CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

ACTION ALERT – Ask Your Rep. to Support Perkins Funding in FY22!

Every year ahead of the annual appropriations process, House CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and G.T. Thompson (R-PA) circulate a sign-on letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in that year's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. Committee members view these sign-on letters as a critical part of the process because they show the breadth of support a specific issue has, making this letter's success critical.

Ask your Representative to sign onto the letter and show support for Perkins CTE in FY22.

After years of declining federal support for CTE, the past few budgets have included modest increases for the Perkins Basic State Grant program. Your advocacy these past few years has been critical to securing increases in Perkins funding, and so we need your help again to keep the momentum going!

We need to continue to raise awareness with policymakers to ensure they understand the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. Your advocacy makes a difference and encourages policymakers to take action, so please contact your representative today! Additionally, if you have met with a staff member during NPS or at another time and have a direct contact, feel free to call or email directly rather than using the action center. The deadline for Members of Congress to sign onto the letter is Friday, April 23.

DC Digest: April 5-11

Though it was another relatively quiet week for Congress since both Chambers were out of session, several announcements from the Department of Education were released last week. In addition, on Friday, President Biden proposed a $1.5 trillion annual budget for 2022 fiscal year, including an increase to non-defense spending for governmental agencies such as the Department of Education, which would see a 40.8% increase from the current funding levels under the proposal (which did not provide detailed funding levels for all programs like Perkins). Here some other notes from the week: 

• Department of Education Releases Second Volume of its COVID-19 Handbook: On April 9, the Department of Education released its second volume of COVID guidance, the COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs. In this volume, the Department provides additional strategies for reopening schools for in-person learning, and recommendations for promoting equity by addressing opportunity gaps that were exacerbated by the pandemic. It also provides strategies to address the social, emotional, mental-health and academic impacts of the pandemic on students, educators and staff. Following the release, Sec. Cardona held a roundtable discussion with students and parents on the impact of the pandemic. 
   
• Department of Education Announces More Political Appointees: More political appointees were announced by the Department of Education. Among these political appointees, Amy Loyd was announced as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). Read our full blog post here.  
   
• Department of Education Begins Issuing ESSA Testing-related Waivers: The Department of Education issued a number of responses this week to state requests for waivers related to the statewide academic assessments required under ESSA. Waivers granted generally related to timing of assessments, participation and accountability, and for the most part the Department has not supported states efforts to cancel test completely. State ESSA waivers will have a future impact on the availability and quality of data for reporting on student academic achievement under Perkins as well. Copies of waiver responses can be found here. 

• National Groups Support the College Transparency Act: On April 5, ACTE joined 147 education-related groups, including members and partners of the Postsecondary Data Collaborative and National Skills Coalition, to send a letter in support of the College Transparency Act.  The College Transparency Act is a bipartisan legislative proposal which would modernize the postsecondary reporting system to ensure students and families have clear and concise information as learners consider higher education opportunities.  

President Biden Releases Topline Discretionary Request for Fiscal Year 2022

Last week, the Biden Administration submitted its proposal for topline fiscal year (FY) 2022 discretionary funding to Congress. While this is not a full budget proposal, it provides Congress and stakeholders an early indication of some of the Administration’s priorities. Overall, the discretionary request would restore non-defense discretionary funding to 3.3% of GDP, or $769 billion, which is approximately the historical average over the past 30 years.

Specifically, the President’s request includes $102.8 billion for the Department of Education, a $29.8 billion or 41% increase over the 2021 enacted level. The request also includes $14.2 billion for the Department of Labor, a $1.7 billion or 14% increase from the 2021 enacted level. While the topline request did not include the Administration’s request for all individual programs, including the CTE Basic State Grant program, it does include details on some education and workforce funding levels, including:

• $20 billion increase to Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
• $2.6 billion increase to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants
• $400 increase to the Pell Grant maximum award
• $600 million increase for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) 
• $203 million increase to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) state grants
• $100 million increase to expand registered apprenticeship programs
• $65 million increase for an Agriculture Department program that provides grants for broadband deployment projects in unserved areas.

The Administrations press release can be found here and the complete request can be found here. A full budget proposal with programmatic funding levels is likely to be released later this spring. ACTE will continue to monitor the Administration’s priorities as more details continue to emerge, so please continue to check the CTE Policy Watch Blog for more updates.

OCTAE Deputy Assistant Secretary Announced

On April 9, the U.S. Department of Education announced another group of political appointees to leadership roles within the agency. Among this group was a key appointee for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)! Dr. Amy Loyd, most recently a vice president at Jobs for the Future, was appointed to serve as the deputy assistant secretary for policy and strategic initiatives within OCTAE. Dr. Loyd will also serve in the role of acting assistant secretary until an individual is nominated and confirmed to that position.

ACTE has been privileged to work with Dr. Loyd on several occasions over the past few years as we have supported the CTE community during Perkins implementation, and we know she will be strong advocate for equitable access to high-quality CTE and career pathways for all learners. You can find her official bio from the announcement below:

Amy Loyd, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (serving as acting Assistant Secretary)

Amy Loyd, Ed.L.D., has an extensive background in education and the nonprofit sector, and has designed and led programs across the United States that improve education and workforce outcomes for people and strengthen communities. Most recently, Dr. Loyd was a Vice President at Jobs for the Future, where she led the organization’s programs in college and career pathways that span K-12 and postsecondary education and training into the world of work; in workforce development with a lens on economic advancement; in state and federal policy; and in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She previously was the Director of Education at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, leading a network of schools and programming providing comprehensive, culturally responsive education, training, and wraparound services to the Alaska Native and Native American communities. Dr. Loyd holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College and a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she is an adjunct lecturer member focused on using career pathways to increase opportunity and equity.

Research Round-up: Postsecondary Edition

Creating a Data-informed Campus Culture: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for a new, innovative shift to a data-informed campus culture, according to a new report from the Institute of Higher Education Policy. According to the authors, the way to overcome some of challenges brought on by the pandemic is to create and strengthen a culture of data usage to support students most in need of social mobility and economic security, especially student groups that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic--Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander students and low-income students. The report provides multiple approaches to create a data culture, which were created from interviews of institutional experts on developing data-informed interventions that close gaps in access and completion.  

Survey Results on COVID-19 Impacting Community College Students’ Plans: The Center for Community College Student Engagement surveyed students entering community college to understand the impact of the pandemic on learners’ postsecondary decisions. The results from the survey show that some student groups were impacted more greatly than others, however, most students' plans about the postsecondary institution they attended, whether they attended part-time or full-time, and their chosen pathway of study, did not change due to COVID-19.  

Examining the Needs of Community College Students: The Community College Academic and Student Support Ecosystems project examined academic and student support services at associate degree granting postsecondary institutions to find the most effective ways to advance student success. The project shed light on new organizational strategies colleges are employing to align supports with student needs, challenges and success factors in connecting students with appropriate resources, the impact of COVID-19 on student support needs and service provision, as well as additional considerations.  

Analyzing Why Men Stopped Out of Community Colleges: As part of a larger series examining the reasons for the steep decline in enrollment at community colleges during the pandemic, New America released a recent report on why men decided against going to community college during the pandemic. Some of the key findings include: 

• Men were more likely than women to be worried about taking an in-person class, less likely to take an online class, and had more issues with unreliable internet access. 
• Men in computer and information science and manufacturing and construction programs were more likely than women to dropout. 
• A higher percentage of men of color respondents were more likely than white men to cite work as the reason for stopping out of school and felt that the pandemic more negatively impacted their career choice, and they had a higher response rate of not wanting to taking online classes.

Research on Increasing Community College Enrollment: Community college enrollment has drastically declined. However, the percentage of work-age adults, 25- to 64-year-olds, who intend to enroll within the next two years has not declined; therefore, continuing to invest in community colleges to help provide resources for these potential learners will provide a pathway toward economic mobility, according to a new report from Strada. The report provides overall data on enrollment trends, best practices for encouraging learners to move from intending to apply to enrolling in a community college, and strategies for implementing solutions for enrollment, completion and careers. Spotlights from Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas are also provided for an in-depth look at state specific data and potential solutions to increase community college enrollment. 

Understanding Community College Enrollment Trends: New America conducted interviews with postsecondary leaders from 20 community colleges to understand the effects of the pandemic on enrollment. From their interviews, the researchers found four main takeaways: 

• Community college enrollment has declined across the country. 
• Declining enrollment varies depending on the student group such as differing patterns in enrollment by age. 
• Decline in programs varied among colleges, such as some schools were seeing declines in academic programs while CTE programs remained steady. 
• Meeting students' basic needs—food, shelter, internet, technology—is a shared challenge among the colleges. 

Families Want More Alternatives for Postsecondary Education: 46% of parents want their children to have alternatives to four-year college, according to new survey results from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Gallup. Though many parents still hope their child will receive a bachelors degree, many are interested in skills and work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships and internships. According to the researchers, the barriers to alternative postsecondary paths include lack of information about available programs or local access to a desired program. These can be overcome by providing better guidance to students as they consider next steps after graduating high school, and creating a seamless pathway between high school and postsecondary education and to the students’ first job.

Research Round-up: Equitable Work-based Learning Opportunities, Policy Recommendations for a More Skilled Workforce, On-The-Job Training Focus During COVID-19

Providing Equitable Access to Work-based Learning Opportunities: High-quality work-based learning opportunities must be accessible to every learner, says Advance CTE’s newest publication. Within the report are five strategies states can use to build, implement and scale high-quality work-based learning experiences. Each section provides a real-world view of what this looks like in practice, a rationale for each strategy and best practices from state and local programs.  

Creating Equitable Construction Apprenticeship Programs and Employment Opportunities: While the number of Black and Latina women in construction apprenticeships has been growing rapidly, still only one in 25 apprentices are women according to a new report. The research draws from several focus groups with women who completed at least two years of a construction apprenticeship, and highlights some of the challenges they faced and recommendations on best practices for registered apprenticeship programs to create a diverse and inclusive construction trade workforce. 

Study Comparing Online to In-person Learning Outcomes: A new study assesses administrative data from Columbia to assess the differences between online and in-person postsecondary programs. One of the key findings was that in general, students who participated in shorter technical certificate programs online performed significantly worse on the exit exams compared to their on-campus student counterparts. However, students who were enrolled online in the largest public vocational institution (SENA) in the country performed better on their exit exams compared to their in-person counterparts. From these findings, the researchers suggest potential recommendations from the lessons learned by SENA’s success, such as providing synchronous yet flexible online coursework and using hands-on projects to engage students and enhance their learning. 

Policy Recommendations to Build a More Skilled Workforce: ExcelinEd created 20 state- and learner-centered policies to help build an education-to-workforce development pathway in order to prepare learners for the future workforce. Along with the recommended policies are examples of three learners’ pathways that lead them to success in the workforce, as well as case studies of states implementing a continuum of education to work-force policies.  

Increased Focus of On-The-Job Training During COVID-19: Based on surveys of employees and managers at large U.S. companies, researchers from the Milken Institute and Infosys reported that on-the-job training was the most important type of skills training during the pandemic. Obtaining a license or a certificate was the second most popular type of skills training, while online training and university degrees were less favored among the respondents. 

Report on the Impacts of a Potential Infrastructure Package: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce released a new report endorsing a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan. The researchers argue that it would create or save over 15 million jobs over 10 years and would increase the share of infrastructure jobs from 11% to 14% of all U.S. jobs. Other key findings include: 

• 90% of infrastructure jobs are held by men, and the majority of new jobs created would be in male-dominated fields. 
• An infrastructure program would create 8 million jobs for workers with a high school diploma or less, 4.8 million jobs for workers with more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree and 2.25 million jobs for workers with bachelor’s degrees and above. 
• An infrastructure stimulus would expand broadband internet access to 21.3 million more Americans. 
• An infrastructure program would create 3.4 million jobs in the Southeast, 3.2 million jobs in the Pacific Coastal region, 2.8 million jobs in the Midwest, 2.4 million jobs in the Mid-Atlantic, 1.9 million jobs in the Southwest and 713,000 jobs in New England. 

DC Digest: March 29-April 4

Last week, President Biden released his highly anticipated Infrastructure bill proposal. The $2 trillion “American Jobs Plan” aims to create millions of jobs while rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. It is expected to span eight years if enacted, and education and workforce development was a significant part of the proposal. To learn more about the proposal, read more in our full blog post. Elsewhere on the Hill was relatively quiet with both the House and Senate out of session, but there were several other Administration announcements. Here are some notes from last week: 

• Agricultural Workforce Training Priority Released: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative announced an agriculture workforce training priority to help expand student’s access to agricultural jobs through the development of new workforce training programs or the expansion, improvement or renewal of existing workforce training programs at community, junior and technical colleges and institutes. An informational webinar about this priority will be held April 5, from 2-3 p.m. ET. 
   
• President Biden Investigating Legality of Canceling $50,000 in Student Loan Debt: On Thursday, the Biden Administration requested that the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona prepare a report on the president’s legal authority to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower. This has been a hotly debated topic throughout the pandemic, and more details will be available in the coming weeks. Also under the student loan debt theme, Secretary Cardona joined a roundtable discussion with student loan borrowers and advocates to discuss the impact of student loan debt.  
   
• Student with Disabilities Get Relief for Student Loans: The Department of Education announced actions to help students who have total or permanent disabilities who had their student loans discharged, but have faced reinstatement or other penalties for not submitting earnings documentation during the COVID-19 national emergency.  
   
• Expanding Relief to Additional Federal Student Loans in Default: The Department of Education also announced an expansion of the pause on federal student loan interest and collections to all defaulted loans in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program aimed to help those who were burdened by debt during the pandemic. This expands the action taken by the Biden Administration that included pausing student loan interest, repayment, and collections activity through Sept. 30, 2021. 

Biden Releases $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan with Focus on Education and Workforce Development

This week, President Biden unveiled the details of his $2 trillion infrastructure-related “American Jobs Plan,” which aims to create millions of jobs and spur the economy while rebuilding a substantial portion of our nation’s infrastructure. The plan would span eight years and spending would equal around 1% of the U.S. GDP per year, to be offset by changes to the tax code, particularly for corporations.

The proposal would provide wide-ranging investments across areas traditionally seen as part of the infrastructure conversation, as well as others, ranging from research and development, roads and bridges to modernizing the electric grid.

Education and workforce development were also a significant part of the proposal. First, it proposal would provide $100 billion, through a combination of direct grants and bonds, for K-12 school construction and modernization. It also provides substantial investments in EV technology, which would seek to electrify 20% of our nation’s school bus fleet and calls for $45 billion to eliminate lead pipes and service lines In America, which would reduce lead exposure in 400,000 schools and childcare facilities. $12 billion is also allocated for investments in community college infrastructure, including both facilities and technology. An additional $100 billion is allocated to broadband expansion and could help close the digital divide for students.

This proposal also calls for considerable investments into our nation’s workforce development systems. President Biden is requesting $100 billion for proven workforce development programs targeted at underserved groups and getting our students on paths to careers before they graduate from high school. According to the fact sheet released by the White House, the American Jobs Plan seeks to divide this funding into three main areas, one of which specifically mentions CTE. These three components of the plan are excerpted below:

• Pair job creation efforts with next generation training programs. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest in evidence-based approaches to supporting workers. This includes wraparound services, income supports, counseling, and case management, paired with high-quality training and effective partnerships between educational institutions, unions, and employers. Specifically, he is calling for a $40 billion investment in a new Dislocated Workers Program and sector-based training. This funding will ensure comprehensive services for workers, who have lost jobs through no fault of their own, to gain new skills and to get career services they need with in-demand jobs. Sector-based training programs will be focused on growing, high demand sectors such as clean energy, manufacturing, and caregiving, helping workers of all kinds to find good-quality jobs in an ever-changing economy.
• Target workforce development opportunities in underserved communities. Structural racism and persistent economic inequities have undermined opportunity for millions of workers. All of the investments in workforce training will prioritize underserved communities and communities hit hard by a transforming economy. President Biden also will call upon Congress to ensure that new jobs created in clean energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure are open and accessible to women and people of color. President Biden is calling on Congress to also specifically target funding to workers facing some of the greatest challenges, with a $12 billion. This includes $5 billion over eight years in support of evidence-based community violence prevention programs. He is calling on Congress to invest in job training for formerly incarcerated individuals and justice-involved youth and in improving public safety. He also is calling on Congress to tackle long-term unemployment and underemployment through a new subsidized jobs program. And, he is calling on Congress to eliminate sub-minimum wage provisions in section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act and expand access to competitive, integrated employment opportunities and fair wages for workers with disabilities.
• Build the capacity of the existing workforce development and worker protection systems. The United States has underinvested in the workforce development system for decades. In fact, we currently spend just one-fifth of the average that other advanced economies spend on workforce and labor market programs. This lack of investment impacts all of us: better educated workers create spillover effects for other workers and lack of employment has negative social impacts on communities. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest a combined $48 billion in American workforce development infrastructure and worker protection. This includes registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, creating one to two million new registered apprenticeships slots, and strengthening the pipeline for more women and people of color to access these opportunities through successful pre-apprenticeship programs such as the Women in Apprenticeships in Non-Traditional Occupations. This will ensure these underserved groups have greater access to new infrastructure jobs. These investments include the creation of career pathway programs in middle and high schools, prioritizing increased access to computer science and high-quality career and technical programs that connect underrepresented students to STEM and in-demand sectors through partnerships with both institutions of higher education and employers. The President’s plan also will support community college partnerships that build capacity to deliver job training programs based on in-demand skills. His plan will better tailor services to workers’ job seeking and career development needs through investments in Expanded Career Services and the Title II adult literacy program. The President’s plan includes funding to strengthen the capacity of our labor enforcement agencies to protect against discrimination, protect wages and benefits, enforce health and safety safeguards, strengthen health care and pensions plans, and promote union organizing and collective bargaining.

To learn more, click here to read the fact sheet released by the White House. Please continue to monitor ACTE’s Policy Watch Blog for more information as this proposal continues to make its way through Congress!

ACTE Releases Report on CTE During and After COVID-19

While COVID-19 has led to many challenges for CTE over the past year, the pandemic has also created opportunities for experimentation and innovation in delivery of CTE programs and programs of study. ACTE’s latest publication, High-quality CTE During COVID-19: Challenges and Innovations, generously sponsored by MajorClarity, describes these challenges, shares examples of innovative practices, and provides recommendations for how CTE leaders can better prepare the post-COVID-19 workforce and embrace lessons learned during the pandemic.

In response to surveys fielded to ACTE members in January and February 2021, CTE professionals report that the biggest challenges they are facing during the 2020-21 school year are motivating and engaging learners and providing hands-on learning and lab hours. Providing work-based learning experiences and preparing students for industry certifications and other performance assessments are also significant challenges. And about one-fifth of CTE professionals identified internet/technology access and supporting special and underserved populations as major issues.

In addition to these delivery challenges, CTE administrators report significant enrollment declines in many CTE programs this year as well as possible funding declines and CTE instructor shortages in the years to come.

In the face of these challenges, CTE educators have risen to the moment with flexibility, creativity and perseverance. This report describes many innovative practices in CTE from the past year, including but not limited to:

• The outdoor CTE classroom at Rockbridge County High School in Lexington, Virginia, enabled students to complete performance assessments and check off competencies in an open-air, socially distanced setup.
• YouthForce Internship, a project of New Orleans-based YouthForce NOLA, developed virtual "consultancies" in which students worked together to solve a business problem identified by an employer.
• Adult nursing students at Assabet Valley Regional Technical School in Marlborough, Massachusetts, are gaining experience and earning clinical hours by administering COVID-19 vaccines.
• Kansas DECA is organizing virtual challenges to continue to develop students' technical, employability and leadership skills.
• High school students at the Teacher Academy of Renton School District 403 in Renton, Washington, have been working remotely one-on-one with elementary students who need extra emotional or academic support.

As COVID-19 moves into a new phase, CTE educators are considering how lessons learned from this past year can support teaching and learning that is more equitable, more flexible, more diverse in its delivery and more focused on competencies in order to meet an anticipated surge in demand for CTE programs that prepare youth and adults with the skills and credentials needed in the post-pandemic workforce.

To make the most of this moment, ACTE recommends that CTE leaders pursue the following recommendations, which are further elaborated in the report:

• Reassess labor market alignment
• Skill and reskill the workforce
• Commit to equity
• Embrace innovative tools and delivery models
• Develop and support CTE professionals
• Advocate for CTE

DC Digest: March 22-28

The House was in recess last week while the Senate was still in session, and congressional action related to education was relatively light, with the main activity being around nominations. The focus on the Hill has begun to shift toward a potential economic recovery-focused plan with announcements expected in the coming weeks, that would include significant investments in rebuilding U.S. infrastructure. Here are a few other relevant notes from last week:  

• Labor Secretary Confirmed: On Monday, Marty Walsh was confirmed by the Senate as the Labor Secretary to the Department of Labor. This will be the last confirmation of a political cabinet appointee until the Senate returns after their two-week recess. 
   
• Hearing for the Nomination of Cynthia Marten: On March 24, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee held a hearing for the nomination of Cynthia Marten to serve as Deputy Secretary of Education. During the hearing, Senator Kaine (D-VA) asked Marten how equity was achieved in CTE programs during her tenure as the Superintendent of San Diego.  
   
• Letter to Invest in Workforce Development: In a letter sent to President Biden, which ACTE signed on to, more than 70 organizations urged the President to invest no less than $100 billion for workforce development in the next recovery package to ensure that all workers have the skills and reemployment assistance necessary for a truly inclusive economic recovery.  
   
• Department of Education’s National Safe School Reopening Summit: Also on March 24, the Department of Education hosted the National Safe School Reopening Summit which gathered together education stakeholders, President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Dr. Biden, Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona and Director of the CDC and Prevention Dr. Rochelle Welensky to discuss best practices on reopening schools quickly and safely. During the event, the Administration made several announcements about the use of COVID-19 relief funds, including the distribution of funds to K-12 funding.  
   
• NAEP 2021 School Reopening Survey: This week, the Department released the findings of its first national survey on school reopening. The findings show progress of schools' efforts to reopen schools for in-person learning, and as of February, the survey results showed 76% of schools were open for full-time or hybrid learning. The Department of Education released a statement on the findings as well.

• New Outreach on SNAP Benefits Eligibility: The Department is urging postsecondary institutions to make direct outreach to students who may meet temporarily expanded eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) guidelines. Expanded eligibility includes any student eligible to participate in federal work study or who has an “expected family contribution” of 0 in the current academic year.