CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

College Enrollment Up for CTE Students

CTE students have dramatically increased their postsecondary enrollment since the 1990s, according to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), particularly students earning more CTE credits.

High school graduates from the class of 2004 with some CTE but less than two credits, and high school graduates who earned 2-3 CTE credits, had enrolled in college eight years later at nearly the same rate—90 percent and 91 percent. This was a big jump for those students earning 2-3 CTE credits (i.e., CTE concentrators) since the latter 20th century. However, completion rates only increased for students who took 4-plus CTE credits. Completion decreased for all other groups—students taking CTE and those who never took CTE. This echoes data on challenges in earning credentials across the education spectrum.

To help you access CTE data, NCES has augmented its public data center for CTE with new tables on high school students’ education and career plans, their career preparation and work-based learning activities, and who influenced them in their career plans. For instance, this new data shares that 34 percent of students who started high school in 2009 had worked or volunteered in a job related to their career goals by 2012. Other new data looks at postsecondary offerings and credentials, broken down by certificates that take varying amounts of time as well as by associate and bachelor’s degrees.

Wide Range of Support for Perkins Reauthorization

Since the House Education and the Workforce Committee passed its version of Perkins back on July 7, support has grown for that bill and the reauthorization process generally. Many industry groups, as well as educators, are interested in seeing a new Perkins signed into law.

In an Op-ed in The Hill, Mac MacCarthy, senior vice president for the Software & Information Industry Association, voices support for many areas of the bill, including programs of study, work-based learning, the new local needs assessment and business and industry connections. He also emphasizes the importance of funding the law adequately to meet business and industry needs:

These reforms are vital if we are to adequately prepare students for the realities of the workforce today and tomorrow. But at the same time, a serious policy for providing students with skills and employers with a pipeline of qualified employees must include serious funding levels. Despite the fact that our workforce challenges have gotten more complex – and will continue to do so – the legislation calls for a CTE funding level that is more than $5 million below FY2007. While it does increase funding over current levels, there can be no doubt that a greater commitment will be needed.

The American Farm Bureau Federation got in on the action as well, sending a letter encouraging the law’s swift passage. In a post on Morning Ag Clips, AFPF President Zippy Duvall emphasized “A skilled workforce is needed in rural America, just as it is in urban and suburban communities.”

As we at ACTE prepare for Congress to return later this fall and move forward on Perkins, we worked with our partners at Advance CTE to prepare a comprehensive summary of the House bill. Please take some time this summer to review the summary and let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

CTE and Registered Apprenticeship: A Perfect Match

Alignment between secondary CTE programs and Registered Apprenticeship is the focus of a new report from the National Center for Innovation in CTE.

CTE programs on the high school level and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program, which is more common for postsecondary student-workers, both incorporate school-based and work-based learning. CTE programs typically provide an entrée to classroom studies and work-based learning in a particular career area, while RA is more intensive and specialized.

The publication reviews the alignment between secondary CTE and RA in six states: Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Washington. NCICTE researchers identified three strategies for alignment:

• CTE students’ direct participation in RA: In this model, high school CTE students are in RA. CTE coursework applies toward RA, and RA participation counts toward graduation requirements. North Carolina offers this form of alignment.
• CTE feeds into RA: This is the most common model in the states studied, in which high school students participate in pre-apprenticeship. Their work-based learning sponsor may be an RA sponsor, too, and they may get preferred entry into or earn credits toward RA.
• The CTE curriculum aligns with RA: In this example, the state’s CTE coursework is aligned to RA programs, and students earn credits toward RA. Rhode Island offers this model.

To improve the alignment between these two complementary programs, the report recommends that agencies focus on cross-agency communication and provide technical assistance, outreach to the public and tools. States can also address barriers to employer participation, such as contracting with a third-party to serve as the student’s employer of record (Kentucky), providing tax incentives (Connecticut and Rhode Island) and reducing tuition (Florida).

Congressional Recess Wrap-up: Perkins Reauthorization and Funding

Congress adjourned for its annual summer recess last week, but before leaving, there was a whirlwind of activity of interest to CTE stakeholders. Most notable was action to reauthorize the Perkins Act in the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which we’ve reported on in recent weeks. Over recess, please reach out to House members to encourage them to continue moving forward on Perkins reauthorization, as the committee activity was only the first step in the process. You can find more details about action needed in our recent legislative alert.

As the House was busy working on its comprehensive Perkins reauthorization, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee also continues behind-the-scenes negotiations on its bipartisan Perkins reauthorization bill, and still hopes to be able to introduce that bill later this summer. In the meantime, several smaller bills have been introduced by individual senators in an effort to influence that more comprehensive process.

Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Workforce Advance Act, S. 3271, which would increase the emphasis on dual and concurrent enrollment programs within Perkins through new definitions, plan requirements and uses of funds language. Sen. Hirono (D-HI) also introduced the Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act of 2016, S .3147 (with a companion in the House, H.R. 5682), to increase the focus on equity gaps within the legislation. While ACTE has not endorsed either of these bills, we continue to work with Senate offices on how to promote these key ideas within reauthorization.

On the funding side of legislative activity, the full House Appropriations Committee approved the labor, health and human services, and education appropriations bill on July 14 on a party-line vote, right before adjourning for the summer. As we previously reported, this bill contains level funding for Perkins despite overall cuts to education programs. While both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have now approved their education funding bills, future activity is very uncertain due to the overall political climate and funding debate. It is extremely likely that Congress will approve a continuing resolution when they return in September, which could last well into 2017 and leave funding levels for the 2017-18 school year uncertain. Stay tuned for more information as discussions continue!

Some Postsecondary Education Required

More than 95 percent of new jobs created since the Great Recession are held by individuals with some postsecondary education, according to America’s Divided Recovery: College Haves and Have-Nots.

Since 2010, bachelor’s degree holders have garnered 4.6 million jobs, associate degree holders gained 3.1 million jobs and 80,000 jobs went to those with a high school diploma or less. Sixty-five percent of the workforce now has education beyond high school. In addition, workers with some postsecondary education have most of the “good” jobs: full-time jobs that pay more than $53,000 per year and offer benefits.

Management and health care occupations saw the most job growth. In addition, the share of workers with postsecondary education in fields like manufacturing increased.

Through CTE, students can earn postsecondary credentials that prepare them to work in these and other vital career fields.

 

Legislative Alert: House Committee Passes Perkins Bill

On July 7, the House Education and the Workforce Committee voted unanimously to approve a Perkins reauthorization bill, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587), sponsored by Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, and Katherine Clark (D-MA). The bipartisan committee bill is the first comprehensive reauthorization of Perkins to be considered by Congress in a decade.

“Today, we’ve taken another important step to ensure every American has access to the skills and education they need to compete in the workforce,” said committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). “Career and technical education has placed countless individuals on the path to success, and this bipartisan legislation will empower more individuals to follow that same path.”

ACTE has endorsed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, and we are pleased that the bill includes many of our policy priorities and legislative recommendations to strengthen the CTE system around the country. Our letter of support can be accessed on ACTE’s website.

Please take a few minutes to send your thanks the members of the committee for their support, and urge the rest of House of Representatives to act on the bill without delay!

Take Action

• If your Representative is a member of the education committee (check our directory here), please send your thanks to him or her for supporting the bill!
• If not, contact your Member of Congress using the CTE Action Center or by phone through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
  • Tell your Representative that Congress should act now to reauthorize Perkins.
  • Ask him or her to support the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587)!

House Takes Up Perkins Funding Bill

Today, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 education funding bill. The bill proposes level funding for both the Perkins Basic State Grant at $1.118 billion and Perkins National Programs at $7.4 million. These funding levels are consistent with the bill that Senate appropriators passed through committee in June. Despite reducing the education budget overall by $1.3 billion and cutting or eliminating many education programs, the committee chose to maintain funding for CTE!

Unlike the Senate bill, the House does not include a restoration of year-round Pell grants, which would allow students who have exhausted their award for an academic year to receive aid for an additional term (it did follow the Senate’s lead in increasing the Pell maximum award to $5,935). The House also chose not to continue a grant program intended to accelerate and expand state apprenticeship strategies and grow the use of apprenticeships in new industries—the Senate requested $100 million to fund that effort for a second year. Additionally, the bill includes provisions prohibiting the department from moving forward with its “gainful employment” regulations and new requirements on teacher preparation programs.

Among the federal workforce training programs, the formula state grants under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for both youth and adults were level funded, with a slight increase for the dislocated worker grant. The Adult Education and Family Literacy state grant program was also level funded in the House bill

The full committee will take up the bill on July 13. Please take a few minutes to contact your Representative to urge a strong investment in Perkins!

How to Sustain Career Pathways

A new report examines lessons learned from the Advancing Career and Technical Education (CTE) in State and Local Career Pathways project conducted by the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education.

The document outlines steps that career pathways partnerships can take to decide on a compelling vision; engage partners and stakeholders; and adopt new behaviors, practices and processes, as part of fostering sustainability. Career pathways participants can consult a checklist in the document to stay on track.

In addition, the report includes several examples from the Advancing CTE in State and Local Career Pathways project, including:

• Minnesota’s Career Pathways Partnership committee
• The Kansas Board of Regents Employer Engagement Initiative to publicly acknowledge employer contributions
• A cost-sharing memorandum of understanding in Kansas that supports a career pathways staff member
• Colorado’s career pathways guide
• An interactive website in Oregon that allows students to search for community colleges that offer programs that align with their secondary CTE programs

House Markup of Perkins Bill Scheduled

House Committee on Education and the Workforce leaders announced today that they will consider their Perkins reauthorization bill on Thursday, July 7^th, at 10:00 am. The committee markup is the next step in the legislative process for the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, introduced last week. The markup will be webcast at http://edworkforce.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=400898.

We have been working very closely with the Committee and are pleased that the bill includes many of ACTE’s recommendations for Perkins, which we believe will strengthen the CTE system around the country. While we are still working through some key technical concerns, this bill is a strong step in the reauthorization process and we are urging the committee to approve it and continue working toward a full reauthorization. Our formal letter to the committee regarding the bill can be accessed on ACTE’s website.

ACTE Voices Support for Veterans’ Access to CTE

This week, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing to consider new legislation affecting veterans’ benefits and health care, including Senators Inhofe (R-OK) and Lankford’s (R-OK) legislation S. 3021, a bill to authorize the use of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to pursue independent study programs at certain educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning.

The bill would correct an issue that prevents returning veterans from using their education benefits at area career and technical education centers – public, non-profit, non-degree granting institutions that award certificates demonstrating technical competency. ACTE worked closely with these offices in the development of this legislation, and Executive Director LeAnn Wilson submitted testimony to the committee encouraging action on this important legislation that would allow veterans greater access to postsecondary CTE offered at area CTE centers nationwide.

During his testimony at the hearing, Inhofe quoted Oklahoma’s CareerTech State Director Marcie Mack as stating that, “Oklahoma’s CareerTech system is committed to serving U.S. military veterans, however, with current federal policy there are obstacles for veterans to be able to participate.” He went on to say that, “It is my hope that the committee will quickly consider this legislation. I deeply appreciate the attention the committee has given to my bill, and I look forward to continuing my work to ensure that this problem is addressed.”

The archived webcast of the hearing can be accessed here. ACTE will continue to advocate for access to high-quality CTE for all veterans!