CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

COVID-19 Research Round-up (Part II)

Data on the Impact of COVID on Postsecondary Institutions: A new resource from Watermark explores how postsecondary institutions can evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and discover what has changed and what will come next. In order to understand this, researchers sent out a survey to postsecondary professionals to gauge the effects on current and planned teaching, assessments, student feedback, faculty activity reporting and reviews and cataloging curriculum management. The survey results provide insights on the impact of the virus and promising practices that can improve the delivery of teaching in the fall. 

Impact of COVID on Community Colleges: The Community College Research Center created a resource which contains a series of essays on the different aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on community colleges. The topics of the essays include funding, enrollment, student experience, instruction, student supports and more. 

Importance of Transparency on Report Cards During COVID-19: The Data Quality Campaign has created a short infographic for schools to use to ensure that transparency and public trust continues to be at the forefront when reporting state and local data on ESSA Report Cards during COVID-19. The infographic provides both short- and long-term actions that school leaders can take in their decision-making and recovery efforts, and as they  present updates on recovery efforts and provide transparency on how schools are moving forward.

Using Data During COVID to Prioritize Resources: Another short infographic from the Data Quality Campaign was published to show the importance of using data as a tool during COVID-19 to help prioritize resources that are needed to invest in policies and programs that best serve the community. This resource provides short-term guidance on investing in data systems, gathering information from the community and mobilizing research partnerships to start answering complex questions. The long-term guidance suggests that leaders need to manage their research agenda and modernize cross-sector longitudinal data systems to identify solutions to present and future challenges. 

Homework Gap During COVID: One out of three Black, Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native households do not have home access to high-speed internet, and 16.9 million households do not have high-speed internet access to successfully complete online learning, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. These results are from a 2018 American Community Survey that show that many children lacked high-speed home internet service and a computer. COVID-19’s shifts to remote instruction have resulted in a an exacerbation of this “homework gap.” The researchers call on Congress to invest $6.8 billion to cover immediate costs related to high-speed home internet access and devices in the next COVID-19 relief package. 

Compilation of Surveys Performed on Education During COVID: During these unpresented times, many surveys were performed by various groups to understand the impact of COVID-19 on education. Below are some of the surveys that focus on the delivery of education during the pandemic:

• Data on School Districts Approach to Pandemic: Preliminary results from two reports were released by the American Institute for Research (AIR). The first report is preliminary survey data investigating the reaction of school districts when the pandemic hit. The responses are from approximately 500 school districts and cover a range of topics from school closures to challenges and approaches for distance learning to meeting the needs of special populations. The second report is preliminary data on how school district leaders approached the difficulties from the pandemic, such as how schools innovated in the spring and some of the promising practices and challenges districts faced during the pandemic. 
• Perceptions on In-Person Learning for the Fall: The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published survey results on public perceptions of schools resuming in-person schooling. The results show only 8% of respondents think K-12 schools should open for normal in-person learning and about half of the respondents think that major adjustments are needed if in-person school resumes. These perceptions are also shared among respondents regarding in-person postsecondary institutions. 
• Teachers and Parents Perceptions on Schooling in the Spring: Chalkbeat performed a national and state survey consisting of parents, students, educators and principals on the perceptions of online learning in the spring. Failures of the spring term included lack of internet access and technological devices by primarily Black and Hispanic students and students from low-income families and low student engagement with schoolwork. The survey does show that respondents thought most teachers made a rapid switch to online learning and most parent respondents gave high marks to their child’s school. 
• Postsecondary Students on Online Learning During the Pandemic: College Pulse interviewed 5,000 postsecondary students in two- and four-year colleges to understand how COVID-19 impacted students’ learning and what the priorities of students are in postsecondary education. The researchers found that most students were satisfied with how their school responded to pandemic. One of the main priorities of the respondents for attending a postsecondary institution is to obtain a credential for their desired career, which will require continued support for CTE programs and CTE educators. 
• Postsecondary Students Satisfaction with the Spring Semester: Digital Promise and Langer Research surveyed about 1,000 postsecondary students to understand students’ experiences during the spring semester. Despite student satisfaction decreasing after the shift to remote learning, respondents felt positively about the way the faculty handled the shift and reported that many faculty held live sessions for questions and comprehending content and over half reported that lecturers were live instead of prerecorded. The satisfaction with courses positively correlated with how much the faculty engaged and made the course interactive.
• Postsecondary Faculty Satisfaction with Online Learning: Tyton Partners performed a national survey of approximately 4,800 postsecondary faculty to understand their satisfaction with online learning. Respondents who were the most satisfied with the learning in their classes were the faculty who used the largest range of instructional practices. These faculty were twice as likely to have prior experience teaching online courses and significantly more likely to have access to a campus-based teaching and learning center or other forms of support. 

New Tool to Ensure CTE is Prioritized in the Fall: Advance CTE created a resource to help state CTE leaders take actionable steps to prepare and implement strategies for the fall to adequately support CTE students through high-quality CTE programs. The tool is organized into seven key topics that must be addressed in order to achieve high-quality programs:

1. Equity and access
2. CTE teachers and faculty
3. CTE instruction
4. Assessments and credentials
5. Work-based learning 
6. Counseling and advisement 
7. Career Technical Student Organizations 

Preliminary Findings of an Evaluability Assessment of CTE Programs

The CTE Research Network has released preliminary findings of an evaluability assessment, or feasibility study, aimed at identifying existing CTE models with the potential for rigorous evaluation. 

The researchers identified four programs: Virtual Enterprises International (VEI), NAF Academies, Delaware Pathways and Franklin Technology Center in Joplin, Missouri. Each program has favorable conditions for research using experimental designs that show the causal impact of CTE on student outcomes. The network hopes that researchers can harness Institute for Education Sciences (IES) grants and other funding sources to evaluate these programs and expand the CTE evidence base. 

For each program, the researchers identified key elements that would make it valuable for evaluation. For VEI, the virtual work skills and virtual work-based learning that are incorporated into courses could potentially be translated to other CTE programs. Franklin Technology Center’s competency-based curriculum can be studied to determine whether it can be replicated for other CTE programs. NAF Academies is a national network of career academies, which would allow for a deeper analysis about the success of academy systems. Finally, Delaware Pathways would allow comparison between a more intensive model of CTE delivered through a technical high school and a less intensive model in a comprehensive high school setting. 

The evaluability study began with nominations from CTE stakeholders. Researchers used questionnaires, interviews and other methods to narrow down those programs to the four selected. Postsecondary institutions were not included because of the limited number of nominations that were received from that sector. 

ACTE is a partner in the IES CTE Research Network, which aims to expand the evidence base on the impact of CTE programs on student outcomes.

Research Round-up: Benefits of Taking Community College Courses, Perceptions of Perkins V, Learning During the Pandemic

Recent publications describe various CTE topics ranging from new data on postsecondary certificate and Associate degree programs to research on skills training leading to higher earnings.

Data on Students Enrolled in Postsecondary Certificate or Associate Degree Programs: A new report from the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) examines the three-year completion and employment outcomes from students who entered into a postsecondary certificate or associate degree program in 2011-12. . 

Benefits for Enrollment, STEM and Earnings at Community Colleges: Taking some courses at a community college can increase the chances of earning a bachelor’s degree, earning potential, and credits earned in STEM courses for low-income, women, and Black and Latino students, according to a new report from the Community College Research Center. The researchers credit the low cost, increased course options, more diverse STEM course options and small classroom size in community colleges with the possible success of these students.

Report on Preparing for the Future Workforce: The National Governors Association (NGA) examined 150 state policies and programs to create The State Guide to Preparing the Future Workforce to encourage lifelong learning in an effort to improve the workforce. In the report, the researchers highlight the necessity for retraining, especially during the pandemic. The guide is designed to promote opportunities for all by using innovative and promising ideas in a rapidly changing economy. There are three phases suggested for a state to prepare the future workforce:

1. Build a statewide network with a shared vision.
2. Invest in innovative teaching and learning models, engage employers and become a model employer.
3. Give support to workers to engage in the future workforce.

Perceptions on Supporting Perkins V: Researchers at AEI wanted to understand policymakers’ motivations for supporting Perkins V. To understand these opinions, the researchers examined press releases from policymakers and held interviews with key staff members and CTE organizations, including ACTE, and found three key points:

1. The definitions of CTE focus on how CTE can connect job seekers with in-demand skills to meet employer demands.
2. Key policy issues in CTE that are important to both CTE leaders and members of Congress are state and local flexibility, involvement of the business community, accountability and simplification.
3. Specific policy areas, such as workforce gaps, local investment and oversight allow policymakers insight to the most compelling policy arguments for CTE. 

Skills Leading to Higher Earnings: A new report, Exploring Skills-Based Approach to Occupational Mobility, argues that transferable skills, such as job training and hiring practices, can be used to help employers fill in-demand or hard-to-fill positions and help job seekers find pathways to new careers. The researchers examined over 60 million job ads to narrow down common skills across occupations that can be used for workers to increase earning potential. In order for skills transitions to promote economic mobility, collaboration between employers and training providers must collaborate to ensure success.  

Data on Learning During the Pandemic: The U.S. Census Bureau conducted a household survey in early June to understand the effect on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education Commission of the States (ECS) examined this data and found that K-12 students, on average, spent less than 20 hours a week on learning activities. The results also showed that during the spring, 90% of households responded that they had access to the internet and 87% said that a device was available, however, access to internet and devices became less readily available when disaggregating the data by income status and race. ECS suggests that this data can help policymakers and educators understand how to close the digital divide and identify students who need support for the fall semester.

Research Round-up: Employability Skills Preparedness Gaps, Expectations for Healthcare and STEM Careers, Filling the Skills Gap

Data on Subbaccalearate Health Science Students: A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) uses data from a 2015-16 national survey of undergraduates to examine the characteristics of students seeking subbaccalaureate credentials in health sciences. Health sciences is the most common occupational education program chosen by subbaccalueate students, followed closely by business and marketing. The data also shows that health science students were more likely to enroll in a two-year institution, and were more likely to obtain an associate degree rather than a certificate.

Access and Equity to Incarcerated Youth and Young Adults: Advance CTE recently released a resource that was developed in collaboration with the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center that seeks to provide incarcerated youth and young adult students with equity and access in high-quality CTE programs. This report onlines five key actions CTE state leaders can take: 

1. Ensure CTE program rigor in programs with incarcerated youth and young adult students.
2. Continue adopting and implementing promising practices.
3. Use funding to support CTE programs in correctional facilities.
4. Appoint a state-level designee to oversee the development and delivery of these CTE programs.
5. Collaborate, collect and share student-level data and program-outcome data to enhance the accountability for these programs.

Report on Top Employability Skills Preparedness Gaps: Two reports from The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) on a survey of 11,000 respondents, composed of students, faculty, alumni and employers, explore gaps in employability skills and workforce preparedness among college graduates. The first report focuses on gaps in employability skills. The researchers found that the most crucial gap among all groups was the ability to handle conflict. The second report focuses on preparedness in the workforce. The researchers found four key skills that employees need: conflict resolution, building persistence, accepting change and managing ambiguity. 

High School Students Expectations for Healthcare Careers: High school freshmen, specifically those interested in healthcare, were asked about their occupational expectations by the age of 30 in 2009 and again in 2012 to understand how students’ perception may have evolved, in a report from NCES. Two of the key findings include:

• Nearly a third of students expected to have a healthcare related job by the age of 30 when they were freshman in 2009 and 2012.
• A higher percentage of females expected to have a job in healthcare by the age of 30 than males in both 2009 and 2012. 

Bring Financial Wellness to Community College Students: Community colleges have a responsibility to provide students with access to financial aid and ensure students are aware of available resources as well as have a strong foundation in personal financial management, states the Association for Community College Trustees’ new report on financial wellness. In order to provide holistic support to students, it must be recognized that the expenses for going to school often exceed the grant aid that is given. Also, financial literacy is critical for students when they are navigating college finances and personal expenses. The researchers also provide an example of a personal finance course from the Guardian Money Management for Life (MMFL) Program to show the holistic supports students need to be successful. 

Research on Skills Trade Programs: JFF released a new report to examine skilled trades education and the types of programs that are being offered in 37 states, as well as who is participating in these programs and both the academic and nonacademic outcomes of the students. The researchers discuss the challenges of skilled trades education and provide some solutions to overcome them. A companion piece by Harbor Freight can be found here, (which was covered in a recent Research Round-up that can be found here. 

Report on STEM Occupational Intentions: A report released by NCES explores how the occupational expectations changed -or not- of high school freshmen in 2009 by the spring of 2012 who were in Science, Information Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The report focuses on four different categories of STEM occupational intentions: STEM Intenders, STEM Newcomers, STEM Leavers and Non-STEM Intenders. 

Health and STEM Career Expectations of High School Students: In a report from NCES, the researchers use U.S. data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to determine 15-year-old high school students’ perspectives on future career paths. The report  includes the percentage and average score of students who anticipate a career path in a health field or in a STEM field. 

Report of Projection of Education Statistics to 2028: A continuing report, Projection of Education Statistics to 2028, from NCES provides national-level data on public and private elementary and secondary school schools and degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Included in the report are projections of enrollment, graduates, teachers and expenditures to the year 2028. 

Effect of Dual Enrollment on Student Outcomes: A longitudinal study was conducted to understand the effects of dual enrollment on college and early labor market outcomes. Researchers found significant effects for students who participated in dual enrollment on two-year and four-year college enrollment, degree attainment and early labor market earnings six years after high school, with greater positive impacts on minority students. Using their findings, the researchers highlight the importance of dual enrollment for improving the transition to postsecondary and workforce for underrepresented students.  

Students Without College Degrees Filling the Skills Gap: Of the 16 million workers without a college degree but with skills through alternative routes (STARS), 11 million workers termed “Rising STARs” are currently employed in middle-to low-wage work, according to a report from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Based on these findings, researchers propose classification for STARS to identify potential job transitions to higher-wage work within their current earnings category and across earnings categories.

Higher Education Data Tool: College Insight has a new tool on their website to allow higher education advocates to find data related to college access, affordability and success. The platform allows users to compare institutions, explore higher education data and browse topics related issues students and graduates are facing in the United States.

Upskilling and Reskilling in Community Colleges

Upskilling and reskilling for jobs are needs that existed before the coronavirus pandemic, but are now more critical than ever, according to the new report from Opportunity America, The Indispensable Institution: Reimagining Community College. The report suggests that because of these urgent needs, community colleges have an opportunity to become central to the nation’s efforts in revitalizing the economy by providing quick job education and training. It includes 11 recommendations to highlight how community colleges can be reimagined to better serve the workforce and build up economic development. 

Several of the recommendations call on community colleges to focus more on workforce skills by always being responsive to the changing regional workforce needs, including the importance of serving midcareer adults by providing noncredit, non-degree courses with flexible course schedule times. Another recommendation is to encourage community colleges to focus more on job placement and wages. In order to successfully provide students with high-wage, in-demand jobs, the report also suggests community colleges need to provide wraparound student supports such as career counselling and stackable credentials.

Other recommendations focus on building on the existing strengths of community colleges. These strengths are engaging employers, teaching both academic foundational skills and career-focused technical skills, providing opportunities for work-based learning and integrating both credit and non-credit education. The reports authors suggest that continuing these aspects of community college will be crucial in successfully building a pipeline to the public workforce system for the national economic recovery. 

The last recommendation is for policymakers to not only rethink funding levels for higher education and training overall, but also rethink how to fund community colleges. It is recommended that funding should be viewed as a regional economic development tool because investing in community colleges will decrease the regional skills gap, and that programs that are more successful in hitting their objectives and performance goals should be granted more funding than the institutions that did not meet those goals. Pell Grants are recommended to be available for students who enroll in short-term programs to encourage attainment of more industry-recognized credentials. Finally, the report recommends that Congress should also remove the lifelong cap of Pell for students who spend more than six years in higher education to promote accessibility for lifelong learning. 

These recommendations can provide community colleges an opportunity to provide access to displaced workers and others looking to obtain the skills needed for in-demand, high-wage jobs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Education and Workforce Survey Data During COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, Strada Education Network has been publishing weekly COVID-19 Work and Education Survey data from a nationally representative survey to understand the impact of COVID-19 on jobs, wages and education. The survey has had more than 11,000 responses between March 25 and June 11. Overall takeaways from the collected data show that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected non-white populations regarding job insecurity and job loss. Other trends show that a large number of workers across job fields need more education and want these programs to be available online. These findings and others are explored below.

When looking across the entire timeline of data collection, some key issues have generally stayed consistent: 

• About half of all respondents are worried about losing their jobs. 
• About a third of respondents have said that if their job is lost then they would need to have more education to replace it.
• Around a third answered that they would look to change careers if they did lose their job. 
• Approximately half of all the respondents have lost a job, income or hours during the crisis. 

When looking at the data through the lens of race and ethnicity, only about half of all white American respondents feared they would lose their job, whereas 67% of Black Americans, 69% of Asian Americans and 72% of Latino Americans responded that they were worried about their jobs. Latino workers were also shown to have the highest percentage (65%) who have lost a job, income or hours. Other findings show Black and Latino Americans are more likely than White Americans to have changed or canceled their education plans, but are more likely to enroll in education and training programs in the near future. 

Finally, for future education plans and jobs, about a third of all respondents said they had to cancel their education plans, and when looking at the 18 to 24 age group, this number increases to over half. Furthermore, one out of three workers said they would change their field of work if they lost their job, and this is especially prevalent in workers in manufacturing, finance and information technology fields. For workers looking to change jobs, the fields they are most likely to transition into are business, information technology and finance. In order to change careers, more upskilling and reskilling programs will be needed, yet less than half of the respondents said they had access to necessary education and training. When getting the necessary training, workers strongly prefer non-degree programs over degree programs.

These trends can help education leaders and policymakers understand the education gaps workers are facing in this crisis and help provide more access to education and training programs to those who need upskilling and reskilling for future work. 

Research Round-up: Postsecondary Credentials and Degrees, Principals' Educational Goals, Views on Trade Skills

Recent publications on varying CTE topics range from attainment of postsecondary credentials or degrees, workforce occupational data, principals’ educational goals, models for high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs, and more!

Increase in Undergraduate Degree Earners: The number of undergraduate credentials earned has increased to 3.7 million in 2018-19 from 3.4 million in 2012-13, reports the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in their annual report Undergraduate Degree Earners. The 7% growth in earned credentials is comprised of a decrease in first-term degree earners and adult learners, but an increase in traditional college age graduates (24 or younger). Also, in the 2018-19 school year, 22% of all bachelor degree graduates had first earlier earned associate degrees. 

Model for a High-Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Programs: The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has outlined principles for local, state and federal stakeholders to follow when developing high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. The principles suggest that within pre-apprenticeship policies, programs must provide a framework of accessibility, quality, equity and opportunity for advancement in family-sustaining careers.

Principals’ Top Three Most Important Education Goals: About 36% of principals from rural or town high schools chose promoting occupational or vocational skills as one of their top educational goals. These findings are from The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2015-16 National Teacher and Principal Survey which sampled public K–12 schools, principals and teachers in both traditional public schools and public charter schools. The top education goals overall according to public school principals were building basic literary skills (72%), encouraging academic excellence (69%) and promoting good work habits and self-discipline (54%). 

Postsecondary Occupational Education Data for CTE Students:  Approximately 73% of 2-credit CTE concentrators and 74% of 3-credit CTE concentrators who graduated in 2013 enrolled in some postsecondary education, according to a report from NCES on postsecondary occupational education for CTE concentrators. Though this number is slightly lower than those who did not participate in CTE, research shows that the postsecondary credential gap between CTE students and all other students closes within a few years. Of those CTE concentrator graduates who enrolled in postsecondary education, 70% of students had earned an occupation certificate or were still enrolled in an occupational field in 2016. 

Supporting the Early Childhood Education Workforce: Support is growing around improving early childhood education (ECE) programs. To ensure high-quality programs, strengthening the ECE workforce is key, says the Education Commission of the States (ECS) in their report Strengthening the Early Childhood Education Workforce. While this workforce is critical to the success of ECE programs, professionals face challenges such as limited professional support compared to other K-12 educators. ESC recommends policy levers such as alignment and collaboration, preparation pathways, licensure and certification requirements, and ongoing professional support strengthen the ECE workforce and help overcome some of the challenges they face. 

Understand Barriers to Completing a Degree: Higher Learning Advocates published a survey of postsecondary non-completers to understand the challenges that kept them from obtaining a degree. The most common barriers to completion were work demand and financial pressure. The researchers suggest three solutions: financial aid for returning adult students; satisfactory academic progress requirements; and reevaluating grant eligibility to ensure more accessibility to the grants for returning adult students. 

Views on Trade Skills in High School: A new study from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools conducted by NORC Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, asked voters, parents and high school students in three nationally representative surveys and interviews about their views on skilled trade classes. The responses were overwhelmingly positive and found broad, bipartisan support for increased funding for skilled trade classes. The researchers highlighted three main takeaways: 

• More than 8 in 10 voters agree skilled trades should be a priority.
• 8 in 10 parents think their child would be more prepared for a career with more access to skilled trades classes. 
• High schools that offer skilled trades classes compared to those that do not find that students have more positive views with more exposure to these jobs.

Survey Results on CTE Planning for 2020-21

ACTE received an incredible amount of feedback--nearly 1,200 responses--from a recent survey about how CTE stakeholders are planning for the 2020-21 school year and where the greatest challenges lie.

The survey asked two main questions:

1. What combination of in-person and distance learning is your state/district/school/institution planning for when students return?
2. Please rate your level of concern about the following topics in preparing for the possibility of distance or blended learning (i.e., some combination of distance learning and in-person learning) when students return.

About 60% of the respondents said that their schools, districts or institutions were undecided about plans for when students return to campus, or they were unaware of those plans. The next most frequent response was blended learning, with 26% of all respondents indicating that their programs would operate in a blended environment, with both in-person and distance learning available. This is the most common scenario that both secondary and postsecondary CTE educators are anticipating for school return. However, 18% of postsecondary CTE stakeholders are also preparing for  almost all distance learning, compared to only 3% of all respondents.

The results from the second question indicate that CTE educators’  biggest concerns are lab hours and hands-on learning in distance or blended environments, and this was true for both secondary and postsecondary respondents. Student engagement, funding for CTE programs, access and equity, internet access and online learning technology, and technical assessments and industry credentials were among the next top concerns for CTE stakeholders. In contrast, respondents are relatively less worried about instructor staffing and professional development, credit transfer, articulation and dual and concurrent enrollment and industry advisory boards and business partnerships.

These survey responses are informing ACTE’s efforts to help CTE programs and professionals prepare for the new school year. We are launching a webinar series on June 9, High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-Impacted School Year, and will release a related guide this month. 

Annual Report on The Condition of Education 2020 Released

The annual congressionally mandated report The Condition of Education 2020 was released by the National Center for Education Statistics on May 19. Within the report, researchers present 47 data indicators such as enrollment levels, academic progress, educational attainment, financial status and others to illustrate new developments and trends in education. These indicators are categorized into four areas: preprimary, elementary, and secondary education; postsecondary education; population characteristics and economic outcomes; and international comparisons. 

Some of the most relevant findings include:

• Enrollment for K-12 in 2017-18 was 50.7 million and expected to increase to 51.1 million in 2029.
• The graduation rate for K-12 students during the 2017-18 school year was unchanged from the previous year at 85%. This is the highest rate since first measured in 2010-11.
• College enrollment for traditional aged students (18-24 year-olds) increased between 2000-01 and 2018-19 from 35% to 41%.
• Postsecondary certificates earned between 2017–18 increased by 117% at public institutions compared to 2000-01 (from 310,000 to 672,000). The number of associate degrees between 2017–18 increased as well, by 94% at public institutions (from 456,000 to 886,000).
• Educational attainment rates increased on all levels between 2000-01 and 2018-19 for students aged 25 to 29. Specifically, attainment of a high school degree or higher increased from 88% to 94%, attainment of an associate degree or higher increased from 38% to 49%, and attainment of a bachelor’s degree or higher increased from 29% to 39%.
• An increase in average median earnings positively correlated with higher levels of education in 2018-19 for 25-34 year-olds.
• Compared to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, the percent of 25-34 year-olds in the United States who had completed high school  was 92%, while the OECD average was 85%.

These trends can help policymakers and other stakeholders track progress on leading educational indicators and make informed decisions to address areas needing improvement in the future.

Addressing Equity Gaps in Community College CTE Programs

CTE programs in community colleges are striving to achieve equity goals and reduce equity gaps, finds MDRC in their report Voices from the Field: How Community Colleges Are Advancing Equity in Career and Technical Education. In 2019, MDRC did a scan of 17 CTE programs in community colleges and interviewed CTE administrators, state level CTE administrators, instructors, employer and community partners, and students. The report provides best practices on how CTE stakeholders can improve equity in their CTE programs.

First, four main findings from the scan of CTE programs in community colleges are presented. The four findings are:

• New and innovative ways of outreach must be introduced, such as peer recruiters and community partners.
• To increase retention and completion of programs, individualized and targeted coaching, support networks and non-tuition support are needed.
• Increased post-graduation services may help underrepresented students in the labor market and increased earning potential.
• Community colleges working on equity are coming up with ways to uncover inequities regarding race, ethnicity, gender and other characteristics relevant to their local context.

The researchers then go through the lifecycle of a student and identify where inequities may occur. This lifecycle is broken down into three stages: recruitment and enrollment (access); support during the program (persistence and completion); and after graduation (outcomes). For each stage, the researchers provide examples and strategies of best practices of current approaches that are addressing inequities. 

Finally, four policy and practice ideas are recommended for other CTE programs to follow when facing inequities. First, if funding is limited, focus funds on access before completion because it is less expensive and bound by regulation. Also, supporting prospective students through possible challenging application and enrollment processes is essential for equitable access and outcomes. Community colleges also need to ensure that a pipeline is being created so strategies learned in classrooms translate to equitable initial employment. The last policy recommendation is offering postemployment services to encourage retention in current jobs as well as creating opportunities for career advancement. 

To implement these innovative practices and policies, the researchers state that programs will need both financial resources and data to provide more equitable CTE programs. Both of these will help highlight current gaps as well as provide solutions to help address equity issues in CTE programs.