The National Association of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) held its Washington Policy Seminar last week, bringing together concurrent enrollment professionals from across the country to share best practices and discuss the federal policies that will affect students enrolled in these programs. During the seminar, I participated in a panel discussion of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act alongside policy staff from Advance CTE to share information about the reauthorization process to-date and answer questions from attendees.
In addition to the panel discussion, the Washington Policy Seminar included a congressional briefing titled, “Showcase of Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Programs and Policies: Innovative Approaches to College Access & Affordability.” The briefing highlighted promising strategies from across the country for increasing availability for students to access high-quality dual and concurrent enrollment programs that engage them in their postsecondary studies at an earlier age. CTE constitutes a large portion of dual and concurrent enrollment programs nationwide, and it is critical that federal policies affecting these programs effectively support these students.
During the briefing, a major topic of discussion was the Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act, introduced in the Senate by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), as well as in the House by Reps. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Tom Reed (R-NY). This legislation would expand dual and concurrent enrollment programs by opening opportunities for federal grants to create new dual and concurrent enrollment programs, as well as to provide professional development to support educators in leading these programs. ACTE supports the bill, which will open new doors to students pursuing the education they need for college- and career-success.
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