Condition of Education 2023: The Institute of Education Sciences recently released its Condition of Education 2023 report with an overarching theme that educational institutions are still recovering from the pandemic. Enrollment at the K-12 level remains below pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the report notes that 70% of public schools have seen an increase in students seeking mental health services. To support these needs and address pandemic learning losses, more than 70% of public schools are engaging in student assessment, summer enrichment programs, remedial instruction, and mental health and trauma support. On a positive note, the average high school graduation rate increased from 79% in 2010-11 to 87% in 2019-20.
Teacher vacancies are another challenge facing K-12 education. In 2020-21, 31% of public schools reported having difficulty filling CTE teaching positions in comparison to 20% in 2011-12. Additionally, the number of individuals completing traditional teacher preparation programs decreased by 28% between 2012-13 and 2019-20.
On the postsecondary level, between fall 2010 and fall 2021, undergraduate enrollment at two-year colleges decreased from 7.7 million to 4.7 million students (a 39% drop). The decline was relatively steady across the decade, with a slightly larger decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition:
- Slightly fewer postsecondary certificates were conferred in 2020–21 than in 2010-11.
- In 2020-21, associate degrees were awarded predominantly in liberal arts, humanities and general studies; health professions; and business fields.
- Since 2010-11, the number of associate degrees awarded has decreased the most in homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting fields and engineering technologies.
Recent Developments and New Opportunities for Non-degree Credentialing Research: The George Washington University Non-degree Credentials Research Network recently released a report on developments and opportunities for non-degree credentialing research such as new sources of data, increasing federal interest in credentialing and the skilled technical workforce, and the rise in state-level tools for career navigation. The document highlights initiatives and research that are driving change in the non-degree ecosystem:
- The U.S. Census Bureau’s National Training, Education and Workforce Survey, which launched in the field in 2022. This survey will be longitudinal, enabling researchers to study non-degree credential attainment over the next decade.
- Research from the RAND Corporation found that returns from non-degree credential attainment are concentrated in a higher probability of employment for women and in higher earnings for men.
- Research by the University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative and others that is supporting interactive mapping of credential demand by geographical region.
- Data analysis and solutions from Opportunity @ Work and others focused on workers who are STARs: “skilled through alternate routes” other than a bachelor’s degree.
The publication also highlights the Learn & Work Ecosystem Library, a crowd-sourced online library that collects, curates and coordinates resources to support the learn-and-work ecosystem.
Findings from Virginia’s FastForward Programs: This Brookings Institute article examines the rising popularity of noncredit workforce training programs as a solution to the growing skills gap that is preventing employers from filling over 10 million job vacancies, according to May 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The authors report that noncredit CTE programs account for more than 2.5 million students enrolled in the community college system. However, a barrier to wider implementation of these programs is that researchers know very little about the characteristics of participating students, the rates at which they graduate and earn workforce-relevant credentials, and whether their respective CTE programs truly lead to improved workforce outcomes.
One exception is Virginia’s FastForward initiative, which helps students pay for short-term, non-credit programs that can lead to high-paying jobs in high-demand industries while tracking student data and could serve as a model for a similar nationwide system. Research findings include the following about FastForward programs:
- They attract a higher share of Black students, male students and older students than short-term, for-credit programs at community colleges.
- Most enrollees do not have prior enrollment in credit-bearing programs, and less than 14% have pursued subsequent credit-bearing education.
- Credential attainment rates are high, with 70.1% of students earning an industry credential within six months.
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