This week Congress conducted hearings and continued working through the appropriations process for FY 24 funding. The Senate and House held Subcommittee and Committee markups for appropriations bills, but they have yet to announce a date to markup the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill, which will provide more insights into implications for Perkins funding and CTE programs. At the end of the week, Congress headed out of town for a two-week recess, so policy activity will be relatively light until after the July 4th holiday. Here are a few other notes and news from this week:
- Appropriations Update: As the appropriations process begins to play out, there are significant differences between the House and Senate topline spending numbers for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. While the Senate is remaining close to numbers from the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the House proposed significantly lower topline spending numbers. Read more about these updates here.
- CEF and CNSF Host Panel on the Importance of STEM Investments: On Wednesday, the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) and the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) co-hosted a webinar highlighting the importance of further investments in STEM. Read more about the webinar here.
- Department of Education Releases Statement in Response to Long-term Trend Assessment: Recently released scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show significant underperformance in math and reading amongst 13-year-olds. In response, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a statement highlighting the learning impacts of COVID-19 and committing to increased academic support. Read the full statement here.
- House Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on Skills-Based Hiring: On Thursday, the committee questioned witnesses related to best practices for transitioning towards an increasingly skills-based hiring approach. The witnesses recommended federal support in removing some bachelor’s degree requirements, increasing use of pre-employment assessments and implementing additions to a reauthorized Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Read more about the hearing here.
- OCTAE to Host Webinar on Advancing Economic Mobility for LGBTQ+ Youth: The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) will host a live webinar on Advancing Economic Mobility for LGBTQ+ Youth on Tuesday, June 27, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Register at this link.
- Secretary of Education Visits Bismarck State College to Highlight CTE Programs: This Friday, Secretary Cardona visited Bismarck State College as part of his trip to North Dakota with a specific focus on educational access for rural and tribal communities. He toured the campus and held a roundtable discussion about CTE programs with educators. Read more about his visit here.
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