CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: October 12-18

Last week was the beginning of the Supreme Court nomination process for Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett testified in front of the Senate for four days, and the Senate Judiciary Committee set a vote for Thursday, October 22, to send the nomination of Barrett to the full Senate to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. On the campaign trail, both President Trump and Joe Biden held town hall meetings on Thursday in separate locations since the second presidential debate was canceled. The common topics that were discussed were COVID-19, taxes and the Supreme Court, with education playing a minor role. With only 15 days until the election, make sure to keep up with our Election Watch 2020 series to follow ACTE's continuing coverage of the 2020 election on our blog. Here are a couple other notes from DC last week: 

• New CDC Guidance for Testing in Schools: New guidance from the CDC provides a framework for schools to use when testing for COVID-19 in schools. The CDC currently recommends testing staff and students who are showing systems of COVID-19 or who have had close contact with confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients. Schools that are at a moderate-to-high level of risk of transmission of the disease may consider repeated or expanded testing. They also recommend prioritizing testing for communities with a disproportionate rise in cases, limited testing availability or with moderate-to-high proportions of racial groups that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus.
• Civil Rights Data Collection Released: The Department of Education released the 2017-18 Civil Rights Data Collection on Thursday. These data are self-reported from 17,604 public school districts and 97,632 public schools and educational programs. It covers a range of topics including enrollment, advanced placement, school characteristics and more. 
• COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Update: Negotiations on another COVID-19 stimulus bill have continued between Congress and the White House, with some reported progress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave the White House and Congress a 48-hour window to come to a compromise to get a COVID-19 stimulus bill passed before the election, and has mentioned that the two sides were close to a deal. Even if they agree on a deal, this does not ensure that the bill will be passed by the Senate. Separately, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced a vote on a $500 billion bill this week,
  which contains the same education funding and provisions as in the bill considered by the Senate several weeks ago. However, no details about the specifics of the education funding, including if it is conditioned on school reopening or not, have been released. 

Research Round-up: Community College Transfer Rates, Displaced Workers Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Dual Enrollment Snapshots

Report on Community College Transfer Rates: The Public Policy Institute of California researched transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions to examine progress and barriers to success. Some of the key findings from the report are: there is a gap between those wishing to transfer to a postsecondary institution and those that actually do; transfer rates are higher for students that complete 12 units and take an English or Math course within the first three years; equity gaps among Latino students and other student groups show that a higher rate of students hope to transfer to a four-year institution but do not.  

Data on the Race and Ethnicity of Teachers and Their Students: A new report from the National Center on Education Statistics (IES) uses data from the public school teacher data file of the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey to examine the race and ethnicity of teachers and their students. That year, 79 percent of public school teachers were White and non-Hispanic. Researchers did find that there were more Black and Hispanic teachers in schools  where the majority of students matched that race/ethnicity, however, numbers of minority teachers were still low.  

Dual Enrollment Snapshots: The College in High School Alliance is creating a series of policy snapshots to allow users to explore specific policy issues that are impacting college-in-high-school programs such as dual enrollment and early college high school. The first snapshot released provides an equity-based rationale for re-examining eligibility requirements for programs to adopt multiple measures for dual enrollment eligibility such as grade level, attendance, projects, teacher nominations and others, provides examples from other states, and suggests action steps for state policymakers when considering changes to dual enrollment eligibility requirements.

Report on Displaced Workers Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions: A new report examines workers’ enrollment responses following mass layoffs using employer-employee-student matched administrative data from Ohio. Researchers found that only about 10% of displaced workers  enroll in postsecondary institutions, and many of those would have done so even without the displacement event. Of those that enroll, about 29% of displaced workers complete a degree.  

New Research on Technology-Based Career Advising for CTE Programs: There is limited research on schools adopting technology-based career advising for CTE programs in order for programs to equitably serve students. Because of the limited research, MDRC is partnering with Naviance and YouScience to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of technology-based career advising tools and complete a cost-effectiveness analysis. The study will assess the effect on student’s understanding of career pathways, CTE course-taking patterns, engagement with the school and progress toward graduation. 

New Data on Massachusetts Early College Program: Data from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education show that students who participated in Massachusetts’ Early College Initiative were more likely to earn college credits while in high school, complete financial aid applications and to enroll in postsecondary institutions than the students who did not participate in the initiative. The goal of the initiative was to reduce equity gaps and increase postsecondary completion rates for students of color, first-generation college students and those from low-income backgrounds.  

Preparing Middle Schoolers for Rigorous High School Pathways: A new report from the Center for American Progress lays out the components necessary for middle schoolers to be effectively prepared for high school pathways that lead to postsecondary and career success. ACTE’s prior work on middle grades CTE was cited in this report, and the researchers recommend:

• rigorous instruction to ready students for high-quality high school coursework
• counseling and exploration for career pathways and college preparation
• opportunities for teachers to connect and learn from industry, secondary and postsecondary programs.
• information on college and career pathways and family engagement 
• exposure to role models who deviate from cultural and occupational stereotypes

COVID-19 Research Round-up (Part III)

Adapting the Workforce for a Post-COVID-19 World: AEI recently issued a report on how to adapt the current workforce system to meet the growing demand for training by unemployed workers as a result of the pandemic. The researchers emphasize flexibility and worker support as the key pillars of change that will be essential to moving forward.

Interest Rising in Short-term Credentials: This in-depth article from Inside Higher Ed explores the growing interest in short-term and online credential programs as a result of the pandemic. It includes links and references to a variety of research on the topic, and discusses the outlook for the future of alternative pathways to postsecondary credentials. 

COVID-19 and Rural Higher Education: In this “Issue Focus” report, MDRC conducted a series of virtual meetings with rural higher education leaders and stakeholders in the spring and summer to better understand what is working and where more research is needed for postsecondary institutions during the pandemic. Four key strategies emerged from these meetings:

1. Make courses mobile-friendly to allow students to complete their courses on their cell phones.
2. Provide internet-able devices to students and families.
3. Widen broadband access to all students.
4. Ensure students continue to connect to a community even when online.

Compilation of EdWeek Strategies for Leading Schools Through the Pandemic: Education Week recently published a new summary of their comprehensive coverage for helping to steer schools through the COVID-19 pandemic, including links to key resources on in-school safety and online learning. Suggestions are included for how these resources might be used now that schools have resumed.  

Bring CTE Programs Online: Though COVID-19 has caused many challenges for CTE programs, this EdTech article highlights some advantages to bringing CTE programs online. Online CTE programs allow students flexibility to learn from anywhere and at one’s own pace, to develop 21st century skills needed for the workplace, and take courses at a cost-effective rate. The article provides tips and resources on how to successfully teach remotely, and highlights ACTE’s Questions to Consider found in the “High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19 Impacted Year” Guide, as well as ACTE’s High-Quality CTE webinar series.

Reskilling and Recovery Network Launched: The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, the American Association of Community Colleges, Lumina Foundation, Siemens Foundation and 20 states have collaborated to create the Reskilling and Recovery Network. This Network was formed to help reskill workers in the wake of COVID-19. The Network will work to build partnerships between community colleges and industry, create a collaborative network to learn from best practices and provide technical assistance for virtual activities. 

Bringing Access to CTE Programs by Adapting to Online Platforms: An article from Education Dive recognizes that COVID-19 has been extremely challenging for CTE programs, but adapting CTE programs remotely could expand access to students in today’s pandemic and in the future. Remote programs can provide students flexibility by allowing them the option to learn at their own speed and learn anywhere with a WiFi connection. Another long-term benefit the researchers mention is that students are learning 21st century digital skills needed for jobs in today's workforce.

Prioritizing Postsecondary Attainment for Economic Recovery: The Education Strategy Group created a resource that details how states are adapting and innovating efforts to increase higher education attainment in order to jumpstart the economic recovery in light of COVID-19. Researchers call for mass upskilling and training of displaced or low-skill workers in order to allow for these workers to adapt and pivot to new employment options. 

Resilient Skills: A recent report from EMSI highlights the skills that remain most in-demand even during the economic recession. By examining job postings, researchers concluded that the most resilient skills were a mix of “human” skills, such as communication, management and critical thinking; and technical skills, generally either in technology or core business operations.  

Election 2020: Offices and State Ballot Measures

On Tuesday, November 3, voters all across the country will head to the polls for Election Day. Aside from deciding who will be the next President of the United States, voters will be facing many other choices at the ballot box. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for reelection, as well as 35 U.S. Senate seats. The states with Senate races include: AK, AL, AR, CO, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WY. To fill vacancies, Georgia will have both Senate seats on the ballot. Additionally, there will be gubernatorial races in 11 states, while most states will hold elections for their state legislatures, and many will also have local elections. These down ballot races, and the control of state legislatures, are important this year since redistricting will take place after the 2020 Census and this will set the electoral geography for the next decade.

In addition to voting for individual candidates, many states will have various ballot measures for voters to consider. The list of ballot measures outlined below, along with their summaries, are largely drawn from a list maintained by the National Conference of State Legislatures. They are not meant to be exhaustive, and only discuss relevant education-related issues.

• Arizona: Increases the tax on incomes exceeding $250,000 for teacher salaries and schools
• California: Repeals Proposition 209 (1996), which prohibited the state from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, or contracting
• California: Provides for increased and stable revenues for schools, cities, counties, and local agencies by requiring that all commercial and industrial real properties are assessed at their full market value
• Colorado: Increases taxes on tobacco, creates a new tax on nicotine products such as e-cigarettes; dedicates funds to education and health programs
• Nevada: Removes the Constitutional status of the Board of Regents
• New Mexico: Issues $156.3 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools
• North Dakota: Increases the number of individuals who serve on the state board of higher education from eight to fifteen, increases the term of board membership from four years to six years, requires the board to meet at least annually with the heads of each institution under the board's control, and prohibits state legislators, elected state officials, and full-time state employees from serving on the board
• Washington: Repeals Senate Bill 5395 (2020), which requires public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education for all students and requires students to be excused if requested by their parents

The 2020 elections are important and could flip control of one or both chambers of Congress and the White House. State and local elections are also critical, as governors, state legislatures and municipalities have the primary responsibility for education and are often tasked with implementing federal legislation. State and local officeholders set education funding levels and pass significant education- and workforce-related legislation. Lastly, as demonstrated above, state ballot measures can have significant impacts on education and CTE programs.

ACTE will continue to monitor the 2020 elections as part of our coverage on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. For more nonpartisan information on elections in your state and how to register to vote, visit Nonprofit VOTE.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

DC Digest: October 5-11

Last week was the first and only Vice Presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence in Salt Lake City, UT. The debate comes with only 24 more days until the presidential election, so ACTE has created a new blog series titled Election Watch 2020 where CTE advocates can learn more about the candidates and issues, access information about what is on your ballot, and stay up-to-date on the coverage of the 2020 election. After the election, that blog series will provide detailed information on the implications of the outcomes for CTE. While much of the focus in Washington is on the upcoming election, there are a few other things happening:

 

• Webinar on Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education and Workforce Development: Brookings hosted a webinar on Thursday regarding the impact of COVID-19 on higher education and workforce development. The webinar began with House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) giving remarks on the need for education funding, workforce training, stackable credentials, support for community colleges and other education issues. The program then moved to a roundtable discussion of a new proposed delivery method of higher education by introducing Learning Opportunity Credits (LOCs).

• COVID-19 Relief Package Update: Talks between the White House and the House about another COVID-19 Relief Package ended and then began again last week. President Trump on Tuesday said that there would be no discussions regarding the passage of the bill before the election in November, but on Friday the President signaled that he might be open to negotiating again with the House with a possible offer of a $1.8 trillion stimulus package. 

• Virtual Visit to Pima Community College: The Pima Community College in Tusan, AZ, hosted a virtual visit on Thursday to discuss the successes of their Integrated Basic Education Skills and Training (IBEST) model. Scott Stump, the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, along with teachers and students from the school, spoke about the college’s adult basic education program and their successes in the program. They shared information about their partnerships with business and industry leaders, the collaborative teams in leadership, instruction and operations, embedded student supports, and more. 

New Findings on Credentials

ExcelinEd and Burning Glass Technologies recently hosted a webinar to discuss their new report Credentials Matter Phase 2: A 2020 Update. This report examines whether the credentials being earned by high school and postsecondary students are aligned with employers’ demands. 

As this report was the second phase of a longer research project, which includes state surveys and examination of supply and demand data, the researchers compared the findings from 2019 to the findings in 2020. They reported five main findings:

1. 33 states are now collecting data on credentials earned by secondary students, compared to 28 states in 2019. 
2. Across the country, states still do not have a consistent definition of an “industry-recognized credential.”
3. Consistent across both years of the study, employers often do not explicitly request credentials in job descriptions, even if they are required.
4. States continue to face challenges aligning credentials being earned by students to employer demand. Only 19% of credentials earned were demanded by employers in 2019, and the number fell to 18% in 2020.
5. Postsecondary student credential data was added to the website and report in 2020; only four states submitted this data.

Of the most-earned secondary credentials, only three of the top ten are aligned with the top 10 credentials employers demand. However, the findings do show postsecondary credentials aligning fairly well with employer demand, and that credentials earned by postsecondary students mostly align with occupations that pay a living wage.  

Based on these findings, the researchers propose policy recommendations for states related to credentialing: 

• Clearly communicate to all stakeholders involved
• Establish clear definitions
• Collect data on credential attainment and offerings
• Strengthen data quality
• Regularly evaluate and provide transparency when reporting students outcomes
• Expand access and equity to credentials and high-value occupations.

The researchers also provided a COVID-19 case study to identify changes in  employer demand for industry-recognized credentials that have occurred during the pandemic, and potential ramifications for the future economic recovery. One key finding was that between March 2020 and May 2020, there was a 41% decrease in weekly job postings, though many critical worker positions and those with credentials in critical positions, experienced lower declines. Researchers also predicted that due to the pandemic, many career pathways and credentials will most likely need to automate more quickly than was previously expected. During and after COVID-19, the researchers predicted that those with credentials, especially technical and software focused credentials, may require frequent updating to stay current with the skills employers demand in the job market due to the changing demand caused by COVID-19. 

Due to these changes caused by the pandemic, they advised that in order for workers to be prepared for the shifting demand in the economy and the workforce, states will need to:

1. Increase the use of labor market data by stakeholders.
2. Reassess career pathways and consider key post-COVID-19 occupations.
3. Give students and parents information on job demand, wage and risk information.

New Research Paper on Short-term Postsecondary Programs

Today, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) released a new report on short-term postsecondary CTE programs. ACTE, along with Advance CTE, partnered with NASFAA on the research for the report, including helping to distribute the local survey and hosting focus groups at last year's VISION conference, in an effort to gather more information about these growing programs.

The report, "An Analysis of Existing Short-Term Postsecondary Programs," covers diverse topics including what these programs offer, who they serve, how graduates fare in the workforce, and the challenges both institutions and students face related to short-term programs. Information gained from the research shows the strong value of programs and the important role they play in preparing students, particularly adults, for in-demand jobs. Key findings include:

• The majority of institutions agree or strongly agree that their short-term programs benefit the local economy, adult learners, and other students, and that expanding short-term program is of interest to industry representatives, educators, and local leaders.
• The business sector is one of the most significant driving forces behind short-term program development. Employers offer input into program designs to provide students with in-demand skills.
• Institutions often face difficulty filling short-term programs with sufficient enrollments because prospective students cannot afford the costs, and colleges can be reluctant to build short-term certificate programs that are not financial aid eligible, even when they would benefit students and employers.
• Many short-term certificates are already embedded in longer certificate or degree programs, or are considered “stackable” credentials that build upon previous credentials and may feed into degree programs.
• States and institutions would be interested in offering more short-term programs if the programs were eligible for Federal Pell Grants and could serve more students.
• Even if short-term programs became eligible for federal financial aid, however, most institutions stated they could not shorten many existing programs because of state, industry, and academic standards.

The information gathered from participants reinforced ACTE's goal to expand postsecondary financal aid to quality short-term programs to ensure all students can have access to these important opportunities. For more information on our HEA priorities, visit ACTE's website. 

Tonight 9PM: Vice Presidential Debate

The first and only vice presidential debate between current Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will take place tonight at 9 p.m. ET at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The debate is scheduled to be 90 minutes long with no commercial breaks and is going to be moderated by USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page. The debate will be divided into nine 10-minute sections. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond to the opening question in each segment. The nine topics have not been announced, but it likely that the current pandemic will be front and center tonight.

For more information about the debate or its format, please visit the Commission on Presidential Debates. To watch the debate on TV or stream online, please visit C-SPAN for live coverage.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Election Watch 2020 – Getting to know the Presidential Candidates

In less than four weeks, American’s will be heading to the polls to choose between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden to be the next President of the United States. In order to ensure that our members have the resources they need to make an informed decision on November 3^rd, we have compiled a list of non-partisan websites that detail their various policy positions. Also included are links to their respective campaign websites (Biden, Trump), in case you want to research each candidate’s policy platform further.

• Education Week – Education in the 2020 Presidential Election
• Ballotpedia – Presidential Candidates on the Issues
• Campus Election Engagement Project – 2020 Presidential Election Guide

Additionally, we are in the middle of an unprecedented health epidemic that will ultimately impact how we vote on election day. As a reminder, here are the CDC recommendations on protecting yourself and your family and also Vote.org’s state by state guide on voting and COVID-19.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Election Watch 2020 – What’s On My Ballot?

We are now four weeks away from the election, which means it’s the perfect time to make sure you know what will be on your local ballot when it comes time to vote. Get #VoteReady today by: 

• Checking what’s on your ballot
• Signing up for a mail-in ballot or making sure you have a plan to vote in-person safely
• Consider signing up as a poll worker if your health allows
• Share information with your community using these handy shareables

We know our democracy is stronger when everyone makes their voice heard by casting a ballot.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.