CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: 10-16

It was quite a busy week in DC with the return of Congress after a short break and several announcements from the Department of Education. Members of Congress continue to negotiate on President Biden’s proposed infrastructure package, with a counterproposal from Senate Republicans expected sometime soon. The main sticking points are defining what qualifies as infrastructure and how to pay for the proposal. Here are some of the other happenings from DC last week:  

• Students Receive Emergency Broadband Discount: The Federal Communications Commission announced that postsecondary students who receive Pell grants and families with children participating in the free or reduced-price lunch or school breakfast program at the secondary level are now eligible to receive a monthly discount of $50 to help pay for broadband internet services. Also, each household can receive a one-time discount of up to $100 for one connected device, such as a laptop, desktop or tablet computer. More information can be found on GetEmergencyBroadband.org. 

• Federal Communications Commission Announces Funds for the Connectivity Fund Program: On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced that the final rules for distribution of $7.17 billion in the Connectivity Fund Program from the American Rescue Plan. This funding will enable schools to purchase laptop and tablet computers and Wi-Fi hotspots, and will fund increased broadband access that is needed for distant learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

• Department of Education Announces Grants for Postsecondary Education: Also on Tuesday, the Department of Education announced that postsecondary education institutions can now receive $36 billion funds in emergency grants under the American Rescue Plan funds. The grants are intended to provide financial aid to postsecondary students to ensure student learning is not negatively impacted during the pandemic. Read more in our full blog post.  

• Department of Education Announces 2021 Presidential Scholars: On Thursday, the Department of Education announced the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars. Nationwide, 161 high school students were awarded for their accomplishments, specifically, 20 scholars were awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education. 

• Secretary Cardona Holds Virtual Roundtable with Asian American and Pacific Islander Community: Secretary of Education Cardona held a virtual roundtable event with members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. During the event, Cardona talked with teachers, parents and other community members about their experiences during the pandemic and ongoing educational challenges within their communities. 

• Senate Confirms the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education: On May 11, Cindy Marten was confirmed by the Senate as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education on a 54-44 vote. She has spent 32 years as an educator in various roles, her most recent one being the superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, a position she has served in since 2013. Secretary of Education Cardona’s statement on her confirmation particularly noted her response to the coronavirus pandemic and how that will translate to her work at the Department of Education. . 

• House Kicks Off WIOA Reauthorization Hearings: On May 13, the House Education and Labor Committee held the first of a series of hearings around the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This hearing focused on youth employment and the challenges youth are facing in the job market as a result of the pandemic. Read more on our full blog post.  

Analyzing CTE's Impact on Postsecondary Outcomes

CTE concentrators are seven percent more likely to graduate from high school on time and 10 percent more likely to enroll in postsecondary education within two years of graduating compared to non-CTE concentrators, according to a new report from the Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Education Laboratory Central (REL). REL worked together with education leaders in Nebraska and South Dakota to examine the impact of secondary CTE on graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment and completion within two to four years.  The researchers sought to answer two research questions throughout their analysis:  

1. What is the impact of being a CTE concentrator on high school graduation, two-year and five-year postsecondary enrollment and completion, and type of postsecondary award attained?  
2. How do high school graduation and two-year and five-year postsecondary outcomes vary by career cluster? 

For the first question, overall, the data showed positive impacts of a learner being a CTE concentrator. Not only did the data show that CTE concentrators were more likely to graduate from high school on time and enroll in postsecondary education, but these learners were also more likely to earn a postsecondary award within two and five years of graduation. Findings from the second research question focused on learner outcomes of concentrators in each career cluster. The researchers found that regardless of the career cluster, high school graduation rates were consistently higher than those learners who were non-CTE concentrators. Regarding specific career clusters, learners in finance, marketing, health sciences, and government and public administration had the highest two- and five-year postsecondary enrollment rates. Learners in transportation, distribution and logistics, had the highest two-year postsecondary award attainment rates, yet the third lowest for five-year postsecondary award attainment rates. 

The researchers conclude that the findings provide evidence that state and local education agency leaders can use when determining whether to fund, strengthen or expand CTE programs. These findings also suggest that CTE concentrators might have a greater likelihood of completing a certificate, diploma or associate degree, and almost as high a chance of completing a bachelor’s degree, as other students—challenging misperceptions that CTE is not academically rigorous. The researchers encourage students and families to use these findings when deciding whether and how to participate in CTE programs. They also encourage education leaders to look at the postsecondary enrollment and attainment rates across career clusters to better align CTE programs with local, regional and state workforce needs.

House Workforce Development Subcommittee Hosts Hearing on WIOA Reauthorization and Youth Employment

On May 13, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled, "WIOA Reauthorization: Creating Opportunities for Youth Employment" to highlight the need to create and improve youth employment opportunities.

This was the first in a series of hearings the Committee has announced it will hold related to reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), last updated in 2014.

Broadly, the bipartisan subcommittee members emphasized the positive benefits of work-based learning programs. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) asked Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend of Philadelphia Youth Network about the benefits of internships and apprenticeships. Fulmore-Townsend noted that work-based learning can expand social capital for youth, help them give back to their communities and inspire them to realize their potentials. Fielding a question from Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), she also elaborated that young people in Philadelphia CTE programs are supported through the WorkReady summer program, and that students are connected to the industries that they are studying through programs like WorkReady.

Businesses have also struggled with the impact of COVID-19 on workforce development. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) spoke with Deb Lindner of North Carolina-based Precor about her company’s hiring challenges and partnerships during the pandemic. Lindner said that her business is trying to recover, but they have had to restart programs with their partners because of downsizing and furloughs within the company. Lindner also emphasized the benefits of short-term Pell Grants.

Several Members of Congress also spoke with the witnesses about taxpayer support of workforce development programs, the costs and benefits of postsecondary education and student support efforts within their organizations. You can watch the full subcommittee hearing here.

As more information surrounding WIOA reauthorization becomes available, CTE Policy Watch will have the details.

Research Round-up: Effectiveness of Adult Education Strategies, State Data Capacity, Student Home Internet Connectivity Needs

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Adult Education Strategies: A new policy snapshot from the Institution of Education Sciences analyzed existing research on the effectiveness of various adult education strategies. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) encourages adult education programs to use evidence-based strategies in order to improve services and participant success. However, the authors determined from their analysis that there is not enough evidence to guide decision-making for instructional and support strategies. Other key findings include: 

• There are not enough rigorous studies on whether particular strategies improve adult learner outcomes. 
• The few studies that have been performed did not address the full set of outcome areas that the federal government emphasizes. 
• There is not enough evidence from the studies performed to indicate which strategies are most effective, however, bridge classes and integrated education and training programs offer some promises.

Examining Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: A new report provides updated statistical information on the participation of women, minorities and persons with disabilities in science and engineering education and employment. From the survey responses collected, the researchers found that during 2018, more women than men were enrolled in both two-and four-year institutions, and women earned about half of all bachelor’s degrees. The most common degrees that women earned were in psychology, biological sciences and agricultural sciences, however, women earned far fewer degrees in computer sciences and engineering. The findings also showed that between 2016-2018, the overall number of science and engineering graduates declined. However, there were differences among populations. The share of Latino students increased while Black and Native American students remained the same. The researchers also found that the unemployment rate for these students is lower than in other fields and they generally have higher salaries, though women scientists and engineers have lower median salaries than their male counterparts in most broad occupational groups. 

Analyzing State Data Capacity: Researchers from the Institute of Education Sciences recently provided an overview of the current data capacity of states’ and territories’ Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDSs). Information was collected from an annual survey that includes how states use SLDSs to inform policy and their capacity for linking K-12, postsecondary, workforce, CTE, early childhood and K-12 teacher data. Some of the key findings include: 

• K-12 datasets were the most common data types reported in SLDSs. 
• When asked about the capacity for linking K-12 student data in the SLDS to other data, at least 70 percent of states responded that there are linkages between K-12 students and teachers, postsecondary, CTE and early childhood data. 
• Nearly three quarters of states reported having comprehensive data dictionaries for K-12 student data. 
• The most common use of data for reporting and decision-making was in resources like scorecards or dashboards for students, parents and other members of the community. 

Understanding Student Home Internet Connectivity Needs: A new report provides preliminary findings from a study on students’ home internet connectivity. Based on the findings, the researchers provide guidelines on bandwidth, devices and other remote learning needs. The researchers found: 

• Video learning is essential for education. 
• Students are mobile and rely on Wi-Fi. 
• Some communities, specifically in rural areas, require more support and resources. 
• Device quality significantly impacts remote learning. 

2019-20 National CTE Enrollment Data Now Available

The federal Department of Education has released national and state-level enrollment information, including disaggregated information as available, for CTE students during the 2019-20 school year. The data is now available through a set of 2020 State Profiles available on the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network. The updated profiles also include nationwide data on the FY 2020 Perkins funding distribution. The resource also continues to provide individual state summaries of Perkins funding distribution, enrollment information, and state determined performance levels for core Perkins V indicators.  

From the findings, the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) highlighted several key national trends: 

• In 2019-20 there were 11.1 million CTE participants; 7.6 million at the secondary level and 3.5 million at the postsecondary level. 
• There were 3 million secondary and 1.9 million postsecondary career and technical education concentrators nationwide. 
• The top four career clusters among secondary CTE concentrators were Business Management & Administration, Health Science, Arts, A/V Technology and Communications, and Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. 
• The top four career clusters among postsecondary CTE concentrators were Health Science, Business Management and Administration, Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security, and Information Technology. 

Notably, compared to the 2018-19 school year, nationwide secondary CTE participation decreased from 8.9 million to 7.6 million in 2019-20. Postsecondary CTE participation remained the same from the previous year at 3.5 million. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic had any impact on the enrollment numbers reported for this school year, which was almost complete when the pandemic began.   

OCTAE is still in the process of updating the Perkins State Plans and Data Explorer, a resource that generates customized reports for enrollment and performance data, and has indicated that it will be released soon.  

Department of Education Announces 2021 CTE Presidential Scholars

On May 13, the U.S. Department of Education announced the students who will be recognized at the national level as 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars, including 20 students named as Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education! The U.S. Presidential Scholars program has existed since 1964 to recognize high school students for their outstanding achievements and commitment to public service, and was expanded in 2015 through efforts of the CTE Caucus Co-Chairs to include recognition of outstanding students in CTE.

ACTE congratulates these outstanding CTE students!

The CTE Presidential Scholars include:

• Julie A. Canuto-Depina; Weymouth, MA; Southeastern Regional Vocational-Tech High School
• Justin David Eddy; Rocheport, MO; David H. Hickman High School
• Nathan Daniel Ford; Lehi, UT; Cedar Valley High School
• Rohan P. Kanchana; Hockessin, DE; Newark Charter Junior/Senior High School
• Amara Lynn Livingston; Buffalo City, WI; Cochrane Fountain City High School
• Andrea Maizy; Warren, MI; Center Line High School
• Molly Ann Niewoehner; Hawkeye, IA; Sumner-Fredericksburg High School
• Sahil Patel; Waldorf, MD; North Point High School
• Suhani Patel; Peoria, AZ; Mountain Ridge High School
• Sneha Sunil Shenoy; Spring, TX; Klein High School
• Raymond A. Slifer; Quakertown, PA; Quakertown Senior High School
• Elyse V. Soracco, St. Johns, FL; Creekside High School
• Sydney Marie Stundebeck; Salisbury, MO; Salisbury R-Iv High School
• Divita Taduvayi; Bear, DE; MOT Charter High School
• Christian Tamez; Del Rio, TX; Del Rio High School
• Nicolas Taj Proskauer Valerio; Aguadilla, PR; Ramey School
• Molly Jane Williams; Clarkston, WA; Charles F. Adams High School
• Kathy Yao; Lutherville, MD; Dulaney High School
• Barrett Ryan Young; Branford, FL; Branford High School
• Zara Zervos, Moundsville, WV; John Marshall High School

Department of Education Releases New Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds

On May 11, the federal Department of Education released approximately $36 billion in funding for higher education that had been provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (signed into law in March). The funds will be distributed through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to public and nonprofit private institutions, and this allocation will be known as "HEERF III." Notably, about $10 billion of the total is allocated to community colleges – making significant resources available that could be used to support CTE programs.

As required in the law, funds were allocated to each public and nonprofit private institution of higher education based on a formula heavily weighted toward institutions that serve large numbers of low-income students. The formula includes:

• The institution's total and full-time enrollment of Pell Grant recipients who were not enrolled exclusively in distance education prior to the pandemic (75% weight)
• The institution's total and full-time enrollment of students who are not Pell Grant recipients (23% weight) and were not enrolled exclusively in distance education prior to the pandemic
• The number of students enrolled exclusively in distance education prior to the pandemic that received Pell Grants (2% weight).

A full list of allocations for each institution can be found here, and Inside Higher Education has developed a searchable database of funding amounts here. Funds will automatically be awarded to institutions that have already received a HEERF grant under a prior piece of legislation. New institutions that have not previously participated in the program must apply for funds through Grants.gov.

Similar to prior legislation, at least 50% of funds generated by the first two portions of the formula, as well as all of the funds generated by the third portion, must be used to provide emergency financial aid grants to students. This amounts to just over 50% of the total allocation. Under HEERF III, the Department has amended and clarified early guidance and emphasized that all students who were or are enrolled at an eligible institution on or after March 13, 2020, are now eligible for these grants. There are no restrictions on those students being eligible for financial aid or enrolled in certain programs. New regulations have been released to codify this guidance. Institutions must prioritize students with exceptional need in awarding these grants, but have flexibility in making this determination. Students may use the funds for any aspect of their "cost of attendance" or for emergency costs that arise due to the pandemic, such as tuition, food, housing, health care or childcare. Institutions may also use the emergency financial aid grants to satisfy a student’s outstanding account balance if the student’s written (or electronic), affirmative consent is first obtained for this purpose.

From the remaining funds, institutions again have wide latitude, and can spend funds on additional student aid, or defraying expenses associated with the pandemic, including items such as lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with the transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. In addition, there are two new required uses of funds under HEERF III. First, institutions must use some funds to implement evidence-based practices to monitor and suppress coronavirus in accordance with public health guidelines, and second, they must conduct direct outreach to financial aid applicants about the opportunity to receive a financial aid adjustment due to any changes in employment status for the student or their family.

Grant expenses may have occurred dating back to March 13, 2020, and institutions have one year from the date their funds are awarded to spend all funds awarded under this HEERF III grant and remaining funds from prior HEERF grants. No-cost extensions may also be available for one additional year.  

All the details on HEERF III can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/arp.html. In particular, there is a long "Frequently Asked Questions" document that is particularly helpful!

Research Round-up: Postsecondary Edition

Embedding Stackable Credentials in Postsecondary Programs: The Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education released a resource for community and technical colleges to help embed stackable credentials in their programs. The resource provides practical steps for enhancing employer engagement, a framework to design programs with stackable credentials, support for student completion and strategies for sustaining programs responsiveness to employer needs. 

Creating a More Holistic Student Success Metric: In order to create a more holistic student success metric that includes more than traditional measures such as enrollment, graduation and retention, researchers from Ithaka S&R surveyed community college provosts to better understand their process of creating these metrics. From the survey results, the researchers present several key findings: 

• Provosts emphasize academic and business priorities to determine success metrics. 
• Provosts see social justice initiatives as highly important pathways to closing achievement gaps. 
• Provosts believe community colleges should provide holistic support to students to in turn bolster performance and funding. 
• Community colleges have limited capacity to collect additional data beyond traditional success metrics. 

Postsecondary Perceptions of Online and Hybrid Classes: A majority of postsecondary students view online and hybrid courses positively, according to new survey findings. Responses came from faculty, administrators and postsecondary students who were registered in a postsecondary institution in fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. A majority of students responded that they would take an online course in the future, and that they were open to taking a combination of online and in-person courses. Students also indicated that for in-person courses, they would like to see greater integration of technology in the classroom. All three groups of respondents ranked the top three challenges hindering student success the same: feelings of stress, level of motivation and having time to do homework.

Using a Comprehensive Framework to Provide Access to Good Jobs: The Community College Research Center released a policy brief explaining the Guided Pathways approach and providing examples of best practices from colleges who have implemented the approach. The Guided Pathways framework is a comprehensive reform approach, whereby community colleges fundamentally redesign the programs and support services to create clearer and more educational pathways to credentials that have labor-market value. 400 colleges in 16 states have implemented this reform, andthe authors provide best practices from their review of the colleges who adopted the framework.

Providing Pathways Between Education and Employment: A new report analyzed 316 organizations that were seeking funding to connect postsecondary education and employment to more closely examine the pathways they were building.  The authors made several conclusions about the organizations: 

• There is great potential to engage with employers more deeply. 
• There are more opportunities for building bridges between education and businesses. 
• There is a growing need for transferable skills (employable skills). 
• More investments in wraparound supports for students are needed. 
• There is a need for increased measurement of program effectiveness related to student success. 
• Programs were under-leveraging technology (prior to COVID). 

DC Digest: May 3-9

The House and Senate were out of session, though a few events and announcements concerning federal education policy occurred last week. The infrastructure bill proposed by President Biden in early April remains a key topic of discussion in Washington, but has yet to gain traction with Senate Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said last Monday that no Senate Republican would back the $4 trillion proposal, but negotiations are expected to continue this week. Here are a few other notes from last week:

• House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Department of Education 2022 Budget: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education hosted Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to testify on the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget Request for the Department of Education. Community schools, IDEA, Pell Grants, HBCUs and CTE were among the topics that were discussed during the hearing. Read more on our full blog. 
   
• House Committee Holds a Hearing Addressing COVID-19 Impact on Students with Disabilities: The House Education and Labor Committee’s Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee hosted a hearing on Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students with Disabilities. During Chairman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan’s (Northern Mariana Islands) opening statement he emphasized the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on learners with disabilities, and stressed the need to address the barriers that these learners face in order to provide them equitable access to educational opportunities. 
   
• Department of Labor Accepts Applications for Apprenticeship Advisory Committee: The Department of Labor is now accepting applications for members to serve on the reinstated National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. It will include a diverse group of stakeholders and focus on equitably expanding apprenticeships into fast-growing industries, such as clean energy, technology and healthcare to create more high-quality training and employment opportunities.

• President Biden Visits Community College: President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited an HVAC workshop at Tidewater Community College in Portsmouth, Virginia. Throughout the tour, the President was shown how to program provided pathways to good jobs, and the different types of certifications and/or degrees students could earn while in the program. This visit was aimed to build support for the president’s infrastructure proposal. 

• Department of Education Announces New Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid: The Department of Education announced Richard Cordray as the chief operating officer of Federal Student Aid Office. This department is responsible for managing student financial assistance programs, which include grants, work-studies and loans. Cordray will likely be involved in the discussions happening within the Department of Education to determine whether President Biden has the legal authority to cancel some student loan debt.

Meet Jori Houck, ACTE's Newest Public Policy Team Member

My name is Jori Houck, and I recently joined ACTE’s Public Policy team. In my role as the Media Relations and Advocacy Associate, I will be supporting ACTE’s policy communications and media relations activities, as well as working closely with membership and state associations to inform and engage our members in grassroots advocacy. With my first blog post, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself as the newest member of ACTE’s Public Policy team.

I was born and raised in rural south-central Pennsylvania. Growing up in a community with deep agricultural and industrial roots, I gained an appreciation for the hands-on skills and hard work performed every day by members of our community. I too benefitted from the support, encouragement and mentorship of CTE educators and courses as a high school student – I took courses in business, horticulture, family and consumer sciences and building trades, and participated in CTSOs. Each CTE educator that I spent time with taught me something about myself and my abilities. I learned that I could work with my hands, create and just “do.” I carried the confidence that CTE helped to nurture in me along my path.

I graduated from the University of Connecticut with my undergraduate degree in Political Science and Communication in 2019. I first found my passion for political and government communications and advocacy as a student at UConn. I took a semester-in-Washington to work for Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2), and soon discovered that I was passionate about helping others through advocacy and communication. It is important to me that I can make a real, positive impact on others in the CTE community through my work, and I am bringing that philosophy to ACTE and our members.

Most recently, I served the residents of New York’s 18th Congressional District alongside the communications team in the office of Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY). Additionally, I have had the pleasure of serving New Hampshire’s First Congressional District and Connecticut’s Second Congressional District in the offices of Congressmen Chris Pappas and Joe Courtney, respectively.

I have always been interested in the future of work, and I am learning more every day about how CTE students and educators are adapting to a changing career landscape. Now more than ever, in an unprecedented and challenging time, CTE stands ready to help build a strong, next-generation workforce. I am excited and ready to help ACTE and our members accomplish that goal – together.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, discovering new music, spoiling my pets, spending time at the beach, exploring new places and watching UConn Huskies sporting events.

I am looking forward to working with ACTE members to advance and support CTE through our media relations and advocacy efforts. If I can provide any assistance or serve as a resource to you, please do not hesitate to reach out! I can be reached via email at jhouck@acteonline.org.