CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest January 11-17

In its final week, the Biden Administration continued to wrap up projects and conclude their work. Next week, the Trump Administration will take office (you can learn more about what this might mean for federal CTE policy in a recent article from CalMatters), and we will soon start to hear about more political appointments to positions at the Departments of Education and Labor. Meanwhile, the 119th Congress is well under way and both chambers have largely established committee leadership and membership. The Senate has been busy with confirmation hearings for the Trump Administration’s cabinet nominees. Keep on reading for more details!

• Thompson Introduces Skills Investment Act: Reps. Thompson, Bonamici, Fitzpatrick and Schneider introduced the bipartisan Skills Investment Act, endorsed by ACTE. The bill aims to expand tax-advantaged savings opportunities for learners pursuing CTE and workforce training programs through Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs). Workers would be eligible to use Coverdell accounts to pay for skills training, apprenticeships and professional development.
  
  
• House Committee on Education and Workforce Organizing Meeting: The House Committee on Education and Workforce held an organizing meeting. Committee leadership announced new members to the committee, rules and procedures, and an agenda for the upcoming congressional session. Learn more on the blog!
  
  
• Senate HELP Committee Announces Organizing Meeting: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, now under the leadership of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), will hold its first executive session of the 119th Congress to review procedural resolutions and formally organize the committee. The meeting is on January 21 and will be available to livestream.
  
  
• President-Elect Trump Nominates Penny Schwinn as Deputy Secretary of Education: On January 17, the president-elect announced he would nominate former TN State Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn to join the Department of Education as deputy secretary. Schwinn also has experience in other state education departments and as a Teach for America teacher and charter school founder.
  
  
• Biden Administration Finalizes New Rules for Perkins Reporting: This week, the Administration finalized a new set of rules that will impact CTE programs by changing rules for federal reporting under the Perkins CTE Act. We will provide detailed analysis of the changes to accountability indicator definitions soon. However, it is possible that the new Administration will repeal or revise these changes through a new proposal.
  
  
• Department of Education Capstone Event: The Department of Education held a capstone event this week, “The Impact: Our Fight for Public Education.” The event summarized the Administration's work through the Department of Education, highlighting a call to action and work to still be done. This event was accompanied by other media discussing their work, including a video on CTE.
  
  
• Biden Administration Recognizes 336 Teachers and Mentors: President Biden announced 336 teachers and mentors as recipients of Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). Recipients included individuals who taught and mentored students in STEM education and the workforce.
  
  
• ACTE’s 2024 Year-in-Review: As we kick off the new year, check out some of the highlights in the CTE policy and advocacy space from 2024, and help us ring in 2025 with some New Year’s advocacy resolutions and goals. Read more on the blog!

House Education and Workforce Committee Holds First Organizing Meeting

The House Education and Workforce Committee, now chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), held an organizing meeting on January 15, during which both Rep. Walberg and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) announced new committee members and their goals for the committee in the 119th Congress. 

Rep. Walberg laid out his agenda priorities for the Committee, including the cost of college, school choice, social and cultural issues in higher education, and workforce development. On workforce development, Walberg stated, “Bottom line, we want students, workers, job creators all to have the skills they need to be competitive in the 21st century.” 

Notably, Rep. Scott also expressed an interest in workforce development, particularly related to the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). He encouraged support for the bill, “Our bipartisan, bicameral proposal will help train workers for good-paying jobs and connect employers with highly qualified candidates,” also sharing that, “It is good for workers, good for employers and good for the economy.”  

Reps. Walberg and Scott also reviewed reforms to the Committee’s rules, procedures and oversight work. They also announced new Members of Congress who will serve on the Education and Workforce Committee this congress, including: 

Republicans: 

• Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO) 

• Rep. Ryan McKenzie (R-PA) 

• Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) 

• Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) 

• Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) 

Democrats: 

• Rep. Greg Casar (D-MI) 

• Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA0 

• Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) 

In the coming weeks, ACTE will be reaching out to all the new members and advocating for CTE, and our longtime priorities. We will continue to monitor the 119th Congress’s work and share updates as well!  

Research Roundup: Credit for Prior Learning, Graduation Rates, Future of Jobs Report, Student Choice of Non-degree Pathways

The National Landscape of Credit for Prior Learning: The American Council on Education released a report analyzing trends in state and system policy regarding credit for prior learning (CPL) and experiences attained outside of a formal college setting. CPL policies are critical as states and institutions consider how to accelerate credential completion to reduce gaps in educational attainment.

Researchers tracked 362 CPL policies nationally and found that 49 states had policies on methods of assessment to test outside learning, 46 provided credit for military experience, and 42 required postsecondary institutions to establish a CPL policy. Policies evaluating the effectiveness of CPL were least common (20 states), followed by 30 states with policies on data tracking and 30 with cost/affordability policies. Based on these findings, the report outlines some next steps that policymakers in states should consider. This includes making data collection and reporting a priority; integrating CPL data into equity and workforce initiatives; and addressing the costs and fees often associated with CPL services, such as exams. 

Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates: The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education published a report with extensive disaggregated projections of high school graduation rates in the United States. Analyses were done by race/ethnicity, region and urban/rural locality. Some of the most critical findings are: 

• The total number of high school graduates is expected to peak in 2025, followed by a steady decline through 2041. 
• The share of graduates who are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, particularly Hispanic and multiracial students, is expected to keep rising. 
• By 2041, 38 states are projected to see a decline in the total number of graduates. 

COVID-19 is also expected to remain impactful in the years that follow, with the researchers noting a decline in enrollment in earlier grades of schooling. These projections indicate that more work needs to be done by policymakers to address the needs of students who may face obstacles in pursuing their high school diploma, such as chronic absenteeism. 

Future of Jobs Report 2025: The World Economic Forum recently published their Future of Jobs Report, a biannual report that examines evolving global technological, societal and economic trends to understand workforce opportunities and disruptions for the jobs of the future. This iteration of the report identifies trends expected in the future global workforce, including: 

• 60% of employers expect expanding digital access to transform their business, with recent advancements being made in generative AI, robotics and information processing expected to dramatically alter the workforce. Correspondingly, the need for AI and big data skills is expected to grow fastest, followed by networks and cybersecurity skills.  
• The aging population is also expected to alter the workforce, paving the way for CTE and work-based learning programs to prepare young workers to meet shortages. 
• Employers consider the biggest hurdle to business transformation to be the skills gap in workers, with 85% of employers intending to prioritize upskilling their workforce. 

Student Decision Making and the Choice of Non-degree Postsecondary Pathways: An article by Estefanie Aguilar Padilla, Rachel Baker and Sarah Beu in the December 2024 issue of Career and Technical Education Research (CTER) examined high school students’ perceptions and familiarity with non-degree postsecondary pathways, particularly the perceived costs and benefits of these pathways and characteristics of students interested in them. National survey data of high school students was collected and analyzed to answer these questions. 

The researchers found that, generally, student knowledge of non-degree postsecondary pathways is low. Students tend to prefer attending four-year colleges in person the most as a pathway, but 41% included at least one non-degree option in their selection of preferred pathways after high school. Male students were less likely than female students to include a non-degree pathway in their selections, and Hispanic students were more likely to do so than white students. Interestingly, students whose parents hold a bachelor's degree or above had more favorable opinions of non-degree pathways than students whose parents had less education. When examining reasons, students concerned about the cost of postsecondary education are more likely to consider pursuing a non-degree pathway.  

Finally, students expressed a lack of confidence in making future plans. Only half of students agreed with the statements “I feel like I’m in control of my future” and “I have enough information to decide the best plan for me after high school.” 

This most recent issue of CTER also includes articles on the impact of international experiences on CTE educators, STEM-CTE teaching, Technology Student Association participation and soft skills development, agriculture teacher retention, evaluation of an agriculture career experiences resource, and more.

2024 Year in Review

As we kick off the new year, check out some of the highlights in the CTE policy and advocacy space from 2024, and help us ring in 2025 with some New Year’s advocacy resolutions and goals.  

2024 in Advocacy: 

ACTE advocates sent out over 4,000 messages to their federal policymakers through our Action Center!  

• Our advocates were most active during April and July...did you send a message to your policymaker then?  

• We helped to tell Congress to support increased funding for education and workforce development in both Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and FY 2025 appropriations packages. Most recently, our members in affected states told their policymakers to support the Social Security Fairness Act! 

• The most active state in 2024 was...Oklahoma!  

CTE stakeholders and advocates joined us in recognizing great CTE programs at Cardozo Education Campus in Washington D.C. for the annual CTE Month school visit hosted by ACTE, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)! 

• Cardozo showcased incredible CTE programs and ACTE’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Aris “P” Pangilinan! 

• The event was attended by staff from Capitol Hill, The Department of Education, DCPS and local and national organizations. 

ACTE was joined by CTSOs, students, advocates, Hill and Administration Staff and other stakeholders for our NPS Hill reception, where co-chairs and other members of the House and Senate CTE Caucuses delivered remarks on the incredible work done for CTE students and their legislative goals.  

2024 in Congress: 

We gained even more support in Congress for CTE! 

• One new Senator and three Representatives joined the CTE Caucuses in their respective chambers, bringing the total membership to 32 in the Senate Caucus and 110 in the House. 

• Six new Senators and 8 new Representatives cosponsored the JOBS Act of 2023, which would pave the way for Pell Grant access for participants in short-term job training programs. We’re extending a big THANK YOU to Sens. Coons, Heinrich, Merkley, Rosen, former Sen. Tester and Reps. Schakowsky, Carbajal, Hayes, Larsen, McClellan, Vasquez and Dingell.  

• Both chambers also introduced the CTE Month Resolution, which gained bipartisan support! 

It took some time, but Congress passed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations package in March. In a big victory, the Perkins Basic State Grant was funded at $1.44 billion, an increase of $10 million above FY 2023 levels. Now Congress is in the process of developing funding packages for FY 2025 appropriations. The bill introduced in the House provides an increase in Perkins funding but threatens to cut funds to other critical education programs. Meanwhile, the Senate version of the bill stands to provide more adequate funding for education across the board, including a Perkins increase. Thank you to our advocates who reached out to their policymakers to let them know we need more funding for CTE! 

Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act! This bill marks the culmination of decades of advocacy to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) within the Social Security program. These provisions unfairly reduced Social Security benefits, including spousal benefits, for those who worked in private sector jobs and paid into Social Security, but also worked in a public sector job and earned a pension. President Biden signed the bill into law last week. 

A WIOA Reauthorization Was Nearly Finalized. In December, the bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate education committees came to an agreement to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Although it was excluded from the final year-end package, this was the most progress made to update the law since it was last reauthorized in 2014. 

Thank you to all our members, advocates, partners and CTE Caucus members for supporting CTE in 2024! If, like us, your New Year’s resolution is to have another fantastic year of CTE advocacy, check out these resources to stay up to date and equip yourself for the 119th Congress: 

• Follow us on socials! @ACTEpolicy on X (formerly Twitter) and @ACTEpolicy.bsky.social on Bluesky 

• Subscribe to our Legislative Alerts 

• Sign-up to get alerts from the CTE Policy Watch Blog 

• Connect with your Members of Congress through ACTE’s Action Center 

• This is even more important if you have new representation following the election – educate them on CTE, establish yourself as a resource and make the case! 

DC Digest January 7 - 10

It was the 119th Congress’s first week in session. Many House and Senate committees released their new rosters and finalized leadership assignments. ACTE will continue to monitor relevant committees and share updates as they are announced. Meanwhile, the Administration is preparing for its final week in office, hosting several events and webinars in the next 10 days. We will continue to share more updates and information on how you can best conduct your CTE advocacy with a new Congress and administration! 

 

• Meet the New Chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee: Tim Walberg: For the 119th Congress, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) will chair the House Committee on Education and Workforce. He takes over for Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) who has been the top Republican on the committee since 2017. Read more on the blog! 

• Meet the New Members of the Senate Appropriations and HELP Committees: With the 119th Congress underway, Senate leaders recently announced their committee rosters for this Congress. The Senate Committees on Appropriations and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will have several new faces. Read more on the blog! 

• Chair Walberg Announces House Education and Workforce Committee Members: Chair Walberg announced the new and returning Republican Members that will serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee in the 119th Congress. He also announced senior staff for the Committee. We will share more on the new members of this committee and their work soon!  

• Department of Labor to Host Event on Digital Skill-Building: The Department of Labor is hosting a webinar on January 16 on resources to support digital skill-building throughout the workforce system.  

• Department of Education Announces Postsecondary Success Recognition Program Winners: The Department of Education announced winners of the Postsecondary Success Recognition Program launched earlier this year to celebrate higher education institutions enrolling underserved populations, facilitating successful student transfers and equipping graduates for careers. The winners included three postsecondary institutions with a significant CTE focus.  

• Department of Education Invites Applicants for Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP): The Department of Education is inviting applicants for awards under the NACTEP, which awards grants to Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations and Alaska Native entities to operate CTE projects that improve CTE for Native American and Alaksa Native students.  

• Title IX Rule Struck Down: In a decision that appears to have nationwide implications, a federal district judge struck down the Biden Administration’s regulations on Title IX. The rule had been implemented sporadically throughout the country and was met with resistance in many states because a piece of the new rule expanded the definition of sexual discrimination to include discrimination based on gender identity.   

• Department of Education Hosts FAFSA Week of Action: The Department of Education is hosting the High School Senior 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Week of Action from January 13-17. They are encouraging high school counselors, principals, superintendents, parent and community groups, and local education organizations to raise awareness about the FAFSA and assist students in completion. The Department is also releasing a set of FAFSA guides for non-English speakers. 

• Department of Labor Shares “Workforce on the Mic”: Workforce on the Mic, a series presented by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, released four episodes on workforce development and resources for workforce development professionals. 

Meet the New Members of the Senate Appropriations and HELP Committees

With the 119th Congress underway, Senate leaders recently announced their committee rosters for this Congress. The Senate Committees on Appropriations and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will have several new faces.  

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) will take over as chair of the Appropriations Committee. The long-time Senator served as the ranking member in the previous Congress. In addition to Appropriations, she serves on HELP and has made education a priority during her entire Senate career.  

Joining the committee for Senate Republicans are Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Mike Rounds (R-SD). Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is currently still on the committee for this Congress; however, he will leave Congress when he gets confirmed as Secretary of State. That will open another spot on the committee for an additional Republican. 

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) will move to the role of ranking member having served as chair this last Congress. Similarly to Sen. Collins, she sits on HELP and was the top Democrat on that committee for several Congresses. Democrats joining the committee are Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). They replace Sens. Joe Manchin (I-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Jon Tester (D-MT). Sens. Manchin and Sinema both retired from Congress and Sen. Tester did not win re-election. 

Moving to HELP, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) will take over as the new chair of the committee. For the 118th Congress, he served as the ranking member. He came to the Senate in 2015 and previously served in the House of Representatives from 2009-2015. His priorities on education and workforce include introducing the College Transparency Act as well as negotiating a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). ACTE endorsed the College Transparency Act in the 118th Congress. As chair, it will be his responsibility to set the direction of the committee. 

On the Republican side of the aisle, four new members will join the committee for the 119th Congress. They are Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Banks (R-IN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO). Of these new members, Sen. Banks is the only new member of the Senate. He was elected to the House in 2016 and served his entire tenure on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. 

Two members who were on HELP in the previous Congress will not return. Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC) have rolled off the committee to pursue other assignments.  

On the Democratic side, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will remain as the top Democrat on the committee, but he will shift to serve as the ranking member for this Congress.  

The Democrats will also welcome three new members to the committee: Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Andy Kim (D-NJ). All three are freshmen Senators in the 119th Congress. Sens. Blunt Rochester and Kim previously served in the House while Sen. Alsobrooks served as the Executive for Prince George’s County in Maryland. 

In the coming weeks, ACTE will be reaching out to all the new members and advocating for CTE, and our longtime priorities. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch ([email protected]).    

Meet the New Chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee: Tim Walberg

For the 119th Congress, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) will chair the House Committee on Education and Workforce. He takes over for Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) who has been the top Republican on the committee since 2017. 

Walberg was first elected to Congress in 2006. After losing his 2008 reelection, he returned to Congress after the 2010 mid-term elections and represents Michigan’s 5th district. Prior to his time in office, Walberg served as a pastor in Michigan and Indiana and the president of the Warren Reuther Center for Education and Community Impact. 

As chair, Walberg has indicated that he would use his leadership position to focus on expanding Pell Grant access for short-term training programs, increasing apprenticeships and addressing college affordability. In the 118th Congress, Walberg was a co-sponsor of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act. ACTE posted about the bill when it was introduced in December 2023. 

After winning the gavel, Walberg said in a statement, “We have a unique opportunity to make substantive reforms to empower parents, incentivize workforce training, improve government efficiency, and unburden American innovators and job creators.” 

Walberg has also indicated that we would focus on providing alternatives to college. In a December interview, Walberg said, “We’ve wrung our hands for too long about boys not going on to college. There are probably several reasons for that, but we also know that there are plenty of boys — and girls — who, given the opportunity to see what’s out there, can make [other] choices.” 

As the new Congress begins, ACTE will work with Walberg and the other members of the committee to continue to advocate for CTE and our longtime priorities. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch ([email protected]).  

DC Digest December 25 - January 6

Happy New Year! Congress kicked off its 119th session on January 3, reelecting current Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). Rep. Johnson will have a full agenda to navigate, with only three months to negotiate a Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations package in order to avert a government shutdown, and pressure to pass a large reconciliation bill reflecting the new Administration’s priorities. The Senate will also have to dedicate significant time to confirming the incoming Administration’s cabinet nominations. To get in touch with your new Members of Congress, check out ACTE’s resources on how to connect with them and advocate for CTE! 

• House Reelects Speaker Johnson: Friday marked the first day of the 119th Congress. The primary activity was in the House, where Members reelected Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker after a somewhat uncertain vote. The agenda also consisted of the addresses from leadership and swearing in of new members.  

• Senate Announces Committee Assignments: The incoming Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) announced committee assignments for the 119th Congress. New Senators on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee include Sens. Scott, Hawley, Banks, Crapo, Blackburn, Kim and Alsobrooks. ACTE will share more about these new additions and their work moving forward! 

• Department of Labor Awards $65 Million for Community College: The Department of Labor announced $65 million in grants to 18 colleges in 14 states to support programs that help community colleges scale affordable, high-quality workforce training to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs in critical industries. 

• Department of Education Releases Final Rule on Distance Education: The Department of Education released a set of final regulations related to distance education and eligibility for financial aid under the Higher Education Act. The new regulations will take effect in 2026 and plan to increase federal oversight of online programs, requiring colleges to report more data on enrollment in distance education classes. In a win for CTE programs at area CTE centers, the final rules removed the changes proposed in earlier drafts that would have eliminated the ability for asynchronous coursework to be included in clock-hour programs. This was a priority we had strongly advocated for when the initial draft regulations were published.  

Research Roundup: CTE Messaging, Non-degree Pathways Supports, Facilitating Reenrollment, Apprenticeship Wages by Gender

Effectively Communicating Career Technical Education to Engage Every Learner: Advance CTE released a new resource that offers local and state CTE leaders strategies on how to best communicate, engage and build relationships with key populations and groups, including learners with Perkins V special populations status. The self-paced tool can be customized to meet the needs of each user and comes with videos, transcripts and other resources to help users create and assess communications for key audiences.

Students’ Experiences and the Implications of Enhanced Holistic Supports for Non-degree Pathways: A report from the National Skills Coalition details how students experience non-degree pathways and identifies what additional supports students need. Researchers found the following about how students experience non-degree pathways programs: 

• Students pursue these programs to build better lives for themselves and their families. 
• Students believe that these programs are not set up for them, with a lack of flexibility that makes it difficult to balance work, life and education responsibilities. 
• Students find supports inadequate. Financial security is a major issue for many, and information on how to access resources is often patchy. 

Based on their experiences in non-degree pathways, students described what they want to see more of from their programs: 

• More financial and basic needs services to support students. 
• Additional support in navigating public benefit programs. 
• Increased affordable child care access for parents. 
• More information and tailored support for student decision-making. 
• Better awareness and understanding of students’ experiences in non-degree pathways programs. 

Inspiring Reenrollment in Some College, No Credential (SCNC) Students: Education Dynamics released a report that aims to better understand the circumstances surrounding students who attend a postsecondary institution but ultimately leave without a credential: 36.8 million students under the age of 65 fell into this category in 2022. 

When initially enrolling in a postsecondary institution, these students' most common motivator was starting a new career to earn more money (60%). Students also cited launching a career aligned with their interests (40%) and taking the next step after high school/technical school (30%) as top motivators for seeking postsecondary education. Students reported they were aware of what career they wanted to pursue (85%) and were informed of potential career paths by their respective institutions (85%). However, 34% indicated that transferring credits was the most challenging part of the enrollment process, with the number of credits a school is willing to accept significantly influencing enrollment decisions. 

Students exited their programs for a variety of reasons, most commonly cost (41%); lack of flexibility (19%); and inability to use federal financial aid (15%), as well as COVID-19-related reasons.  

To address barriers to reenrollment, researchers recommend making credit transfer policies more transparent, accepting and easier to understand. 

Women Need Better Access to High-paying Apprenticeships: The Institute for Women’s Policy Research published a brief that analyzes apprenticeship income and opportunities accessed by men and women. The Institute found that, in 2024, the median hourly wage for women that completed registered apprenticeships was $22 compared to $34.68 for men, with Black women apprentices earning only $20 an hour. Researchers noted that this pay gap is largely owing to women’s overrepresentation in low-paying apprenticeship fields.

DC Digest December 15-24

Congress finally went home this weekend after passing a continuing resolution (CR) preventing a government shutdown and funding the government through March 14 and wrapping up other legislative work for the year. On the Administration side, things are quieting down for the holidays, although several events have been held to wrap-up or promote key initiatives as the Biden Administration winds down their work. Keep reading and stay tuned for more updates in the new year! 

• Congress Averts Government Shutdown: Congress passed an agreement to keep the government funded through March 14 at the last minute, securing three more months to finalize appropriations packages, including the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill. Unfortunately, the final CR did not include a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) like an earlier version – ACTE will work to make this a priority of the 119th Congress.  

• Congress Passes Social Security Fairness Act: On Dec. 21, Congress passed H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, marking the culmination of decades of advocacy to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) within the Social Security program. These provisions unfairly reduced Social Security benefits, including spousal benefits, for those who worked in private sector jobs and paid into Social Security, but also worked in a public sector job and earned a pension. 

• Department of Labor to Host Digital Literacy Event: The Department of Labor is hosting an event in the new year to discuss resources available to promote digital literacy and skill-building through the workforce system.  

• Department of Education Withdraws Some Pending Rules: The Department of Education has withdrawn two sets of pending regulations that were in progress but not complete: rules related to student loan forgiveness and to transgender student athletes. These proposals would have most likely been overturned by the incoming Trump Administration, and had faced legal challenges, so the withdrawal is primarily a procedural move to clear up pending regulations before the transition.   

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Funding Opportunity: The NSF S-STEM program provides scholarships for low-income students pursing postsecondary degrees in STEM fields, and is encouraging higher education institutions, including community colleges to apply for awards of $80-$120 million. Apply by March 4.  

• Department of Education Hosts Roundtable on Chronic Absenteeism: The White House and Department of Education hosted a roundtable on chronic absenteeism in schools, discussing new ways to engage students and what is being done to help support higher attendance rates. 

• Department of Education Hosts Event on Pathways for Multilingualism: Secretary Cardona hosted the “Creating Pathways for Multilingualism for All” convening to showcase language immersion programs and discuss best practices.