CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

House, Senate Hold Briefings on Short-Term Pell

This week, the House and Senate held separate briefings outlining the importance of expanding Pell Grant eligibility to short-term job training programs. Currently, Pell Grants are only available to programs that are at least 15 weeks or 600 clock hours in length. However, there is a bipartisan proposal in both chambers of Congress to provide access to Pell Grants to students pursuing short-term credentials. The Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, S. 839/ H.R. 3497, is supported by a wide array of education and industry groups, including ACTE.

The briefing highlighted examples of high-wage, in-demand careers that require education beyond a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. The panelists spoke about the importance of providing access to short-term credentials, evidenced by a model in Virginia that helped provide students with grants from the state. Tamar Jacoby, president of Opportunity America, moderated the briefing, and the following individuals participated in the panel discussion:

• Lori Dwyer, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Workforce Policy, Virginia Community College System
• Steven Partridge, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Workforce Innovation, Northern Virginia Community College
• Julie Peller, Executive Director, Higher Learning Advocates
• Former Virginia Community College Student

ACTE strongly supports the JOBS Act, and is heavily engaged with Members of Congress and outside stakeholders to further promote the legislation. You can ask your Senators to support short-term Pell here, or your Representative here.

Webinar Series: CTE for Students with Disabilities

Beginning in August, ACTE is collaborating on a webinar series about secondary CTE as a viable pathway for developing the skills of students with disabilities (SWD) and preparing them for the future. Changes in Perkins V and an increasing emphasis on college and career readiness for all students are bringing the needs of SWD to the forefront of the CTE conversation. This five-part webinar series will take a deep dive into programs, practices and partnerships among CTE and special education practitioners that support SWD in CTE. Each webinar will last 90 minutes, including Q & A, and will be available for later viewing at CTELearn.org.

This series is a collaboration among Penn State University’s Workforce Education program, the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) and ACTE.

Webinar 1. CTE for Students with Disabilities: A Framework for Understanding

Thursday, August 29, 2019 3:00 – 4:30 pm EST  Register here

Webinar 2. Effective Partnerships: Communication, Collaboration and Professional Practice

Thursday, September 19, 2019 3:00 – 4:30 pm EST  Register here

Webinar 3. Classroom Supports: Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 3:00 – 4:30 pm EST  Register here

Webinar 4. Classroom Management: Behavioral Supports, Motivation, Reflective Teaching

Thursday, November 21, 2019 3:00 – 4:30 pm EST  Register here

Webinar 5. Toward Best Practices: Programs that Work, Models Toward Success

Thursday, December 19, 2019 3:00 – 4:30 pm EST  Register here

 

White House, Congressional Leaders Reach Critical Budget and Debt Ceiling Deal

On Monday evening, President Trump and congressional leaders announced that they had reached an agreement on a budget deal that would raise the spending caps on both defense and non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending for the next two fiscal years (FY20 and FY21). Further, the deal would suspend the debt ceiling until July 31, 2021. If enacted, this bill will allow the federal government to continue to meet its interest obligations and keep our budget from deep spending cuts that are required under law.

More specifically under the new deal, the Defense Discretionary budget would increase to $738 billion next fiscal year – a $22 billion increase and a compromise between what the White House and House Democrats wanted. Non-defense spending will be increased by $27 billion next year, with $2.5 billion set aside for the decennial Census.

An important thing to note is that the NDD levels approved in the deal are lower than what the House had approved earlier in the year. This means that certain programs, potentially including Perkins Basic State Grants, will receive less funding than what the House has appropriated. Nonetheless, this deal provides a substantial increase for NDD funding in the coming fiscal year that creates at least some budget space for some targeted funding increases.

What’s Next?

The House will take up, debate, and vote on the passage of the bill this week before Members leave for the August recess, and then the Senate will take up the bill before their session ends in early August. It is believed that the bill will ultimately pass both chambers and be sent to the President’s desk, but not without some opposition from members in both parties. Conservatives members are thought to oppose the deal due to the increased spending without additional offsets. Conversely, some progressive Democrat may object because the NDD levels are lower than the previously approved House level.

If and when the deal is signed into law, the Senate will begin the appropriations process in order to have the 12 appropriations bills passed prior to the beginning of FY20, on October 1. Once the Senate passes its respective appropriations bills, they will “go to conference” with the House to resolve the differences between the two chambers' bills.

Take Action

Please visit our action center to ask your Members of Congress to support an increase in Perkins Basic State Grant funding in the upcoming FY20 budget.

Administration Update: Pledge to America's Workers and Labor Secretary Nominee

On the one-year anniversary of President Trump's "Pledge to America's Workers," the administration announced an additional five companies who have committed to growing employment and job training opportunities. The announcement took place in South Carolina, where Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos toured a pharmaceutical company. In her remarks, Secretary DeVos noted that "expanding internship, apprenticeship and other on-the-job training opportunities… [provide] a pathway for students and adults alike to learn the skills necessary for in-demand jobs in our thriving economy."

Additionally, President Trump announced the nomination of Eugene Scalia for Labor Secretary. The announcement follows the resignation of Alex Acosta, who resigned in the wake of increased scrutiny of a prosecution deal he was involved in as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

Mr. Scalia, son of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has spent most of his career at a large law firm. His work has mainly involved corporate disputes, oftentimes in cases dealing with workers' rights issues. He does have experience working in the Labor Department, serving as its chief legal officer in former President George W. Bush's administration. He also previously worked as a speechwriter for former Education Secretary William Bennett.

House Subcommittee Examines International Apprenticeship Models

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and Labor's Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment held a hearing titled, "Scaling Up Apprenticeships: Building on the Success of International Apprenticeship Models." Tim Bradley, the Australian Minister Counsellor for Industry, Science and Education; Dr. Silvia Annen, a senior researcher for Germany's Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training; and Dr. Simon Marti, the Head of Office for SwissCore, all testified at the hearing.

Several themes emerged throughout the hearing. At one point, the panelists from Australia and Germany stressed that their apprenticeship systems aren't solely focused on training someone for a career for life, and that instead, it is important to instill apprentices with lifelong skills that can translate across different careers. The panelists also spoke about the importance of continuing education and stackable credentials.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) honed in on the cost of postsecondary education, where student fees are subsidized in all three countries. Dr. Marti shared that in Switzerland, undergraduate education typically costs around $700. Mr. Bradley explained how in Australia, student fees are subsidized, but students also all have access to income contingent loans.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) focused on the stigma often attached to apprenticeships and non-bachelor's degree postsecondary education. The panelists explained that in their countries there is still a negative stigma attached to apprenticeships and CTE, however, it is often less prevalent. The panelists attributed this to programs continuing to meet student needs, having high standards and leading to good outcomes. Accordingly, the public has a good understanding of how life-changing apprenticeships can be for students.

Several Members of Congress asked about the importance of stakeholder, business and industry involvement in apprenticeships. In response, the panelists underscored the importance of bringing people together, and also mentioned professional organizations as critical players to ensuring the success of an apprenticeship program. Wage issues, age limitations for apprentices, bureaucracy and support for middle-aged workforce participants was also discussed.

You can watch the hearing here.

Perkins V Officially in Effect!

On July 1, 2019, changes made to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act by the reauthorization bill passed last summer, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, officially went into effect. The Department of Education marked the occasion with a Perkins “Happy New Year” video message and a press release describing early implementation efforts.

As part of kicking off the new plan year, the Department also announced that every state’s one-year transition plan to cover the start of Perkins V had been approved. To mark the occasion, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said, "Our team is so encouraged by the way states have embraced the spirit of this new law and are rethinking career and technical education on behalf of their students. The work is just beginning though. As states begin to think about their long-term career and technical education strategies, I would encourage them to continue to act boldly and break down the silos that exist between education and industry so that all students are prepared for the in-demand, high-paying jobs of today's economy and tomorrow's."

States are now moving full-steam ahead with work on their full four-year Perkins V implementation plans, which are due to the Department of Education next spring. During the transition year, most states are making minimal operational changes to their CTE system, but focusing on planning and stakeholder engagement around the new Perkins V requirements, like the local needs assessment. A few changes states are making in their transition plans were highlighted in the Department’s release, including shifting funding allocations, encouraging more regional collaboration between secondary and postsecondary institutions, and focusing on quality CTE program elements, including a specific mention of those in ACTE’s Quality Program of Study Framework. You can read more about our Framework at https://www.acteonline.org/professional-development/high-quality-cte-tools/ and find Perkins implementation resources at https://www.acteonline.org/perkins-implementation/.

New Department of Labor Rule Seeks to Create New Apprenticeship Model

Last week, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the proposal of a new rule aimed to “address America's skills gap and expand the apprenticeship model to new industries.” The proposed rule would establish a process for recognizing Standards Recognition Entities (SRE) and Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs).

Under the proposed rule, a SRE would establish the standards for training, structure, and curricula for the IRAPs in certain industries. Organizations that could qualify to become a SRE include educational institutions, non-profits, unions, local government entities, and trade, industry and employer groups or associations. DOL would certify each SRE to ensure they have the capacity to actively monitor each IRAPs’ program quality and that they meet all legal requirements. According to the proposed rule, to start, DOL would limit the industries IRAPs can be created in to those that do not already have a “robust” apprenticeship program presence, thus eliminating the military and construction fields.

The Department believes these industry-led, market-driven programs will provide flexibility to scale the apprenticeship model and help address America’s skills gap. The new rule suggests that in order to ensure a high-quality standard, IRAPs include paid work, work-based learning, mentorship, education and instruction, industry-recognized credentials, and safety, supervision, and EEO requirements. However, many policymakers have raised concerns about whether these standards and the enforcement by SREs are sufficient to ensure quality and student protections. To review and comment on the proposed rules, please click here. Comments are due by August 26, 2019.

ED Rescinds Gainful Employment Rule Beginning July 2020

On July 1, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its final regulation to officially rescind the 2014 Gainful Employment (GE) Rule beginning on July 1, 2020.

Federal law requires that certain educational programs offered at some postsecondary institutions, including for-profit institutions, community and technical colleges, and area CTE centers, must provide training programs that prepare students for “gainful employment in a recognized occupation” in order to participate in federal financial aid programs. Nearly all educational programs at for-profit higher education institutions, as well as non-degree programs at public and private nonprofit institutions, like community colleges and area CTE centers are subject to these rules.

The Obama-era regulation outlined how the department will evaluate a program’s effectiveness in preparing students for gainful employment after program completion, including through metrics like debt-to-earnings ratios and student loan cohort default rates. Moreover, it set requirements for programs to make certain performance and outcomes data, including program costs, earnings information and completion rates, available to the public.

Critics of the regulation, including Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and House Ed & Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC), believe that the rule discriminates against programs based on their tax status. The overwhelming majority of programs covered under this rule are located at for-profit institutions, but it also includes certificate programs offered at private non-profit and public institutions. The PROSPER Act, the 2017 House Republican Higher Education Act alternative, would have not only repealed the rule, but would have prohibited future ED Secretaries from enforcing GE regulations.

Proponents of the regulation, including HELP Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and House Ed & Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), argue that the rule is necessary to ensure students are protected from predatory programs and fully understand their educational options before taking on student loan debt.

ACTE believes that the Department should enforce rules to appropriately hold programs accountable, while acknowledging that high-quality postsecondary CTE programs are an affordable option for many students and should not be unduly burdened, as was a concern under gainful employment regulations.

Senate CTE Caucus Hosts Briefing on Middle School CTE Exploration

Last Tuesday, the Senate CTE Caucus, in conjunction with the Afterschool Alliance, hosted a briefing titled: “Making the Most of Middle School Career Exploration in CTE.” The panelists began by discussing the work community stakeholders are already doing to expose students to different career pathways, develop soft skills necessary to be successful in the workforce, and provide other benefits to students outside of traditional school hours to help them become college and career ready.

The conversation then shifted to the new community stakeholder involvement provisions added to Perkins V, like the requirement to involve stakeholders in the local needs assessment and the public comment and review period for performance targets, among others. They spoke at length about the importance of state and local agencies fostering stronger relationships with community stakeholders to ensure there is cohesion between what students are learning in school and in afterschool programs, and how to effectively provide students with more holistic, high-quality middle school CTE exploration opportunities.

The Panelists included:

• Regina Sidney-Brown, Director, Delaware Afterschool Network, United Way of Delaware
• Luke Rhine, Director, Career and Technical Education and STEM Initiatives, Delaware Department of Education
• Daniela Grigioni, Executive Director, After-School All-Stars, Washington, DC
• Andrew Coy, Executive Director, Digital Harbor Foundation, Baltimore, MD
• Jacob, Student, Digital Harbor Foundation, Baltimore, MD

In 2018, ACTE put out a report titled, “Career Exploration in Middle School: Setting Students on the Path to Success.” Click here to view the report and learn more about the benefits, and potential barriers, to having programs that allow students to explore career opportunities in middle school.

To view the briefing in its entirety, click here.