CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Research Round-up: Non-degree Credentials, High-quality CTE, Rural Teachers

The following publications are on our CTE reading list for early spring.

Non-degree Credentials in the Labor Force: Fifty-eight percent of working U.S. adults have a postsecondary credential, including 13 percent with a postsecondary certificate, license and/or industry certification. Licenses are the most common non-degree credentials.

In addition, 18 percent of the labor force has both a degree and a non-degree credential. This data is from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Adult Training and Education survey, which has recently expanded its data collection about credentials beyond two- and four-year degrees to give a more accurate picture of Americans’ education and training beyond high school.

CTE in Massachusetts: A new white paper from the Alliance for Vocational Technical Education, a coalition of partners from across Massachusetts, looks at how to define high-quality CTE in the commonwealth. The analysis relies heavily on ACTE’s Quality CTE Program of Study Framework.

Rural Teacher Certification and Development: In Advance CTE’s final brief in its series, CTE on the Frontier, the organization looks at how states are developing and supporting CTE teachers, particularly in rural areas. State examples include:

• Kentucky’s adjunct certification program, in which industry experts can teach CTE students part time while remaining in their industry jobs
• Hawaii community colleges’ sliding pay scale to attract talent into teaching STEM fields
• Career academies specializing in education pathways in Mississippi and Tennessee
• Missouri’s New Teacher Institute and mentorship program
• Louisiana’s virtual externships to support teacher professional development
• New Jersey’s pilot program to train general education teachers in high-demand CTE fields

CTE on the Frontier: Strengthening the Rural CTE Teacher Pipeline was developed through the New Skills for Youth initiative, a partnership of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group, and funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Legislative Alert: Ask Your Senators to Sign Perkins Funding Letter

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-PA), along with Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate CTE Caucus, are asking their colleagues to join them in supporting increased federal funding for CTE in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 appropriations bill. Lawmakers who support CTE should sign this letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging its leaders to continue growing the investment in CTE. The letter asks the Committee to increase Perkins funding to $1.3 billion in FY 2019 to finish restoring cuts made since FY 2007.

As we reported, Congress approved a $75 million increase for the Perkins state grants in the recent omnibus funding bill for FY 2018. It is important to continue to engage with Members of Congress and keep up the momentum for greater CTE funding going forward. We need as many members of the Senate as possible to sign this letter to help ensure that the Appropriations Committee recognizes the importance of investing in CTE. Please take a few minutes to help us in this effort!

DeVos Testifies on Administration’s Budget Request

This week, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos appeared before the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee to defend President Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request for education. As we reported in February, the president’s budget request proposes to level-fund the Perkins Basic State Grant at the FY 2017 enacted level ($1.118 billion). DeVos testified before the committee just days before Congress voted to increase Perkins funding by $75 million above the FY 2017 level as part of the current year funding bill.

During the hearing, DeVos touched on a number of non-funding issues related to CTE. She noted that the Administration has suggested expanding Pell Grant eligibility to short-term training programs. This idea already has bipartisan support through the JOBS Act, which ACTE has endorsed. DeVos highlighted the work of the Administration’s Task Force on Apprenticeship (she serves as the vice chair of the task force), as well as a controversial proposal to promote the development of industry-recognized apprenticeships. Finally, she expressed her desire to provide school districts with the flexibility to use Perkins state grant funding for career exploration activities in middle grades.

Big Win for CTE as Perkins Funding Increased in FY 2018 Omnibus

ACTE’s work and that of other CTE advocates and stakeholders has paid off! Last week, Congress approved the long-awaited omnibus appropriations bill to fund federal programs for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, and Perkins Basic State Grants will receive a $75 million increase! This is the first increase in a number of years for Perkins (the Trump Administration’s FY 2018 budget actually requested a 15 percent cut to the state grant program) and it is a strong sign of the growing support for CTE on Capitol Hill.

Overall, the omnibus includes a $3.9 billion increase in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, and a $192 million increase for discretionary funding for the Department of Labor. In addition to the Perkins increase, other notable increases include:

• Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (ESSA Title IV-A) – Increased $700 million, to $1.1 billion in its second year of funding. This program can provide funding to CTE programs, particularly in the areas of career exploration and college and career guidance, technology and STEM.
• Pell Grants – Increases the maximum Pell grant by $175, to a total of $6,095.
• Work Study – Increased $140 million, to $1.1 billion.
• Apprenticeship Opportunities – Increased $50 million to a total of $145 million.

Record Number of House Members Sign Perkins Funding Letter

Today, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Perkins funding “dear colleague” letter was submitted to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee with a new record of 170 signatures! Thanks to the hard work of CTE advocates nationwide, this total includes 46 Republicans and 124 Democrats representing 40 different states or territories. The letter, addressed to Subcommittee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) urges “strong support for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act in FY 2019” funding bills. 

This unprecedented show of support should help to establish CTE as a priority as Congress moves through the budget and appropriations process. We extend our appreciations to every lawmaker who signed the letter, and to House CTE Caucus Co-chairs Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Jim Langevin (D-RI), who led this effort. A complete list of signers can be found here. 

Senate Hearing on President's Infrastructure Proposal

On March 14, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing to discuss the Administration's $1.5 trillion infrastructure proposal. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta joined four other cabinet secretaries to testify on the proposal. (ACTE has previously reported on the President's proposal, which does not designate any new funding to the workforce section of the plan.

In his opening statement, Sec. Acosta acknowledged that, "As we build infrastructure, we must also ensure that we think about the American workforce that will build this infrastructure." (Video at 22:40.) To do this, he presented the President's four workforce-related proposals.

First, the extension of Pell Grants to high-quality, short-term programs that provide credentials for in-demand jobs. (Note: This is similar to the JOBS Act, which ACTE supports.) The Secretary stressed that these types of programs can provide immediate economic returns, and that shorter term programs should be available to students if the workforce demands them. Second, the Secretary discussed the proposal's call to reform the Perkins CTE Act to focus funding on high schools with earn and learn programs that provide hands-on technical experiences. Third, he highlighted the proposal's formula changes to federal work study, claiming it would redirect funds to schools with a strong record of enrolling students in Pell Grants and similar programs. Lastly, the Secretary advocated for reforming occupational licensing requirements for qualified individuals working on infrastructure projects, saying current restrictions need to be streamlined and sometimes prevent workers from crossing state lines.

During the hearing, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), also a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, asked Sec. Acosta to review several CTE-related bills the committee was considering, including the JOBS Act. (Video at 1:37:29.) Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), also questioned the Secretary. (Video at 2:39:02.) Sen. Klobuchar raised a recent tour she did of a manufacturing plant, and issues related to students who sought certifications but were limited to training on machinery for only one hour per day if they are under 18. She asked whether the Secretary had considered changes to the limitation, and he responded that the Department of Labor is currently reviewing whether it makes sense to extend the limit or issue exemptions for certain programs. The Secretary mentioned a similar issue had been raised to him regarding training for careers in medical fields.

Senate Democrats have also recently unveiled their own infrastructure plan, which also includes a section on ensuring infrastructure investments create good-paying jobs. In this section, they reference “Reauthorizing and increasing funding for Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) to support all in-demand fields in the 21st century,” and “Improv[ing] the infrastructure of CTE education and training centers.” Additional proposals are also focused on WIOA and specific segments of the energy workforce; although no specific dollar amounts are attached for any of the workforce-related activities.

ACTE continues to monitor the infrastructure proposals on Capitol Hill, and strongly believes any plan should include a robust workforce development component, supported with additional federal funds.

Department of Education Announces Final Competitive Grant Priorities

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education unveiled the list of the Administration’s final supplemental grant priorities. As we reported last fall, the department awards approximately $700 million in discretionary competitive grants each year, and these priorities will help direct grant funding going forward. Though the Administration requested public feedback on the draft priorities list in October (ACTE and ADVANCE CTE provided joint comments), few changes were incorporated into the final version. However, the priorities do include many themes related to CTE, including STEM education, economic development, skills training and personalized learning. The list includes:

1. Empowering Families to Choose a High-Quality Education that Meets Their Child’s Unique Needs.
2. Promoting Innovation and Efficiency, Streamlining Education with an Increased Focus on Improving Student Outcomes, and Providing Increased Value to Students and Taxpayers.
3. Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills.
4. Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills that Prepare Students to be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens.
5. Meeting the Unique Needs of Students and Children, including those with Disabilities and/or with Unique Gifts and Talents.
6. Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education, With a Particular Focus on Computer Science.
7. Promoting Literacy.
8. Promoting Effective Instruction in Classrooms and Schools.
9. Promoting Economic Opportunity.
10. Encouraging Improved School Climate and Safer and More Respectful Interactions in a Positive and Safe Educational Environment.
11. Ensuring that Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families Have Access to High-Quality Educational Choices.

CTE Scores Big in State of the States Addresses

At least 16 governors have talked CTE in their State of the State addresses, as of early March, according to the Education Commission of the States. In addition, at least 23 governors are encouraging workforce development initiatives.

The state proposals for CTE include the following:

• Michigan’s Marshall Plan for Talent, introduced by Gov. Rick Snyder, calls for competency-based industry certification programs, equipment grants, school-based career navigators, expanded career exploration tools, scholarships to help low-income adults complete certifications and incentives to encourage current teachers to move into CTE and other critical shortage areas. It builds on the state’s support of CTE through the budget and other policies in 2017.
• Gov. Kate Brown launched Future Ready Oregon, including a request of $300 million for CTE in the 2019-2021 budget, an expansion of hands-on learning to every school district in Oregon and growth in apprenticeship.
• Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Wolf is launching PAsmart to improve education and workforce alignment. The initiative calls for $10 million for CTE and STEM career pathways and $7 million for apprenticeships. This follows upon the commonwealth’s 2017 policies to expand apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships and fund career learning opportunities.
• Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa is budgeting $500,000 to expand high school work-based learning and $1 million to grow Iowa’s apprenticeship program.
• Indiana’s Gov. Eric Holcomb announced a state office for work-based learning and apprenticeship, to double the number of apprenticeship opportunities in the state by 2020.
• Gov. Henry McMaster is asking for an investment of $5 million to create the South Carolina Workforce Partnership, which will link businesses with high schools and technical colleges for work-based learning, dual credit and certificate programs in the skilled trades, focusing on rural areas. He also is requesting $3 million for workforce scholarships and grants to help students earn certificates and associate’s degrees at state technical colleges.
• South Dakota’s Gov. Dennis Daugaard is piloting Career Launch, in which assigned staff will help schools work with employers to develop work-based learning experiences and help students navigate their education and career options.
• Gov. Gina Raimondo announced the Northern Rhode Island Higher Education Center, a public-private partnership to help adult Rhode Islanders get hands-on education leading to a career, and called for a $200,000 investment to sustain the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) initiative.

With these governors’ support, the state outlook for CTE and career readiness in 2018 is bright.

House Introduces, Senate Passes 2018 CTE Month Resolutions

The Senate recently passed, and the House introduced, resolutions officially designating February 2018 as national CTE Month®. In the Senate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the resolution and, with the help of his co-chair colleagues on the Senate CTE Caucus, Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Todd Young (R-IN), recruited a record-breaking number of co-sponsors. Senators from 31 states signed on as co-sponsors, and 13 states had both of their Senators sign on (CA, GA, IL, IN, MI, NH, ND, OH, SD, VA, WA, WV, WY). In total, 45 Senators, including 16 Republicans, 28 Democrats and one Independent were listed on the resolution. This is the fifth consecutive year that the Senate has passed a CTE Month resolution ­— every year since the caucus was founded in 2014!

On the House side, this was the first time since 2008 that a CTE Month resolution was introduced. The House does not bring commemorative resolutions to the floor. This year, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) led the effort to introduce the resolution alongside Rep. Glenn Thompson, his fellow co-chair of the House CTE Caucus. The resolution included 47 cosponsors. Collectively, the cosponsors represent 25 states; the best-represented state was Pennsylvania (6), followed by Washington (4) and California (4). In total, 32 Democrats and 16 Republicans signed on to the resolution.

ACTE Participates in Higher Ed Briefing

Last month, ACTE participated in a Senate CTE Caucus briefing on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The HEA supports postsecondary students and institutions nationwide, including two- and four-year degree granting programs, as well as those that culminate in a certificate or other non-degree credential. The law includes major components on student financial assistance, teacher preparation and institutional accreditation.

After the House Education and Workforce Committee passed an HEA reauthorization bill at the end of last year, more congressional action is expected in the coming months. The briefing focused on how a reauthorization of HEA can be used to better reflect the nature of today's postsecondary CTE landscape.

The panel was moderated by Kimberly Green, executive director of Advance CTE: State Leaders Connecting Learning to Work. The panelists included ACTE's legislative and regulatory affairs manager, Mitch Coppes; Northern Virginia Community College's vice president of workforce development, Steven Partridge; and the STEM Education Coalition's executive director, James Brown. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a founding co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, also stopped by the briefing to make remarks.

Panelists discussed how community and technical colleges, along with other subbaccalaureate programs, are preparing learners for today's in-demand jobs. The panel also highlighted pending legislation that could be incorporated as part of an HEA reauthorization, including the JOBS Act, which expands Pell Grant eligibility to shorter term programs while imposing safeguards to ensure quality. Other topics, like career exploration, guidance and advisement, teacher preparation and professional development, the connection between postsecondary education and the workforce, and competency-based education were also mentioned.

ACTE's reauthorization priorities for the HEA can be found here. You can keep up with the latest HEA-related news through the CTE Policy Watch Blog here.