CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Updates on COVID-19 and Federal CTE Policy

The ongoing global pandemic has impacted our lives in countless ways, including career and technical education. ACTE has been closely monitoring federal policy updates related to the coronavirus and how they might impacted CTE programs. You can find a complete list of CTE-related coronavirus federal policy updates at this link, which will be continually updated. Below is a brief summary of the most recent updates, along with important resources.

RESOURCES

• ACTE Resources on Distance Learning
• CDC Coronavirus Webpage
• U.S. Department of Education Coronavirus Webpage

SUMMARY OF THE CARES ACT

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a wide-ranging, more than $2 trillion package that includes a variety of provisions. On the education front, the law allows Federal Work Study payments to continue, doesn't penalize students who dropped out of school from Pell Grant eligibility, allows additional flexibility on the student loan front, provides the Secretary of Education with certain waiver authority, defers student loan payments/principal/interest for 6 months on all federally owned loans without penalty, provides local workforce boards with additional flexibility under WIOA, and exempts teachers from certain requirements related to TEACH grant obligations or Teacher Loan Forgiveness if they can't finish the teaching year. It also appropriates $30.9 billion to the Department of Education, including $13.5 billion for K-12 and $14.25 billion for higher education funding to meet a variety of coronavirus-related needs.

• Bill Text
• Summary of Appropriations and Summary of Education-related Provisions
• ACTE Blog Post on CARES Act

ACTE CORONAVIRUS PRIORITIES

• At least $1 billion in dedicated funding for CTE programs in response to the coronavirus
• Additional flexibility and waivers, including by enacting a redistribution waiver for Perkins funds, passing waivers for Perkins eligible agencies, extending the waiver of the definition of “professional development” in ESEA to Perkins, rescinding supplement not supplant provisions for one year in Perkins, and expanding pooling flexibility in Perkins.
• Expand Pell Grants to high-quality, short-term programs and reinstate Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals
• Increase support for non-traditional learners in postsecondary education
• Invest in research and development to scale the quality of online education

SELECTED LETTERS TO POLICYMAKERS

• ACTE, Advance CTE Letter Raising Concerns on the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families,
  Schools and Small Businesses Act (09/10/20)
• ACTE, Advance CTE Response to ED's Interim Final Rule Regarding the
  Eligibility Determination of Students at Institutions of Higher Education for Funds Under the CARES Act (7/16/20)
• ACTE, Advance CTE Response to the HEROES Act and Lack of Dedicated CTE Funding (5/13/20)
• ACTE and Advance CTE Letter on Concerns Regarding Certain Coronavirus Student Aid Exclusions (4/23/20)
• ACTE and Advance CTE Coronavirus-related Funding, Waiver and Policy Priorities (4/8/20)
• ACTE & Advance CTE Letter on CTE-related Coronavirus Investment Priorities (4/1/20)

LATEST UPDATES 

July 28

• Congressional Update: Senate Republicans released the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protections, and Schools Act (HEALS Act), an approximately trillion-dollar proposal for the next round of relief funding aimed at quelling the economic and public health crisis ignited by the pandemic. Some of the larger provisions of the HEALS Act include $200 per week in unemployment insurance, down from $600 in the previously enacted CARES Act, another round of stimulus checks, liability protection for businesses and schools, an additional round of Paycheck Protection Program loans, among other measures.

August 8

• Administration Update: With negotiations for a next relief package broken down, President Trump issued four executive orders attempting to provide additional economic relief to millions of Americans on his own. These executive orders include a deferral (not cut) for payroll taxes until the end of the year, waive student debt payments and interest through the end of 2020, extend unemployment benefits at $400 per week (down from $600), and instructs officials to “consider” whether there should be a ban on evictions during the pandemic. It is likely Trump will face a legal challenge over these actions. Since the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the "power of the purse," any changes to taxes or spending are supposed to originate in Congress.

August 13

• Congressional Update: The House is on August recess and is not set to return until after Labor Day, unless a deal on a new coronavirus relief package materializes. As of now, both parties remain far from a compromise on many key issues including, overall price tag, liability protections for businesses and schools, earmarking funds for schools to physically reopen, providing additional assistance to state and local governments, etc. With both parties posturing and placing the blame on the other, there is a growing likelihood that a deal won't come to fruition until at least September. 

CLICK HERE FOR ACTE’S COMPLETE COVID-19 FEDERAL POLICY RESOURCES 

DC Digest: September 21-27

Last week was National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week week, and many organizations and the Department of Education (ED) celebrated the week with different activities. On the Hill last week, the House passed a bill on Tuesday to fund the government through December 11. Funding for the government runs out at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, so the Senate will need to pass the bill and have it signed into law by the President before then to avoid a government shutdown. Here are some other happenings from last week:

• Rethink Adult Ed Challenge: As a part of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, ED announced the Rethink Adult Ed Challenge to expand career opportunities for adult learners through pre-apprenticeship programs. Community colleges, correctional facilities, community-based organizations and other eligible providers are able to compete in this challenge with the prize funds totaling $750,000 to help create innovative and high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs in industries. The submission deadline for Stage 1 is November 25 by 11:59 p.m. ET. 
  
  
• Webinar on Reopening Schools: ED hosted a webinar on Wednesday with a panel of five educators from public and private schools to discuss innovative ways schools were exploring to reach all students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read an overview and find a link to the recording here.
  
  
• Proposed Priorities for Innovation and Modernization Grants: ED published a  proposal in the Federal Register for revised priorities, requirements, definitions and selection criteria for the next round of Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grants. The Assistant Secretary can use these for competitions to identify projects that will incorporate evidence-based and innovative strategies to improve CTE in future rounds of the grant competition. 
  
  
• 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Announced: ED announced the 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This year, 367 schools were recognized based on their “overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.” The awards ceremony will be held virtually on November 12 and 13. 
  
  
• CEF Research Briefing: On Wednesday, The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) hosted a research briefing entitled, “How Money Matters in Education.” The panelists discussed recent research that suggests that if money is invested wisely into the education system, it leads to improved student learning and more equitable outcomes. Further, they used these findings to make the case that federal policymakers need to more adequately invest into our education system. To watch the recording, click here.
  
  
• ED Announces Winners of Reimagine Workforce Preparation Grants: On September 25, the Department of Education’s Office of Career Technical and Adult Education announced the winners of its recent grant competition under the Education Stabilization Fund of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Eight states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Hampton University in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, were awarded a total of $126 million to expand educational opportunities through short-term, career pathways or sector-based education and training programs, and to support local entrepreneurship through business incubators.

ACTE Launches Election Watch 2020

On November 3, voters all across the country will head to the ballot box. Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot, along with one-third of U.S. Senate seats. Eleven states will have a governor's election, and many also have state legislative and local elections, and ballot initiatives.

As CTE advocates, you can play an important role in framing the dialogue this election season. In addition to supporting candidates that embrace CTE, advocates can attend town halls and meetings, posing questions to prospective policymakers about how they will support CTE. At the federal level, with Perkins now reauthorized the major issues in the new Congress could include reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, an infrastructure bill and more. Additionally, securing robust, forward-looking investments in CTE through the appropriations process will become even more of a priority as we continue to work to implement Perkins V and the need for skilled training increases due to the current economic situation and high unemployment rates.

You can follow ACTE's continuing coverage of the 2020 election here on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. To learn about voting information, voter registration, grassroots efforts and more, visit Nonprofit Vote.

 

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

House Education Committee Votes to Overhaul National Apprenticeship Act

Last Week, the House Education and Labor Committee advanced, in a 26-16 party line vote, a proposal to overhaul and modernize the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937. It will now head to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 (H.R. 8294) would amend the existing national apprenticeship program to include both pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships, while also defining guidelines for registered apprenticeship programs. Additionally, it would codify the Office of Apprenticeship within the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor, specifies that it is to be headed by an Administrator, and outlines the responsibilities of the Office. It would also create a National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. To fund the provisions under the proposal, it authorizes over $3 billion between fiscal years (FY) 2021 and 2025.

Using the job losses due to the pandemic as a backdrop, in his opening statement, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) stated, “There is no better time than now to invest in this proven program to help people get back to work.” Committee Democrats echoed his sentiments, arguing that the registered apprenticeship program is a proven successful system that leads to high-wage careers and has a near perfect job placement rate upon completion.

On the other hand, committee Republicans opposed the proposal since it only sought to amend the registered apprenticeship system and did not mention other types of apprenticeship programs, like Industry Recognized-Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). They argued that the registered apprenticeship program “isn’t the only way for the federal government to support apprenticeships.” Continuing that these other apprenticeship programs, namely IRAPs, allow employers more flexibility and innovation opportunities to adapt more efficiently in a quickly evolving 21st century economy.

ACTE has endorsed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 and Is actively advocating for its passage.

DC Digest: September 14-20

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced last week that the House will plan to remain in session after October 2, the scheduled end of session, until there is a COVID-19 relief package. However, no new agreements have been reached, and it is unclear whether this will remain the case if progress is not made soon. The schedule is also likely to be impacted by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Byder Ginsberg, who passed away over the weekend. Now the main focus for Senate Republicans and the White House is shifting toward trying to fill this vacancy before the November elections. Here is the rest of the news from DC this week:

• Briefing on Worker and Business Needs: On Thursday, the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce hosted a briefing titled “Investing in America’s Workforce: An Imperative for Workers and Businesses.” Members of the panel included state and local leaders from the education, workforce and business community and discussed the necessary role of Federal policy and investment to meet needs of workers and businesses.
• Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus COVID-19 Relief Proposal: The Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus released  a new COVID-19 relief proposal, which includes about $1.5 trillion in funding overall. It includes education funding for secondary and higher education, broadband access, childcare providers, student loan forbearance through the end of the year and more. However, neither the Republicans or Democrats seemed to want to support this proposal, and it is unlikely to move forward.
• House Passed Rural STEM Education Act: The House passed the Rural STEM Education Act which authorizes $120 million for the National Science Foundation between 2020-2025 to award grants for research to improve rural students’ access to and participation in the fields of STEM. The Act also directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to carry out a prize competition for ideas to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities. 
• Senate Hearing on Reforming the FAFSA: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a largely bipartisan hearing on reforming the FAFSA, and invited five experts on the matter to contribute to the discussion. The proposed changes to the FAFSA that were discussed were to lower the number of questions from 108 to around 33, streamline the financial data verification process and prevent families from long delays that can potentially lead to losing aid. The Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of state and district education leaders, also released a report on suggestions about how the FAFSA should be changed. The report can be found here. 
• New Apprenticeship Bill Introduced in the House: Susan Davis (D-CA), the Chairwoman of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment House Subcommittee, introduced a bill to reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act to create nearly 1 million registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship over the next five years. The bill also calls for $3.5 billion over five years to scale-up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline access to apprenticeships for workers and employers and expand apprenticeships into new in-demand industry sectors and occupations.
• New Web Tool to Access School Spending Data Per Student: The Department of Education has launched a new web tool that can be accessed by parents and educators to show how much money each school spends per student. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires schools to submit funding information called Per Pupil Expenditure (PPE), and from this data, this new tool can help educators and local leaders understand their funding levels and the funding differences between schools. 
• New CDC Resource to Determine the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools: New guidance from the CDC helps schools evaluate the levels of vulnerability for the transmission of COVID-19 within schools. The guidance is color-coded, and uses specific health-related indicators and other strategies the school might use such as masks, social distancing, cleaning and others to help determine the risk level of each school.

National Voter Registration Day

September 22 marks the ninth annual National Voter Registration Day, which is a nonpartisan, civic holiday that seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to ensure all eligible voters have the opportunity to do so in the upcoming elections. To date, nearly 3 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday. With only 42 days until the November elections, it is critically important that everyone who is eligible to vote is registered and has a plan in place for how to vote in a timely and safe manner.

Take time today to make sure you are registered in your current location! If you are already registered to vote, we encourage you to double check your registration status, find your polling location, or apply for an absentee ballot. To help assist in any questions you may have about the registration or voting process, below is a list of resources and information.

• Voting In Your State
• Check Your Voter Registration Status
• Register to Vote
• Vote by Mail Policies by State
• Find Your Polling Location
• Same Day Registration by State
• Voting Rights for people with past felony conviction by State

 

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

DC Digest: September 7-13

Annndddd we’re back! Congress is back in session after the August recess and Labor Day holiday, which means the DC Digest is back from its brief hiatus. Activity on the Hill was primarily focused on a new COVID-19 relief package this week, which we have more details on below. Congress is also trying to work with the White House to come up with a plan to keep the government funded for the rest of the year as the end of the fiscal year approaches on September 30. Here are a couple of other notes from the week: 

• Extended Deadline for Postsecondary Institutions to Apply for CARES Act Funding: The Department of Education (ED) has extended the deadline for approximately $13 billion in CARES Act funding to give colleges extra time to apply for their share of the funding. The new deadline to apply is September 30, after which the ED will calculate and redistribute any funds that were not claimed.
• New Senate “Skinny” COVID-19 Relief Proposal: The Senate GOP released their new COVID-19 relief package on Tuesday, called the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. This proposal would allocate roughly $500 billion to focus on some of the more pressing healthcare, education and economic needs. The proposal did not pass the Senate on Thursday, making a new COVID-19 relief package unlikely in the near future. 
• ACTE Letter to the Senate on the Latest COVID-19 Relief Bill: ACTE sent a letter to the Senate expressing our concerns with the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. We believe that this latest COVID-19 relief package falls short in addressing the resources needed for the nation’s workforce systems, including CTE, and are concerned about requirements for funding linked to physical reopening. 
• Rep. Thompson Supports Investing CTE: Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, wrote an op-ed for The Hill expressing the need for CTE to help build a highly-skilled, trained workforce, which is needed now more than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson emphasizes that CTE is the way to bridge the skills gap for students who are entering the workforce for the first time, learning a new skill or reentering the workforce . 

Senate GOP Introduces New “Skinny” COVID Relief Proposal

On Tuesday afternoon, Senate Republicans released the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act, an approximately $500 billion proposal for the next round of relief funding, focusing on some of the more pressing healthcare, education and economic needs.

Some of the larger provisions of the new proposal include a $300 per week federal unemployment benefit through the end of the year, an additional round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding and liability protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits. It also includes $16 billion for coronavirus testing and a provision that would make a Treasury Department loan to the Postal Service, authorized under the CARES Act, forgivable.

More specifically for education, the proposal mirrors the HEALS Act, the Senate Republican’s July proposal, and calls for $105 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund. Of the $105 billion, the Elementary and Secondary Education fund would receive $70 billion, with two-thirds of that  conditioned on local education agencies meeting certain requirements around in-person reopening. Higher education institutions would receive $29 billion with funding being allotted based on the number of Pell Grant recipients. The last $5 billion would go to the Governors’ Emergency Relief Fund, which could be used for any emergency grants for any part of education. Although the proposal does not include dedicated funding for CTE programs, CTE educators and programs could certainly benefit from funds allocated to the Education Stabilization Fund.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that he expects to vote on the proposal later this week, but it is not expected to meet the required 60 vote threshold to pass. Democratic leaders have already called this proposal a non-starter because they believe it does not come close to addressing the problems at hand and they largely see it as a political exercise to try and protect vulnerable Republican Senators in their upcoming reelection bids. Negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House have been at a stalemate since being derailed last month.

We are continuing to advocate for critical resources for CTE and workforce programs to be included in the next relief package to ensure learners are prepared for labor market needs, particularly as the economy begins to rebuild after the pandemic. We need your help to emphasize this message with Congress. Click here to ask your Members of Congress to support the inclusion of funds for CTE, as provided in the Relaunching America’s Workforce Act, in the next relief package.

Research Round-up: Educator Self-Study Guide for Career Readiness, Labor Market Returns for Community College Graduates, Evolving IT Training Programs

Momentum Metrics for Postsecondary Success: The Education Strategy Group and Level Up Coalition released a report that introduces a framework of postsecondary transition metrics to help states and communities transition students to and through higher education. These metrics are known as Momentum Metrics, and help teachers and administrators identify individual students' needs for resources and supports, as well as aggregate level information about advising programs and policies. There are eight metrics that represent the most predictive indicators of postsecondary preparation, retention and success.

Career Readiness Self-Study Guide for Educators: A new educator self-study guide was created by the Institute for Education Statistics and the Regional Laboratory Southeast to provide guidance and reflection on strengths and challenges of career readiness practices, and to start conversations among educators when planning and implementing district and school career readiness activities. A template is included in the guide for data collection and guiding questions for educators to discuss to ensure students are able to earn high school diplomas and transition successfully to enter into a workforce training program or a career.

Long-Term Labor Market Returns for Community College Graduates: This report explores how associate degrees and certificates affect labor market returns. The researchers use administrative data from Ohio to examine student outcomes up to 11 years after initially entering into a community college. The researchers found that the value of an associate degree grows substantially after graduation, leading to higher paying jobs, more long-term job stability and a greater likelihood to earn a living wage. The findings from certificates show the returns being relatively flat over time, but are “more sensitive to assumptions about individual-specific earnings trends.” 

Community College Attributes Impact on Future Earnings: Researchers studied the relationship between community college attributes and the mean earnings of community college graduates. Of the 53 variables that were studied, 12 had a significant impact on mean earnings of students, including the socio-economic status around the community college, student demographics, students who graduated in two-years, students who received a Pell Grant or federal student loan, and more. These findings highlight the challenges community colleges face when demographics of students change, cost of tuition increases, and students need additional supports to complete credentials.

Evolving IT Training Programs: As the IT industry continually evolves, JFF provides recommendations to IT training providers to ensure IT is offered equitably, and is better connected to the workforce. To help IT participants be successful in the field, JFF recommends providers connect training participants to accelerated career advancement opportunities.  The report also lays out key considerations for providers and employers to address as a means to decrease barriers and increase equity in the IT field.

New Distance Learning Rules Offer Flexibility for Clock-hour Programs

The Department of Education has released a final rule updating the regulations that govern distance education in higher education. Work on the Distance Learning and Innovation regulation started more than a year ago with negotiated rulemaking, and the final rule reflects changes made as a result of a recent public comment period on the draft rule. The rule covers a wide variety of topics around the requirements for distance learning programs in relationship to eligibility for federal financial aid, including a focus on updating regulations to reflect current technologies and innovative instructional design methods.  

Particularly important to CTE, the new regulations will allow asynchronous distance delivery of some courses or portions of courses delivered as part of clock hour programs, including those at area CTE centers. While area CTE centers have been given flexibility to offer courses by distance learning during the pandemic, this change will allow clock hour programs to continue offering both synchronous and asynchronous remote experiences to students in the future, provided other requirements of the rule are met. This was a big victory for clock hour CTE programs, and one ACTE and our partners at Advance CTE, as well as many members, had weighed in on during the public comment period.

The new regulations will take effect July 1, 2021, but the press release on the rules stated that “institutions have the ability to voluntarily utilize the new flexibilities as soon as the regulation is officially published in the Federal Register,” which should occur in the next few days. You can view the full rule and a fact sheet on the Department of Education’s website.  

DC Digest: August 17-23

Both the House and Senate have returned briefly to DC to address issues related to the US postal service, so the DC Digest will make a quick return to ensure you are informed about all the news from the Hill, as well as provide updates on initiatives from the Department of Education. Here are some other happenings from DC last week:

• Grant Program for Educational Institution Resiliency and Expanding Opportunities: The Department of Education announced a new grant program to encourage postsecondary institutions to continue promoting institutional resiliency and expanding learning opportunities for students during the coronavirus pandemic. These grants can be used in a variety of ways such as resuming operations, reducing virus spread and developing models to support students that cannot or choose not to attend in-person classes. Additional consideration will be given to institutions that offer dual credit opportunities to high school students who live in rural communities or in an Opportunity Zone.
• Department of Education Implements Student Loan Relief: President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum on August 8 required student loan payments to be halted until December 31, 2020, and the Department of Education has now fully implemented these changes. All federal students loan payments are suspended until the end of the year and interest rates will continue to remain at 0% until December 31.
• Draft of Senate Republican COVID-19 Relief Bill: On Tuesday, August 18, a draft of a new Senate Republican COVID-19 relief bill was circulated highlighting their priorities on unemployment benefits, liability lawsuits relating to the virus and funding and testing for schools. This bill has not been fully introduced and it is unclear if it will move forward. The education provisions are very similar to those in the previous Senate Republican bill introduced in late July.