CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Research Roundup: Recent Postsecondary and Workforce Development Trends

Credential Transparency: Judging the Return on Investment: The American Enterprise Institute recently published a report exploring the major shortage of highly skilled workers across the nation and the actions that state leaders and policymakers can take to close the talent gap through increased credential transparency methods. Researchers found that 26 states across the nation are working on increasing Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) adoption and registries within their territories. The analysts focused particularly on Texas, Indiana and Arkansas and found the following:

• Texas is publishing in-house data about credentials, competencies, program quality and student outcomes across three states agencies that hold responsibility for education and occupational credentials in an effort to widen its registry.
• Indiana’s Commission on Higher Education is working to increase transparency and publish information on more than 3,600 state credentials like certificates, degrees, apprenticeships, micro-credentials, occupational licenses, industry certifications and more.
• Arkansas created the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet and appointed local workforce leader Mike Rogers from Tyson Foods as the chief workforce officer to jointly spearhead creating an easily navigable Employment Record (LER) System for workers and employers that will match the two parties based on job skills using digital technology.

New Measures of Postsecondary Transfer: A report recently published by the U.S. Department of Education analyzes recent transfer and completion rates for community college students to better understand the barriers that learners face and inform leaders and policymakers working to change transfer policies and practices. Researchers discovered that only 16% of students who start in community colleges go on to earn bachelor’s degrees within six years, with lower rates for individuals of color and individuals from low-income backgrounds.

Researchers looked at both the community college with the highest transfer-out rate and the four-year institution with the highest transfers’ bachelor’s completion rate in each state and found the following:

• The average community college transfer-out rate was 38%, ranging from a high of 71% to a low of 19%.
• The average transfer bachelor’s completion rate at four-year institutions was 66%, ranging from a high of 89% to a low of 30%.
• Dyad completion, the rate at which students transfer and graduate between specific pairs of institutions, was 8%, ranging from a high of 20% to a low of 1%.
• Having high-performing dyads in a state is significant to learners’ overall transfer performance with Virginia and California topping the list for the best-performing states.

Three Ways States Can Lead on Postsecondary Education Reform: The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity recently published a brief that analyzes the current state of the postsecondary education landscape by focusing on outcomes-based funding (OBF), state authorization reform and state-imposed degree requirements as three key policy areas for immediate state reform consideration.

The report describes recent trends for each policy area across multiple states, including the following:

• At Texas State Technical College (TSTC), alumni wages have increased by 42% over the past 10 years thanks to an OBF formula. The “Returned-Value’’ formula calculates the difference between former students’ wages and the minimum wage, with a portion of that added value returning to TSTC as state funding for instruction and administration.
• Maryland is one of the first states in the country to remove degree requirements for employment within the state executive branch. This initiative led to a 34% increase in job applications from individuals with relevant skills and experience, which emphasizes the need to expand these types of measures across the board.
• State authorization reform is the policy area making the slowest progress. As demand for postsecondary education increases, the number of degree-granting institutions is stagnant owing to logistical hurdles.

Research Roundup: Recent CTE Teacher Workforce Data

A Profile of CTE Teachers in the 21st Century: The Annenberg Institute at Brown University recently published a report that examines nationally representative data from 2004 to 2018 on the CTE teacher workforce. Researchers discovered that CTE teachers are increasingly more prepared and qualified to teach in the field, with aspiring professionals being 16 percentage points more likely to be qualified specifically for CTE – defined as holding a state certification in a CTE subject or having their first or second major be in a CTE field.

The following list presents more findings and insights from the observed period of 2004 to 2018. For more recent data on the CTE teacher workforce, see ACTE’s analysis here:

• Average CTE teacher salaries and CTE teacher demographics remained stable over time.
• There was a higher concentration of CTE teachers in rural schools than in urban settings.
• CTE teachers had slightly higher year-over-year retention rates in comparison to non-CTE teachers (87.3% vs. 86.3%).
• By 2018, CTE teachers became significantly more likely (+10%) to teach in majority-minority schools than their non-CTE counterparts.

The report closes by recommending that policymakers and school leaders continue to strive towards increased diversity by targeting induction programs and mentorship initiatives for novice CTE teachers from underrepresented backgrounds.

Conditions That Teachers of Color Perceive as Contributing to a Sense of Belonging at School: The RAND Corporation recently published a report that examines the conditions that teachers of color describe as contributing to a sense of belonging in schools. Researchers focused on school climate, demographics, relationships with colleagues and school efforts to educate about race and culture. The analysis found that a majority of teachers of color (almost 60%) surveyed described school celebration and recognition of race and culture as a key action by administrators to cultivate a sense of belonging.

More insights and findings from the report below:

• About one-third of survey respondents noted that factors such as demographic composition, teacher camaraderie and a general sense of inclusivity contributed toward an increased sense of belonging.
• Seeing their identify represented in the workplace, especially in school administration, was reported by respondents as a crucial factor for contributing to a sense of belonging, especially for instructors who identified as Black/African American.
• 89% of all teachers described positive relationships with colleagues as contributing to a sense of belonging. Opportunities for social gatherings, teacher recognition and collaboration were reported as crucial actions.

Researchers also recommend that school administrators establish teacher diversity support groups since previous data indicates that thoughtfully implemented networks or equity teams can lead to increased diversity.

How Do Teachers Spend Professional Learning Time?: In another report recently published by the RAND Corporation, researchers analyzed data from the American Instructional Resources Survey given to K-12 teachers across multiple subjects to describe their usage of professional learning (PL) time. Researchers discovered that the most frequent PL was collaborative learning, with a majority of instructors considering this the most beneficial use of their time.

The following list describes more findings and insights from the analysis:

• Less than 15% of teachers indicated having access to expertise on subject-area materials or content through their PL.
• Teachers who frequently participated in PL reported higher levels of standard-aligned classroom practices than their counterparts who did not.
• About 75% of teachers who serve a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students reported being frequent participants in collaborative learning.

Building Effective Teaching Apprenticeship Models: The Pathways Alliance Coalition recently published a resource that aims to provide evidence and examples from across the nation on building and supporting effective teacher apprenticeship models. For instance, at Ball State University in Indiana, students can earn multiple education-related certifications and gain hands-on experience through a five-year course of study based on the Grow Your Own model. Students can enroll in this program as early as junior year through dual-enrollment coursework. And at Brazosport Independent School District in Texas, an apprenticeship program offers aspiring teachers the opportunity to earn a salary while working towards their bachelor’s degree at Brazosport College. Apprentices work under the guidance of a certified teacher while completing requirements to be an accredited teacher with INSPIRE TEXAS.

NSC Releases Preliminary Data on Postsecondary Enrollment

The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center recently published ­­a preliminary update sharing an early look at fall 2023 postsecondary enrollment numbers. Researchers discovered that community college enrollment rose by approximately 4.4%, which accounted for most of the total undergraduate enrollment increase in fall 2023. In addition, undergraduate certificate programs are booming with 9.9% growth, compared to 3.6% for associate degrees and 0.9% for bachelor’s degrees.

A companion article in Inside Higher Ed noted that 40% of total community college enrollment growth came from learners in dual enrollment programs, continuing a trend from fall 2022. Here are more statistics and insights:

• Health care program enrollment is beginning to rebound after large declines from the pandemic, specifically among those seeking undergraduate certificates (+5.7%) and associate degrees (+4.4%).
• Trade-related programs of study such as mechanic and repair technology (+10.3%), precision production (+14.2%) and construction trades (+10.4%) saw continued growth in students enrolling in undergraduate certificate programs.
• Computer and information sciences enrollment grew by 11.9% for undergraduate certificate programs and 10.4% for associate degree programs.
• Black, Hispanic/Latino and Asian students drove most of the undergraduate enrollment growth this year, with these populations seeing enrollment increases of 2.1%, 4.2% and 4.0% respectively.
• Community colleges experienced an enrollment surge of for students from the lowest-income areas.

The NSC Research Center will release more fall 2023 postsecondary data in January.

Updated Resource: Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Sector Sheet

Today ACTE has released CTE: Developing the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Workforce, the sixth in our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE’s long-time partner Pearson.

These revised Sector Sheets describe career opportunities and share how CTE prepares learners for the workforce in each sector, all in a new format featuring streamlined text and additional graphics to make these advocacy tools even more effective.

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the agriculture, food and natural resources workforce, which employs more than 3.5 million people nationwide. It shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that enable individuals to enter and progress within fields such as animal systems, plant systems and environmental and natural resources. Finally, the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing this workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more.

As we move forward with these revamped Sector Sheets, both the newer and older Sector Sheets will be available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for students and the workforce.

National Career Clusters Framework National Implementation Survey Launches

Our partners at Advance CTE are requesting your help to complete the National Career Clusters Framework National Implementation Survey.

The National Career Clusters® Framework is undergoing a modernization effort to ensure it remains responsive and relevant to the work and learner needs for decades to come. An updated framework will be unveiled in Fall 2024, but your voice is needed now!

How do you currently use the Framework, and how do you want to use the Framework in the future? Share your perspective in the The National Career Clusters® Framework National Implementation Survey.

The project team is committed to soliciting and considering input from all Framework partners, and this survey serves as the next step of a multi-year input-gathering process from all groups impacted by the Framework prior to the creation and validation of a new Framework in 2024.

WHO:     
Professionals of all experience levels who design, implement, teach or support secondary or postsecondary programs aligned to The Nation Career Clusters Framework are invited to respond.

WHAT:     
A 10-minute survey to share how practitioners currently use the Framework, how they hope to use it in the future, and what tools would be useful in implementing a modernized Framework. Please note this survey is only about the use of the Framework and its implementation, and will not provide additional information about future content changes to the Framework itself. Such input will be solicited as part of the validation process in spring 2024.

WHEN:    
The survey is open NOW until December 1, 2023. In January 2024, Advance CTE will share topline findings from the survey.

WHY:       
Your feedback on how you currently use the Framework and hope to use it in the future will inform the Framework design and associated guidance, implementation, and communications tools released alongside the framework.

HOW:  
Complete the survey and use our promotional materials to share this opportunity with your colleagues.

Watch the explainer video below to get started and respond by December 1.

 

 

A Deep Dive into 2021-22 Perkins V Data

The U.S. Department of Education has released data for program year 2021-22, the second year that states reported performance data under Perkins V.

In a previous blog post, we announced the data release and shared high-level takeaways. This post will offer a more in-depth look at the new data, which is accessible through the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network. This data hub includes national- and state-level summaries, a dashboard of national- and state-level performance data and the customizable Perkins Data Explorer tool.

CTE Participants: In 2021-22, there were 11.5 million CTE participants nationwide, including more than 8.1 million secondary participants and more than 3.3 million postsecondary participants. The number of male and female CTE participants is divided roughly evenly, with slightly more males at the secondary level (53%) and slightly more females at the postsecondary level (54%). The data disaggregated by race and ethnicity provides the following insights:

• 2 million CTE participants identified as white
• 3 million identified as Hispanic/Latino
• 7 million identified as Black or African American
• Over 600,000 identified as Asian
• Almost 500,000 identified as two or more races
• About 155,000 identified as unknown race
• Approximately 109,000 identified as American Indian or Alaska Native
• About 43,000 identified as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

In addition, below are several highlights of participation by special population status:

• 3 million CTE participants identified as individuals from an economically disadvantaged family
• 6 million were preparing for career fields nontraditional to their gender
• Over 1 million identified as individuals with disabilities
• More than 700,000 were English learners
• About 500,000 were out-of-workforce learners
• More than 150,000 were individuals experiencing homelessness

CTE Concentrators: School year 2021-22 recorded 2.8 million concentrators and approximately 1.8 million postsecondary concentrators nationwide for a total of about 4.6 million CTE concentrators. Similar to CTE participants, the percentages of male and female concentrators were roughly equal, with more male CTE concentrators at the secondary level and more female concentrators at the postsecondary level. Disaggregated data by race and ethnicity provides the following insights:

• 3 million CTE concentrators identified as white
• 2 million identified as Hispanic/Latino
• Over 600,000 identified as Black or African American
• Over 200,000 identified as Asian
• Almost 200,000 identified as two or more races
• 65,000 identified as unknown race
• About 42,000 identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native
• About 16,000 identified as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

The following are highlights of the data when disaggregated by special population status:

• Approximately 2 million CTE concentrators identified as individuals from an economically disadvantaged family
• 1 million were preparing for career fields nontraditional to their gender
• Over 380,000 identified as individuals with disabilities
• More than 200,000 were English learners
• Over 90,000 were out-of-workforce learners
• About 46,000 were individuals experiencing homelessness

Note that cross-state comparisons should be proceeded with caution since states have different ways of operationalizing the legislative definition of concentrator in Perkins V.

Concentrator Performance: 2021-22 marked the second year that local recipients and states reported CTE concentrator performance on the Perkins V accountability indicators.

Secondary Performance

• School year 2021-22 saw an average graduation rate across the nation of approximately 96%, the same as in school year 2020-21.
• 40 states out of 53 states, districts and territories met their targets for reading and language arts proficiency, 35 met targets for mathematics proficiency and 34 met targets for science proficiency.
• 47 states met their targets for post-program placement, defined as concentrators who are in postsecondary education, advanced training, military service, national service, the Peace Corps or are employed after graduation.
• 41 states met their targets for nontraditional program concentration, measuring the percentage of concentrators from underrepresented gender groups studying for career fields in which individuals of that gender comprise less than 25% of the workforce.
• 20 out of 22 states, districts and territories met their targets for attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials.
• 11 out of 12 states met their targets for attainment of postsecondary credits.
• 24 out of 29 states met their targets for participation in work-based learning experiences.

Postsecondary Performance

• 49 states out of 53 states, districts or territories met their targets for postsecondary placement, which is defined as concentrators who remain enrolled in postsecondary education or pursue advanced training, military service, national service, the Peace Corps or employment after graduation.
• 50 states met their targets for attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials.
• 46 states met their targets for nontraditional program concentration.

Cross-state comparisons and data aggregated across states should be interpreted with caution due to different measurement approaches and definitions.

Research Roundup: Attitudes Toward CTE, Career Readiness

Framing Parents' Attitudes Toward CTE: The CTE Research Network recently published a report that analyzes the perceptions and opinions of CTE held by the general public and parents’ support of CTE policies. Researchers discovered that CTE enjoys widespread support by the public and that it may see even more support when framed as a workforce development pathway. 

The following are findings from the survey: 

• Parents who value individualism and who are especially sensitive to labor market trends are more positively inclined to support CTE when it is presented as an in-demand jobs preparation pathway. 
• Respondents identified that around 32-35% of school hours should be spent on CTE. 
• Black and Hispanic/Latino parents both value CTE more highly than parents from other demographics in regard to time that should be spent on CTE and tax dollars that should be spent on CTE-related programs.  
• Higher levels of education are associated with a greater willingness to pay more tax dollars to support CTE programs. 

Researchers note that perceptions of CTE vary widely among demographics, so programming and marketing should be designed with the needs of the particular community in mind.   

Condition of Career Readiness in The United States: The Coalition for Career Development Center recently published a national snapshot of students’ college and career readiness outcomes. Findings and insights from the report are below: 

• 60% of high school graduates enter either a two- or four-year postsecondary institution in the fall.  
• 75% of students attending a postsecondary institution full-time continued their education into their second year. 
• 47% of students attending a postsecondary institution part-time continued their education into their second year. 
• Participating in personalized career and academic plans as early as middle school positively impacts future earnings. 

MDRC Releases Report on CTE Policy and Evidence

MDRC recently published a report that explores the resurgence and popularity of CTE as a path to providing learners with in-demand skills and preparation for today’s labor market. It also tackles challenges and opportunities that would enable CTE to scale up and systematize its most effective elements and models.

The report makes the case for CTE as a solution to the skills gap crisis due to its nature as a hands-on learning model and demonstrated positive association with learner workforce and postsecondary outcomes. Researchers note that career-related certificates and associate degrees lead to higher employment rates and increased wages, yet access to high-quality CTE and early postsecondary programs remains limited, which further exacerbates inequality and makes credential attainment for underrepresented populations more difficult.

To combat these challenges and help CTE fulfill its potential for all learners, researchers made some of the following recommendations:

• Tie education and training to booming economic sectors by building regional capacity to align CTE and workforce needs.
• Ensure that evidence-based program models remain faithful to their purpose by scaling practices while adapting to diverse labor markets and contexts.
• Disseminate CTE research to help inform policymakers and practitioners about emerging trends and practices.
• Expand data collection capacities to build the knowledge base and help practitioners understand the variation in outcomes for specific student populations.

In particular, researchers recommend that leaders prioritize ensuring equitable access to programs for underrepresented learners as they seek to entrench CTE in the fabric of the American education and workforce system.

ED Releases 2021-22 Perkins Data

The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education has released an update to its Perkins Data Explorer with school year 2021-22 enrollment and performance data. CTE practitioners and researchers can use this data to better understand CTE student outcomes nationwide and in their states.

Notable findings and figures are listed below:

• School year 2021-22 recorded more than 11.5 million CTE participants across secondary and postsecondary education.
• School year 2021-22 recorded more than 4.6 million secondary and postsecondary CTE concentrators nationwide.
• In school year 2021-22, secondary CTE concentrators achieved a 96% four-year graduation rate.
• In school year 2021-22, Health Science was the most popular Career Cluster.

To learn more, access the Perkins Data Explorer tool and a national summary of the data from 2021-22. A lengthier and more in-depth post digging deeper into data points from the release will be published on the CTE Policy Watch Blog in the coming days.

Research Roundup: Equity in Dual Enrollment

The Community College Research Center (CCRC) recently published a series of reports to accompany its Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways (DEEP) framework, a new initiative that aims to rethink dual enrollment (DE) as an equitable ramp to postsecondary programs that can lead to good-paying, family- and self-sustaining careers for learners who might not have otherwise pursued education after high school. The framework centers around the following four areas of practice:

• Outreach to underserved students and schools
• Alignment to college degrees and careers in fields of interest
• Early career and academic exploration, advising and planning
• High-quality college instruction and academic support

Redesigning Dual Enrollment as a Purposeful Pathway to College and Career Opportunity: The initial report of the series presents the DEEP model and draws on the authors’ conclusions from institutions that were early adopters of whole-college guided pathways (GP) reforms. Researchers identified that approximately one in five school districts nationwide have closed the racial equity access gap to DE, indicating the importance of scaling and sharing program strategies happening at the local level.

The following list spells out key strategies that leaders can use to implement the DEEP framework in their DE programs:

• Engage in outreach to low-income students and students of color beginning in middle school to make learners aware of DE opportunities when they reach high school.
• “Backward map” all programs to ensure that they lead to a good job, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree.
• Provide separate advising and planning assistance to DE students to better assist them and reduce the work of overburdened high school advisors.
• Expose learners to postsecondary instructional methods that help them improve academic performance and assimilate to college norms and expectations.

Rethinking Dual Enrollment as an Equitable On-ramp to a Career-path College Degree Program After High School: The second report presents findings that researchers gained through field research at six community college-K-12 partnerships across Florida and Texas that have achieved positive results in expanding postsecondary access to underrepresented learners and economically disadvantaged individuals through the reforming and extension of GP practices and DE offerings. Researchers found that more than 1.5 million high school students take DE courses each year, but the majority of these courses are à la carte with no opportunity for specializing.

The following list contains strategies and recommendations that community college-K-12 partnerships can use to implement GP reforms and increase participation opportunities for underserved individuals:

• Embed program-specific DE coursework into high school CTE programs to market DE to learners, building on existing career-focused academies and programs.
• Create more efficient and streamlined pathways to teaching careers for high school students by aligning DE with teacher education pathway programs.
• Set high expectations across the board and provide essential supports such as tutoring, advising and purposeful pathways to ensure learner success.
• Frame DE pathways as a route to facilitating upward mobility and creating productive citizens when marketing to underserved communities.

Researchers also shared a key recommendation gleaned from the partnerships that they engaged with: Using current academy and DE students as ambassadors to describe DE opportunities to elementary and middle school students and families.