CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE

Over the past few years, ACTE has increased our focus on middle grades CTE in recognition of the growing importance of early career development. Today, Advance CTE and ACTE released Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE to support state and local leaders as they work to develop or strengthen middle grades CTE policies, programs and practices. Critically, this resource provides a theory of action for state and local leaders looking to design a new middle grades CTE program or policy or to reflect on and improve upon what is already in place.

There is widespread agreement that high school is simply too late to begin to expose learners to the variety of high-skill, high-wage and in-demand careers available to them and the foundational skills they will need to be able to access and succeed in those careers. Yet there remains a lack of consensus — or even basic understanding — about what CTE and career readiness more broadly should entail at the middle grades level.

With the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) emphasizing career exploration and career development activities in the middle grades and allowing funds to be spent on students as young as fifth grade, the need to understand what high-quality middle grades CTE is – and isn’t – is more important than ever before.

Specifically, this paper lays out:

• Outcomes for student learning that identify what students should gain through participation in middle grades CTE.
• Ten design principles that must undergird any middle grades CTE program or policy. The principles should serve as a resource to ensure that middle grades CTE is comprehensive and fully meets each learner’s needs.
• The core programmatic elements of a middle grades CTE program or policy through which the design principles are applied, with relevant questions for consideration to identify strategies or steps for addressing gaps in the implementation of the 10 design principles.

Broadening the Path also includes a design principles self-assessment for state and local leaders to evaluate their current policies and programs.

This resource was created with the support of the Middle Grades CTE Shared Solutions Workgroup, comprised of national, state and local leaders, convened by Advance CTE with support from ACTE and generously funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For those interested in leading state examples of middle grades CTE policies and programs, check out Advance CTE’s 2018 report, Expanding Middle School CTE to Promote Lifelong Learner Success. For those interested in local examples, you can find podcasts and webinars here, and more research here.

Identifiying CTE Programs that are Non-traditional by Gender: Crosswalk Update

Our colleagues at the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) recently shared an update on the crosswalk that helps states and educational providers identify which career fields, and corresponding education programs, are non-traditional for students based on their gender. This is essential for accurate Perkins reporting on the measures related to the number of underrepresented students concentrating in non-traditional programs. This crosswalk was last updated in 2007, right after the last Perkins reauthorization, but since many states are updating their data systems to comply with Perkins V, this is a great time to switch to updated non-traditional data as well. NAPE gave us permission to share their update below!

In 2007, under a contract from the predecessor of the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), NAPE developed the nation's first nontraditional occupations crosswalk to identify Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes that correspond with nontraditional occupations. NAPE updated the crosswalk in 2013 to reflect revisions made to the codes by the National Center for Education Statistics.

During 2020, OCTAE will update the crosswalk as part of its offerings. The process and timeline for this update are as follows:

• Mid-March: OCTAE will publicly release and request comment (in a process to be determined) on a table that updates to the 2020 version the CIP codes with the corresponding career clusters and career pathways.
• July: OCTAE will update the CIP codes that are nontraditional, using 2019 labor force statistics from the Current Population Survey and the CIP/Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System crosswalk (scheduled for release by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the end of June).

OCTAE anticipates that the complete nontraditional crosswalk will be publicly available by August 2020. NAPE will keep our membership and partners informed as more information is released.

New Data on Certificates and Associate Degrees

Future earnings for certificates and some associate degree programs are closely linked to the field of study, reports Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce researchers in their latest study, “The Overlooked Value of Certificates and Associate’s Degrees: What Students Need to Know Before They Go to College.”

Researchers first examined national postsecondary enrollment data to determine the prevalence of certificates and associate degrees within the U.S. higher education system. They found that 50% of postsecondary students are enrolled in certificate and associate degree programs, 47% are enrolled in bachelor degree programs, and 3% are taking coursework but are not enrolled in a certificate or degree program. Similarly, colleges award approximately the same number of associate degrees and certificates combined as bachelor’s degrees – in 2016, there were 1,948,500 certificates and associate’s degrees and 1,920,800 bachelor’s degrees awarded. Of the certificates and associate degrees, most are strongly linked to careers. About 94% of certificates and 57% of associate degrees are awarded in career-oriented fields.

The strong linkage to careers makes employment outcomes from certificates and associate degrees critical measures of success. Researchers found that earnings from associate degrees and certificates are extremely dependent on the field of study, and there was wide variation depending on career area. In addition, in line with previous research, this study showed that future earnings for some of these fields of study are more lucrative than for those requiring a bachelor’s degree. For example, workers with an associate degree in engineering have median earnings between $50,000 and $60,000 per year, which is significantly more than those with associate degrees in education and the arts whose median earnings are between $20,000 and $30,000 per year. Workers with certificate degrees in engineering technologies have median earnings between $75,000 and $150,000, which is significantly more than the median earnings of those with certificates in cosmetology and education (between $10,000 and $20,000), or even healthcare (between $20,000 and $30,000). Similar trends were evident in analysis of state data. “What you make depends on what you take, particularly for workers with certificates and associate’s degrees,” was a key conclusion of the report.

Finally, researchers examined the population of students who enroll in certificate and associate degree programs. Students in these programs were more diverse by socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and age than students in bachelor’s degree programs. Specifically, Black and Latino students were disproportionately enrolled in certificate and associate degree programs compared to bachelor’s degree programs. The reverse was true for White students, as 47% were enrolled in certificate and associate degree programs and 53% in bachelor’s degree programs, and White students earn a disproportionate share of bachelor’s degrees. Low income and independent students were also more likely to enroll in certificate and associate degree programs than bachelor’s degree programs. These trends reinforce current equity gaps in educational attainment and potential labor market outcomes.

To help address the gaps and ensure that all students can achieve success, the researchers stress the importance of educators and policymakers strengthening all pathways to and through college, providing students with more information about potential pathways and their economic returns, expanding federal data collection and strengthening accountability.

State CTE Policies: 2019 Year in Review

On the federal and state levels, 2019 was an important year for CTE. States have been creating their four-year state CTE plans for the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), responding to increased emphasis in the law on ensuring quality CTE opportunities and expanding access for all students.

In the 2019 calendar year, at least 45 states and Palau enacted or passed at least 208 policy actions related to CTE and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders, board of education actions and budget provisions, as documented in the newly released publication State CTE Policies: 2019 Year in Review.

The policy areas that states focused on in 2019 were similar to previous years. States most frequently addressed the following topics:

• Funding;
• Industry partnerships and work-based learning;
• Industry-recognized credentials;
• Governance; and
• Access/equity

This report from ACTE, Advance CTE and Education Commission of the States, the seventh annual review of CTE and career readiness policies across the United States, summarizes each state’s CTE policy activity and describes major themes across states.

In addition to reading the report, you can also join ACTE, Advance CTE and Education Commission of the States on Tuesday, February 18, 3:00-4:00pm EST for a webinar that will explore trends in state CTE policy and discuss implications for 2020 state policy. Participants will also hear from state leaders in Texas about major policies enacted in the state.

Sign up for this one-hour webinar at https://advancecte.webex.com/advancecte/onstage/g.php?MTID=e7e286cd64240dd0545cbcbd59dcc2360

Research Round-up: Competency Model Resources, Veterans Without Degrees, Credit Versus Non-Credit Programs

Recent publications describe various CTE topics ranging from new data on postsecondary student outcomes to research on veterans without degrees.

Competency Model Resources for Career Pathways: To ensure the creation of meaningful career pathways aligning with industry and market demands, the U.S, Department of Labor created three new resources as part of their Competency Model Clearinghouse. These three resources relate to curriculum development, convening and peer learning.

Veterans Without Degrees: As the second part of their series of research on education for veterans, Gallup and the Lumina Foundation focused this report on veterans without degrees. The researchers talked with over 30,000 U.S. veterans and summarized three key findings:

1. Veterans disproportionately hold certificates or certifications compared to non-veterans.
2. Certificates and certifications boost employability and earnings premiums for veterans without degrees.
3. Veterans without degrees perceive less of a need for additional education than non-veterans without degrees.

Comparisons of U.S. 8th Graders’ Computer and Information Literacy: The National Center for Education Statistics compared the U.S. 8th graders’ computer and information literacy to thirteen other educational systems in their report, “U.S. Results from the 2018 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) Web Report.” Compared to the other international education systems, the U.S. ranked fifth out of 14 participating educational systems for computer and information literacy (CIL), and ranked fifth out of 9 participating educational systems for computational thinking (CL). Another finding shows that the average score for CL was higher than in 2018, but the scores for CIL were not significantly different compared to 2018.

Gaps Between Credit and Non-Credit Programs: There is a wage and opportunity problem between students who take for-credit or noncredit postsecondary classes, finds Jobs for the Future (JFF) in their report “Closing the Credit-Noncredit Divide.” The researchers found six main differences in credit and noncredit programs: expected outcomes, financial aid, prerequisite courses, course selection, credit hours versus seat time and accreditation. They also described characteristics of quality noncredit programs, and showcased community colleges who were being innovative and working to overcome the divide to create an easier transition between noncredit and for-credit programs.

New Data on Postsecondary Students: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released new data on different student cohorts in the areas of postsecondary graduation rates, outcome measures, student financial aid and admissions. For example, one new data point was that 19 percent of students enrolled in a 2-year program in 2013 graduated in two years, but when extended to four years, graduation rose to 38 percent. Another relevant finding was that 46 percent of first-time, full-time students attending a 2-year program in 2014 graduated within two years, and 70 percent of first-time, full time students graduated within 4 years.

Florida Industry Certification Study: In 2018, Florida researched the implementation of and results from the Florida Career and Profession Education (CAPE) Act to discover its impact on students passing certification exams and the correlation between receiving a certification and secondary/postsecondary success. Researchers found that after approximately five years of implementation, approximately 46,000 certifications were awarded, 77% of schools were providing certification-specific professional development for certification courses, and 81% of schools found the teacher professional development requirements challenging for certification programs.

Research Round-up: Equity Edition

Over the past few months, there have been a number of new resources and research papers released on equity in CTE or related education and workforce development programs. See below for more details:

• Making Good on the Promise: Ensuring Equitable Success Through CTE
  The fifth brief in Advance CTE’s “Making Good on the Promise” series, this report examines ways that states can help more students complete their chosen career pathway. It explores three state strategies, including using data-driven support systems to meet learners’ needs; providing integrated support services to secure wellness, academic preparation and financial stability; and creating the enabling conditions for successful transitions. 
  
  
• Practitioner Perspectives on Equity in Career and Technical Education
  MDRC’s Center for Effective Career and Technical Education released this brief over the summer to share insights from practitioners in innovative CTE programs around the topic of equity. The brief shares the results of practitioner discussions on barriers to equity within CTE and ways to address those challenges in order to achieve more equitable access and outcomes.
  
  
• Ensuring Equity in Evolving High school Career and Technical Education Policies
  This research/policy brief from the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) presents key takeaways from a research workshop hosted by the IRP at the University of Wisconsin–Madison involving researchers, practitioners and policymakers. Suggestions include making equitable access a policy goal, addressing rural challenges and investing in data collection.
  
  
• Unlocking Potential: A State Policy Roadmap for Equity and Quality in College in High School Programs
  This report, from the College in High School Alliance and Level Up coalition, provides policy recommendations and state examples around increasing equity within six key components of college in high school programs: (1) equity goal and public reporting, (2) program integrity and credit transfer, (3) finance, (4) course access and availability, (5) instructor capacity, and (6) navigational supports.
  
  
• Funding for Equity: Designing State Dual Enrollment Funding Models to Close Equity Gaps
  This report, also from the College in High School Alliance, presents a breakdown of funding models for dual enrollment programs, which states are using those models, policy questions to consider and best practices. A goal of the paper is “to help states identify a dual enrollment funding model that maintains a focus on equity while taking leaders’ programmatic aspirations and a state’s funding predispositions into account.”

• Passively-sensed Behavioral Correlates of Discrimination Events in College Students
  A new study from researchers at the University of Washington and University of Michigan examines the short-term physical and psychological impacts of discrimination on college students (with engineering students a particular focus of the study) that have the potential to impact educational outcomes. The study found that incidents of discrimination led to acute changes in students’ sleep and social patterns.

• CTE in the Juvenile Justice System (recording will be available soon at https://careertech.org/webinars)
  Advance CTE, the Council of State Government (CSG) Justice Center, and Oklahoma’s CareerTech program hosted a webinar to discuss how state leaders can leverage Perkins V funding to improve CTE programs in juvenile justice systems. CSG discussed findings from their most recent publication “On Track: How Well Are States Preparing Youth in the Juvenile Justice System for Employment,” which included: states lack necessary workforce development for successful programs, many programs lacked partnerships with workforce development agencies, and most states do not have enough workforce data on incarcerated youth. Oklahoma also showcased best practices from their CTE program involving incarcerated youth.
  
  
• The Roadmap for Racial Equity: An Imperative for Workforce Development Advocates
  This report, from the National Skills Coalition, addresses “issues of racism and exclusion in the workforce and education systems, as well as potential solutions for remedying these persistent problems.” The report presents nine recommendations to advance racial equity through workforce and education policy.
  
  
• The Equity Equation
  McGraw Hill has released a paper outlining strategies to address the college completion gap that persists for first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color. The paper focuses on adaptive learning solutions and provides examples from various colleges.

Strengthening Relationships Between CTE Coursetaking and Labor Markets

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) found a positive relationship between recent CTE coursetaking and labor market characteristics in their latest report, “An Examination of Career and Technical Education Course Taking and Labor Markets Across Two High School Cohorts.” The researchers used national data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to complete the study, including longitudinal studies following high school graduates from 2004 and 2012.

The researchers looked at several different questions to determine the relationship between high school CTE coursetaking and the needs of the labor market, as well as whether students with baccalaureate-degree aspirations engage in CTE coursetaking differently than those without baccalaureate-degree aspirations.

Specifically, the study showed that for the high school students that graduated in 2004, CTE course taking in specific Career Clusters was for the most part not correlated with the number of people employed in industries within those Clusters in the state economy. However, for the high school students who graduated in 2012, the relationship between employment rates in state industry sectors and CTE course enrollment in those Career Clusters was stronger overall, with significant correlation particularly in Business, Health, Finance, IT, STEM and Human Services. This could suggest that the changes made in CTE programs over the last two decades have created better alignment between courses available and labor market needs.

Researchers also found that there was no significant difference in the amount of CTE courses taken, or for the most part the type of CTE courses taken, between students with baccalaureate aspirations and students without those aspirations. The only two exceptions were students planning on attending a four-year university earned more credits in IT, and those students in the 2004 cohort earned fewer CTE credits in Agriculture (although this finding was not replicated in the 2012 cohort), and those in the 2012 cohort earned more credits in STEM.

Because Perkins V emphasizes the use of labor market information through Comprehensive Local Needs Assessments (CLNAs) and in the creation of recognized postsecondary credentials, we expect that the positive trend between CTE course taking and local labor market needs will continue to grow. For more information about how to better align CTE course taking and local economic needs through the CLNA, read more here.

New Study on Effects of CTE

Male students who attend a Connecticut technical high school have shown to have higher graduation rates, improved wage-earning potential, higher attendance rates in 9th grade and higher 10th grade test scores, a new study from the CTE Research Network reports. These findings are based on data collected from the admission system of the sixteen technical high schools within the Connecticut Technical High School System, combined with other state data systems. Data was collected and analyzed on approximately 57,000 8th graders who applied to the oversubscribed system of high schools for school years 2006-07 through 2013-14. Using a quasi-experimental design, student outcomes were compared for those students just above the admission threshold and those just below the admission threshold.

The research shows that male students attending these technical high schools are about 10 percent more likely to graduate from high school. While these students are also 8 percentage points less likely to attend college; the researchers’ findings, as well as the findings from other studies, suggest that the negative effects on college attendance fade over time.

Other findings for male students who attend technical high schools include an increase in earnings by approximately 31 percent quarterly, and more quarters spent working (likely in part due to lower postsecondary attendance). Shorter term outcomes were also impacted, with improved attendance and test scores. Increases in both can improve high school graduation rates and potential future earnings, so may be predictive of those outcomes. Outcome gains were larger when the schools students would have attended offered fewer CTE courses.

While data was analyzed on female students as well, results were not statistically significant.

This study was funded by the Institute for Education Sciences.

Credentials: Defining Quality, Evaluating Outcomes

New resources from researchers and national organizations are adding to our knowledge about quality credentials, particularly non-degree credentials.

Defining quality for non-degree credentials: The National Skills Coalition (NSC) recently defined a quality non-degree credential and, in consultation with 12 leading states, developed a set of criteria that states can adopt for their own quality assurance systems. ACTE was among the national education and workforce organizations who were also consulted during the development process.

According to NSC, a quality non-degree credential—a postsecondary certificate, industry certification, occupational license or apprenticeship certificate—is “one that provides individuals with the means to equitably achieve their informed employment and educational goals. There must be valid, reliable and transparent evidence that the credential satisfies the criteria that quality:”

1. Substantial job opportunities (required)
2. Transparent evidence of the competencies mastered by credential holders (required)
3. Evidence of the employment and earnings outcomes of individuals after obtaining the credential (required)
4. Stackability to additional education or training (strongly preferred)

State policies can support equitable access to quality credentials through financial aid; supportive services (such as transportation, child care and housing assistance); career counseling, industry partnerships and work-based learning; stackable credentials; integrated education and training (IET) programs for low-skilled adults; and comprehensive data systems.

Counting credentials: A new report from Credential Engine estimates that the United States has at least 738,000 unique credentials across different providers. This number includes degrees as well as about 475,000 non-degree credentials such as postsecondary certificates, apprenticeship certificates, licenses, industry certifications, badges and more.

Knowing how many credentials are available is a necessary first step in learning more about credential value. To further this work, Credential Engine has been building the Credential Registry, a real-time source for credential information based on a common language and common definitions.

Credential outcomes:

• A report from Strada Education Network and Lumina Foundation, based on a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, finds that individuals with a certificate or certification but no college degree have higher full-time employment rates than their peers without a credential (85 percent to 78 percent) and higher median annual incomes ($45,000 to $30,000). They also perceive themselves as more marketable and report greater happiness. However, wage gains vary greatly based on occupation, and wage premiums are much larger for men than women.
• The findings of seven independent analyses link postsecondary certificates and other college-issued credentials to higher rates of employment. Earning gains are larger and more consistent for credentials that take at least six months to complete. While labor market benefits can be found in both the health care and manufacturing sectors, absolute earnings are typically higher in manufacturing.
• An analysis from ExcelinEd and Burning Glass examines data from three states to assess the relationship between CTE high school students’ attainment of credentials and their education and employment outcomes. Across all three states—Florida, Indiana and Kentucky—earning a credential was associated with an increase in on-time graduation. Florida CTE students who earned credentials were more likely to enroll in and graduate from community college. Similarly, evidence from Kentucky linked high school credential attainment with a greater likelihood of earning an associate degree. Finally, data from Florida and Indiana demonstrated that high school credential attainment was associated with higher wages.
• Recent research from Giani, Attewell and Walling (2019) evaluates the employment and earnings outcomes of one cohort of Texas high school graduates. The researchers found that individuals with some college but no credential were more likely to be employed 15 years later and earned more than their peers who did not attend postsecondary education.

Research Round-up: Workforce Preparation, Pre-Apprenticeships, Career Readiness Framework, Perceptions of Additional Education for Those Without Degrees

Recent publications describe various CTE topics ranging from perceptions of having students participate in workforce preparation to a proposed five-pillar framework to ensure high-quality career development systems.

Views on workforce preparation: PDK Polling found in their survey that few parents, teachers and other adults think that preparing students for work should be K-12 education’s primary goal. However, learning jobs skills is a priority among all groups. The three most broadly supported job skills subjects among parents are computer programming, health and medical studies, and information technology hardware and systems.

Framework for pre-apprenticeships: Pre-apprenticeships are designed to help students enter and complete an apprenticeship successfully. JFF developed a framework of six elements for administrators to use to evaluate if programs offered are both high quality and promoting equity:

1. Transparent entry and success requirements
2. Alignment with skills sought by local employers and high-quality apprenticeship programs
3. Culmination in one or more industry-recognized credentials
4. Development of skills through hands-on activities and work-based learning
5. Offering of academic, career exploration and wraparound supports
6. Transition into a registered apprenticeship or other high-quality apprenticeship program

Career readiness framework: In order for career readiness to become a top priority nationwide, the Coalition for Career Development proposes a five-pillar framework to ensure high-quality career development systems. These pillars show the areas that need reform; strategies that will be imperative for change; and the benefits that will come to students, educators and the economy.

Data on the need for additional education: A Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey reports that almost half of Americans feel they need more education. Adults without degrees are more likely to seek out additional education from employers rather than from traditional educational institutions. 

CTE in a 21st-century workforce system: RAND Corporation has released a report describing the need for an integrated, data-driven, equitable 21st-century workforce development and employment system to enable lifelong learning and career progress. Recommended strategies include secondary and postsecondary CTE and career development that responds to current and evolving needs.