CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

New Education-related Executive Orders

On April 23, President Trump signed a number of new Executive Orders (EOs) impacting education and workforce development. These EOs covered a range of topics, and included:

• Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth
• Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy
• Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies
• Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future
• White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education
• Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities

The “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” EO is the most directly relevant to CTE and intends to maximize investments in America’s reindustrialization and economic growth. This EO instructs the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce and Education to submit new plans to expand Registered Apprenticeships and ensure 1 million active apprentices a year. This plan must also include how to leverage federal investments in postsecondary student aid and Perkins to expand apprenticeships.  

Secretaries for these three Departments will also need to review all Federal workforce development programs within 90 days and report back on ways to integrate, restructure and consolidate these programs through a “comprehensive workforce strategy” report. Perkins CTE programs would likely be included in such as exercise.  

President Trump’s EO on AI intends to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans by integrating AI into education to create an AI-ready workforce and providing AI training for educators.

Secretaries from the Departments of Agriculture, Labor, Energy and Education will collaborate with other relevant departments and agencies to form an AI Education Task Force to coordinate federal efforts related to AI education. The taskforce is also directed to establish as Presidential AI Challenge to “encourage and highlight student and educators achievements in AI,” and to establish public-private partnerships to develop resources on teaching AI literacy. This EO will also direct the Secretary of Labor to promote participation in AI-related Registered Apprenticeships. Notably, the EO does not propose any new funding, but rather focuses on existing funding streams.

President Trump also introduced an EO instructing Secretary McMahon to overhaul the college accreditation system, which is a process colleges must go through in order to receive federal financial aid. The order will serve as a tool to ensure accreditors are complying with the Administration and not engaging in “ideological overreach,” essentially aligning the accreditation standards with the Administration’s values.

ACTE will share more on these orders as activities are implemented.  

Research Roundup: Undergraduate Credentials and Outcomes, Transfer Data, Student Aptitude and Interest in Careers

Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-completion Success?:  This report and data dashboard from the Community College Research Center examines a variety of community college awards to see which are leading students into high-demand, high-wage careers or to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program.

The researchers found that 56% of community college credentials awarded in 2022-23 were workforce/career-technical credentials, programs aimed at leading students to high-wage careers. Among workforce-focused associate degrees, more than three-quarters are associated with median earnings at or above a living wage two years after completion. Similarly, more than three-quarters of workforce-focused credentials at the certificate level also lead to median earnings at or above a living wage within two years of completion. 

Fields such as nursing, computer and information technology, and engineering technology lead to some of the highest-paying careers; however, women, Hispanic and Black workers remain underrepresented in many of these fields. 

Undergraduate Credential Data: Recent data released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center focuses on undergraduate credential attainment across the nation. Key takeaways include: 

• Of the 3.2 million learners that earned an undergraduate credential in 2023-24, 58.8% earned a bachelor’s degree, 25.1% earned an associate degree and 16.1% earned an undergraduate certificate. 
• Although the percentage of learners who received associate degrees declined slightly from the previous academic year (-0.9%), this was the smallest decline yet since 2021-22.  
• The number of first-time certificate earners has been increasing dramatically, reaching 10-year highs across nearly all types of postsecondary institutions. Compared to the previous academic year, the percentage of first-time certificate earners rose by 12.6%.  
• Certificate attainment grew for men and women, but more for men (11.6% compared to 9.7%). Women’s rate of associate degree completion continued to decline, while the number of male associate degree earners has stabilized.   
• Certificate attainment for first-time Black and Hispanic students is outpacing attainment for learners from other racial and ethnic groups. 
• Fields that saw the most growth in first-time certificate attainment were primarily trades-related, such as precision production (+13.9%) and construction trades (+16.1%).  

A National Look at Unfilled Jobs and Unmatched Student Potential: A report from YouScience compares middle and high school students’ aptitudes (where students are likely to thrive) versus their interests in specific Career Clusters.  

The researchers found that, for all Clusters, there were significant gaps between students’ aptitude and interest. Some Clusters, such as Education and Training, have a significantly larger proportion of students expressing interest than aptitude while others, such as Health Science, have more students expressing aptitude than interest.  

The analysis also examined gaps between students showing aptitude and students showing both aptitude and interest, with findings ranging from a gap of 12% in Architecture and Construction to a gap of 28% in Health Science. This research highlights the need for CTE programs to carefully consider how they introduce and expose students to different career pathways.  

The Transfer Playbook: A new guide from the Community College Research Center and the Aspen Institute provides community college and university leaders guidance on improving transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment rates for community college students. The research team compiled data and case studies from transfer partnerships: community colleges and universities with high transfer and degree attainment rates. 

The research team identified three effective strategies: 

• Instituting student-centered reforms, including expanding partnerships to address local workforce needs and investing in staff focused on supporting transfer students and policies. For instance, Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University admit thousands of students into each college simultaneously while also providing wraparound supports and aligning programs to high-wage careers. 
• Offering adjustable four-year course sequences, tailored education plans that account for work and family responsibilities, and faculty guidance to support transfer students. Tallahassee State College integrates transfer maps into class registration and degree planning processes. 
• Providing quality advising experiences on transfer policies and alignment with career goals. The University of North Texas schedules mandatory advising sessions for transfer students to ensure they are aware of school resources and understand their pathways to earning a degree. 

Research Roundup: Community and Technical Colleges

In honor of April being Community College Month, we will be highlighting some recent community and technical college research for this and the next Research Roundup. 

Three-year Findings from the Viking ROADS Demonstration: A recent study by MDRC examined the Viking Resources for Obtaining Associate Degrees and Success (Viking ROADS) initiative at Westchester Community College in New York, which launched in 2018 and provides full-time students with counseling, career and tutoring services; financial aid; and specialized enrollment options, such as reserved seats in courses.

Students were randomly assigned into either the initiative or a control group. Although much of Viking ROADS took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers found that students engaged had a 12-percentage-point higher graduation rate. Credit attainment also rose – at its peak, students in the initiative were earning 4.3 more credits compared to control group students. Strikingly, among students who earned 60 or more credits (the amount needed to graduate), only 70% of control group students earned their degree compared to 84% of Viking ROADS students. 

Community College Student Trends: A research brief from CompTIA analyzed community college student attitudes on the job market, career pathways and related topics. The researchers surveyed 462 community college students nationwide and found the following: 

• About two-thirds of students report feeling generally positive about the job market after graduation, but 44% of students have economic anxiety. 
• Nearly half of the students report that their academic programs either require (24%) or recommend (24%) attaining an industry-recognized credential. 
• In addition, 81% of students believe that industry-recognized credentials help them advance their careers. 
• For students earning a credential as part of their program, 96% report advancing a step ahead in their career readiness; 46% said they advanced multiple steps ahead. 
• The majority of students ranked many digital skills as important across all careers, such as digital fluency (82%), data and analytics (79%), and IT/cloud/cybersecurity (67%), while 70% of students are working on improving their AI career readiness.  

Promoting Motivation and Learning in Online Courses: A report from the Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative and the Community College Research Center evaluated student engagement and self-directed learning (SDL) skills in online STEM courses. Students from nine broad-access institutions, including seven community colleges, were interviewed about their experiences. 

The researchers categorized their findings into four categories: 

• Peer and faculty interactions motivate students, but these interactions in online learning can be scarce and lead to isolation. Specific interactions that built confidence in students include listening to questions on course content from peers and attending optional synchronous sessions held by faculty. 
• Students want more help as they develop their applied learning skills (such as setting goals and taking notes).  A few students mentioned that direct guidance from their professors – such as weekly emails on upcoming deadlines/strategies to use – were extremely helpful. 
• Students face barriers when seeking help in online courses, including fears of being perceived as unprepared. Students with engaging professors felt more comfortable asking for help. 
• Many students develop their SDL skills from previous experiences and perseverance, citing their families and communities as inspiration for them to complete college. 

The researchers end with recommendations to faculty, such as prioritizing interactions with and between students and providing additional assistance in navigating course resources. 

Governors Reshaping Workforce Development: A report from the Project on Workforce and the National Governors Association examined how governors are utilizing WIOA and similar policies to implement workforce development strategies. The researchers conducted interviews and surveys with workforce development policymakers and workforce administrators across 34 states. 

The researchers noted several overall findings: 

• Workforce governance structures have been facing major shifts in many states, with governors focusing more on workforce policy within their offices and states merging or realigning roles in state workforce agencies. For instance, in 2018, Alabama created the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation. 
• WIOA planning by states is often stakeholder driven, such as Maine’s Economic Development Strategy, which provides a framework for collaboration between public and private entities. However, some states find such planning too burdensome. 
• Owing to limitations in WIOA funding streams, states are getting creative in finding funding for workforce development. Governor’s WIOA Reserve Funds and Pell Grants are some sources that states report using. 
• Policies aimed at supporting workers are helping states boost their workforce. States often target specific populations, such as youth in CTE programs or individuals with disabilities. 

House and Senate Lawmakers Agree to Budget Resolution

This week, House and Senate lawmakers adopted a budget resolution that will be used as the framework to enact President Trump’s legislative agenda through the budget reconciliation process. The House voted 216-214 to pass the resolution on Thursday. The Senate started the process over the weekend in a 51-48 vote to pass the resolution.

Now lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill can begin the process of crafting a reconciliation bill that will serve as the core of President Trump’s legislative agenda. The package will likely focus on tax cuts, energy policy, border security and military spending while also cutting up to $2 trillion in federal spending over the next 10 years.

Reconciliation bills can pass with only a simple majority in the Senate, so no bipartisan negotiations are required. However, the exact scope of the reconciliation bill is still subject to negotiations within the Republican party and it is not yet clear how education policy fits into the process. Republican leaders in both chambers will negotiate a final package that reflects a broad consensus of both the House and Senate Republican caucuses.

ACTE will continue to monitor the negotiations and communicate the latest developments as they occur. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch ([email protected]).

DC Digest April 7-10

This week, lawmakers narrowly adopted a budget framework that allows Congress to move forward on a budget reconciliation bill with extensive tax provisions as well as cuts of up to $2 trillion in federal spending. At the same time, Congress is beginning work on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills, with an outline of the President’s budget priorities expected later this month and a full Administration budget proposal expected mid-May. Meanwhile, Administration officials made several appearances this week discussing their agendas. Read more for details. 

• Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-AR) reintroduce Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act (MEAA): The bill would expand opportunities for dual enrollment and early college high schools, increasing opportunities for CTE students pursuing these pathways into successful careers. Read ACTE’s endorsement of the MEAA. 

• House CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Circulate Letter to Increase Perkins Funding: The co-chairs of the bipartisan House CTE Caucus, Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter addressed to the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter requests increased funding for Perkins in the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. Read more on the blog, and urge your Representatives to sign the letter! 

• Lawmakers Consider Resolution Requesting Documents from Administration Regarding Department of Education (ED): The House Education and Workforce Committee considered and struck down a resolution, H.Res. 237, requesting that the Administration share documents on their plans to dismantle ED. It was originally introduced by Democratic lawmakers in March. 

• Secretary Linda McMahon Remarks at ASU+GSV Summit: Secretary McMahon spoke at a summit cohosted by Global Silicon Valley and Arizona State University focused on education, workforce and technology. McMahon acknowledged that the Department of Education cannot be closed without congressional approval and discussed possible changes to the Institute of Education Sciences.  

• Lawmakers’ Letter to Secretary McMahon on Pandemic Relief Extension Policy: Democratic congressional leaders in both the House and Senate sent a letter to Secretary McMahon requesting her reconsideration of the liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 relief funds.  

• Labor Secretary Lori-Chavez DeRemer Embarked on America at Work Listening Tour: Secretary DeRemer began her America at Work listening tour with a roundtable to discuss supporting apprenticeships, among other methods to enhance America’s workforce. She also discussed the importance and impact of the skilled trades.  

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Representatives: Support Increased Funding for CTE in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026

The co-chairs of the bipartisan House CTE Caucus, Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), are circulating an important “Dear Colleague” letter addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter requests increased funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. It is critical that the letter garners strong backing in the House to show support for Perkins funding in this year’s uncertain and challenging federal fiscal climate. 

CLICK HERE to ask your Representative to sign the letter and support increased CTE funding in the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill! 

Representatives have until April 24 to sign the letter, and can do so by contacting:  

• Brian Arata ([email protected]) in Rep. Thompson’s office  

• Allie Pearce ([email protected]) in Rep. Bonamici’s office 

 

Note: Senators will have a similar letter opportunity soon, but this one is just for House members! 

DC Digest March 30 - April 7

This week, the Department of Education (ED) was active in issuing guidance and making announcements as it works to implement the Administration’s agenda. In Congress, budget reconciliation remained the primary focus, as the Senate worked through votes on its version of a budget resolution. Keep reading for more details. 

• House Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on AI in the Classroom: On Tuesday, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on K-12 education. Read more on the blog! 

• House Appropriations Committee Releases Schedule for Members to Make FY 2026 Appropriations Requests: The House Appropriations Committee posted guidance on when Members of Congress must submit requests for earmarks, funding or language in the FY 2026 appropriations bills.  

• Committee for Education (CEF) Funding Letter to Congress: CEF sent a letter this week on behalf of its members (including ACTE) to urge Congress to protect students by opposing cuts to federal education investments as they move forward with the budget reconciliation process. 

• ED Provides Update on COVID Relief Funding Extensions: Following the letter issued by ED in late March that it was eliminating previously granted COVID relief fund extensions, an email was sent this week with more guidance on how to submit specific projects for late liquidation approval. These projects must have been properly obligated by 9/30/24 and necessary to mitigate the effects of COVID on students’ education, and states must justify why ED should grant the funding extension request.  

• ED Letter to States, Schools on Using Federal Funds for School Choice: ED sent a letter to state education chiefs reminding them of how Title I allows states and schools to use funds to let students take courses offered outside of their home school, among other flexibilities. This is primarily an effort to expand school choice, and will likely be followed with additional material on the subject, but does include references to CTE.  

• ED Requires States and School Districts to Certify Title VI Compliance: On April 3, ED sent a letter to State Commissioners overseeing K-12 State Education Agencies requiring their certification compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded programs, as well as certification from districts. The certification notes that “illegal DEI practices may subject the individual or entity using such practices to serious consequences” including loss of federal funding or other liabilities.  

• ED’s Office of Postsecondary Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking: Negotiated rulemaking is the process that must be used under the Higher Education Act to negotiate proposed postsecondary regulations with stakeholders. In this case, ED invites public feedback on ways to streamline higher education regulations and federal student assistance programs to create efficiencies for students, institutions and stakeholders. They also invite ideas to improve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment plan and the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan.  

House Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on AI in the Classroom

On Tuesday, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on K-12 education.

The witnesses for the hearing included:

• Sid Dorbin: Chair, Department of English, University of Florida
• Julia Rafal-Baer: CEO, ILO Group
• Erin Mote: CEO, InnovateEDU/EDSAFE Alliance
• Chris Chism: Superintendent, Pearl Public School District

The hearing served as an opportunity for lawmakers to highlight the power as well as the pitfalls AI will have in modern classrooms. Chair Kevin Kiley (R-CA) noted in his opening statement that AI is already widely adopted by students in limited ways. Nearly 50% of K-12 students use ChatGPT at least weekly. Of those students, 35% frequently use it to summarize information, 32% to generate ideas and 26% to get initial feedback on their work.

Kiley added, “So, the question is not whether students will use AI, that's already happening. Rather, the question is how schools can support students in using AI responsibly and in unlocking its full potential to advance student achievement.”

Chris Chism of the Pearl Public School District highlighted that his district has its own internal AI enterprise system to safeguard student data. He added that AI can make educators, students and administrators more efficient.

Lawmakers also stressed that there would need to be federal guidelines for AI use in schools. Erin Mote said that only relying on states to deploy AI without federal guidance is “a recipe for fragmentation.”

A recording of the hearing can be found here.

Building AI Resilient CTE Pipelines

As AI technologies rapidly evolve, there is a clear need for the CTE community to better understand how AI will impact the world of work and future career opportunities for students. ACTE is working with the Education Research & Opportunity Center at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, along with Advance CTE and the Tennessee Board of Regents, on a project to better understand how developments in AI have the potential to impact CTE programs, particularly at the postsecondary level, and help CTE leaders respond to these developments. The project is funded by the ECMC Foundation.

The first phase of the project involves a landscape scan to identify how AI is impacting various careers. The first report was recently released, Fostering AI-Ready Building & Moving CTE Pipelines: Implications for Policy, Practice & Research, and will be followed by reports on each of the other Career Cluster® groupings.

This first report examines how AI is impacting careers in the Supply Chain & Transportation, Advanced Manufacturing, and Construction Clusters. While on the surface, these career areas might seem less prone to changes due to AI advances, there are still significant impacts. Careers in these areas have already begun to see “disruptive applications” of AI, for things like route optimization, warehouse automation, safety enhancement and quality control, on site fabrication, and even routine construction tasks. The report provides in-depth analysis of the occupations in these Clusters and their relative AI exposure, as well as how routine individual tasks are within the occupations. It concludes with recommendations for CTE providers, industry partner and policymakers.  

Research Roundup: College and Career Readiness, Work-based Learning, Earnings Growth, Short-term Credentials

School Pulse Panel: The National Center for Education Statistics recently released college and career readiness data from its School Pulse Panel. Among grade 9-12 public schools in the 2024-25 school year:

• Eighty-four percent align graduation requirements with public postsecondary admissions requirements. 
  • Sixty-three percent include college and career milestones alongside graduation requirements. 
• Sixty-five percent offer dual enrollment courses. 
  • On average, schools offer seven dual enrollment courses. 
  • Seventeen percent of students are enrolled in dual enrollment courses. 
• Seventy-nine percent offer CTE programs to students. 
  • This is a decrease from 86% for the 2023-24 school year. 

Measuring Earnings Growth by Field of Study: A report by the Urban Institute analyzed earnings up to five years after graduates finish their programs. The researchers focused on two subsets of credentials: those with low initial earnings but high earnings growth in the fifth year, and those with low initial earnings and low earnings growth in the fifth year. 

The researchers found that on average, certificate and associate degree holders see an increase of $11,000 in their earnings five years after program completion. Programs above that threshold include biological and physical sciences, electrical and power transmission, criminal justice and corrections, design and radio/TV/digital communications, as well as some health care programs. On the opposite end, fields of studies that see the smallest increase in earnings include medical assisting and cosmetology. 

The researchers also note that quality assurance policies that only measure the first year of earnings after program completion may hinder programs that take time for earnings to increase. Thus, policymakers should carefully consider how to implement quality assurance policies for specific degree pathways. 

Promise and Progress in High School Work-based Learning: A report by American Student Assistance and Bellwether examined work-based learning initiatives in 10 different states, studying how each state has approached strengthening their programs since a 2021 report that analyzed work-based learning policies nationwide.  

The researchers found that the states studied have expanded work-based learning opportunities for underserved students, strengthened collaboration between state agencies, and evaluated programs to identify areas that need improvement. However, states have also struggled significantly with transportation in rural areas, hiring additional staff to support students and businesses, expanding business partnerships, and building high-quality data infrastructure.  

The report also dives into the 10 state’s various initiatives. For example, Louisiana included work-based learning as part of its school accountability ratings, education and workforce agencies in North Carolina are scaling apprenticeship opportunities, and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future has ignited a series of work-based learning initiatives in the state. 

Examining Short-term Credentials and Student Outcomes in Indiana: A study conducted by the RAND Corporation examines the short-term credential landscape in Indiana, mainly which for-credit certificates are being earned and by whom, the stacking of credentials and earnings outcomes.  

The researchers made several key findings: 

• Certificates earned grew from 3,888 in 2010 to over 25,000 in 2021. High school students contributed considerably to this growth. 
  • The racial/ethnic composition of credential holders is similar to the state’s composition of high school graduates. 
• Most certificate holders (70%) stacked credentials within three years of earning their initial certificate. 
  • Most certificate holders who stacked credentials earned a degree. 
  • Women and Black certificate holders were less likely to stack. 
• Certificate holders earned 20% more in quarterly earnings on average – about $4,700 more per year. 
  • Health care and long-term certificates had the largest gains.