CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: February 22-28

The last week of February marked the end of CTE Month, but we hope you were able to experience and participate in some of the events that took place around the country!. Many events shone a spotlight on CTE-related policies, initiatives and advocacy efforts this month, such as ACTE’s National Policy Seminar last week. In addition, last Friday, ACTE and Advance CTE release the eighth annual State Policies Impacting CTE: 2020 Year in Review which highlights major trends in CTE and career readiness policymaking from 2020, and includes a companion online state policy tracker that tracks and analyzes legislative actions by state and content area. On Tuesday, March 2, at 3pm EST, we will be hosting a webinar discussing the report and the trends we saw this year, along with potential policies that might be enacted in 2021. Here are a few other notes from last week:

• House Passes $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package: Late Friday night, the House passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. Included in this large relief package is $130 billion in funding to help K-12 schools reopen for in-person classroom instruction, as well as $1,400 stimulus checks, a $400 weekly unemployment insurance boost through the end of August, $8.5 billion in funding for continued COVID-19 vaccine efforts, among other items. The bill now goes to the Senate, and Democratic leadership wants it to be signed into law by mid-March. 

• Guidance on Assessing Students During COVID-19: The Department of Education’s Office of Education and Secondary Education released a letter providing an update on assessment, accountability and reporting requirements for the 2020-2021 school year. The guidance to states emphasizes that the Department will not be issuing complete, blanket waivers of assessments this school year, but does offer some flexibility in the administration of assessments this year due to COVID-19, and urged continued transparency in reporting assessment data as a source of information for parents and educators to target resources and support.  

• Statement on Student Assessment: Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) of the House Committee on Education and Labor and Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) released a joint statement on the importance of statewide assessments. They emphasized the value of statewide assessment data as a reliable, valid and comparable measurement of student achievement.  

• SNAP Eligibility Expanded During COVID-19: The U.S. Department of Education partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and issued guidance to postsecondary institutions about the temporary expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for learners in need due to the economic burden of the pandemic. These expanded benefits are available to learners who participate in state or federally financed work study or have an expected family contribution of $0 in the current academic year, which includes learners who are eligible for a maximum Pell Grant. 

• Webinar on Access and Equity in CTE Programs and the Workforce: The National Skills Coalition and the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Center hosted a webinar to share best practices that can be implemented in CTE programs and workforce development initiatives that include inclusive and diverse policies to better engage learners regardless of the learners’ background.  

• Webinar on Advancing Innovation in Adult Education: The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) and the Manhattan Strategy Group hosted a webinar to highlight the benefits of strong partnerships between adult education programs and workforce partners. During the webinar, a panel discussion covered topics such as strategies to keep and manage partnerships, addressing challenges with partnerships in rural areas, employability skills, career pathways and more. 

Research Round-up: Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Youth, Virtual Learning Barriers, Using Data Systems for Credential Transparency, 2020 Dual Enrollment Policies

2020 Dual Enrollment Policies: The College in High School Alliance found 195 bills last year introduced in 36 states related to college in high school programs, which resulted in 21 new laws in 14 states. The two most common policy topics for 2020 were finance and course access and availability. The report includes a map of college in high school policies in each state, along with a summary of every new college in high school law passed in 2020.

Most Common Credentials Earned in Virginia: A new report on CTE credentials that Virginia high school graduates most commonly earned between 2011 to 2017 found that the top five credentials were W!se Financial Literacy Certification, Workplace Readiness Skills assessments, Customer Service and Sales Certification, Microsoft Office Specialist Word, and Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint examinations. The researchers found that the top credentials earned did not align specifically to a certain occupation or industry. In addition, the analysis concluded that English learners and students with disabilities earned these credentials at lower rates than other graduates.

Best Practices for Special Populations: The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) released a new resource with best practices for serving the nine special population groups that are defined in Perkins V. The researchers compiled these practices to help states address the equity gaps for special populations that were uncovered during the comprehensive local needs assessment, and can be used to create strategies in addressing these gaps.

Findings from a Pilot to Increase STEM & CTE Participation: NAPE, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, released findings from a pilot program that implemented the Intermountain STEM network (IM STEM) network. The IM Network consisted of state and local partners across six states--Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming--that used a collective impact model to create system-wide changes to increase access and opportunities to participate and succeed in STEM and CTE. Key findings are summarized, as well as recommendations for using a collective impact model to create systemic changes.

Using Data Systems for Credential Transparency: Credential Engine’s new brief, Credential Transparency & P-20W: Aligning Education and Employment Information to Meet State Goals, describes how a connected, open-access data network, and an understanding of how to better align data to aid in decision-making, can support statewide postsecondary credential goals. In order for states to be transparent about the skills and credentials needed for the workforce, states will need to invest in better education and workforce data systems to enable users to analyze and successfully utilize the data.

Reforming Federal Laws to Create Pathways to Good Jobs: In order to create effective and equitable pathways from education and training to the workforce, the federal government must break down policy barriers between the sectors and establish a shared set of definitions, rules and practices applied equally across all laws, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress. The brief offers five recommendations for Congress to consider:

• Align the reauthorization schedule with federal education and workforce development laws without creating legislative gridlock.
• Create a common set of rules and practices around defining quality.
• Create parameters for job quality that are included in federal education and workforce development laws.
• Align key legislative elements of federal education and workforce development laws with good jobs.
• Require states to implement federal education and workforce development laws collaboratively across the education and workforce training systems.

Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Youth: The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education released a summary of comments provided in response to a request for information on Work-Based Learning (WBL) Opportunities for Youth. Comments were provided by a diverse group of stakeholders, including ACTE. Suggested strategies address how to utilize strategic partners to expand participation in WBL, essential components for success, and metrics to measure WBL outcomes.

Virtual Learning Barriers: The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has found that, although K-12 students’ access to a computer for educational purposes has improved during the pandemic, lower-income students are experiencing a greater challenge in accessing the internet. These students have less contact with their teachers, whether that contact is in person, by phone or by video, compared to higher-income students. The researchers warn that this technological gap for lower-income students could lead to negative long-term implications for student learning.

State Policies Impacting CTE: 2020 Year in Review

In 2020, CTE adapted to the challenges brought about by the coronavirus, continuing to deliver high-quality programming nationwide across all learner levels despite significant disruptions to education delivery. Because the pandemic was on the forefront of federal, state and local governments’ agendas, fewer policies and budget provisions for CTE were enacted than in previous years. Last year, 31 states enacted or passed 67 policy actions related to CTE and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders and budget provisions that significantly impacted funding, as documented in the newly released publication State Policies Impacting CTE: 2020 Year in Review.

The policy areas that states focused on in 2020 were similar to previous years. States most frequently addressed the following topics:

• Funding;
• Industry partnerships and work-based learning;
• Access and equity;
• Dual/concurrent enrollment, articulation and/or early college; and 
• Data, reporting and/or accountability.

This report from ACTE and Advance CTE, with research support from the Education Commission of the States, is the eighth annual review of CTE and career readiness policies across the United States. Unlike past reports, this year’s publication does not describe every policy enacted within each state but instead focuses on policy trends across states. Readers looking for specific state policies can visit the online state policy tracker.

In addition to reading the report, you can also join ACTE and Advance CTE on Tuesday, March 2, 3:00-4:00pm EST for a webinar that will explore trends in state CTE policy and discuss implications for 2021 state policy. Participants will hear from state leaders in Indiana and Michigan about major policies enacted and successful initiatives in response to the pandemic.

Sign up for this one-hour webinar at https://acte.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7hcZ23RSQ6qOdg95gc2Oiw

New Paper on Adjusting Perkins Performance Targets

As with many other aspects of CTE, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced uncertainty into the Perkins V performance accountability system. Each state originally included performance targets for each of the core indicators of performance in their Perkins state plans approved last spring, but many of the underlying assumptions that states used in developing those targets are no longer valid. States must now decide whether to use the "unanticipated circumstances" provision in the law to adjust their performance targets or stay the course with current goals.

To help CTE leaders think through the nuances of this important decision, ACTE joined Advance CTE to release "Mitigating Unanticipated Circumstances: Resetting Perkins V State Determined Performance Levels During the COVID-19 Pandemic." This resource provides an overview of four steps states can take to think through the decision about adjusting performance targets:

1. Quantify the impact 
2. Explore options 
3. Revise targets
4. Engage the public 

This tool is designed for states that are considering resetting their Perkins V performance targets, but local CTE leaders might find the sections on reviewing leading indicators and other data sources useful as well. In particular, the data sources mentioned in the report can be used to help think through the impact of the pandemic on student performance and intervene early in or seek support for programs that are struggling. Local CTE leaders should also be on the lookout for opportunities to weigh in on the performance target conversation in your states, as any changes to state targets could have an impact on local targets as well.

DC Digest: February 15-21

This week is ACTE’s National Policy Seminar! Participants will get updates on current education policy and the new Congress and Administration, as well as opportunities to advocate for CTE with their representatives during virtual Hill visits. It is an important time for advocacy, as Congress works to complete the next COVID-19 relief bill. While both the Senate and the House were out of session last week, work continued behind the scenes on a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. Here are a few other notes from last week: 

• Student Load Forgiveness Conversation: President Biden, when talking about student loan forgiveness last week, indicated that he supports forgiving $10,000 of student loan debt due to the strain on borrowers from the pandemic. 
   
• Under Secretary of Education Announced: On Friday, President Biden announced the nomination of James Kvaal to be the Under Secretary of Education. Kvaal’s background has primarily been in higher education, and he is expected to continue this focus during his tenure if approved.  
   
• President and Department of Labor on Registered Apprenticeships: On Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced several initiatives related to expand and invest in registered apprenticeship programs. Actions including endorsing the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, reinstating the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships, and pausing or reversing efforts around Industry-recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). As a response to the President’s announcement, the Department of Labor announced several actions being taken related to the suspension of the IRAP program.  
   
• Chairman Scott’s Statement on Registered Apprenticeships: Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott of the House Education and Labor Committee released a statement in response to President Biden’s support of apprenticeships. The President endorsed the  National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which was introduced by the Chairman in January. Scott stressed the need to invest in the registered apprenticeships in order to help with economic recovery efforts in high-demand industries and sectors, such as manufacturing, health care, technology and construction. ACTE has endorsed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 and is actively advocating for its passage. 
   
• Actions to Increase COVID-19 Testing in Schools: President Biden announced new actions being taken to expand COVID-19 testing, improve the availability of the tests and better prepare for new variants of COVID-19. One of the actions being taken is a partnership between the Health and Human Services Department and the Department of Defense to provide $650 million in funding for K-8 schools to establish regional coordinating centers which organize laboratories across the country into COVID-19 testing networks to collect specimens, perform tests and report results to the relevant public health agencies.   

DC Digest: February 8-14

Last week, the primary focus on the Hill was the Senate impeachment trial of former President Trump, which ultimately ended on Saturday with 57 Senators voting to convict the president, not enough for the two-thirds majority required. In the House, most of the activity was related to the next COVID-19 relief package, and several committees moved pieces of the legislation forward. We are also busy preparing for ACTE’s virtual 2021 National Policy Seminar (NPS), taking place the week of February 22, which will provide a timely opportunity to engage with Members of Congress. Check it out on ACTE’s website. Here are some other notes from last week:

• House Education Subcommittee Rosters Announced: Leaders of the House  Education and Labor Committee announced subcommittee rosters on February 8. Democratic and Republican rosters are now available. Notably, Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Rep. Murphy (R-NC) will serve as the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment, which has jurisdiction over most CTE-related issues.
  
• Secretary of Education and Labor Nominees Move Forward: On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 17-5 to approve the nomination of Miguel Cardona to be Secretary of Education and 18-4 to approve Martin Walsh as  Secretary of Labor. Both nominations now move to the full Senate. 
• New COVID-19 Guidance Released for Schools: On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released updated guidance related to the reopening of K-12 schools that is much more detailed and based on community infection rates. The Department of Education followed with Volume 1 of a new COVID-19 Handbook. The handbook provides strategies, guidance and considerations for safely reopening K-12 school for in-person learning, including masking practices, physical distancing and a roadmap for stakeholder engagement. The second volume of the handbook will be released in the coming weeks.
• New COVID-19 Guidance: On Friday, the CDC released updated guidance on safely reopening schools for in-person learning, which is intended to act as a companion guide to the Department of Education’s COVID-19 Handbook. The updated guidance builds on previous recommendations, and includes new mitigation strategies to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, as well as an updated, color-coded chart that divides school reopening options into four zones, based on the level of community transmission.
• Senate Appropriations Committee Announced Leadership and Subcommittee Rosters for 117th Congress: On Friday, the Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and  Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AK) announced the majority and minority chairs, ranking members and the subcommittee rosters for the 117th Congress. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) will continue to lead the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee in this Congress, but with their roles reversed. Sen. Murray will be chair of the Subcommittee and Sen. Blunt the ranking member. 
• House Education and Labor Committee Approves Additional COVID-19 Relief Bill: On Wednesday, the House Education and Labor Committee voted 27-21 to approve a $357.9 billion draft proposal for inclusion in the COVID-19 relief package that's slated to move through Congress under the FY21 budget reconciliation process. A full summary is available in this blog post.

House Education Committee Advances its Piece of COVID-19 Relief Bill

Early Wednesday morning, the House Education and Labor Committee voted 27-21 to approve a $357.9 billion draft proposal for inclusion in the COVID-19 relief package that's slated to move through Congress under the FY21 budget reconciliation process. The process is important because it is a maneuver used to allow the legislation to pass the Senate by a simple majority, instead of the normally required 60-vote threshold.

The bill directly appropriates a total of $170.1 billion for education programs within the Department of Education. Of the $170.1 billion, $169.8 billion is for the education emergency relief fund. Unlike the two previously enacted bills, there is no separate fund for governors to administer. Below is a further breakdown of funds.

• $128.6 billion for K-12 education – The bill provides the funding under the same terms as previously for the Elementary and Secondary Education Emergency Relief Fund, with 90% of the funding going to local educational associations (LEAs). 
• $39.6 billion for higher education – The bill provides 99% of the funding ($39.2 billion) for public and private non-profit institutions of higher education, which must use at least 50% of their funding on emergency financial aid grants to students.
• Other education-related provisions
  • $200 million for Institute of Museum and Library Services  
  • $15.0 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant
  • $23.975 billion for childcare stabilization funding for providers
  • $1 billion for Head Start
  • $1 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service

To learn more, below are links to various documents related to the legislation:

• Chairman Scott’s Opening Statement
• Majority Press Release
• Fact Sheet
• Section by Section Summary
• Bill Text

The committee is one of several that have begun considering portions of the COVID-19 relief package within their committee’s jurisdiction. Committees must submit their legislation to the House Budget Committee by Feb. 16. The total package, which is expected to cost $1.9 trillion, is moving under the budget reconciliation instructions included in the FY 2021 budget resolution (S Con Res 5) the House and Senate adopted last week.

DC Digest: February 1-7

Last week, the Senate finally approved its organizing resolution, allowing Democrats to assume full control of the chamber and new committee chairs to be seated. Both chambers of Congress also approved a budget resolution containing reconciliation instructions, which will make it easier for Democrats to move forward with an additional COVID-19 relief package. You can read a primer on reconciliation here. In recognition of CTE month, Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional CTE Caucus, introduced a resolution that recognizes February as National CTE Month. The resolution emphasizes the important role of CTE in economic recovery, as well as highlights the value of CTE programs for all learners. Here are some other notes from last week:

• More Department of Education Political Appointees: The Department of Education announced 13 more political appointees last week. These 13 appointees will lead various aspects of the Department during President Biden’s term. There are still no political appointees that have been announced for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
• HELP Committee Hearings for Education and Labor Secretary Nominees: On February 3, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a hearing on the nomination of Miguel Cardona as the U.S. Secretary of Education. During the hearing, several Senators emphasized the importance of CTE, and in interviews leading up to the hearing, Cardona highlighted the importance of CTE and the important role community colleges are going to play for post-COVID-19 economic recovery. A separate HELP Committee hearing was held for Marty Walsh to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Labor. In his confirmation hearing, Walsh emphasized increasing equity and inclusion in the workforce, and collaboration with both the Commerce and Education Departments to provide more on-the-job training efforts, among other things. Read the full blog here. 
• Chair and Ranking Member of HELP Committee Formally Announced: On Wednesday, the HELP Committee announced that Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) will officially serve as the Chair of the Senate HELP Committee and Richard Burr (R-NC) will serve as the Ranking Member of the Committee during the 117th Congress. 
• New Project to Gather Data on Schools Reopening: The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences announced a new project “NAEP 2021 School Survey," which will collect both national and state data to understand the impact of COVID-19 on students and the status of in-person learning. This project is aimed to help safely reopen schools for in-person learning.

Hearings for Education Secretary and Labor Secretary Nominees

Last week, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee held two separate committee hearings related to Executive Branch nominees, including for the U.S. Secretary of Education nominee Miguel Cardona and the U.S. Secretary of Labor nominee Marty Walsh. 

On Wednesday during Dr. Cardona’s opening testimony, he made equity and access a key theme of his speech and the priority of his tenure as Secretary of Education. Dr. Cardona highlighted the importance of providing students with pathways to college and career readiness, and promised that all learners will have the opportunity to seek postsecondary opportunities, specifically highlighting the need to provide more support to community colleges.

Throughout the hearing, several committee members emphasized the importance of CTE, and Dr. Cardona himself stated he is a proud CTE graduate of Wilcox Technical High School in Meriden, Connecticut. Senate CTE Caucus Co-Chair Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) emphasized the importance of offering CTE in middle school, as well as the need for CTE in secondary and postsecondary education, especially during a time of economic downturn. CTE Caucus Co-Chair Tim Kaine (D-VA) brought up expanding Pell grants for short-term CTE programs, and several members discussed the need to get rid of the stigma surrounding CTE, which Dr. Cardona agreed. 

On Thursday, the Senate HELP Committee held another hearing for Marty Walsh, the U.S. Secretary of Labor nominee. During Mr. Walsh’s opening remarks, he spoke about his experience helping to create Building Pathways, a pre-apprenticeship training program, as well as his work with expanding workplace training, and the importance of building more partnerships and collaborative opportunities like those while he is the Secretary. He emphasized the need for pathernships between the Labor, Commerce, and Education Departments, and with the postsecondary system to increase access to job training. During this hearing, committee member Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) stressed the importance of starting CTE in high school for those not going onto postsecondary institutions.  

Action Alert: Ask Your Representative to Cosponsor the House CTE Month Resolution!

The co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn "GT" Thompson, have introduced a resolution honoring February as CTE Month. The resolution is similar to the CTE Month resolution introduced in the House last year, which 69 representatives cosponsored!

CLICK HERE to ask your representative to cosponsor this year’s House CTE Month Resolution. 

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