CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Senate CTE Caucus Hosts Briefing on Middle School CTE Exploration

Last Tuesday, the Senate CTE Caucus, in conjunction with the Afterschool Alliance, hosted a briefing titled: “Making the Most of Middle School Career Exploration in CTE.” The panelists began by discussing the work community stakeholders are already doing to expose students to different career pathways, develop soft skills necessary to be successful in the workforce, and provide other benefits to students outside of traditional school hours to help them become college and career ready.

The conversation then shifted to the new community stakeholder involvement provisions added to Perkins V, like the requirement to involve stakeholders in the local needs assessment and the public comment and review period for performance targets, among others. They spoke at length about the importance of state and local agencies fostering stronger relationships with community stakeholders to ensure there is cohesion between what students are learning in school and in afterschool programs, and how to effectively provide students with more holistic, high-quality middle school CTE exploration opportunities.

The Panelists included:

• Regina Sidney-Brown, Director, Delaware Afterschool Network, United Way of Delaware
• Luke Rhine, Director, Career and Technical Education and STEM Initiatives, Delaware Department of Education
• Daniela Grigioni, Executive Director, After-School All-Stars, Washington, DC
• Andrew Coy, Executive Director, Digital Harbor Foundation, Baltimore, MD
• Jacob, Student, Digital Harbor Foundation, Baltimore, MD

In 2018, ACTE put out a report titled, “Career Exploration in Middle School: Setting Students on the Path to Success.” Click here to view the report and learn more about the benefits, and potential barriers, to having programs that allow students to explore career opportunities in middle school.

To view the briefing in its entirety, click here.

Short Term Pell Bill Introduced in House

While the Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, S. 839, was introduced in the Senate earlier this year, a companion bill was just introduced in the House. Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) and Cedric Richmond (D-LA) have introduced H.R. 3497, which extends Pell Grant eligibility to short term job training programs.

Currently, Federal Pell Grants are not available to postsecondary CTE students in short-term certificate programs that provide the education and skills necessary for many in-demand careers. Pell Grant eligibility is limited based on a program's clock hours and/or length. As a result, students across the country do not have access to many short-term CTE programs that culminate in meaningful credentials that are proven to increase earning potentials and employment opportunities. That's why ACTE, along with other education organizations, employers, and community and technical colleges, strongly supports H.R. 3497, the JOBS Act, which would change Pell eligibility requirements to allow funding for high-quality short-term programs.

Along with Reps. Gonzalez and Richmond, Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Andy Levin (D-MI), John Katko (D-NY) and Steven Horsford (D-NV) are also signed on to the JOBS Act.

ACTE is urging CTE advocates to click here to ask your Representative to co-sponsor the JOBS Act. Thank you for your CTE advocacy!

House Education Committee Holds Final Scheduled HEA Reauthorization Hearing

On June 19, the House Education and Labor Committee held its fifth bipartisan hearing of this Congress on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). This was the last of a series of hearings that was announced early this year. This hearing focused on the role of innovation in improving student outcomes and advancing equity. In his opening statement, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) stated that out of all the jobs created since the recession, 95% of them went to workers with at least some college education and that he expects this trend to continue. Further, he added, “Our higher education system must give every student the opportunity to be on the right side of this trend. But, this is not the case today.”

This message set the tone for the hearing, which focused on the importance of prioritizing and increasing investments into our community college systems and financial aid system, rethinking what services institutions should provide to support students, and the expansion of dual enrollment-style programs and competency-based education as ways to increase postsecondary attainment while driving down the cost for students and families.

If you wish to watch the hearing in its entirety, click here.

House Passes Labor/H Funding Bill; Senate Stalls in Hopes of Budget Deal

On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 2740, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2020, by a party-line vote of 226-203. This legislation provides funding for the Department of Education (ED), among other agencies, for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Overall, it provides a significant increase, $11.7 billion, to ED, with the majority of programs in the department seeing an increase in funding.

Most important to the CTE community, the Perkins Basic State Grant program received an increase of $47 million over its FY2019 enacted level, bringing the total proposed funding for FY2020 to $1.31 billion. Although this falls short of our request that would ensure funding keeps pace with demand, we are encouraged by the House of Representatives acknowledgement of the important role CTE plays in preparing learners for education and career success, particularly as labor market shortages impact virtually every sector of today's economy.

Another important issue to the CTE community, teacher preparation and development programs, was prominently addressed in H.R. 2740. Title II-A, the only federal funding source that is solely reserved for teacher preparation and training programs, received a $500 million increase, bringing its new total for FY2020 to $2.6 billion. A 2017 Pew study revealed that 2/3rds of all State CTE Directors reported having a CTE teacher shortage in one or more career clusters. In the current environment surrounding the recruitment and retention of quality CTE educators, these additional funds are critical to ensuring that school districts are able to continue to produce high-quality CTE programs for their students. You can find more info on funding for other programs related to CTE in our recent blog here.

What’s next?

Now action will need to take place in the Senate before the two chambers can “go to conference,” and reach a final agreement to send to the President for his signature. Complicating the introduction and passage in the Senate are the statutory budget caps currently in place on discretionary spending—both for defense and nondefense programs. If Congress does not come up with an agreement to raise the budget caps, they go into effect October 1 and will trigger across the board cuts, or sequestration, totaling roughly $120 trillion.

Congressional leaders and the White House are currently in the process of negotiating an increase in these caps, which will be necessary to avoid the steep cuts previously mentioned and to 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, WIOA and Title II-A and other critical programs in ESSA.

Think Tank Identifies Innovative CTE Programs

The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) recently identified more than 30 programs that are reinventing secondary CTE, including programs delivered by public schools as well as by charter schools and nonprofit organizations.

CRPE, a nonpartisan research and policy analysis center at the University of Washington Bothell, identified 32 programs, schools and districts that are leading the way in reimagining CTE by:

• connecting students to high-demand, living-wage careers;
• preparing students for postsecondary success;
• delivering a relevant learning experience;
• focusing on equity; and
• using community resources.

These innovative programs and institutions include Worcester Technical High School in Massachusetts; Wheeling High School in Illinois; Wheat Ridge High School in Colorado; West-MEC in Arizona; STEM School Chattanooga in Tennessee; the marketing program at Southwest Early College High School in Pharr, Texas; Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School in Nashville; Iowa BIG; and Genesee Career Institute in Michigan.

CRPE analysts used nominations, web searches and reports to identify 200 programs, districts and schools, which were then evaluated against a set of criteria that included enrollment data, program elements, labor market alignment and state performance data. Federal performance data was not a selection criterion.

While ACTE values increased recognition for CTE programs, the selection process used did result in a non-representative sample of programs, schools and districts, as acknowledged by CRPE analysts. This process likely missed some excellent CTE programs, particularly those that engage in less promotion and marketing.

High-quality CTE Series Continues with Brief on Student Career Development

ACTE is continuing its series exploring in detail each of ACTE's 12 elements of high-quality CTE with Defining Quality: Student Career Development.

Student Career Development is one of 12 elements in the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework, a comprehensive, evidence-based set of quality standards for CTE programs. Criteria within this element address strategies that help students gain career knowledge and engage in education and career planning and decision-making, including comprehensive and coordinated career development across learner levels; individual academic and career plans; information about educational opportunities and workforce trends that students (and families, when appropriate) need to make informed decisions; job search information and placement services as students near the end of the program of study; and professional development for career guidance and advising professionals.

Defining Quality: Student Career Development describes the criteria within the Student Career Development element, recommends types of evidence that programs can consider when assessing their performance against these quality criteria, and shares case studies of school districts and institutions doing exemplary work to provide students with career exploration, guidance and planning services. This publication was generously supported by Xello.

Eventually, the series will include 12 briefs, one for each of ACTE’s 12 elements of high-quality CTE. In addition, we will be sharing a series of micro-webinars presenting short case studies on success within each element.

You can access all our High-quality CTE Initiative tools and resources at www.acteonline.org/high-quality-CTE.

House Education Hearing on Critical Role Community Colleges Play in Student Success

On May 22, the House Committee on Education and Labor’s subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment held a hearing on the critical role community colleges and minority-serving institutions play in preparing students for success.

In his opening statement, Ranking Member Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) discussed the need to ensure that any “restructuring and innovation in our higher education system provides all students equal access to opportunities that offer pathways to success – both inside and outside of the conventional classroom.” This sentiment was generally shared and highlighted throughout the hearing by members on both sides of the aisle.

Members spoke of the need to better align our postsecondary educational programs with current and future labor market demands, and to better prepare students for success and our economy for long-term growth. Further, there was widespread recognition that not all family-sustaining careers require a four-year degree and that the country cannot continue to overlook the value of these programs; especially at a time when the U.S. economy has more jobs unfilled than people qualified to fill them.

When discussing the value of community colleges, Virginia Community College System Chancellor Glenn DuBois, who testified at the hearing, spoke extensively on the need to extend Pell to high-quality, non-credit workforce training programs. He continued, “Should Pell Grants be extended to these students, I would suggest you do so with a solid system of accountability that includes program completion data and income gains for program graduates.”

Expanding Pell to short-term job training programs and making student level data publicly available are two major priorities for ACTE during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. There are two legislative proposals, which ACTE has publicly endorsed, that would achieve these goals. S. 800, the College Transparency Act, would reverse the ban on a federal student-level data system, and S. 839, the JOBS Act, would expand Pell Grant eligibility to short-term job training programs.

Another topic importance to ACTE that was discussed during the hearing was the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, in terms of aligning the job opportunities offered to students more closely to their programs of study. Other topics raised during the hearing were accessibility and affordability of receiving a postsecondary education, the Pell Grant program, mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and addressing the unique needs of students who typically enroll at these institutions.

If you wish to watch the hearing in its entirety, click here.

Updated: Brief History of CTE Timeline

ACTE recently updated its timeline of major events in CTE history to include the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).

This one-pager highlights important moments in federal CTE policy, starting with the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and continuing with short descriptions of each version of federal legislation, ending with Perkins V. It also describes the most recent federal appropriations for CTE.

This infographic can be a useful tool for CTE teacher educators and advocates interested in how federal legislation has changed over the past century. For a more in-depth look at the evolution of federal CTE policy, read CTE Policy Past, Present, and Future: Driving Forces Behind the Evolution of Federal Priorities by myself and ACTE’s Alisha Hyslop, published in the Peabody Journal of Education (fee required).

Senate Caucus Briefing on Swiss Apprenticeship Model in the United States

On Tuesday, the Senate CTE Caucus, in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland, hosted a briefing discussing the recent initiatives and developments in the United States related to Swiss-inspired apprenticeships models.

In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Martin Dahinden highlighted the priority the Swiss place on apprenticeships and their benefits for the economy. On an annual basis, Switzerland spends just over 1% of its GDP on apprenticeship initiatives. To put that amount in context, if the United States invested at the same level, it would equate to almost $200 billion annually. The Ambassador further explained that apprenticeship’s success, training two out of every three students, is owed to the fact that over 40% of all businesses participate.

After Ambassador Dahinden spoke, CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) gave brief remarks highlighting their steadfast commitment to ensuring that all students are college and career ready when they graduate high school. Specifically, Sen. Kaine mentioned his legislation, S. 839, the JOBS Act, and how it would make students pursuing short-term job training programs eligible to receive Pell Grants. ACTE publicly supports the JOBS Act.

The other presenters included an executive at an advanced manufacturing firm that is participating, a current apprentice in the program and the Program Director at CareerWise Colorado, the non-profit intermediary administering the apprenticeship system throughout Colorado. The presenters, representing different factions that make up the system, all had a similar message: Apprenticeships offer real credentials and career pathways into middle skill jobs, present a realistic, affordable option for securing postsecondary credentials, and provide employers with a skilled, productive pipeline.

As background, the Swiss vocational and professional education and training (VPET) system is a public-private partnership that includes the professional organizations, cantons (state government), and the Swiss Confederation (federal government) to jointly define curricula, skill sets and standards for occupations throughout the country. At the end of students’ compulsory education, they have a choice between continuing their studies (postsecondary) or opting for vocational education training (VET). VET combines school with practical, on-the-job experience. The basic in-company apprenticeship involves spending three or four days in the workplace, then moving to the classroom at a vocational school for the remainder of the week. The training, during which the apprentice is paid by the employer, lasts between two and four years, at the end of which the apprentice receives a Federal VET Diploma or Federal VET Certificate. The former apprentice can then go straight into the labor market or enter higher education.

For a more detailed look into Switzerland's Vocational and Professional Education and Training System, please visit their website.

CTE Creates the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce

Manufacturing employs almost 13 million people—nearly 9 percent of the labor force—and much of industry growth has been occurring in high-tech sub-sectors like automotive and aerospace manufacturing. Learn how CTE prepares the workforce in advanced manufacturing with ACTE’s updated Sector Sheet. This brief has been revised with the latest on job demand, talent shortages and exemplary CTE programs.  

Manufacturing is well known for paying a family-sustaining wage, even for workers with less than a college degree. The average manufacturing employee in 2017 earned almost $85,000, including benefits, and wages can be higher in sub-sectors such as aerospace, motor vehicle parts and plastics manufacturing. However, 89 percent of manufacturers are experiencing talent shortages, with 60 percent reporting a high or very high impact on productivity. If these talent shortages continue, 2.4 million positions may go unfilled.

To engage and prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing, the award-winning mechatronics program at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, incorporates rigorous academic and technical coursework, industry certifications and dual credit. Students also graduate with Siemens entry-level mechatronics certification. The program developed from an education-industry partnership, and business and industry leaders help market the program to students and parents, which has encouraged the enrollment of female, low-income and minority students.

On the postsecondary level, Hudson Valley Community College in New York has developed a program in semiconductor manufacturing as part of its state-of-the-art TEC-SMART (Training and Education Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Alternative and Renewable Technologies) facility. Students can earn an associate of applied science degree in semiconductor manufacturing technology, and be prepared to work in capacity field service, testing and manufacturing in the Hudson Valley area, which is a leading region for semiconduc­tor manufacturing.

ACTE’s Sector Sheet series is generously supported by Pearson.