CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

New Resource: Strategies for Addressing CTE Teacher Shortages

Today, ACTE is releasing a new resource, Staffing Outside the Box: Strategies for Addressing CTE Teacher Shortages.

Providing learners with access to qualified instructors with relevant occupational experience and teaching skills is one of the most important and challenging aspects of providing high-quality secondary CTE programs.

Ideally, CTE programs can find staff who meet both requirements: A fully licensed teacher with experience in pedagogy and classroom management as well as relevant and up-to-date industry knowledge and skills. But when the ideal isn’t available, CTE programs and institutions have a long history of innovating to ensure students have access to industry expertise and competent teachers.

This publication, sponsored by eDynamic Learning, explores considerations and provide examples for addressing CTE teacher shortages in the short and medium term through such methods as bringing industry experts into the classroom, sharing faculty across subject areas and institutions, and providing virtual learning opportunities.

CTE in Governors’ State of The State Addresses 2024

As of early March 2024, at least 29 governors had mentioned CTE and/or workforce development in their State of the State addresses, as reported by the Education Commission of the States.

The following list provides a sample of how CTE was addressed by governors across different states:

• Brad Little announced that Idaho’s LAUNCH grants program will expand to cover up to 80% or approximately $8,000 for enrollment in an education or training program aligned with an in-demand career area after high school graduation.
• Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced an additional state investment of $3 million into youth apprenticeships while celebrating that Missouri now ranks second in the nation for apprenticeship opportunities and describing the establishment or upgrading of 57 CTE institutions in the state.
• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the state is working to develop the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences to provide opportunities within health care fields for students from rural populations.
• Ron DeSantis celebrated a milestone of over 600,000 rapid credentials and industry certificates earned by Florida high school students since 2019. He also highlighted the more than 229,000 students enrolled in CTE programs throughout state colleges.
• Maine Gov. Janet Mills celebrated an investment of over $200 million in job training, credentialing, career exploration and skill attainment programs. She also highlighted that more than 25,000 people have participated in internships, apprenticeships and other career exploration programs.
• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee proposed that the state expand apprenticeship opportunities and improve pathways into health care to tackle the inequity of health care access across the state.
• Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania celebrated the milestone of 33 new apprenticeship programs with an enrollment of over 6,000 new apprentices statewide as well as investments in CTE, apprenticeship and training programs.
• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds highlighted a record 70% of Iowans that have attained some form of postsecondary education or training, compared to 58% at the beginning of her administration. She credited this achievement to the Future Ready Iowa Act and enhanced education and workforce training across the state.

In conclusion, the future of CTE looks bright in the near and far future with the support of both Democratic and Republican governors who are increasingly aware of the benefits that CTE provides to learners’ educational and workforce journeys. 

For more information on the state-by-state outlook of CTE across the country, check out the recently published State Policies Impacting CTE: 2023 Year in Review report.

ACTE and Cardozo Education Campus Host Annual CTE Month School Visit

On February 27, ACTE partnered with the Cardozo Education Campus to host the annual 2024 CTE Month School Visit to highlight the incredible programming, students, teachers and faculty at Cardozo. Cardozo is also home to ACTE’s CTE Teacher of the Year, Mr. Aris Pangilinan, known as “Mr. P.” 

The event began with opening remarks by ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry, followed by remarks from Cardozo Principal Arthur Mola, Senior Deputy Chief of SEAD Strategy at D.C. Public Schools Glenn Starnes and Cardozo CTE Director Cheryl Rodgers. Mr. P followed these remarks with an inspiring speech, detailing how he grew into his role as a CTE teacher and the incredible experiences he offers to his students. 

A student panel took center stage following Mr. P’s remarks, moderated by and featuring several CTE students pursing pathways in engineering, computer science and similar fields. Students on the panel had hopes of pursuing careers in neuroscience, diplomacy, cybersecurity and more. These students spoke about the impact that CTE has had on their education and their career prospects, giving examples of how CTE has strengthened their employability skills, confidence and networking abilities. They also shared some of the incredible opportunities CTE has opened for them, including internships. Most notably, the students discussed policy changes they need to see in how Congress and local leaders approach CTE. The overwhelming consensus was a push for more funding. Students explained how an increase in funding would help to ensure they all had access to laptops and other learning materials for home use, proper preparation for internships both on behalf of the students and organizations hosting the internships, and more programming that could send students abroad to expand their scope of understanding. 

After the student panel, ambassadors from Mr. P’s class guided guests through several stations in his classroom, sharing work students have accomplished in robotics competitions, programs such as the Rotary Club that open doors for students looking to help local and global communities, and examples of past students who have gone on to exciting careers and postsecondary opportunities.  

Lastly, guests were guided to visit two additional classrooms that were part of the school’s Engineering and IT programs. Guests had the chance to listen to Mr. Richards and Ms. Monsey’s lessons and see their classrooms and equipment. Groups were accompanied by student escorts who shared their experiences and gave insight into the structure and pathways that Cardozo has to offer. 

ACTE is grateful for the enthusiasm and collaboration with Cardozo Education Campus in hosting this insightful event in celebration of CTE Month. Specifically, ACTE extends a warm thank-you to CTE Director Cheryl Rodgers, Mr. Aris Pangilinan and Dr. William Blake from Cardozo, Crystal Smith and Iris Wilson from DCPS, the wonderful guests from the Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, or “OCTAE”, our guests from partner organizations and the generous sponsor for this event, the National Association of Homebuilders. 

State Policies Impacting CTE: 2023 Year in Review

Today ACTE and Advance CTE released the 11th annual State Policies Impacting CTE: Year in Review report, marking the start of a second decade of insights into CTE policy trends at the state and national levels.

In 2023, 47 states enacted 115 policies affecting CTE and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders and budget provisions. This marks the second-highest number of states in a single year to act on CTE policy, surpassed only by the landmark year of 2017 when all 50 states implemented CTE-related policies.

Each year, the Year in Review report analyzes policy trends across the nation, offers state examples for the top five policy categories, and highlights one rapidly growing policy area. 

Policymakers connected to CTE can use this resource to see trend areas from across the country over time and explore past and present CTE policies that might be replicable in their state. This resource strives to empower leaders to build on current innovations, advocate for effective policies, and drive positive change in CTE.

In addition to the report, the following resources provide additional insights into this publication:

• Advance CTE and ACTE’s Year in Review webinar on February 21 from 3-4 p.m. ET will provide an overview into the impactful policy trends and innovative legislation from 2023 that will impact millions of CTE learners across 47 states as well as present a deep dive on CTE policy in Utah with Utah State CTE Director Thalea Longhurst and Utah ACTE representative Becky Cox.
• An expanded State Policy Tracker includes final legislative, budget and executive actions connected to CTE since 2013!

More Resources: Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations

ACTE and Advance CTE have released the second set in a new series of joint publications that address how to support each of the nine Perkins V special populations and other underserved learner groups.

The Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations in CTE series features strategies, reflection questions and case studies for supporting each special population as well as other learner groups that have been a focus of state and local support. 

Part II, released last week, features briefs on supporting the following populations: 

• Learners with disabilities
• English learners
• Economically disadvantaged learners
• Learners experiencing homelessness
• Military-connected learners
• Single parents

These publications join the first briefs in this series, including an introduction as well as briefs on nontraditional learners, foster youth and out-of-workforce individuals.

A final set of briefs describing how to support additional populations will be released in March.

Diversifying the CTE Educator Workforce

While 51% of secondary CTE concentrators were learners of color in 2021–22, only 13% of CTE educators in public schools were people of color in 2020–21. Today, ACTE and Advance CTE released a new report, State and Local Strategies for Diversifying the CTE Educator Workforce (full report and executive summary), that presents common challenges to diversifying the educator workforce, identifies promising practices in the field to overcome these challenges, and provides actionable strategies and recommendations to assist state and local CTE leaders in strategically planning and developing policies and practices to increase diversity in the CTE workforce.

A companion resource, Recruiting Diverse Educators: A Database of Organizations Representing Underserved Populations, presents a contact list of organizations that serve minority populations, including industry professionals, learners, and current and future educators of color. The list offers a starting point for local, regional and state CTE leaders looking to develop the educator pipeline and recruit educators from under-represented populations to teach in CTE. 

This work was generously funded by the Joyce Foundation. 

ACTE and Advance CTE will be hosting an in-person preconference workshop on this topic on May 1, 2024, at the ACTE Region I conference in New York City. You do not need to register for the entire conference to take part!

Upcoming Webinar: 2023 State CTE Policy Year in Review

Each year, Advance CTE and ACTE track and analyze state policy to prepare a Year in Review: State Policies Impacting CTE report (coming soon!). State CTE policies in 2023 proposed a variety of funding mechanisms and other legislative changes to address national challenges that have impacted state economies, labor market participation and learner enrollment and engagement in education. Join this webinar to hear national trends and innovative legislation across 115 policy actions in 47 states that will impact millions of CTE learners in secondary, postsecondary and workforce systems. 

Register for the webinar on February 21 at 3pm ET to learn more!

New Resource: Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations and Underrepresented Learners in CTE

ACTE and Advance CTE have released the first set in a new series of joint publications that address how to support each of the nine Perkins V special populations and other underserved learner groups.

The Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations in CTE series features strategies, reflection questions and case studies for supporting each special population as well as other key populations that have been a focus of state and local support. 

Part I, released last week, includes an introduction to the series and briefs on supporting the following special populations: 

• Nontraditional learners
• Foster youth
• Out-of-workforce individuals

A second set of briefs describing how to support additional populations will be released in February.

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.

White House Releases Playbook Identifying Effective Workforce Investments

The White House recently released a playbook centered around effective workforce development strategies utilized by states and local governments through funding from the American Rescue Plan. It encourages leveraging the $350 billion State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program (SLFRF) to invest in evidence-based registered apprenticeships programs, community college programs and supportive services, and it shares a series of models from across the country. 

The playbook emphasizes the importance of Registered Apprenticeship programs stating that 90% of those who complete an apprenticeship program obtain employment. It cites Harris County, Texas’s $10.9 million investment in its Apprenticeship Advantage Initiative, which provides the opportunity to join union apprenticeships and technology programs to over 1,000 low-income residents. Additionally, it highlights programs from Louisville, Kentucky’s workforce development board including Kentuckiana Builds, which provides pre-apprenticeship programs in the construction trades to underrepresented populations; and Reentry Works, which administers career guidance and support to formerly incarcerated individuals. Lastly, it shares how Maine’s $11 million investment in its apprenticeship program is expected to double its number of apprentices through the expansion of apprenticeship opportunities within 14 state-selected organizations. 

Shifting to identifying exemplary investment strategies within community and technical colleges, the playbook emphasizes their importance as “a linchpin of our nation’s education and workforce training system.” It highlights Oklahoma's Nursing Workforce Expansion Program, which includes $80 million in funding toward developing a larger and more highly trained nursing workforce in response to nursing shortages. Additionally, it cites Indiana Ivy Tech’s investment in construction of a technology-driven lab to provide valuable hands-on training opportunities to manufacturing workers. 

The White House intends for these programs to serve as models across the country in investing American Rescue Plan funds to implement high-quality workforce development approaches. To learn more about these programs, read the full report here.