, Program Manager and Methods of Administration Coordinator for CTE Student and Assessment Services at the Maryland State Department of Education
• Austin Estes, Senior Policy Associate at Advance CTE
• Dr. Bryan Wilson, Director of the Workforce Data Quality Campaign, a project of the National Skills Coalition

Legislation to Expand STEM Exposure for Young Children Passes Committee

During the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee mark up last week, legislation aimed at expanding STEM opportunities was reported favorably out of committee and is poised to be considered on the Senate floor.

The Building Blocks of STEM Act, S. 737, introduced by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), would create and expand upon STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation (NSF) for young children, according to the lawmaker. More specifically, it would direct NSF to award research grants to increase understanding of the factors that contribute to the participation of females in STEM activities at younger ages and to develop interventions in pre-K and elementary school classrooms to increase the participation of females in computer science.

Identical legislation has also been introduced in the House by Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN) – who are the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology. ACTE will continue working with Members of Congress in both parties to address workforce shortages in a variety of industries that transcend the American economy.

Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Introduced to Address Cybersecurity Workforce

A group of bipartisan members in the House and Senate have introduced identical legislation to address workforce shortages within the cybersecurity field. The Cyber Ready Workforce Act was introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in the Senate, and Congresswomen Susie Lee (D-NV) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in the House. Among other things, the bill directs the Secretary of Labor to award grants to workforce intermediaries to support the creation, implementation and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity, according to the lawmakers.

The prospects of the Cyber Ready Workforce Act are uncertain, as its bipartisan nature is promising but few Members of Congress have thus far signed on. ACTE will continue working with Members of Congress in both parties to address workforce shortages in a variety of industries that transcend the American economy.

FY20 Labor-HHS-Education Bill Passes House Committee Markup

On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 by a vote of 30 to 23. In an amendment offered by Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant program was given an additional $10 million, on top of the $37.4 million increase that passed the subcommittee last week. This brings the total proposed appropriation level for the Perkins Basic State Grant program in FY20 to just over 1.3 billion, which is $47.4 million above the FY19 enacted level and FY20 President’s budget request.

Now the bill will go to the House floor for consideration by the entire House of Representatives, and a similar process will take place in the Senate before final agreement. Complicating the final passage and agreement between the chambers on funding levels for FY 2020 are the statutory budget caps currently in place on discretionary spending—both for defense and nondefense programs. Congressional leaders are currently in the process of negotiating an increase in these caps, which will be necessary to avoid steep cuts across the federal budget and provide any of the increases suggested by the House. The exact cap agreement will have tremendous influence on the final funding numbers for education programs like Perkins.

You can find our joint press statement with Advance CTE here.

Grant Announcement – Department of Agricultural Workforce Training Grant Programs

The Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of $29 million in grant funding for their Education and Workforce Program (EWP), which includes the Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy and Agricultural Workforce Training Grants.

These programs, listed in more detail below, offer eligible institutions grants for professional development opportunities, in order to provide K-14 educators an increased awareness of food and agricultural science disciplines and career opportunities, and to help them develop an enriched curriculum for training the next generation of the agricultural workforce.

Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy Grant program: Participants are expected to develop skills necessary for integrating food and agricultural science concepts in their classes; explore the opportunities available in food and agricultural science career paths; and/or forge mentorships with professional and business leaders, and faculty. Grants can be for up to $300,000 for four-year projects. Deadline for submitting an application is June 13, 2019.

Agricultural Workforce Training Grant program: The goal is to expand job-based, experiential learning opportunities that lead to the development of the food and agricultural science workforce through curriculum development at community, junior, and technical colleges/institutes. Grants can be awarded for up to $500,000. Deadline for the Letter of Intent is June 11, 2019, and the application deadline is Aug. 22, 2019.

Institutions who are eligible to apply and receive grant funding under these programs include, but are not limited to land-grant institutions, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, individuals, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS status, private institutions of higher ed, small businesses, state agricultural experiment stations, and state controlled institutions of higher ed.

For more information on the grants and submission details, please visit the grant announcement page on NIFA’s website.

2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars Announced

On Tuesday, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the 55th class of U.S. Presidential scholars. In total, 161 students were recognized. The U.S. Presidential Scholars announcement first included CTE students in 2016, after President Barack Obama issued a 2015 executive order. The executive order followed a 2014 letter from the Senate CTE Caucus that requested the program be expanded to include CTE scholars. ACTE worked with the co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus to draft the letter.

In her announcement, Secretary DeVos commended students' "hard work and commitment to excellence." The 2019 ceremony will be held on June 23. You can view the full announcement and list of scholars here. You can also view the distinguished teachers, and scholar candidates and semifinalists here. Below is the list of U.S. Presidential Scholars in CTE:

• Adrian Henry Kwiatkowski—Red Mountain HS—Mesa, AZ
• Ruth Nyagaka—Williams Field HS—Gilbert, AZ
• Won Bin Lee—Dougherty Valley HS—San Ramon, CA
• Justin Chan—Middletown HS—Middletown, DE
• Noah Rossi—Newark Charter Jr./Sr. HS—Newark, DE
• Lilyanne Kathryn Pepe—Palmetto HS—Parrish, FL
• Keerti Jessica Soundappan—Houston County HS—Kathleen, GA
• Ian Henry Carnate Acosta—Waipahu HS—Waipahu, HI
• Anuva Shandilya—Neuqua Valley HS—Naperville, IL
• Jaxon Mullinnix—Lone Tree HS—Lone Tree, IA
• Megan Niewoehner—Sumner-Fredericksburg HS—Hawkeye, IA
• Megan Elizabeth Brown—Shawsheen Valley Voc. Tech. HS—Billerica, MA
• Ruben Manasseh Banks—Jim Hill Senior HS—Jackson, MS
• Crystal Giselle Vargas—Carson HS—Carson City, NV
• Sonia Purohit—Academy for Health-Medical Science—Branchburg, NJ
• Madelaine Lebetkin—Brooklyn Tech. HS—New York, NY
• Jackson B Woodward Radcliffe—Ashely Ridge HS—Summerville, SC
• Christina Masnyy—Fife Sr. HS—Auburn, WA
• Katrina Eileen Pokorny—Waupun Sr. HS—Waupun, WI
• Matthew E. Ryherd—Reedsburg Area HS—Reedsburg, WI

President Issues Executive Order on Cybersecurity Workforce

On May 2, President Trump issued an executive order on America's cybersecurity workforce. The order is wide-ranging, but includes several workforce-related components. Parts of the order closely mirror legislation from the co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn Thompson (R-PA). Their bill, H.R. 1592, the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, establishes a pilot program through which grants are provided to incorporate cybersecurity education into postsecondary CTE programs to meet workforce needs in critical infrastructure fields. The executive order, among other things, does the following:

• Notes that America's cybersecurity workforce is a "strategic asset" that "promote[s] American prosperity and preserve[s] peace."
• States the government "must support the development of cybersecurity skills."
• Acknowledges the "shortage of cybersecurity talent and capability," and says that "training opportunities, such as work-based learning, apprenticeships, and blended learning approaches" are needed.
• Orders the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Homeland Security to "identify a list of cybersecurity aptitude assessments" for federal agencies to use.
• Requires the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of Education to execute recommendations from the Report to the President on Supporting the Growth and Sustainment of the Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce from a 2017 Executive Order. As part of this, consultation with various stakeholders is required, and consideration will be given to, among other things, "align[ing] education and training with employers' cybersecurity workforce needs."
• Directs the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Labor and Director of the Office of Personnel Management to report on, among other things, recommended "curricula for closing the identified skills gap for Federal personnel and steps the [U.S.] government can take to close such gaps for non-Federal personnel by, for example, supporting the development of similar curricula by education or training providers."
• Mandates the Secretary of Education develop and implement an annual "Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award" to "one elementary and one secondary school educator per year who best instill skills, knowledge, and passion with respect to cybersecurity."
• Asks the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Education and Secretary of Homeland Security to encourage the voluntary integration of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE Framework) "into existing education, training, and workforce development efforts undertaken by State, territorial, local, tribal, academic, non-profit and private-sector entities."

You can read the executive order in its entirety here.

House Labor-HHS-Education FY 2020 Appropriations Bill Proposes Modest Increase to Perkins Funding

On Monday, the House Appropriations Committee released the text for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020’s Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill ahead of the subcommittee mark-up scheduled today. The bill reportedly proposes an additional $37.4 million in FY 2020 for the Perkins Basic State Grant program, which would be approximately a 3% increase over FY 2019 enacted levels, potentially bringing the total appropriation level for the Perkins Basic State Grant program to around $1.3 billion. In comparison, the President’s budget request would have level-funded Perkins at $1.263 billion for FY 2020. However, while the House proposed CTE increase is higher than the level proposed by the President, it is lower than many other education programs in the bill. Overall, discretionary funding for the Department of Education would increase by 6%, or $11.7 billion, in this bill. You can read more details about other program funding levels included in the bill here or view our joint press release with Advance CTE here.

This is just the first step in the congressional appropriations process, and final funding levels for many of the programs in the bill are likely to change as the process moves forward. The next step after subcommittee consideration will be a full committee mark-up, currently scheduled for May 8. Amendments are likely to be considered during that mark-up. Once the full committee marks up and passes the bill, it will then go to the House floor for consideration by the entire House of Representatives, and a similar process will take place in the Senate before final agreement.

Complicating the final passage and agreement between the chambers on funding levels for FY 2020 are the statutory budget caps currently in place on discretionary spending—both for defense and nondefense programs. Congressional leaders are currently in the process of negotiating an increase in these caps, which will be necessary to avoid steep cuts across the federal budget and provide any of the increases suggested by the House. The exact cap agreement will have tremendous influence on the final funding numbers for education programs like Perkins.