CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Phase III Coronavirus Relief Package Includes $30.9B for Education

After intense negotiations, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on Friday. The bill was passed out of the Senate 96-0, and the House passed it on a voice vote.

The law contains more than $2 trillion worth of direct aid or relief, including providing direct payments to millions of Americans, bolstering unemployment insurance, funding hospitals and research, and granting relief to small businesses and corporations. However, the law also contains $30.9 billion worth of funding for the Department of Education. The following education-related provisions are most relevant for CTE professionals and programs. In several places specific sections of the law are referenced in the event you are interested in more detail. You can view the bill text here.

State/Local Education Stabilization Fund: The vast majority of the funding for the Department of Education is targeted to help stabilize education at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels. Specifically, $13.5 billion is earmarked for elementary and secondary programs, and will be allocated to states based on the ESSA formula. An additional $14.25 billion is earmarked for postsecondary education. Within 30 days of the law’s passage (last Friday), the Secretary must issue a notice inviting applications for these funds. Applications must then be either denied or approved within 30 days. Funds will be made available through 9/30/2021, and are intended “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” Funds can be used to provide emergency support to local education agencies, institutions of higher education, and any other education-related entity within the state that the state’s governor deems essential. At least 90 percent of funds allocated to states for elementary/secondary education must then be sub-granted to local education agencies. Notably, local education agencies may use funds for any activity authorized by Perkins, as well as other federal education programs. At the postsecondary level, allocations are largely determined by enrollment of Federal Pell Grant recipients. IHEs must use at least half of their funds to “provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.” Any entity receiving funding under the stabilization fund must make the greatest possible effort to continue to pay employees and contractors. You can find the legislative text on the education stabilization fund beginning on the bottom of page 752 of the bill.

Health Care Workforce: The law directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for health workforce programs. (§3403) 

Federal Work Study: Work-study payments may be issued to students who are unable to work due to closures, and such payments may be in a lump sum or in regularly continued paychecks. (§3505) Work-study funds are permitted to be used for supplemental grants. (§3503)

Pell Grants: Coronavirus-related school dropouts do not count toward the lifetime limit on Pell Grant eligibility. (§3507)

Student Loan Issues: Coronavirus-related school dropouts do not count toward lifetime eligibility for subsidized student loans. (§3506) Students who drop out of school due to the coronavirus are not required to refund any federal Pell grants or student loans. (§3508) Coronavirus-related dropouts do not factor in to federal academic requirements for student aid. (§3509) The Secretary is required to defer federal student loan payments, principal, and interest through September 30, 2020 without penalty. (§3513)

TEACH Grants Teacher Loan Forgiveness: If teachers cannot finish the year as a result of the coronavirus, they will not be penalized and the partial year will count as a full year toward TEACH grant obligations or Teacher Loan Forgiveness. (§3519)

Workforce Response Activity: Local workforce boards were granted additional flexibility to use unobligated statewide activity WIOA funds for administrative costs, including moving to online-based resources. Governors may also use reserved workforce funds in responding to the coronavirus. (§3515)

Campus-Based Aid: The law waives institutional matching requirements for campus-based aid programs. (§3503)

Waiver Authority: The Secretary of Education was granted waiver authority for ESEA, with the exception of civil rights laws, as required to deal with the coronavirus. (§3511) The Secretary is also permitted to waive or modify allowable uses of funds for institutional grant programs, and for matching requirements in competitive grants.

You can continue to follow the latest coronavirus-related CTE news on this blog post, which will be updated as appropriate.

New Department of Labor Rule Seeks to Create New Apprenticeship Model

Last week, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the proposal of a new rule aimed to “address America's skills gap and expand the apprenticeship model to new industries.” The proposed rule would establish a process for recognizing Standards Recognition Entities (SRE) and Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs).

Under the proposed rule, a SRE would establish the standards for training, structure, and curricula for the IRAPs in certain industries. Organizations that could qualify to become a SRE include educational institutions, non-profits, unions, local government entities, and trade, industry and employer groups or associations. DOL would certify each SRE to ensure they have the capacity to actively monitor each IRAPs’ program quality and that they meet all legal requirements. According to the proposed rule, to start, DOL would limit the industries IRAPs can be created in to those that do not already have a “robust” apprenticeship program presence, thus eliminating the military and construction fields.

The Department believes these industry-led, market-driven programs will provide flexibility to scale the apprenticeship model and help address America’s skills gap. The new rule suggests that in order to ensure a high-quality standard, IRAPs include paid work, work-based learning, mentorship, education and instruction, industry-recognized credentials, and safety, supervision, and EEO requirements. However, many policymakers have raised concerns about whether these standards and the enforcement by SREs are sufficient to ensure quality and student protections. To review and comment on the proposed rules, please click here. Comments are due by August 26, 2019.

Research Round-up: Adult Ed, Career Pathways, Access and Equity, Support for Skills

CTE is not only a popular topic in media coverage these days. A number of organizations are also weighing in on CTE and career readiness through new research and publications, including organizations that have long been active in this space and groups that are newer to CTE.  

Voters support skills: Ninety-three percent of likely voters support more investment in skills and technical training, and 51 percent strongly support it, according to a recent poll commissioned by the National Skills Coalition.

Of eight economic policy proposals that were presented to the people polled, the most popular was increasing investment in skills and technical training. It was even more popular than cutting taxes for the middle class or providing a job for any American who wants one.

In addition, there was strong, bipartisan support for a range of skills investment proposals, including creating closer links between community colleges and businesses, providing tax incentives to employers who invest in the skills development of their workers, and helping workers laid-off by automation find new jobs through no-cost skills retraining.

Adult education and CTE: In addition to this data, National Skills Coalition has recently produced briefs on enhancing collaboration between adult education and CTE and on scaling work-based learning and on-the-job training through sector partnerships.

The first brief provides an in-depth case study of Socorro Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, which is using high school CTE facilities, equipment and teachers to teach adult learners in the evenings. To support adult education-CTE collaboration, the publication recommends building on aligned language and provisions in Perkins V and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and creatively combining different federal and state funding sources.

Career pathways: Career pathways are also explored in a recent brief from CLASP. The publication examines the shared definition of career pathways across Perkins V, WIOA and the Higher Education Act, and outlines how CTE programs of study can better align with career pathways for low-skilled adults.

In addition, CLASP recently published a blog highlighting the needs of adult students in postsecondary CTE programs and addressing how state and local leaders can leverage the Perkins V planning process to ensure that this population can access and succeed in postsecondary CTE.

Chiefs for Change: CTE’s value is highlighted in a recent report from Chiefs for Change, a nonprofit led by state education chiefs that advocates for access to excellent schools for all students. The publication packs a lot of information into its 17 pages, reviewing research and providing recommendations to state leaders on how to support and strengthen CTE. Their recommendations address improving quality, aligning with business and across education levels, expanding access to work-based learning and career advising, coordinating with stakeholders and ensuring equity. The report shares examples from Tennessee, Nevada, Denver and San Antonio, and lessons from the international context.

CTE playbook: ExcelinEd has concluded its CTE Playbook series with two new publications. The first looks at the different ways states fund CTE and considers how states can drive CTE quality and value through tiered funding, funding incentives and Perkins Reserve funds, and by leveraging program review and approval processes and accountability and reporting. Four states—Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio—are profiled.

The CTE Playbook series concludes with a brief on the importance of high-quality, aligned CTE programs of study. It recommends a CTE program audit and outlines how to develop a “theory of action” for better aligning CTE programs of study that moves from a vision to specific action to verification and ultimately to achievement.

Access and equity in CTE: Advance CTE has expanded its Making Good on the Promise series with a brief on rebuilding trust with marginalized communities through:

1. Acknowledging that inequity is a problem
2. Promoting a culture that values equity and diversity within the state agency and instructor workforce
3. Committing to transparency and advancing only high-quality CTE programs of study
4. Implementing strategies to gain buy-in from communities and stakeholders
5. Celebrating, lifting up and replicating successful programs of study and practices

The report highlights specific state strategies. For instance, Oklahoma created a position in the state CTE agency focused on equity and diversity, while Wisconsin established a strategic plan to increase the percentage of teachers of color and the Wisconsin Technical College System formed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Work Group. Additional examples are provided from Massachusetts, Idaho and Nebraska.

Non-degree credentials: An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute shows different patterns of non-degree credential attainment for different groups of Americans. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher are just as likely to have industry certifications, and much more likely to hold licenses and have participated in work experience programs, than those with less education. In contrast, individuals with a high school diploma, some college or an associate degree are more likely to have postsecondary certificates. Differences are apparent in field of study, too: Higher-income individuals are more likely to have credentials in the trades or STEM, while working-class and lower-income adults are more likely to have health care credentials.

More reading: Research for Action has taken a deep dive into the relationship between outcomes-based funding policies, education and employment data, and postsecondary certificates. And a report from the Brookings Institution explores good jobs—jobs that provide stable employment, middle-class wages and benefits—and promising jobs that can lead to good jobs. In 2017, 11.4 million jobs held by workers without a bachelor’s degree in the nation’s 100 largest metro areas qualified as good jobs.

Bipartisan Senate Bills Merge Job Training and Addiction Recovery

Earlier this month, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN) and Doug Jones (D-AL) introduced the Jobs Plus Recovery Act (S. 2642). The bill, a first-of-its-kind pilot program, allows WIOA-funded training programs to provide support services to people challenged by substance use disorders and integrates addiction treatment and recovery with workforce training. The bill also aims to support individuals in work-based learning by providing pre-employment, early employment and continuing employment services. Senators Kaine and Young are co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus, and Sen. Jones is a member of the caucus

In a press release, Sen. Kaine pitched the bill by highlighting workforce training as an important way to invest in the community to combat the opioid epidemic. Similarly, Sen. Jones asserted job training to be an integral part of supporting individuals throughout their recovery. Sen. Young told a story about an individual in Indiana who beat addiction and continues to be a successful employee at a manufacturing firm.

ACTE has endorsed the Jobs Plus Recovery Act as an innovative approach to support student success and ensure program participants are equipped with the services they need to succeed in the workforce.

Less than a week after the introduction of the Jobs Plus Recovery Act, Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced a full, comprehensive bill to address the opioid crisis that incorporates some of the elements of the Jobs Plus Recovery Act. The bipartisan bill, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 (S. 2680), is co-sponsored by Sens. Kaine and Jones, along with another Senate CTE Caucus co-chair, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The bill would make regulatory changes impacting drug manufacturers, boost opioid grants for states facing the most severe epidemics, and improve treatment options and access to them. There are also several provisions related to CTE.

The Alexander-Murray opioid bill would provide grants to address the economic and workforce impacts of the opioid crisis, using WIOA as the infrastructure through which training and employment services would be offered to individuals challenged by the opioid epidemic. That training would include, among other things, using the career pathways framework to lead individuals to "high-demand, high-wage jobs." To improve job retention rates during the first few months of employment, the bill specifies that services may include "a continuation of skills training and career and technical education." Additionally, the bill includes grants to establish or operate "comprehensive opioid recovery centers" that would serve as resources, providing "job training, job placement assistance, and continuing education assistance to support reintegration into the workforce." The bill also provides loan forgiveness to "masters level, licensed substance use disorder treatment counselors."

In addition to the full text of the bill, a summary can be found here. The HELP Committee held a hearing on the bill earlier this month and is expected to mark it up soon.

Research Round-up: Service Sector, Community Colleges & WIOA, Data Visualization

This week, we’re catching up on recent publications in a host of areas related to CTE:

Skills in the Service Sector: Approximately 20 million American workers employed in the service sector lack foundational skills in literacy, numeracy and digital problem solving, as reported by the National Skills Coalition. Yet many positions require basic skills in reading, writing, math and technology, particularly the ability to read instructions. Learn more about how employees in this sector are pursuing additional education and training, and the barriers they face, in the full report.

Presenting Workforce and Education Data: Through data visualization, large amounts of data can be shared interactively with the public, policymakers and other non-expert audiences. This recent Workforce Data Quality Campaign paper shares tips for visually presenting education and workforce data, with examples. Author Christina Lindborg Peña discussed the report findings with attendees at the 2017 ACTE National Policy Seminar.

Helping Adult Learners Transition: Strategies for helping adult learners transition from basic skills education to postsecondary education are examined in this report from Regional Education Laboratory Midwest. Among the approaches examined are industry-aligned curricula and bridge programs in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio.

Community Colleges and WIOA: According to the Education Commission of the States, community colleges can be a primary player in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) initiatives by engaging in sector partnerships; providing programs in high-demand areas, supported by Individual Training Accounts and WIOA-supported training contracts; using state set-aside funds for employer alignment; and serving on state and local Workforce Development Boards.

Job Training Programs Focus of House Hearing

On April 4, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing to examine federal support for job training programs. The 13-member committee heard testimony from Zoë Baird, CEO and president of the Markle Foundation; Douglas Besharov, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy; and Demetra Smith Nightingale, fellow at the Urban Institute. The chair of the subcommittee is Representative Tom Cole (R-OK-4), who is also a member of the House CTE Caucus.

The hearing touched on a number of issues, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), apprenticeships, CTE and how federal support for job training programs plays an important role in American economic competitiveness. The committee members’ focus seemed to center on the skilled trades and the more traditional definition of “vocational education.” However, there were still insightful comments that shed light into today’s CTE. For example, in response to a question from Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY-17) regarding “VocEd,” Ms. Nightingale discussed career academies and programs in fields like manufacturing, finance and health care. In addition, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-2) asked a question that highlighted the importance of apprenticeships.

Another interesting moment came when Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR-3) asked about the ideal time for secondary students to pursue a specific pathway, sharing that he believed it to be in the eighth grade when students should choose between pursuing college or a “career and technical path.” While ACTE agrees with Rep. Womack that students should explore careers at an early age, CTE does not have to be a binary choice. While not responding directly to the question, Ms. Baird did underscore the importance of CTE and education that prepares students for career success.

Another member of the subcommittee, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), was the lead Democratic co-sponsor of last year’s Perkins reauthorization bill. Rep. Clark asked an interesting question on the role of the secretary of education in Perkins, alluding to the secretarial authority issue responsible for stalling Perkins reauthorization in the Senate last year.

Lastly, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) used a personal story to illustrate her belief in the “importance of learning a skill… in high school regardless of what path you go into…” She also spoke about technology jobs in her district and how many of those jobs do not require a four-year degree. In fact, national data show that half of all STEM jobs will be open to those with two-year degrees.

The hearing provided a good opportunity to shed light on the need for job training programs, including high-quality CTE, to help meet America’s workforce demands. Parts of the hearing also showed that advocates still have work to do to ensure Congress fully appreciates the diverse opportunities for students in today’s CTE ecosystem. To help spread the word about CTE, make sure your Members of Congress are members of the CTE Caucus. You can ask your senators to join here and representative here.

WIOA State Plans Available for Public Review

Earlier this year, states submitted either a Unified or Combined state plan to implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, originally signed into law in 2014. State plans were due in the spring, and covered the program years from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018.

Now that plans have been formally approved by the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Agriculture (depending on included programs), they are available for public review, search and download from the Department of Education’s website at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa/wioa/state-plans/index.html.

You can download plans by state, or search by key topic areas. With more connections than ever between WIOA and CTE, it is important for CTE stakeholders to understand their states implementation plans. This is a great resource to review to see how your state stacks up and to glean best practices from other states as implementation moves forward.

Presidential Priorities: Urging the Candidates to Talk CTE

 

In November, voters across the country will head to the polls to cast ballots for the next President and Vice President of the United States. Since the last presidential election, significant education reforms have been passed by Congress and signed by the President, specifically the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Now awaiting further congressional action is the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins), which could fall into the next President’s lap, along with pending updates to the Higher Education Act (HEA).

Education, and specifically CTE, is the foundation of today’s economy. Expanding, enhancing and supporting rigorous CTE programs across the country is essential to fueling the talent pipeline for the high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers of the 21st century. As such, it’s important for candidates to clearly articulate their vision on CTE issues. This year, ahead of the first and only Vice Presidential debate, we released three questions we hope candidates will explore and answer throughout the campaign. We’ll also be releasing questions for the presidential debates on Sunday, October 9th, and Wednesday, October 19th.

Please join the conversation by retweeting our questions below, or tweeting your own to @CTEmedia using #Debates and #CareerTechEd. Most importantly, don’t forget to vote!

 

Tonight is the only #VPDebate! Here's a question on #CareerTechEd we hope @Elaine_Quijano asks @timkaine and @mike_pence. pic.twitter.com/IM75ezpbK9

— ACTE Public Policy (@CTEMedia) October 4, 2016

Here's a question about #FinancialAid for #CareerTechEd we hope @Elaine_Quijano will ask @mike_pence and @timkaine at tonight's #VPDebate! pic.twitter.com/RUxcXUPvEF

— ACTE Public Policy (@CTEMedia) October 4, 2016

Here's a question about #FinancialAid for #CareerTechEd we hope @Elaine_Quijano will ask @mike_pence and @timkaine at tonight's #VPDebate! pic.twitter.com/RUxcXUPvEF

— ACTE Public Policy (@CTEMedia) October 4, 2016

WIOA Performance Reporting: What ETPs Need to Know

New joint guidance on WIOA performance reporting from the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Education demonstrates how eligible training providers (ETPs)—institutions like community colleges that provide education and training to WIOA participants—can connect with wage data to report on WIOA performance measures for employment and earnings.

The guidance makes it clear that a state education authority has the best chance to carry out the data sharing required with workforce agencies or other authorities responsible for wage records, through FERPA’s audit/evaluation exception. This education authority, be it a higher education governing board, state longitudinal data system or other agency, would report de-identified, aggregate wage data back to ETPs. In addition, public ETPs could also receive individual-level wage data, while private institutions would not be able to access individual-level data without establishing a further relationship with a designated authority in the state.

In addition to wage records, final WIOA regulations allow the use of other data sources for performance reporting of employment and earnings. The regulations also encourage states to use a common definition of what it means to “exit” a program, across all WIOA programs. This common exit should eventually become the norm.

The final regulations cleared up a few outstanding questions on what performance measures will be calculated, in addition to those specified in law:

• The rate of entrance into employment for participants who were not employed prior to program entry will be calculated by DOL for informational purposes only
• The rate of employment retention will be calculated by DOL for informational purposes only
• The proposed measure on quality of employment was eliminated as overly burdensome

Further information on performance reporting is available at https://doleta.gov/performance/reporting/eta_default.cfm.

U.S. Department of Labor Publishes Final WIOA Regulations

On Thursday, June 30, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development released the final regulations for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). These regulations mark an important step in the WIOA implementation process, and will shape the way the law is enacted on the ground.

The final regulations were published after the Administration received input from a wide range of stakeholders (including ACTE) through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking last year. The new regulations will soon be published in the Federal Register, and become effective in the coming months.

ACTE will review the new regulations to determine their impact on the CTE community and will publish additional updates on the Policy Watch Blog. The Department of Labor has also published an overview fact sheet on the regulations, which can be accessed here.