By: Sabrina

When I talk with members or speak about how to write a letter to the editor or an opinion editorial (Op-ed), one of the things I emphasize is focus on one issue. Corinne Alfeld wrote a well-written Op-ed for the Academy for Education Development blog this week, and she focused on the public’s misunderstanding of the link between education and the economy.

She sets the stage using recent news and events to frame why people have this confusion, and she reels you into her main focus. She writes, “Unfortunately, as the chairman and CEO of Manpower stated, ‘inadequate training and negative stereotypes’ are feeding into this shortage. Everyone wants their child to go to college, yet people complain daily about unemployment and underemployment.” She focuses on the perception issues throughout the piece, and she uses reliable research to support it, which is very important.

Her writing is very clear and concise, and she articulates why people need to look at CTE differently. She writes, “By promoting CTE, I am not advocating for a tracking system; rather, I am challenging the American public to consider that perhaps all students need to learn useful career skills in addition to academics.” At the end of the Op-ed, she challenges the readers to rethink how they view CTE. She asks them to respect CTE and provide more opportunities for students to explore a variety of careers.

It’s important to write Op-eds about CTE to help raise awareness about its impact in rebuilding the economy. If you would like help in writing an Op-ed or letter to the editor, please contact me anytime.

By: Gabbie

Today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke at the annual meeting of Achieve's American Diploma Project (ADP) Network Leadership Team. The secretary addressed the need to improve assessment systems that focus more on a broader range of student knowledge and skills and support good teaching to guide students toward college and career readiness. Setting a higher bar for success, these new assessment systems will capture the full spectrum of student knowledge and ability. He also announced the winners of two new states grants, which will be used to develop a new generation of tests to assess students' knowledge of mathematics and English language arts from third grade through high school.

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a coalition of 26 states including AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MS, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC and TN. Awarded $170 million, PARCC will test students' ability to read complex text, complete research projects, excel at classroom speaking and listening assignments, and work with digital media. As a series of assessments throughout the year, PARCC will also provide more information on student learning development for teachers, which could drive curriculum development.

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium is a coalition of 31 states including AL, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, ME, MI, MO, MT, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI and WV. Awarded $160 million, the SMARTER Consortium will use computer adaptive technology that tailors questions based on students’ previous answers. In addition to the one end-of-the-year test, SMARTER will create a series of interim tests used to track student development.

Though the new systems will not be in implemented until 2014-2015, Secretary Duncan urges educators and state leaders to begin the transition now. He believes that together with the Common Core Standards, the new assessment systems will provide the foundation for curriculum and professional development that will help raise academic standards and make the U.S. globally competitive.

By: Steve

Within the last few years, the federal and state governments have been focused on increasing the number of students earning higher degrees. The focus is intended to fill skills gaps, and applied baccalaureate degrees are one solution to meeting the need. I’m attending the Lumina Foundation’s Applied Baccalaureate conference this week which is focused on the issue. One of the foundation’s goals is to increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025 (the percentage is currently around 35%).

Two state panels, and researchers from the University of Illinois Office of Community College Research and Leadership which is funded by Lumina to conduct research on applied baccalaureate degrees, spoke during the conference. They discussed the varying ways that applied baccalaureate programs have been initiated. There are currently 27 states that offer applied baccalaureate programs at 4-year institutions only and another nine states that offer the degrees at both two-year and four-year institutions. This is significant growth since the 1970s when applied baccalaureate degrees were first initiated. A lot of that work has been the result of state policies developed in the 1990s. Those state policies differ; some states ban 2-year institutions from offering baccalaureate degrees.

There was also discussion about whether “mission creep” is an issue. In other words, does allowing community and technical colleges to offer four-year degrees change the mission of these institutions and is it their role? Some community colleges have removed “community” from their name. Lumina does not take a position, but several panelists and attendees said that as long as the degrees are meeting student and employer needs, the answer is they are meeting their mission. One panelist said that “mission authentic” rather than “mission creep” might be more appropriate terminology.

By: Sabrina

It’s that time of year again! ACTE’s Annual Convention is three months away, and we are working on planning this year’s CTE Networking Reception. This year’s event will be on Friday night, instead of Thursday night, in Las Vegas, and it’s starting earlier at 5:00 p.m.!

I have confirmed that Chef Jeff Henderson, last year’s opening speaker, will be attending this year’s reception. He is going to kick off the live auction at 6 p.m., and he will be auctioning off lunch/dinner for two with him in Las Vegas. Along with the live auction, we are going to have a silent auction with lots of items, including four baseball tickets to a Washington National’s game for the 2011 season.

New prizes this year include a 50/50 raffle, which is a $1 raffle with the winning ticket taking home half of the final pot. In order to win, you must be present, and the drawing takes place at 6:45 p.m. We are also going to have a $5 raffle for a door prize. This year’s reception will be from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in the Las Vegas Hilton Ballroom B&C, with a $5 suggested donation at the door. Attendees will also have a chance to mingle with Chef Jeff and the candidates for the ACTE Board of Directors.

If you would like to donate an item for the auction, please e-mail me by October 29. Items that have sold well in the past are: gift baskets featuring regional items, sports/entertainment memorabilia, tools, crafts, home décor items, student made items and gifts for the holiday season. Money raised during the reception will go towards the CTE Support Fund, which helps raise awareness about CTE with policymakers, media and your community. All donations are tax deductable.

By: Chris

Recent reports from Reuters and Marketplace Radio highlight a study by Manpower Inc which reveals that specialized skills like electricians, carpenters and welders are in critically short supply in many large economies.

According to the Manpower report, a recent survey of 35,000 employers found a shortage of skilled workers to be the number one or number two hiring challenge in six of the ten biggest economies. In the U.S., a shortage of skilled workers is the number one hiring challenge; as is the case in ten of the seventeen European countries surveyed. The study also notes that this shortfall presents a serious obstacle to the global economic recovery.

The shortage of workers is attributed by the Manpower report to both “older, experienced workers retiring” and their younger replacements “not having the right training because their schools are out of touch with modern business needs.” At the same time, based upon a poll conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which found that the next generation, overwhelmingly, does not see itself working in skilled trades, the Manpower report also contends that the social stigma attached to these specialized jobs contributes to the shortage as well. In the U.S., only one in ten teenagers see themselves in a blue-collar job at age thirty.

As Manpower’s CEO Jeff Joerres notes, since the 1970s, parents and students have been told that a university degree is the only means to a financially secure profession. Yet, as Joerres points out, “all of the skilled trades offer a career path with an almost assured income” and, furthermore, “make it possible to open one's own business.”

This report, similar to the one by Skills2Compete, demonstrates the significant need for middle-skill jobs and, thus, the importance of CTE programs to train the workers who will fill these jobs. Yet, if the evidence for the importance of these jobs and programs is repeatedly made clear, why are CTE programs and middle-skill jobs continually marginalized? 

 

By: Gabbie

On August 26, the Department of the Treasury posted a notice in the Federal Register inviting the public to comment on a proposed set of financial education core competencies. According to the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, the financial education field lacks a standard curriculum. Specifically, there is no agreement on the appropriate basic content for financial literacy and education. In response, the Commission developed a set of core competencies, which would help establish a better understanding of what individuals should know and the basic concepts program providers should cover. The Department identified five core concept areas:

• earning
• spending
• saving
• borrowing
• protecting against risk

Specific core competencies for each concept area can be found in the table in the Federal Register.

Ultimately, the Department’s goal is to format these core competencies in such a way that is easily remembered, such as the ``food pyramid,'' and they could have an impact on financial literacy instruction in schools and CTE programs. Therefore, it is important to comment by September 12 if you have any input on the Department’s proposed set of financial education core competencies. Comments are requested specifically on whether the list of Core Competencies is complete and whether there are portions that should be deleted, revised, or expanded. Written comments can be sent via e-mail to FLECstrategy@do.treas.gov or by mail to the Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Education and Financial Access, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220.
 

By: Jamie

In hopes of recruiting new members, the House Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus is circulating a “dear colleague” letter asking representatives to join the caucus to show united support for CTE issues.

If your representative has not joined the caucus, now is the time to encourage him/her to do so. With August being a quiet time in Washington, it is more likely that the education staff member for your representative will be able to review the recruitment letter and add the Member of Congress.

To effectively get your representative to join the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, call your representative’s office and ask to speak to the person who handles education issues. After you introduce yourself, bring the dear colleague letter to the staff member’s attention and then discuss why you would like to see your representative join. Be specific when explaining how CTE is crucial to your community and why the policymaker’s support is important. Also, since Congress is on recess, you might be able to ask your representative in person, for tips on how to do that, please see ACTE’s August recess packet.

The caucus, which is co-chaired by Reps. Baird (D-WA) and LaTourette (R-OH), was created in 2007 and has 59 members. Unfortunately, at the end of 2010, Congressman Baird will be retiring from Congress and relinquishing his role as co-chair. ACTE is currently working with the Caucus to find a new leader. If your representative is a strong champion for CTE programs, and you think would be interested in leading the caucus, please contact Jamie Baxter, advocacy manager, at ACTE.

By: Chris

Yesterday, Gallup and Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) hosted a summit, “School of Thought: Data Driven Insights to Inform Education Policy,” in which they released new findings from two national research initiatives -- Phi Delta Kappa's annual education survey, which measures public attitudes and opinions about America's public schools, and the Gallup Student Poll, a joint initiative with America's Promise Alliance and the American Association of School Administrators to measure the hope, engagement, and well-being of students in grades five through twelve.

Several findings reveal interesting aspects of public opinion:

From the PDK/Gallup Poll:

• 92 percent of parents believe their children will go to college
• 75 percent of Americans believe college education is necessary for success in today’s world
• 49 percent of Americans grade schools in their community either an A or B, yet only 18 percent of Americans grade the nation’s schools either an A or B
• 36 percent of Americans said funding is the biggest problem facing the schools in their community
• 44 percent of Americans believe improving the quality of teaching is the main thing a school can do to earn an A grade

From the Gallup/ America’s Promise Alliance Student Poll:

• 92 percent of students strongly believe they will graduate from high school
• 63 percent of American students are engaged—highly involved and enthusiastic about school
• 49 percent of American students strongly believe that they will find a good job after graduation

Both the high percentage of students who believe they will graduate from high school and of parents who believe their children will go to college is striking when contrasted with the actual number who graduate and go to college. What creates this disconnect?

At the same time, these findings should encourage educators to capitalize on high student expectations and engagement, as it would seem, theoretically, that students who are engaged and expect to go to college will be more receptive to learning the skills necessary to succeed in college and careers. In other words, it seems there is a “will” in the students; consequently, educators must now provide an effective “way.”

By: Gabbie

Federal funding will soon be available for educational institutions wishing to develop or improve their training programs. In March 2010, Congress authorized the Community College and Career Training Grant program in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, with appropriations of $500 million each year for Fiscal Years 2011 through 2014. This grant provides another opportunity for educational institutions to develop, offer and improve educational or career training programs for workers eligible for training under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act, a program which provides aid to workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages are reduced as a result of increased imports.

ACTE will host a webinar on the Community College and Career Training Grant on September 9, 2010 at 1 P.M. EST (10 A.M. PST) in preparation for the grant application process. Led by Mason Bishop, former deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Labor, and Brent Orrell, former deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, the briefing will cover the grant’s background, eligibility and application process, followed by a Q&A.

With the current economic climate and ongoing budget cuts, ACTE urges you to consider this an opportunity to develop and broaden your education and training programs. If you are interested in learning more about the Community College and Career Training Grant, please register for the event.

By: Alisha

On August 24, a few days earlier than originally expected, the Department of Education announced the final 10 winners of the Race to the Top competitive grant competition. The winners are:

• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Rhode Island

Each state will now begin working with local school districts who signed on to participate in winning grants to implement their plans. CTE educators in winning states should be “at the table” within their districts as these final plans are discussed and should be ready to play an active role in implementation. For example, in Florida’s Race to the Top plan, local school districts must implement at least one additional high school career and technical program that provides training for a STEM-related occupation and persistently low-achieving high schools will be provided with specific funding to expand and improve CTE offerings.

In announcing the grant winners, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "Every state that applied showed a tremendous amount of leadership and a bold commitment to education reform. The creativity and innovation in each of these applications is breathtaking." The Department of Education has requested additional funding for another round of Race to the Top grants next year.

By: Jamie

Has your representative or senator gone above and beyond to make CTE a priority? If so, consider nominating one of them for ACTE’s Policymaker of the Year Award. This award is presented annually by ACTE’s Board of Directors to recognize federal policymakers who have made a contribution of national significance to CTE.

If your Member of Congress has made a significant impact on policy related to CTE in the past year or over an extended career of public service, please submit a cover letter stating the nominee’s qualifications for the award and include supporting information listing significant legislative and other appropriate accomplishments related to CTE. Each nominee must be endorsed or sponsored by an association, agency, group, several individuals or a combination of these.

The deadline to submit a nomination is October 31. The Board of Directors will choose the Policymaker of the Year award winners (there can be more than one) in November. Please see ACTE’s Web site for more information, or contact Jamie Baxter in the Public Policy Department.

 By: Jamie

Recently, the Coalition on Human Needs hosted a Webinar titled “Deficit Fever”, which focused on the nation’s large deficit. The expert on this Webinar was John Irons, research and policy director for the Economic Policy Institute. According to Mr. Irons, the federal deficit is not growing at an alarming rate. He says that although the actual numbers are higher than they have been in the past, when you formulate the numbers in relation to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the figure is similar to what the nation has experienced with past deficits.

Mr. Irons discussed President Obama’s plan to freeze non-security discretionary spending and how this is “mostly for show” and will have little impact on reducing the federal deficit. Mr. Irons suggests that the U.S. should increase taxes for the wealthiest individuals and put that money into social programs, such as food stamps and student aid. He believes that if we would do this, lower income individuals would spend the money quickly, and we would see an increase in the country’s revenue. This revenue is a key component to economic recovery.

Mr. Irons continued by discussing the long term economic picture. According to him, increasing health care costs will most likely put the U.S. on a grim economic path; therefore, he believes that additional health care reform is needed to address these rising costs. Mr. Irons concluded the Webinar by saying that he believes that if rising health care costs are addressed and if we do not cut existing programs, the economy will begin to recover; however, additional stimulus efforts may be necessary in the immediate future.

By: Alisha

For the past year, we have had high hopes that the discussion about new energy legislation in Congress would lead to additional resources for CTE. Last June, the House passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This comprehensive energy legislation includes language that would authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants for the development of CTE programs of study focused on emerging careers and jobs in renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change mitigation (language derived from an earlier bill, H.R. 1775, from Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)). H.R. 2454 also includes an expanded section related to green workforce development. It authorizes an "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Fund," a clearinghouse to provide CTE and job-training programs with resources related to renewable-energy sectors, and a green construction careers demonstration program.

However, progress in the Senate has been much slower. There have been several competing bills introduced or proposed, including S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, and most of them do contain education- and training-related language similar to that in the House bill. Unfortunately, none of these bills have generated enough consensus to be brought up for a vote. There was some discussion right before the Senate adjourned for the August recess about passing a more streamlined bill that would not have included any of the provisions of interest to CTE, but consideration of that bill was also postponed.

Most recently, some senators and Administration officials have mentioned the possible lame duck session after the November elections as a potential time to address a comprehensive energy and climate bill, although that has been met with opposition from Republican opponents of the legislation. ACTE will continue to follow the energy discussion and advocate for strong education and job training provisions in whatever bill is ultimately considered!

By: Gabbie

With resources scarce and threats of education budget cuts very real around the country, it is important for CTE educators to look beyond traditional sources of funding to continuously improve the quality of our programs. One option that might be considered is a congressional earmark for a specific project or activity. A congressional earmark is a legislative provision that directs appropriated funds for specific projects in districts and states. Earmarks constitute approximately 2 percent of the federal budget. These projects can include road and highway projects, water and sewer system improvements, community development, or improvements to local hospitals, universities and non-profit organizations (among others). For example, Joppatowne High School in Maryland received $143,000 for their CTE program in FY 2009. Earmarks are also most often rewarded through a competitive application process and are sponsored by specific Members of Congress.

If you are interested in applying for congressional earmarks, ACTE has prepared an Earmark Toolkit to help guide you through the earmark and appropriations process. This toolkit provides background information on the process, a suggested application timeline and a checklist and worksheet to help you keep organized.

By: Gabbie

In 2008, the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), a non-profit consortium of electric, natural gas and nuclear energy utilities, conducted a survey, which assessed the current workforce levels in the electric and natural gas industries. Their survey finds significant training and skills gaps in the workforce. Specifically, CEWD projects that by 2013:

• 49% of skilled technicians may need to be replaced
• 48% of those employees who operate gas and coal fired generation will be eligible to retire
• 45% of engineering job in all disciplines could become vacant
• 40% of lineworker jobs may need to be filled

Department of Energy Under Secretary Kristina M. Johnson finds these projections alarming, because a shortage of training and skills is the leading barrier to the United State’s transition to a clean energy economy and energy-efficiency growth.

On August 11, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gain public input on its energy education and technical training efforts. The DOE seeks to gauge the status, prevalence, quality and gaps in education and workforce development related to energy and technologies. ACTE urges you to respond to the Department of Energy’s RFI by 8 P.M. EST on September 3, 2010. Your input can help strengthen DOE planning and decision-making on future education and workforce development activities.

By: Molly

On August 18, ACT released the report, The Condition of College and Career Readiness: 2010, which provides an analysis of results from those students scheduled to graduate in 2010 who took the ACT test during high school. ACT developed College Readiness Benchmarks using both actual grades earned by students in college and by analyzing trends. Based on these benchmarks, a definition of college and career ready was developed and performance results were reported relative to that goal.

Data from the 2010 study indicate a slow but continued upward trend in the number of high school students graduating college and career ready by ACT’s definition. According to the results, 24 percent of students tested were at or above the college readiness benchmarks in all four core subjects: English, reading, mathematics and science. This is an increase from 21 percent in 2006 and 23 percent in 2009. The population of ACT-tested graduates increased by 30 percent since 2006, and despite this increase in participation – and, therefore, diversity – the five year trend for the ACT results continued upward, which is encouraging.

ACT identified course taking as one area that has a strong relationship with college and career readiness. Students who took the recommended minimum core high school curriculum – four years of English and three years each of math, science and social studies – were more likely than those who took less than the core requirements to pass or surpass the ACT benchmark. Completion of additional courses beyond the minimum curriculum increased the likelihood of achieving the benchmark score.

ACT’s report defined and focused on the academic skills students need for college and career. View ACTE’s “What is Career Ready?” definition for information on the full set of skills students need to be career ready.

By: Sabrina

Today, I attended an event called “Education and the Media: How to be Heard” hosted by the Committee for Education Funding (CEF). Panelists included four reporters/editors from national and local newspaper outlets. They provided insight into the types of stories they cover, how to pitch story ideas, and future trends in education. One of the biggest issues they write about in education is funding issues and streams, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), i3 grants, Race to the Top grants, and appropriations.

One of the major trends they see coming is the impact of these funding initiatives on the education system at both the local and national level and whether or not schools have improved. Although some of the journalists on the panel have been overwhelmed with all the different funding streams, they said that each type of funding program is a story because it has real dollars attached to it.

Another trend is the midterm election and the potential impact it will have on education funding and the reauthorization of ESEA. They also mentioned that they are going to watch how school systems are linking student performance (test scores and growth) to teacher effectiveness. This will be a very hot issue in the coming year.

An editor during the meeting said, “Reporters are only as good as their thread of resources.” This reinforces the critical need for CTE educators to reach out to their local media and build relationships, because reporters and editors will reach out to sources in their rolodex when they are facing a deadline for a story.

By Alisha:

As ACTE staff have interacted with members around the country this summer at conferences and through other avenues, we’ve gotten several questions about the use of federal Perkins funds for CTSOs. The Perkins Act does list “to assist career and technical student organizations” as a permissive use of local funds and recognizes the important role these organizations play in CTE student success.

In addition, the Department of Education has released guidance about the use of Perkins funds to support individual student attendance at national CTSO conventions. The guidance states:

The Department’s long-standing interpretation regarding the types of CTSO costs that may be paid from Federal grant funds is that Perkins funds used for the support of CTSOs may not be used for lodging, feeding, conveying or furnishing transportation to conventions or other forms of social assemblage. See 34 CFR 403.71(c)(3), originally implementing Perkins II.

Perkins funds may be used for these types of direct assistance if the costs are (1) related to a CTSO that is an integral part of the curriculum, and (2) part of a larger program to serve special populations or nontraditional students, as discussed below.

The guidance goes on to give the example that funds could be used for transportation to, and lodging and meals at, a technical skills competition at a national CTSO convention for students who are members of special populations. Special populations include:

• individuals with disabilities
• individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including foster children
• individuals preparing for non-traditional fields
• single parents, including single pregnant women
• displaced homemakers
• individuals with limited English proficiency.

Also, after additional clarification from the Department of Education, it is acceptable use Perkins funds to pay for travel expenditures for teachers accompanying students to CTSO state and/or national leadership conferences. However, states and even school districts may place additional restrictions on funding beyond what the federal law requires, so it is always important to make sure you know what decisions have been made locally.

Please keep this guidance in mind as you make spending decisions related to CTSOs! ACTE will continue to work with the department on additional clarification and flexibility related to using Perkins funds on these important CTSO activities.

By: Sabrina

Recently, I went to an event that discussed how to improve the image of engineering and science, technology, science and math (STEM) careers. The event was presented by the Entertainment Industries Council’s (EIC) Entertainment Media & Communications Institute. The half-day session focused on how engineers can influence the entertainment industry to portray engineering in a better light. Panelists included representatives from Black Entertainment Television, National Geographic Channel, The Science Channel, a former correspondent, anchor and producer from CNN, and a senior researcher and writer from the Fox series “Lie to Me.”

They provided insight into how ideas for television shows develop into a series/program. The most important thing is to convince producers that the idea will result into a hit for the network. Many of the strategies they discussed can be applied to CTE and how CTE educators can increase awareness with the media and policymakers.

Here are a few tips they emphasized:

• You have to illustrate how exciting engineering is in order for producers to care.
• Think “broader” in terms of the types of engineering that’s available, increase awareness, and be a resource for the producers.
• Tackle stereotypes by telling great stories.
• You need the element of surprise.
• You need to have a spokesperson for engineering, especially someone that can resonate with the audience.
• Discuss how people use math and science to solve crimes and educate people with information about STEM/CTE.
• Find facts that affect people’s emotions and present the “why” to the media.

This event reinforced the critical role ACTE members play in helping to dispel the stereotypes of CTE. It’s critical that we continue to find elements of CTE that will not only excite but also provide an element of surprise for parents, policymakers and businesses.

By: Jamie

Members of Congress have returned to their home districts and states this month, and in anticipation of this, ACTE has put together a Congressional recess packet for CTE advocates to use during this summer break.

It is very important that you contact your legislators this August to advocate on behalf of your CTE programs! With much ongoing discussion about economic challenges and pending action on laws including appropriations funding, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Workforce Investment Act, the CTE voice must be heard. Despite the general support that many Members of Congress proclaim, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act has not received an increase in funding since Fiscal Year 2002, and there is an overall lack of understanding and appreciation for the value of CTE. We must each carry the message.

Members of Congress want and need to hear from their constituents, so take this opportunity to participate in activities that can raise CTE’s profile and get real results in Washington. The recess packet explains in detail how to effectively meet with a legislator, use social media to initiate a coalition of CTE supporters, take advantage of town hall meetings and make the most out of a site visit during August, when Members of Congress are most likely to be accessible and in your state and congressional district.

Remember, it is up to you to represent CTE in your home school. Show Congress how crucial CTE programs are to students, parents, local businesses and to the entire community!

By: Gabbie

On August 5, the Senate passed the Healthy, Hungry-free Kids Act of 2010 (S. 3307) by voice vote. This bi-partisan legislation aims to renew federal nutrition programs, which were set to expire on September 30, 2010. First lady Michelle Obama had also supported this bill as part of her campaign to reduce childhood obesity. This legislation authorizes approximately $4.5 billion for the programs over ten years. Major reforms include:

• expanding national afterschool meals programs
• improving nutrition education
• enhancing food safety and food quality

If signed into law, it will be the first time that the federal government has increased funding for the programs since 1973. More importantly, the bill gives the Department of Agriculture the authority to set nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools, which could impact CTE-related school-based businesses that sell food. This provision would permit the exemption of some school-sponsored fundraisers, depending on the time of day, frequency of events and other factors. ACTE is working with Congress and the Administration to ensure that CTE programs are considered as this discussion unfolds.

The House Education and Labor Committee passed its version of the bill, the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act (H.R. 5504) on July 15, 2010. This bill also contains the requirement for new nutrition standards. The House of Representatives would need to pass its bill in time for President Obama to sign the legislation before September 30. The House is not expected to take up the child nutrition bill until after the August recess.

By: Chris

The Joyce Foundation and the Workforce Strategy Center are partnering on a new survey designed to collect information on postsecondary “bridge programs” being offered around the country. Bridge programs enable adults with reading and mathematics skills at or below the ninth-grade level to advance to better jobs and to further their education and training. Successful completers of bridge programs move on to college-level education and training, or they gain sufficient career-focused skills to obtain an entry-level skilled job.

According to Julian Alssid of the Workforce Strategy Center, the survey hopes “to cast as wide a net as possible,” with the results giving “funders and other key stakeholders a better sense of the depth and breadth of the field.”

To complete the survey, click on the following link.

The survey will be active until September 10, 2010. All respondents will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an Apple iPad!

By: Alisha

ACTE has learned that U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Vocational and Adult Education Glenn Cummings plans to resign his position at the U.S. Department of Education in the coming weeks. Deputy Assistant Secretary Cummings has been a strong advocate of CTE both with the department and around the country, and a great friend to ACTE, so his presence will greatly missed.

While an official date has been announced, it has been reported that he will be assuming the role of president and executive director of Maine’s Good Will-Hinckley Home for Boys & Girls, a residential school for at risk youth, in September.

In the announcement, Cumming says “I was honored to be part of an administration that is 100 percent committed to making education work for every student in this country, no matter the student’s background or the obstacles he or she faces. Good Will-Hinckley has been successfully doing this work for decades, so the opportunity to be on the ground, leading an organization toward today’s most valuable educational practices and most sustainable fiscal policies appealed to me very much.”

In another change, this one much more positive, the Congress is once again moving toward officially changing the name of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education to reflect the new “CTE” terminology used by the field. Tucked into the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill is legislative language that would change the name to the “Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education.” ACTE has been advocating for this change for several years and will be working to ensure the change stays in this bill as it moves through the legislative process.

By: Chris

According to the recent nationwide survey, "Achieving the Possible: What Americans Think About the College- and Career-Ready Agenda,” conducted by Achieve, strong bipartisan and public support exists for policies aimed at preparing all high school students for college and careers.

The major findings from the survey reveal:

• 89% of voters agree that "to really get ahead in life a person needs at least some education beyond high school, whether that means university, community college, technical or vocational school."
• 90% of voters believe "academic and graduation requirements in public high schools will better prepare students to take their next step in life," with 82% agreeing that "academic and graduation requirements in public high schools will better prepare students to compete in our global economy."
• 83% of voters agree "all students should be pushed to take rigorous and broad academic requirements in high school to make sure they have as many options as possible upon graduation."
  Among voters living in the 21 states with college- and career-ready graduation requirements in place (defined more broadly in the survey but including 4 years of English; 3-4 years of math, including Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II; 3-4 years of science, including biology and chemistry; and 3-4 years of social studies and various electives), 92% support either keeping their state's requirements (46%) or raising them further still (46%). In states without requirements at this level, 73% of voters believe their state's requirements should be raised.
• 86% of voters support "college- and career-ready" graduation requirements for all high school students - with 65% strongly supporting the requirements for all students.
• This support crosses party lines: 85% of Republicans, 87% of Democrats, and 85% of Independents support these requirements for all students.
  

By: Chris

The U.S. Department of Education has launched a new Web site, ED Data Express, designed to improve the public's ability to access and explore state-level education data, such as student achievement, demographics, accountability, budget and teacher data.

The site pulls together information from sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the College Board, the Department of Education’s Budget Service office and more.

Specifically, what is great about ED Data Express is that it centralizes information that was often found in disparate, hard-to-find places, and it presents the information in a clear, easy-to-use format.

Several other tools of the site include:

• The State Snapshot pages, which include charts and tables with key data for each state.
• The Data Element Explorer,which allows users to view a single element across all states, both graphically and in a table.
• The Build a State Table page, which allows users to build customized tables by selecting specific data elements and specific states.
• Links to additional resources, data definitions, and frequently asked questions, all of which provide important context for users.
• The option to download information into Excel or manipulate the data within the Web site.

This site should prove quite useful. Check it out!

By: Jamie

On August 10, the House passed $10 billion to help save education jobs across the country by a vote of 247-161. Since the Senate passed the bill last week, the legislation immediately went to the president for his signature, and the funding will be distributed by the Department of Education to states and then schools as soon as possible. It is estimated that this fund will save 161,000 jobs across the country.

The money for education jobs will be awarded to all states who apply and meet minimum requirements by a formula based on overall population and school-age population. This process is similar to how money went out through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. You can view how much your state is expected to receive on the House Education and Labor Committee’s Web page.

In addition to the education jobs money, the finalized bill contains funding for Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP), which will provide assistance to states to meet their obligations to fund Medicaid. Although this piece does not directly affect education or training funding, 30 states have already included additional federal resources in their state budgets assuming these funds would be provided. If Congress had not approved this funding, then those 30 states would have had to cut other programs, most likely education, to meet this obligation.

The education jobs and FMAP package has designated offsets, so the adoption of these allocations will not increase the deficit over the long-term. ACTE applauds Congress for passing this important legislation and protecting CTE teachers across the country!

By: Sabrina

In yesterday’s issue of the Wall Street Journal, Mark Whitehouse wrote an article about how firms are having a hard time finding qualified employees to fill positions. The article points to several possible reasons why companies are having problems. Here are three likely causes:

• Unemployment benefits extend for 99 weeks, which give the unemployed less incentive to look for a new job.
• There is a skills mismatch in the job market right now because companies laid off millions of middle-skill, middle-waged jobs, which has caused a surplus of people who can’t qualify for highly skilled jobs but have a hard time adjusting to low-pay, unskilled work.
• Homeowners are unwilling to move because of the real-estate market.

Because companies aren’t finding qualified workers to fill positions, the economy’s capacity to grow and rebound from this current recession is curbed. According to the article, data from the Department of Labor shows that since the economy bottomed out in mid-2009, the number of job openings has risen more than twice as fast as the actual hires, a gap that didn’t appear until later in the last recovery. If the market was working normally, which means that jobs were being filled as they usually are, the United States should have about five million more people employed, according to David Altig, research director at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta.

One of the reasons companies aren’t finding the right employees is because the U.S. education system hasn’t been producing enough people with the highly specialized skills that companies are looking for, especially in manufacturing.
It’s important for CTE programs to communicate to students, parents, community members, business leaders, the media and policymakers about the critical role CTE plays in turning around the economy. Make sure to point out how your programs are providing people with certifications and specific training to ensure they are qualified for these specialized jobs in the new economy.

By: Steve

On August 9, President Barack Obama made a speech from the University of Texas at Austin that re-enforced postsecondary themes and initiatives discussed by the Obama Administration throughout the year. Three themes emerged in the speech: making college more affordable for all Americans, doing a better job of preparing students to graduation ready for a career, and getting more students to completion.

The president referenced education as “the economic issue of our time,” which drew applause, and underscored that eight in 10 new jobs will require workforce training or a higher education by the end of this decade. He noted that the United States has dropped from first to 12th place in the number of college graduates for young adults, and declared his intent to produce eight million more college graduates by 2020.

Several Administration initiatives were referenced during the speech including the $2 billion in job training funding that Congress approved as part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, and $60 billion in funding acquired as a result of initiating the direct student loan program. The president said that eight million students will get more help from financial aid because of the direct student loan changes. He also thanked Austin’s Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) for his work to on expanding the $2,500-per-year tax credit for students, noted it’s benefit for middle class students and vowed to make it permanent and worth $10,000 over four years of college.

The Obama Administration has consistently defined college in broad terms including two-year and four-year degrees as well as technical certificates.

By: Jamie

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, in partnership with the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, has announced a grant opportunity for state and local Workforce Investment Act administering entities. The “Cooperative Agreements Under the Disability Employment Initiative” is a $22 million grant and is open to state and localities who intend to improve workforce training, educational opportunities and provide a path to improved wages for youth and adults with disabilities.

The Department of Labor plans to award 6 to ten grants, each for a three-year period. Applications are limited to state agencies that administer WIA. At least four local Workforce Investment Boards must also be selected by each state applicant to carry out the state’s plans. Grant applicants must have a state-level lead who will work with localities to ensure that all aspects of the grant are being carried out. In each WIB, there must be a full-time staff person that commits to serving as a “disability resource coordinator” to lead the project’s implementation. A strong partnership between the state and local entities is needed. Many of the strategies carried out under these grants could involve CTE programs.

The deadline to apply is September 8. For more detailed information, please see the Federal Register notice.

By: Alisha

On August 6, the Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) announced the availability of statewide grants for “Promoting Rigorous Career and Technical Education Programs of Study.” The intent of the grants is to “promote and improve state and local development and implementation of, and to assess the impact of student participation in CTE programs of study (POSs)” through the use of OVAE’s “Programs of Study Design Framework.” The grants will be awarded to states out of Perkins National Programs funding, and states must work with LEAs to implement the fully developed POSs.

The 10 required framework components include:

1. Legislation and Policies
2. Partnerships
3. Professional Development
4. Accountability and Evaluation Systems
5. College- and Career-Readiness Standards
6. Course Sequences
7. Credit Transfer Agreements
8. Guidance Counseling and Career Advisement
9. Teaching and Learning Strategies
10. Technical Skills Assessments

Approximately six states are estimated to receive the four-year grant awards, with the first year of the grant providing an average of $250,000.

Notices of intent to apply are due on August 16 (although are not required) and the deadline for applications is September 7, 2010. More details can be found in two sections of the Federal Register—the formal notice inviting applications and the final priority, requirements and selection criteria.

By: Chris

Yesterday, I attended the American Youth Policy Forum event “Disconnected Youth: Defining the Population and Exploring Solutions.” The goal of the forum was to present an overview of the recent research released by MDRC and to highlight strategies being utilized by two successful programs targeted to the needs of disconnected youth.

Presenting were Dan Bloom from MDRC, Molly Baldwin of Roca and Toyce Newton from Phoenix Youth and Family Services. Each highlighted important insights into reaching disconnected youth populations:

• Mr. Bloom reviewed the findings of the recent MDRC paper “Building a Learning Agenda Around Disconnected Youth.” The paper highlights the diversity of disconnected youth populations and the importance of developing a menu of approaches to reach such diverse groups.
• Ms. Baldwin highlighted how both intensive, transformational engagement by mentors and an understanding of the process of change are keys to bringing about results in disconnected youth. Of the many positive results in ROCA’s 705 participants, 74 percent retained a connection to post-secondary education and 79 percent sustained employment.
• Ms. Newton highlighted how urban youth program methods often do not bring about results in rural settings. She also stressed the need for funding and research into best practices for rural programs.

These insights reveal there is no magic bullet to solving the problem of disconnected youth. However, the need for both diverse programs and intensive engagement by teachers and mentors positions CTE for an important role in serving disconnected youth. Through internships, apprenticeships, and mentoring programs, CTE establishes a unique context within academic and work related training for intensive engagement by teachers and mentors.

Furthermore, an understanding of the process of change can only enhance CTE teachers’ ability to develop with their students what Ms. Baldwin calls transformational relationships, relationships that bring about lasting change.

Not a bad vision for CTE.

By: Steve

The National Conference of State Legislatures, the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, recently reviewed and approved a number of new policies, including one on CTE. The action occurred at the NCSL Legislative Summit 2010 in Louisville.

The policy titled “The Federal Role in Career and Technical Education” recognizes the value of CTE in mitigating dropout and absentee rates by providing an alternative to the traditional four-year baccalaureate degree, and in increasing overall employment outcomes and earnings of participants. The policy also calls on the federal government to provide additional funding and support for CTE, waive “maintenance of effort” provisions in Perkins and stimulus funding as state budgets recover from the recession, support states’ flexibility to allocate some funds through a competitive grant, and be mindful of performance reporting burdens.

I attended NCSL’s education committee meeting where the education policies were being discussed and reviewed. The CTE policy passed by unanimous vote and it was evident that many of the state legislative leaders on the committee and in the room are supportive of CTE. A Common Academic Standards policy was also approved at the conference, after much debate and discussion in committee. The position says that the federal government has been “strong on mandating procedural and administrative compliance and weak on successful intervention and rewards for enhanced student performance,” a concern for many state legislators.

I was asked by the NCSL staff to present on Perkins and CTE during a breakout session at the conference, which is a good signal that CTE is not only recognized by state legislators but being viewed as a priority.

By: Alisha

On August 5, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved S. 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. This bill would make a number of changes to the Post-9/11 GI bill, including allowing veterans to use their benefits at non-degree-granting institutions and for apprenticeship programs. This would correct a provision in the current law that excludes area CTE centers from eligibility.

The next step in the process is for the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee Chairman Akaka (D-HI) expressed his hope that the bill would move forward this year. He said, “I am pleased with the bipartisan input that has produced these bills, and I will work with my colleagues to move them forward during this session of Congress.” ACTE will be working over the August recess to ensure Members of Congress know how important this issue is and to encourage its swift passage.

 By: Jamie

On August 5, the Senate passed $10 billion to help save education jobs across the country by a vote of 61-39. Sens. Collins (R-ME) and Snowe (R-ME) crossed party lines to vote for the measure. The legislation now moves to the House for final passage. These funds need to be distributed before the school year begins, so despite the fact that the House is currently on recess, Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) has called representatives back to Washington on August 10 to vote and hopefully finalize the education jobs funds.

The money for the education jobs will be awarded to states who apply based on overall population and school-age population. This process is similar to how money went out in the American Recover and Reinvestment Act’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.

In addition to the education jobs money, the legislation contains funding for Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP), which would provide assistance to states to meet their obligations to fund Medicaid. Although this piece does not directly affect education or training funding, 30 states have already included additional federal resources in their state budgets assuming these funds would be provided. If the House fails to pass the education jobs and FMAP package, then not only will education employees face layoffs, but those 30 states who budgeted for the FMAP piece will face additional cuts, possibly to education, in order to meet their obligations.

The education jobs and FMAP package has designated offsets, so the adoption of these allocations would not increase the deficit over the long-term. ACTE encourages you to contact your representatives to urge their support and vote for the education jobs package.

By: Sabrina

As of today, 35 states have signed onto the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), Indiana being the latest state to adopt. California and Colorado have also agreed to the CCSSI this week. The National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers are leading the CCSSI, which creates consistent national benchmarks for all students. CCSSI allows states to develop specific curriculum on how standards should be met.

NGA and CCSSO expect approximately 40 states to adopt the CCSSI. So far, Virginia, Minnesota, Texas, and Alaska have opted out of the initiative. At the end of July, ACTE held its state association leadership call about the CCSSI. Dave Wakelyn, program director with NGA and one of the leaders of the standards initiative, spoke about implementation efforts and next steps. He also talked about the implications for CTE programs across the country. He is particularly interested in hearing from states about their experiences with the standards and ideas to make sure the implementation process goes smoothly. A key ACTE concern is ensuring teachers have the tools and resources they need to be successful.

As states move forward to adopt and implement the CCSSI, please remember to be a part of the conversation and process, so CTE’s voice is heard. To listen to the state association call, please visit ACTE’s Web site. If you have information you would like to share with Dave about your state experience adopting the CCSSI or ideas about implementation, please e-mail him with the information.

Update: In early August, Achieve, Inc, a partner in the development of the standards, released a new implementation guide, "On the Road to Implementation: Achieving the Promise of the Common Core State Standards." The guide is intended to help states integrate and align the new standards and leverage support.

By: Steve

On August 4, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held the second hearing in a series to investigate the growing career colleges industry. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) opened the hearing by linking high student default rates to the federal investment in Pell grants and other loans. “Federal financial aid to students at for-profits has ballooned from $4.6 billion a decade ago to more than $23 billion, today,” said Sen. Harkin.

Gregory Kutz , managing director for the Office of Forensic Audits and Special Investigations at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, provided highlights of a recent report and undercover investigation examining the problem. Fifteen for-profit career colleges were randomly investigated. Kutz reported that, while there was some evidence of best practices exhibited by several individual recruiters, all fifteen institutions provided fraudulent, deceptive or otherwise questionable information. Several individual recruiters displayed particularly offensive practices, such as repeatedly denying students the right to discuss financial aid options prior to signing applications with the college.

While Republicans on the committee were in agreement with Democrats that the abuses were indefensible, Ranking Member Michael Enzi (R-WY) and others asked why the investigation focused only on career colleges and not nonprofit institutions as well. Senators including Johnny Isaakson (R-GA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) said the government needs to pursue legal cases where violation of program participation agreements occurred.

A second panel of witnesses discussed issues surrounding accreditation and the current practices used to address abuses. David Hawkins with the National Association for College Admission Counseling suggested that compensating recruiters for student enrollment is one of the problems.

By: Jamie

Congress has been working to finalize a bill that would provide $10 billion to help save education jobs across the country. The initial strategy was to include the education jobs money in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 defense supplemental bill. This bill, with the education jobs fund and other domestic allocations, passed the House in June, but faced strong opposition in the Senate. When the Senate passed the supplemental, all of the domestic allocations were removed, including the $10 billion for education jobs. The legislation then returned to the House where it was passed and signed into law.

In hopes of still providing funds to help save education jobs, the Senate is scheduled to vote on a package initiated by Sens. Harkin (D-IA) and Murray (D-WA) on August 2. This package would provide $10 billion to save education jobs and money for the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) which would provide assistance to states to meet their obligations to fund Medicaid. Although this piece does not directly affect education or training funding, 30 states have already included additional federal resources in their state budgets assuming these funds would be provided. If Congress does not appropriate these funds, then those 30 states will face a budget shortfall and will have to make additional cuts, possibly to education, to meet their obligations. This package has designated offsets, so the adoption of these allocations would not increase the deficit.

If the Senate is able to pass this new bill, then the House will vote on the bill when they reconvene in September. If the Senate is unable to pass this package, then it is unlikely that there will be any additional action. This appears to be the last hope for additional education jobs funding, but its prospects are very unclear at this point.

By Gabbie:

On July 26, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education announced a new competitive grant, the Financial Education for College Access and Success Program. The Administration believes that financial literacy is one of the greatest barriers for today’s youth in obtaining a postsecondary education. Many Americans do not have the skills necessary to make sound financial decisions for themselves or their families. They lack knowledge of debt literacy, personal finance and with regards to pursuing a postsecondary education, costs, loan options and FAFSA applications. Authorized under the Fund for Improvement of Education (FIE), the Financial Education for College Access and Success program will support state-led efforts to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of high school level personal finance instruction materials and related teacher training to increase college access and success.

The state project team must include CTE representatives, and the grant materials specifically mention high school CTE courses as an option for implementing activities and materials.

Grant Application Information:
Application deadline (firm): September 9, 2010
Eligible entities: State Education Agencies in states with personal finance standards
Expected award: Single award to one state or a consortium of states for approximately $1.7 million (one-time award) over a project period of four years
Performance measures: student knowledge, FAFSA completion, college enrollment
Contact for questions: laura.messenger@ed.gov
Deadline to submit intent to apply (optional): August 5, 2010 to laura.messenger@ed.gov.

More information can be found in the Federal Register.

By: Jamie

On July 29, the Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Appropriations Committee approved on a party-line vote its Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. In this bill, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act has remained level-funded at last year's levels. The consolidation of the Basic State Grants and Tech Prep funding streams was not adopted, so as of now, the programs will remain separate.

The Senate Appropriations Committee did not adopt any amendments to the subcommittee's bill. Specific allocations for education and workforce training programs will be posted on ACTE's Web site once they are all known. As of now, the Senate has only released a summary chart.

The House subcommittee passed its allocations a few weeks ago. Neither chamber is expected to move its spending bill until late this year.

By: Steve

House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) said at a Washington event on July 27 that he and Representative John Kline (R-MN) have agreed to work through August on a reauthorized version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; however, there is little doubt that Congress will leave this year without finalizing a bill given time constraints. Despite the roadblocks to final passage, House and Senate staff have been working behind the scenes and there are a lot of conversations and initiatives being launched related to the reauthorization.

On August 29, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and 20 other education organizations held a briefing to highlight “Making the Case for Educating the Whole Child," a set of policy recommendations calling on Congress to support core subjects beyond reading and math in ESEA. Supporters of the recommendations also worry about the Obama Administration’s consolidation of federal programs and ask instead for continuation of specific funding for all core subjects.
 
When Representative Miller spoke on July 27, he said that there is broad-based support for President Obama’s ESEA blueprint, but that is debatable. There has been a lot of scrutiny of the Obama blueprint including the great focus on competitive grants that the blueprint advocates. Many believe the competitive grants focus will leave out schools that lack good grants writers. The ASCD recommendations support the use of competitive grants if focused on a broad range of subjects beyond math and science.

One thing nearly everyone agrees on is the ESEA law needs to be significantly altered if it is to prepare college and career ready students for the 21st century. The question is how? View ACTE’s ESEA Recommendations and “What is Career Ready” definition for our suggestions.

By: Sabrina

Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a live town hall meeting with the nation’s teachers on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s POTUS public affairs channel. Teachers from a variety of districts, grade levels and disciplines attended the event. The forum provided an opportunity for teachers to voice their concerns and ideas about education, including the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

During the forum, teachers asked Secretary Duncan questions about the new look of ESEA; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs; professional development; and teacher evaluation. One of the things Duncan stressed throughout the discussion was that the new ESEA will be less punitive, reward successful programs and allow for more flexibility and creativity at the local level. Duncan hopes that the reauthorization of ESEA will happen this year or early in 2011.

Here are a couple of other highlights:

• The Administration is planning to invest $300 million in STEM education, including 5th and 6th grades.
• There will be a $4 billion for investment for teachers, including professional development.
• Within the reauthorization of ESEA, the Administration wants to include multiple ways to measure teacher effectiveness.

There wasn’t any mention of CTE in today’s forum, but Duncan did say that the Administration wants to increase the number of high school graduates and ensure each one is college and career ready. Duncan also said that the goal for education is to help every child discover and unlock their unique talents and skills that will help them reach their potential. CTE is a great example of this, and CTE educators need to continue to communicate this message with your community and policymakers.

By: Alisha

On July 21, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing on S. 3447, Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, and other bills that would make changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The hearing provided evidence of strong support for making changes to the law to allow veterans to use their benefits at non-degree-granting postsecondary institutions, like area CTE centers, which is not currently allowed.

Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. John Tester (D-MT) and Sen. Scott Brown all expressed support for the changes included in the bill related to technical training. Representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the American Council on Education also supported the changes.

In addition to opening up funding to non-degree-granting institutions and apprenticeship programs, the bill would also address concerns related to benefits for online course, make more National Guard members eligible, and simplify tuition payment caps. After the hearing, Chairman Akaka pledged to hold a committee markup and vote on the bill on August 5. ACTE has been working diligently on this issue and the markup will be a great step forward in our efforts to correct the inequities in the current Post-9/11 GI bill.

By: Gabbie

On July 27, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke at a National Press Club luncheon and discussed the Administration’s ongoing efforts to address education reform at the state and local levels. “Education is the civil rights issue of our generation,” Secretary Duncan claimed, as the United States now ranks 10th in the world in the rate of college completion for 25- to 40-year-olds. As a result, “a quiet revolution is underway in our homes and schools, classrooms and communities” for greater engagement and better education opportunities. Secretary Duncan outlined the administration’s “modest role” in supporting education reform. This includes:

• challenging everyone in the system—parents, students, educators and elected officials—to get better
• greater education incentives for funding opportunities such as Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation Fund and the Teacher Incentive Fund, which have produced significant changes at the state level
• the FY11 budget, which calls for full funding formula programs
• greater accountability for states and districts, not just schools
• measuring students’ individual growth rather than proficiency, which is in the Administration’s blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Secretary Duncan also had positive remarks related to CTE. During the Q&A portion of the event, an audience member asked about the need for more CTE. Duncan mentioned the need to build more technical skills and said that CTE programs are another way of offering a range of interesting programs to keep students engaged in schools.

In addition, Secretary Duncan announced the 19 finalists for phase two of Race to the Top during this speech. The finalists are: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina. These finalists will present in person in Washington, DC, in August before winners are announced.

By: Jamie

On July 27, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved by voice vote its allocations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. The subcommittee only released a summary of its bill; however, ACTE has learned from Capitol Hill staff that the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act was level-funded at last year’s levels. The House’s appropriations subcommittee marked up their its allocations a few weeks ago, and also proposed level funding to the Perkins program. In addition, none of the consolidations that the president had proposed in February were adopted in either bill. Therefore, Tech Prep and Basic State Grants will remain separate funding streams under the current proposals.

A full list of allocations should be available on July 29, when the Senate Appropriations Committee will meet to finalize the spending bill. As of now, the Senate has increased the Department of Education’s overall budget by $2.6 billion over last year’s levels. Here are a few reported allocations:

• $14.9 billion for Title I Grants of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a $450 million increase from last year’s levels
• $625 million for School Improvement Grants, an increase of $79 million
• $675 million for Race to the Top grants, $125 million less than the House and $475 million less than the president’s request
• $250 million for Investing in Innovation (i3) grants, $150 million less than the House
• $2.95 billion for Teacher Quality grants, a $7 million increase from last year
• $1.26 billion for 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, $35 million more than the House and an increase from last year
• $100 million for Education Technology Grants, level-funded from last year

The Senate appropriations subcommittee also invests in worker training. The subcommittee’s mark provides $3.8 billion, an increase of $163 million from last year’s levels, for Workforce Investment Act state grants. The subcommittee also increased the Green Jobs Innovation Fund by $25 million for a total of $65 million. In the health and human services portion of the bill, the subcommittee increases public health workforce training grants by $20 million, for a total of $57.9 million. This portion of the bill also doubles money for the Nurse Faculty Loan Forgiveness program.

Although, the Senate’s full committee markup is quickly approaching, Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) indicated that the bill would not likely see any floor action until at least December. ACTE will continue to track the movement of budget and appropriations legislation, and encourages you to continue to contact your Members of Congress to urge them to increase funding for CTE programs.

By: Jason Camp

The House and Senate Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittees approved their funding allocations for Fiscal Year 2011 in the past two weeks. We are hopeful that these bills included an increase to the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program that is part of the Farm Bill.

The purposes of the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program are to:

• enhance curricula in agricultural education
• increase faculty teaching competencies
• interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences

SPECA promotes the incorporation of Agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into the general instructional program, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes, in order for society to gain a better understanding of food, health and environmental issues.

The president’s budget for FY 2011 recommended a $2.5 million increase in the program that would bring the current FY 2010 funding $983,000 up to $3.483 million in FY 2011. Specifics of the appropriations mark-up have not been released from the committees, but more details may be available once the bills move to full Appropriations Committee markups either in the next two weeks or once Congress returns after the August recess.

Jason is an intern with the National Association of Agricultural Educators and has been working with the ACTE public policy department on occasion this summer.

By: Molly

Recently, the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) released an updated draft of core teaching standards for review. CCSSO is asking for comments from the public by October 15, 2010.

The new standards apply to all teachers, both experienced and new, and aim to address the increasing complexity of today’s education system. The current role of technology has changed the way in which students and teachers interact and share knowledge. The standards emphasize 21st century skills, acknowledge the role that technology now plays in both teaching and learning, incorporate specific cross-disciplinary skills, and highlight the use of interdisciplinary themes. Standards were developed with the belief that teachers must have the ability to customize learning for individual learners, be able to create a culture of collaboration, be willing to have transparency in their practice and partake in ongoing, embedded professional development.

Changes have occurred in all forms of education, including CTE, and all teachers need to be prepared to offer all students the opportunity to prepare for college and careers. The draft of the standards appears to be applicable to teachers of all subjects across different locations. The approach focuses on integrating core skills that are important in CTE throughout the standards, which include, but are not limited to: collaboration, critical thinking and the use of technology. Additionally, the focus on cross-walking literacy through different themes is an important role of the modern-day CTE teacher.

CTE plays an important role in ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn. These standards are applicable to CTE teachers and should be reviewed with a critical eye for the CTE classroom. To provide feedback to CCSSO, you can complete the Public Comment Survey on their Web site at http://ccsso.teaching-standards.sgizmo.com/s3/.

Molly Buck is a intern with the ACTE Public Policy Department this summer and is working on her Ed.D. in Education Policy.

By: Chris

Hello! My name is Chris Hemmelman and I am the new research manager at ACTE. My job will include managing research activities related to public policy, advocacy, and public awareness, as well as working on a project to revamp and improve the information on our website, including state profiles, promising practices, and the research clearing house.

I was born in the great state of Iowa and was raised in the even greater state of Nebraska. I graduated from York College (NE) with a BA in English and I'm completing my MA in English from the University of South Dakota. Prior to joining the ACTE team, I taught high school English for seven years, three years in Sioux City, IA, and four years in Rockville, MD.

My experience teaching has made me very aware of the need for more comprehensive and diverse educational opportunities in both secondary and postsecondary schools. And while my background is in liberal arts education, I am a strong proponent of expanding CTE programs, as I believe they play a vital role in educating and equipping individuals for successful careers. As such, I believe CTE is an important component in putting people back to work and, ultimately, strengthening the U.S. economy. This is why I am excited about the opportunities to assist teachers, administrators, educational associations, advocacy groups, and policy makers in building and promoting CTE programs all throughout the country.

By: Alisha

The July 18 issue of the New York Times ran an article that, on the surface, appears critical of job training programs that seek to provide those that are unemployed with the skills they need to secure employment in the rapidly changing workplace. If you look deeper though, you’ll see that “The New Poor: After Training, Still Scrambling for Employment,” emphasizes what many CTE advocates say on a regular basis—the fact that education and job training programs must be aligned with local economies and the jobs that are available.

The article profiles an individual who had been laid off and then enrolled in about six weeks of training in basic business skills, but then still had trouble getting even a low-wage job. “Training for what? No one’s hiring,” was this individual’s refrain. This runs counter to the numerous reports circulating about the lack of skilled workers for positions that are available, especially those in fields like advanced technology and health care.

A record 6.8 million Americans have been officially jobless for six months or longer, and while there are certainly large job shortages in this economic environment, there is also a large skill mismatch, which this articles references. The article is correct to say that job training can’t create jobs, but providing high-quality experiences that lead to recognized credentials in high-demand fields, involving local employers and targeting individuals for careers where prior skills transfer easily are all strategies that can increase students’ success in finding employment.

Julian L. Alssid, founder and executive director of the Workforce Strategy Center had a similar response in his op-ed in the Huffington Post, "The Road to Tomorrow's Jobs is Not Yesterday's Training." He summarizes his views on the article concisely, "The bottom line—traditional general skills training doesn't work; training tied to industries and local business needs does." I think we can all agree with that!

By: Jamie

In hopes of addressing worker shortages, on July 19 the House passed H.R. 1855, the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act. The bill was initiated by Reps. Loebsack (D-IA) and Platts (R-PA) last year and has a companion bill, S. 777 in the Senate. The Senate bill was introduced by Sens. Brown (D-OH) and Murray (D-WA).

The SECTORS Act amends the Workforce Investment Act by creating a new industry, or sector, partnership grant program. This legislation would provide grants to build partnerships between training centers and industries to ensure that the workers have the skills necessary to be self sufficient and successful in existing or emerging career fields. These grants would be awarded on a competitive basis for three years, and aim to bring together institutions of higher education, labor unions, businesses and workforce boards to develop immediate and long-term plans to get workers in their area equipped with the skills necessary to match the need of local employers. The grant emphasizes a constant collaboration between all partner organizations to ensure that the students are receiving the appropriate training to meet the industries needs.

The SECTORS Act now awaits action in the Senate. For more information on the SECTORS Act please see the National Skills Coalition.

By: Sabrina

One of the issues facing education is better alignment between K-12 and higher education. In yesterday’s issue of Inside Higher Education, Doug Lederman writes an article called “Colleges and the Common Core,” which highlights a joint meeting last week between the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) to discuss how to create a seamless education system. CCSSO believes the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) provides a great opportunity to take the collaboration between K-12 and higher education to a new level because of its emphasis on ensuring all high school students graduate college and career ready.

During the meeting, both leaders from CCSSO and SHEEO discussed the need for colleges to align their admission and placement policies with the CCSSI, including by using the assessments that are in the process of being developed. The groups talked about how colleges of education will need to alter their curriculums and practices for training teachers and school administrators, as well as inservice professional development programs, in order for schools to have properly trained teachers to carry out these standards in the future.

The groups emphasized that the key to better alignment between high school and higher education is collaboration. They believe collaboration on key issues, such as the use of the new common standards, will help ultimately raise the level of college attainment and completion. The article brings up some very interesting points about the need for more collaboration as well as existing barriers, but do you think the standards movement will provide enough spark to bridge these gaps?

By: Jamie

In hopes of recruiting new members, the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus is circulating a “dear colleague” letter asking representatives to join the caucus to show their support for CTE.

The caucus was created in 2007, and is led by Co-Chairs Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) and Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH). Currently, the caucus has 59 members. If your representative is not a member of the caucus, please contact his or her office and share the recruitment letter to encourage involvement.

Unfortunately, at the end of 2010, Congressman Baird will be retiring from Congress and relinquishing his role as co-chair. ACTE is currently working with the Caucus to find a new leader. If your representative is a strong champion for CTE programs, and you think would be interested in leading the caucus, please contact me.

By: Jamie

On July 15, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved its funding allocations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Although specific numbers were not released, according to the summary table, it appears that the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act was level-funded at last year’s levels. In addition, none of the program consolidations originally proposed by the Administration were adopted, so in this subcommittee’s version of the bill, Tech Prep and Basic State Grant funding remain separate.

Official numbers are not expected to be released until the full Appropriations Committee markup, which is not scheduled yet. Overall, education programs received a 3.2 percent increase over last year’s level. Although most exact numbers are unknown, here are some reported allocations in the Department of Education.

• $5.286 billion for school improvement programs, a slight decrease from last year, but an increase over the president’s proposal
• $ 1.201 billion for 21st Century Learning Centers, a slight increase from last year
• $100 million for Education Technology grants, level-funded from last year
• A 3 percent increase for Title I grants, and a 4 percent increase for local school districts to address special education obligations
• $400 million for Investing in Innovation grants (i3 grants)
• $800 million, a $350 million decrease for Race to the Top grants from the president’s proposal

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration also saw increases during the markup. The entire department saw a $300 million increase. In Chairman Obey’s statement he reports that this bill sought to help “workers gain the job training and skills that will be needed in a recovering economy.” In line with this theme, the bill increases Workforce Investment Act state grants. Although the exact number or funding stream is unknown, the chairman says that the increase will train an additional 85,000 workers. The bill also increases summer youth employment by $250 million, and includes $292 million for training nurses through the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Senate is expected to follow the House’s pace by holding an appropriations markup before August recess. ACTE will report on any additional specific funding allocations as they are released. ACTE also encourages you to contact your Members of Congress and urge their support for an increase in the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act as the process moves forward.

By: Gabbie

Yesterday, the House Education and Labor Committee passed the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act (H.R. 5504) with a bipartisan vote of 32-13. This legislation seeks to support children’s health and to reduce childhood hunger by improving federal child nutrition programs. Major reforms include: 

•  increasing the reimbursement rate for schools
• expanding national afterschool meals programs
• improving nutrition education
• enhancing food safety and food quality

In addition, the bill gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority for the first time ever, to establish national nutrition standards for food sold outside the cafeteria, which could impact CTE-related school-based businesses that sell food. This provision would permit the exemption of some school-sponsored fundraisers, depending on the time of day, frequency of events and other factors.

The Senate version of this bill, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (S.3307), was approved in committee in May. Now both the House and Senate versions of the bill still need to be passed by their respective chambers and reconciled before the President could sign this legislation.

ACTE has been in contact with staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee, and we are working to ensure the language provides the most flexibility possible for CTE programs related to this issue, which we recognize could have a particular impact on culinary arts programs. We have also reached out to other advocacy groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, to increase awareness of this impact on CTE programs. It is also important to note that the national nutrition standards have yet to be established, and there will be many opportunities to impact the standards during the development process.

Thank you to everyone who responded to our original message on this issue by providing us information about your culinary programs. It was very important for us to have a thorough understanding of the issue in order to best represent you! Based on the current legislation, if you think your program will be negatively impacted by this legislation, this is also an appropriate time for you to contact your Member of Congress to express concern. Feel free to contact ACTE for more details or with any questions.

By: Alisha

On July 11, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III became the new chair of the National Governors Association (NGA). It is traditional for each NGA chair to select a particular initiative to be their focus for the year. Past initiatives have included topics like health care, energy sustainability and high school reform. This year, Gov. Manchin has selected the theme “Complete to Compete,” focusing on increasing the number of students who complete college degrees and certificates.

The initiative will focus on raising awareness about the importance of postsecondary credentials, creating a set of common higher education completion and productivity measures, developing a series of best practices, and providing support to states to design policies and programs. Gov. Manchin explained, “My initiative will bring together governors, higher education executive officers, campus leaders and corporate CEOs to make marked improvements in college completion and productivity and get our country back on track to produce a successful workforce for the future."

Materials released by NGA related to the initiative point to recognition of the critical importance of both adults and traditional age students in these efforts. The report states, “Whether it comes as a certificate, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree, the majority of individuals—from recent high school graduates to older adults—will need a postsecondary credential for economic viability. Because individuals with lower education levels were the hardest hit by the recession, states can target this group by expanding training opportunities for displaced workers and removing barriers for older adults to return to higher education.” This initiative could have big implications for postsecondary CTE programs as we all strive to move students closer to credential attainment. Stay tuned for more info!

By: Sabrina

In yesterday’s issue of USA Today, T.C. Williams High School teacher Patrick Welsh wrote an opinion piece about whether college is overrated. Welsh believes that teachers try to send as many “warm bodies” as possible to higher education whether or not they are ready for the next level. The article is in response to the school’s announcement that 80 percent of their students are going on to college (a four-year institution).

In the article he makes several interesting points:

• There was a 6 percent increase of freshman enrollment at the nation’s 6,100 postsecondary institutions from the fall of 2007 to the fall of 2008, but many of them were unprepared.
• Despite the valid claims that many jobs of the future will need postsecondary education, in 2018, two of three jobs in America will not require either a bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree.
• Employability or “soft” skills will be necessary for the majority of jobs. Four of the skills cited most are work ethic, ability to collaborate with others, facility in oral communication and social responsibility.
• Many four-year graduates are now enrolled in community colleges to get specific training and licensure for jobs for which college didn’t prepare them.

He also mentions that parents and educators need to rethink the mentality that everyone needs a four-year degree. His opinion article is one of many along these lines in the last few months. For example, the Associated Press wrote an article about the same issue in May. The article discussed how the definition of education success shouldn’t revolve around four-year colleges, but around certifications. With the need of workers in middle-skill jobs and occupations requiring some form of postsecondary education, do we need to reframe the definition of postsecondary education?

By: Gabbie

Yesterday, the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Campaign for High School Equity presented findings from a new study, The Economic Benefits of Reducing the Dropout Rate Among Students of Color in the Nation’s Forty-Five Largest Metropolitan Areas. The report finds that lowering the dropout rate among minority students will greatly increase the nation’s economic vitality.

The education gap is evolving into a bigger and more pressing issue with the country’s changing population. Census projects indicate that the United States will become a minority-majority country by 2050. Data shows that the education system does not serve all demographics, with African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians graduating at a rate 20 percent lower than their peers. In 2008 alone, 350,000 minorities dropped out of school in the nation’s 45 largest metropolitan areas.

The study views the dropout crisis from an economic perspective, showing the inextricable link between education and the economy. Based on data collected from the nation’s 45 largest metropolitan areas, the report highlights the benefits to the economy of a lower dropout rate. Lowering the dropout rate will produce huge economic benefits by increasing spending power and creating jobs and economic growth in these communities. Graduating half of the students would have resulted in: 

• increased earnings of $2.3 billion per year
• increased spending and investment
• increased home sales and vehicle purchases
• 17,450 jobs created from increased spending
• increased tax revenues
• increased human capital (48 percent of these students will likely pursue a postsecondary degree)

The complete statistics and findings can be found on the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Web site. The Web site also provides the findings for each of the 45 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

By: Jamie

The Department of Education has announced the availability of grant applications for the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). These applications are due on August 5, 2010. The SIP funds are for postsecondary institutions and are intended to increase an institution’s capacity to serve low-income students, help the institution become self sufficient, and improve its academic curriculum, internal management and structure, and fiscal stability.

The funds for SIP will be distributed on a competitive basis. The department notes that they are most interested in the following items:

• initiatives that will improve graduation rates
• partnerships with state agencies in using the state longitudinal data system to track student outcomes and progress
  
• intentions to develop courses and programs that have the goal of increasing completion rates
• plans to develop dual enrollment programs that integrate basic academics with technical and career training
  

For more information on this grant please see the Federal Register.

By: Alisha

When the House passed H.R. 4899, the emergency supplemental spending bill, on July 1, a set of provisions was enacted to set the stage for Fiscal Year 2011 federal appropriations work to begin in earnest. Neither the House or Senate have been able to pass a standard budget resolution setting overall spending caps for the fiscal year and making out-year budget projections. In the absence of this type of budget resolution, House leaders decided to include a budget enforcement resolution in H.R. 4899.

The resolution sets an overall limit of $1.121 trillion on discretionary spending for FY 2011 appropriations bills in the House. This limit is $7 billion below the comparable request made by the president and $3 billion below the resolution approved by the Senate Budget Committee earlier in the spring. The resolution also commits the House to voting on deficit reduction proposals developed by the president's Fiscal Commission, assuming they are passed by the Senate, and includes a few other technical provisions.

While the budget resolution does not become law, it will serve as a guide as the House considers its 12 appropriations bills. The fact that the cap is set $7 billion below the president’s request could mean deep cuts for some programs and few increases. It will likely be very difficult for education and workforce development programs to secure much-needed additional funding.

By: Alisha

On July 1, the House of Representatives finally passed H.R. 4899, the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. While the bulk of the spending in the bill is to support military war operations and emergency disaster relief, it also includes $1 billion for summer youth employment programs funded under the Workforce Investment Act.

In addition, after weeks of work by the education community and supportive Members of Congress, an amendment including $10 billion to support K-12 education jobs and $4.95 billion to cover a shortfall in Pell grants for low-income college students was added to the bill by a vote of 239-182. The education jobs funds would be distributed to states based on total and school-age population. States will then distribute the funds to school districts through their respective funding formulas or based on each district’s share of Title I funds. Funds could only be spent on the preservation of jobs.

The new funding was completely offset by cuts to other spending accounts. Unfortunately, $800 million in cuts came from three Department of Education competitive grant programs—Race to the Top, Teacher Incentive Fund and the Public Charter School program. The Administration, while very supportive of the education jobs funding, has threatened to veto the bill over these rescissions to some of its key priorities.

The bill now has to return to the Senate, which will not occur before July 12 when Congress reconvenes. The Senate may further amend the bill to overcome the president’s veto threat (which would require yet another House vote).

By: Alisha

ACTE has recently been working on legislation to reauthorize child nutrition and school lunch programs (H.R. 5504 and S. 3307) that could impact CTE. There is language in these bills related to new nutrition standards for all food sold on school campuses, with a few limited exceptions. We realize that this could impact some culinary arts programs that operate in-school restaurants or other similar enterprises, and are trying to determine the extent of the impact and appropriate solutions.

If you or your school operates a school-based business that involves selling food on campus, please e-mail Gabbie Cojuangco, ACTE project assistant, with the following information:

1. How often do you conduct sales?
2. During what time of day do you conduct sales?
3. Who is your target audience (parents, teachers, community members, students, etc)?
4. What types of food do you sell?

Please respond with this information as soon as possible and include your school name and state. The Senate bill is expected to be considered during July, so we want to have as much information as possible to aid our work and ensure that these important components of culinary programs can continue to operate without undue restrictions.

By: Steve

The Alliance for Excellent Education hosts a series of High School Roundtable Discussions to help facilitate communication and collaboration between Washington organizations on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. These sessions are primarily focused on high school reform issues. The Roundtable I attended today focused on ESEA non-regulatory guidance issued in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Education to help states meet graduation rate requirements in the law.

In 2005, only 12 states tracked graduation rates through a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate—this rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. Students who transfer or graduate early are removed from the cohort but dropouts count against a school's graduation rate.

Today, nearly half of states report by the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. States had to establish annual graduation rate goals and targets under the ESEA law and the department has negotiated and assisted states in developing these goals and targets. Your state may be using a transitional rate at present, but in school year 2010-2011, all states will be required to use the four-year graduation rate for reporting assessment results, and in 2011-2012 states must use the rate for determining Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Several states have established extended-year adjusted cohort rates, which is something ACTE supports in our ESEA recommendations. Several other ACTE ESEA recommendations are related to the graduation rate issue. As ESEA is discussed on Capitol Hill, graduation rates and AYP are sure to be prime points of discussion. Let us know how issues such as this are affecting your school and state.

By: Alisha

More and more attention is being paid to CTE by policymakers in light of the country’s economic conditions, and this past week was no exception. ACTE has been working on two new pieces of legislation that would have an impact on CTE programs and students.

The first is H.R. 5594, introduced by Rep. Barrow. This bill would establish a Technical School Training Subsidy Pilot Program to provide additional resources through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to unemployed students who seeking CTE training at two-year institutions or area CTE centers. ACTE worked closely with Rep. Barrow’s office before the bill’s introduction and sent a letter of support for the bill. This piece of legislation may have the opportunity to be incorporated into a broader WIA reauthorization bill if one is considered by Congress this year.

The second is the AMERICA Works Act, S. 3529, introduced by Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). This bill would require that certain federal job training and career education programs give priority to programs that provide an industry-recognized and nationally portable credential. We have some concerns about the amendments the bill would make to Perkins and have been working with Sen. Hagan’s office and other stakeholders to get them addressed. More meetings are planned for this week and we will keep you posted on any action needed!

By: Jamie

On June 24, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held the first hearing in a series it is planning on for-profit postsecondary institutions. This hearing was titled, “Emerging Risk? An Overview of the Federal Investment in For-Profit Education.” In conjunction with the hearing, committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) released a report on for-profit institutions prepared by the committee.

Sen. Harkin set the tone of the hearing in his opening statement. "We have a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and that for-profit colleges are serving students, not just shareholders," said Harkin. There was a great deal of criticism levied at the for-profit sector from both those testifying and Members of Congress. However, Ranking Member Michael Enzi (R-WY) did point out that the hearing had not been organized in a bi-partisan fashion and urged caution on any regulatory or legislative action.

The first panelist, Department of Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe, testified that 70 percent of the cases her office investigates involve for-profit institutions. The vast majority of these cases involve inaccurate job placement numbers, lack of program accreditation and no definition of credit hours. Inspector Tighe also noted that students who graduate from for-profit institutions are more likely to default on their student loans. Other statistics presented during the hearing include that 98 percent of students who attend for-profit institutions graduate with student loan debt while only 38 percent of community college graduates took out loans, and that the for-profit sector enrolls approximately 10 percent of students nationally but receives about 23 percent of Pell Grant funding.

Despite the criticism, members on both sides of the aisle did recognize that for-profit institutions do work well for some students, and that not all of these institutions are fraudulent. The one representative of for-profits on the witness panel, from DeVry, emphasized her institution’s important role in job training and in helping meet the Administration’s goal to increase college completion, and also highlighted DeVry’s dual enrollment program with Chicago Public Schools and Cleveland Public Schools.

By: Gabbie

Today I attended a congressional briefing on the status of low-income women in today’s economy and government policies to address unemployment and economic sustainability.

Despite what economists are saying, most Americans continue to view the economy negatively, according to a poll released during the briefing. Not only has the recession affected their families and communities, but it has also caused many Americans to experience reductions in wages, hours and tips. For women, the impacts of the recession have been just as harsh as men. Though the majority of jobs lost were held by men, the women’s total job loss for this recession has reached 30.3%. More women have been forced to enter the work force as a result of increased pressure to support their families, and now make up almost half of the workforce. Women’s jobs continue to be in jeopardy, with increasing state budget cuts and the education crisis. Interestingly, most Americans believe that the government should play a bigger role in stimulating the economy, through job creation and job training programs. This alludes to support for a strong role for CTE in economic recovery.

Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Gwen Moore (D-WI) spoke about the importance of the Local Jobs for America Act in addressing the current economic crisis. This bill would put one million people to work in the public and private sectors quickly. This legislation would:

• allocate $23B to create or retain jobs in education
• provide $75B to states and localities over 2 years for a Local Community Jobs Program

ACTE has been working with Members of Congress and other education groups in an attempt to include the $23 billion for education jobs in other legislation as well, and will continue to update you on progress related to that goal.

By: Alisha

Several new resources have recently been made available related to collecting and reporting valid and reliable data related to education and workforce outcomes.

On June 21, the national Data Quality Campaign (DQC) sponsored a Webinar titled, “Linking and Sharing Education and Workforce Data—Sources and Partnership: Information on Maryland, the ADARE Network, and the Federal Employment Data Exchange System (FEDES).” The recorded Webinar and presentations can be found on the DQC Web site at www.dataqualitycampaign.org/events/273.

The Department of Labor has also released a Webinar on its Workforce Data Quality Initiative Solicitation for Grant Applications. The Webinar provides some background on workforce longitudinal databases generally, and then more specific information about this state-level grant opportunity. You can view this Webinar at http://www.workforce3one.org/view/3001016865261577020/info, although you must register on the site.

Finally, the DQC is sponsoring another Webinar on July 9 from 2:00-3:00 ET that is also relevant to the data issues we face in CTE. The Webinar will feature information on the “Ideal Postsecondary Data System.” Questions to be addressed in the Webinar will include:

• What does the overall “flow” of students through the “educational pipeline” look like?
• What experiences (curricular or environmental) affect student success in making progress through the “educational pipeline”?

Reserve your Webinar seat at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/428742922.

By: Steve

I have been attending the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference this week to learn more about SkillsUSA programs and have been very impressed with this event. Rigor, relevance and relationships are all addressed here!

Since many of the skills promoted by SkillsUSA competitions lead to industry credentials, licensure and certificates, I asked a few of the conference participants about their understanding of those measures. I asked questions such as “Do you understand what credentials, licenses and certificates you need for the employment you are seeking?” and “Is it easy to identify the value of the credentials available in your field—or is it a confusing?”

A cosmetology student I spoke to said that she had a good understanding and that in her field, there is basically only one measure—the state license—that is of value. She said that some other certifications are offered such as a hair washing certificate but she said those were essentially worthless. Another student in the computer systems and software arena appeared to be struggling a bit with his understanding. He had decided that getting his associate degree was important and knew there were certain certifications he needed but he wasn’t so sure about the value of others.

A teacher I spoke with believed that students understand the basic requirements but agreed that more information about some career-field measures is needed. He suggested that guidance counselors need to include this information in addition to information about two- and four-year degrees when speaking to students and that the requirements should be apparent through a student’s program of study.

ACTE is interested in these issues and is seeking ways to help students, parents and others improve understanding about the use and value of these measures. Do you have suggestions?

By: Jamie

The Department of Education announced on June 23 that applications for the Smaller Learning Communities grant program are now being accepted. Local education agencies (LEAs) with 1,000 or more students are eligible to apply. The purpose of the Smaller Learning Communities program is to organize students into smaller groups that focus on career interests or other common themes. The intent is for these students to remain together throughout their high school career and to have access to a strong support system.

Funding for grant recipients is for five years. All applications need to be submitted by August 6. If you intend to apply, the department requests that you inform them by July 15. Each grant proposal must have the common goals of preparing students for postsecondary education and careers and common teacher planning times where teachers engaged in Smaller Learning Communities can meet with each other and collaboratively share ideas.

In addition to those criteria, the department will award bonus points to LEAs where the schools involved in the grant’s proposal are considered “low performing” or in instances where schools are eligible for Title I funds from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, but do not receive the funds.

For more information on the grant process and the program, please see the federal register and the Department of Education’s Web site.

By: Alisha

On June 15, the House of Representatives passed a resolution to honor Dr. Larry Case on his retirement as National FFA Advisor by a vote of 409-0. The resolution, H.RES.1383, highlights Case’s 26 years of service in this position at FFA and his previous work as a high school teacher, state agriculture education advisor and at the U. S. Department of Education.

The Department of Education announced Dr. Case’s retirement on May 3, and it will be effective on January 1, 2011. “Dr. Case has touched the lives of thousands of young people and adults, particularly in rural schools and communities during his career,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “I want to thank him for his service and contributions to agricultural education as a teacher, federal employee, and a leader within FFA, and I wish him well in retirement.”

By: Jamie

The Senate has been working to finalize H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, also known as the “tax extenders package,” for the past week. This legislation originally passed the House on May 28 and provides extensions of previously expired tax cuts, extensions of unemployment and assistance projects, and a number of provisions related to education and workforce development, including a $1 billion increase for summer youth employment.

Also included in this legislation is a change to the Community College and Career Training Grant program originally passed in the reconciliation bill earlier this year. Through H.R. 4213, Congress expands those eligible for the program to include other unemployed individuals and clarified that only public and non-profit educational institutions are eligible for grants. Currently, non-degree awarding institutions are excluded by H.R. 4213, but ACTE is still working with congressional staff to include area career and technical education schools.

ACTE is also closely watching a proposal to include funding for the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) which would provide assistance to states to meet their obligations to fund Medicaid. Although this piece does not directly affect education or training funding, 30 states have already included additional federal resources in their state budgets. If the Senate does not include these funds in its final bill, then those 30 states will face a budget shortfall and will have to make additional cuts, likely to education, to meet their obligations. ACTE has been working with other groups to ensure that issues related to FMAP do not affect education funding.

At this time, it is uncertain if the Senate has enough votes to pass the legislation in its current form. Opposition to H.R. 4213 is likely to continue, with opponents stressing that the measure needs to be paid for so that it will not add to the federal deficit. ACTE is following this legislation closely and will continue to update you.

By: Jamie

Despite numerous delays, the House continues to work on its Fiscal Year 2010 Emergency Appropriations Supplemental Act, H.R. 4899. This legislation includes funding for a number of specific activities, including the war and the gulf oil spill. Education advocates, including ACTE, have been working diligently to add $23 billion to the bill to help save education jobs. If enacted, the $23 billion is estimated to save 300,000 education personnel jobs. The funds would funnel down to each state using the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund originally authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last year.

A few weeks ago, ACTE alerted you to the education jobs bill, and urged you to contact your representatives to encourage support of the measure. This pressure is still needed on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress should be aware that if this money is not included, teachers, custodians, administrators, counselors and other school staff will be affected and these layoffs will negatively impact communities, especially those in which the school district is a major employer. The call-in number that ACTE shared with its members (1-866-608-6355) is still active, and you can find talking points on the Committee for Education Funding’s Web site. For additional information, please contact Jamie Baxter, advocacy manager at ACTE.

By: Gabbie

According to the 2008 Disability Status Report, individuals with disabilities comprise 39.5 percent of the working-age population currently employed. However, this same research shows that 53 percent of those have quit a job. So how are states and communities preparing students with disabilities for postsecondary life?

In her recently-released policy brief “Preparation for Postsecondary Life for Students with Disabilities,” Dr. Kimberly Sopko explores different strategies states have implemented to address the needs of students by interviewing individuals familiar with state and local postsecondary programs from eight different states.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires the inclusion of transition services to prepare students for independent living. This might include postsecondary CTE, vocation rehabilitation and or immediate employment after finishing secondary school. Dr. Sopko finds that students with disabilities can become independent, functional and contributing members of society with strong transition programs. Many of these states plan early by exposing students sooner to work and career options. Some states even require transition planning to begin as early as 14 rather than 16. Most importantly, these states emphasize the importance of strong collaboration among the different state agencies and the local community. Collaboration can occur through cooperative agreements, such as community based instruction, apprenticeship programs, regular interagency meetings and flexible re-entry programs or alternative pathways for students who drop out of school. Through this collaboration, states can connect their transition plans to the available employment or community resources and needs.

Sadly, the greatest barrier states continue to face is funding. Many states do not have the resources and as a result a lack of commitment into developing these programs.

By: Gabbie

Hello! My name is Gabbie Cojuangco and I recently joined ACTE’s public policy team as its new project assistant. As project assistant, I will work mostly with Alisha, by helping her gather, analyze and communicate research, best practices, and federal and state policy and advocacy issues that relate to CTE and workforce development.

I was born in San Francisco, CA, but growing up, I moved around a lot, which possibly explains my passion for traveling. I’ve lived in Manila, Singapore, Palo Alto and Boston and enjoy exploring new places and meeting new people. I recently graduated from Georgetown University (Hoya Saxa!) and stumbled upon politics and government affairs by accident.

I originally enrolled as a Biology and Pre-med student freshman year, but quickly discovered that dissecting was not for me. At the same time, I was more intrigued and fascinated by my government classes and wound up majoring in both English and Government. I also quickly fell in love with Washington, DC, and decided to stay in the city. Before coming to ACTE, I served as a government affairs fellow for a local lobbying office, where I continued to learn more about the field, especially the appropriations process. I am really interested in learning more about education policy and related issues, specifically for special needs students, and look forward to working closely with ACTE members and this team.

By: Sabrina

Today, the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce released a new report titled, “Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018.”

Interesting findings from the report about the employment opportunities over the next 10 years are:

• By 2018, 63 percent of all jobs will require at least some form of postsecondary education.
• Employers will need 22 million new workers with AA’s, BA’s or better, and America will fall 3 million short. In addition, employers will need 4.7 million workers with postsecondary certificates.
• 43 percent of young workers with licenses and certifications earn more than those with an associate degree and 27 percent of these young workers earn more than those holding a bachelor’s degree.

During the release event this morning, several speakers discussed the report and how we can better educate students and adults. Speakers at the event included: Department of Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC President Drew Greenblatt. They all mentioned the critical role CTE plays in educating students because it provides students with relevancy and keeps them engaged in the classroom. Kanter described the need for businesses to offer more apprenticeships and mentoring opportunities for students. “We need to find ways to marry workforce and college together to provide students with relevant career opportunities and allow students to be more competitive when entering the future workforce.”

Weingarten said that we need to change how education is delivered in this country in order to develop more qualified workers. In order to do this, she said that we need to create an education system that creates skill sets, engages students and builds students interest. She specifically highlighted CTE as a great option. She also mentioned that students who take CTE courses have a higher graduation rate from high school and proceed to higher education at a higher rate than students who don’t take CTE.

It was very refreshing to hear all the speakers mention CTE as a solution to building a qualified workforce.

By: Alisha

On May 27, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced new legislation to improve the Post-9/11 GI bill that provides enhanced educational assistance to the nation’s veterans. S. 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, will serve as the Senate’s basis for a comprehensive set of amendments to the previously enacted law.

Most notably for CTE, the bill expands the types of institutions where veterans may use their benefits to include non-degree-granting institutions such as area CTE centers. This is an issue that ACTE has been working on for a number of months, and we are excited to see this change included in Sen. Akaka’s bill. Previous bills had been introduced in the House and Senate (H.R. 3813 and S. 3171) by individual Members of Congress to correct the problem, but the inclusion of the language in this new bill is a signal of its importance to congressional leaders working on the issue.

The timeline for the bill moving forward is uncertain, but a hearing has tentatively been scheduled for July 21 by the Veterans’ Affairs Committee to review the legislation. ACTE will be following the bill closely and will be offering our support as the process unfolds.

By: Jamie

Earlier this week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House announced that for its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 budget proposal, each agency and department must comb through their budgets and cut at least five percent (approximately $2.5 billion) from what the president proposed in February for FY 2011. Each department must also develop a list of duplicative or ineffective programs that combined would equal five percent (approximately $3.3 billion) of cuts from programmatic allocations in FY 2010. Although we will not know the impact of these cuts until next February when the President releases his FY 2012 budget, it is certain that next year will be a difficult year for all federal programs.

Dr. Peter Orszag, director of OMB, discussed these announcements at a Center for America’s Promise event. He specifically mentioned education programs when addressing duplicative programs: “Right now, there are over 110 funded programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education across 14 different departments and agencies the federal government; … and more than 40 programs located in 11 different departments with responsibility for employment and training…this type of redundancy wastes resources and makes it harder to act on each of the underlying worth goals that the programs are aimed at.”

The White House is committed to ensuring that all federal programs are worthy of their price tag, and has hired Jeff Zients as the first chief performance officer to oversee the effort to ensure programs are effective. It is unknown what measurement tool will be used to demonstrate programs performance, but ACTE will work to ensure that CTE programs are protected.

By Steve:

On June 9, the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families hosted the first in a series of hearings to address the state of the American child. The hearing included a lot of discussion regarding the relationship between the economy and its impact on students. One witness suggested that developing jobs and skills for adults equates to improved well-being for students.

Alma Powell, chair of the America’s Promise Alliance (ACTE is a member), noted the organization’s Grad Nation dropout campaign. She referenced the grad rate and other indicators as a reason that the state of America’s children is “abysmal.” She said we, as a nation, only focus on one part of school reform, and we need to include a focus on all of the supports necessary to help students succeed.

Elaine Zimmerman with the Connecticut Commission on Children said that the recent crash of the middle class will have an effect on children and families. She referenced research that indicates progress in children’s well-being since 1975 will be lost due to the downturn in the economy. Zimmerman noted that helping adult students get associate degrees and GEDs should be a priority.

Despite the panel’s agreement on the negative effects of the economic downturn and need to invest in more supports, the exchange between witnesses and Members of Congress included reality about a limited discretionary funding budget. Panelist Harry Holzer, an economist with Georgetown University and the Urban institute, discussed the long term federal funding challenge due to ever-increasing spending for entitlement programs such as Social Security and non-discretionary programs. But, all panelists agreed more investment in education and skills training saves money in the long run.

By: Sabrina

Today ACTE hosted a National Leadership Forum to discuss CTE’s role in developing a qualified workforce. The event, co-hosted by Corinthian Colleges, Inc., the Society for Human Resource Management and Snap-On, included significant conversation about CTE’s value in developing the nation’s workforce and potential related to economic growth. Speakers including former Maine Governor John McKernan and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) discussed a range of topics such as the relationship of federal policies to creating a skilled workforce and the need to better link certifications and assessments to existing education and workforce development systems.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education Glenn Cummings spoke about the important role CTE plays in turning around the economy and provided great examples from his experience as a teacher and administrator of the positive effect of CTE on the lives of individuals. “The most important thing CTE does is provide relevancy for students, and the Department of Education is looking at CTE as an excellent model to educate students because it provides relevancy and personalization,” said Cummings.

Cummings mentioned during his speech a recent research study that concludes students who participated in CTE and earned a two-year degree earned 25 percent more than students with a four-year degree. He also mentioned that businesses are looking for employability skills in future employees. Cummings said the most important skills are problem solving, communication, collaboration and understanding dimensions, which means students can take a project, analyze it and break it down to understand all its different aspects.

The major themes of today’s meeting are coordination between two- and four-year colleges, breaking down the silos in education and government, developing public awareness to educate different populations about CTE, and collecting better data to support CTE.

By: Alisha

After several thwarted attempts and political delays, the House passed H.R. 5116, the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act, on May 28.

The bill authorizes over $80 billion to improve the country’s performance in STEM fields through a strong focus on research and education. The bill supports basic and applied research at the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies, provides scholarships for K-12 math and science teachers, and encourages and supports students entering STEM fields.

One of the most notable new sections in the bill is related to better coordination of STEM education programs across the federal government. The bill directs the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a committee to coordinate the STEM education activities and programs of all federal agencies, including the Department of Education; to prepare an inventory of such programs; and to develop a STEM strategic plan. This provision could provide more opportunities for CTE programs to benefit from a wide range of work occurring at the federal level. The White House is also tasked with creating an advisory committee on STEM education to gather input from stakeholders on how states and schools can be better supported in their STEM efforts.

The bill now must be considered by the Senate, although the timing is still uncertain.

By: Alisha

On May 17, the U.S. Department of Labor released the grant application and criteria for its new Workforce Data Quality Initiative. This new program will award a total of $12.2 million in funds to state workforce agencies to “enable workforce data to be matched with education data, to ultimately create longitudinal data systems with individual-level information from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary and into the workforce system to build capacity to measure outcomes while protecting individual privacy.” Applications from states are due August 16, 2010.

The national Data Quality Campaign, of which ACTE is an active participant, has pulled together a short summary of the grant requirements and will be putting on a series of informational webinars for potential state applicants or others interested in this issue. The first Webinar will take place on Tuesday, June 8. The details of the webinar are below. It will feature an overview of the Texas Student Futures Project, a program highlighted in the DOL's solicitation for grant applications, and information on how linked education and workforce data can be used to inform education and workforce policies and practices.

What: Overview of the Workforce Data Quality Initiative and the Texas Student Futures Project (webinar)
Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM (EDT) – 2:15 PM (EDT)
Registration: www.dataqualitycampaign.org/events/272

By: Steve

I attended a meeting sponsored by the National Journal yesterday titled, “Completing in a Global Economy: How to Boost College Completion.” Deputy (Education) Undersecretary Robert Shireman, the architect of the direct student loan program and many other Obama Administration policies, provided a good overview of the Administration’s actions and philosophy of how to ensure greater postsecondary completion and success. He cited tax credits for higher education, Pell grants expansion and reliability of student loans as three areas of successful focus by the Obama team.

The floor opened up for questions and I had the honor of asking the first: “Despite all of the focus on academic instruction, business and industry continue to tell us that students come to work without the employability skills (e.g. communication, critical thinking, and teamwork skills) to do the job. Is there a specific role for the federal government to play?” While Shireman doubted need for a specific federal role he did say the issue is important and often debated. He referenced the Common Core State Standards Initiative work as a way to address the issue, at least in part. Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, then stood up to say he believed the focus should be on ensuring that all students have access to liberal arts education because that is where society places value.

I agree with Hrabowski’s value statement but I hope my point was not lost. As we all know, CTE has at times been marginalized and despite the significance of engaging students and providing those employability skills that businesses seek  our programs continue to viewed as “second tier” by many. Reactions such as this indicate we all have more work to do to inform parents, students, policymakers and others about the value of multiple education options and CTE.

By: Steve

On June 2, the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released a set of K-12 standards as part of their Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). The final K-12 standards, which define grade-by-grade knowledge and skills students will need to know, have been influenced by nearly 10,000 comments. ACTE has supported the work to develop voluntary state standards and also provided comment during the review of the draft standards.

The NGA Center and CCSSO say “the standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.” Forty-eight states, two territories and the District of Columbia worked in collaboration with the NGA Center and CCSSO to finalize the standards and will now focus on implementing them.

ACTE Executive Director Jan Bray said “The K-12 standards work recognizes that students in the United States are now competing in an international environment and will need to meet international benchmarks to remain relevant in today’s workplace. We are pleased that both college and career readiness have been considered as the standards were developed and view this work as foundational in the effort to address the full range of academic, employability and technical skills that students need to be successful. ACTE looks forward to working with NGA, CCSSO and states as the K-12 standards are implemented.”

ACTE is in the process of reviewing the K-12 standards and will release more information in the near future.

By: Jamie

On May 28, Congress passed H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, formerly known as the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010. This legislation, which originally passed the House in December 2009, was created to expand unemployment programs. Since that time, the legislation has evolved into a jobs package that provides tax cuts to workers, extensions of unemployment and assistance projects, and a number of provisions related to education and workforce development programs. These provisions include:

•  $1 billion for summer youth employment
  
• A one-year extension of the tax deduction for qualified tuition expenses
• A one-year extension of the tax deduction for teachers and other school employees who purchase classroom materials
  
• An extension of the Build America Bonds program to help construct and repair schools through 2012
• Increased tax deductions for businesses that purchase/donate computer equipment and books to schools
• Expanded reporting requirements for programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Modification of the Community College and Career Training Grant program to expand those eligible to be served to include other unemployed individuals and to clarify that only public and non-profit educational institutions are eligible for grants. At this time, non-degree awarding institutions are excluded from this program. ACTE has been working with congressional staff to include area career and technical education schools in all legislation such as H.R.4213
  

ACTE is tracking all jobs bills closely, and will report on legislation that is crucial to CTE professionals.

By: Sabrina

A few weeks ago, I attended a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) event to meet and network with reporters and editors. I met the editor of Association TRENDS magazine and a reporter who covers association and nonprofit organizations from BISNOW, an online newsletter. Jessica Sidman, reporter for BISNOW, talked about the types of stories she looks for, including events and profile pieces on executives at leading nonprofit organizations.

After Jessica spoke to the group, I approached her and talked with her about ACTE and our work in education. I had my three minute speech prepared that I use for the media. I have another speech ready for business and other professionals. During my meeting with Jessica, I pitched a possible story about ACTE’s executive director and her experience with nonprofits and associations. Jessica was interested and asked me to follow up with her. The next morning I sent Jessica a short e-mail about our conversation, and I included information about ACTE’s Executive Director Jan Bray and her bio. Jessica accepted my proposal about a profile piece on Jan and ACTE. This past Friday Jessica interviewed Jan for BISNOW and the story appeared in today’s issue.

As you network with legislators, educators, businesses and the media, make sure to always have your “elevator speech” ready about CTE!

By: Alisha

This is the question asked by a report released on May 13 by the Center for American Progress. “Is the Middle of the U.S. Job Market Really Disappearing?” compares two different job-market views. One view is that of “expanding job opportunity in both high-skill, high-wage occupations and low-skill, low-wage occupations, coupled with contracting opportunities in middle-wage, middle-skill white-collar and blue-collar jobs,” while the other emphasizes “that employment in many middle-skill job categories remains robust, with growing demand and opportunities for non-college graduates in some areas.”

So which is correct? The author (who is admittedly on the side of middle-skill job prospects remaining robust), points out flaws in the economists’ theory that equates middle-skill jobs with the performance of routine tasks. Instead of focusing on routine vs. non-routine tasks, the author’s definition of middle skill jobs references the requirement for postsecondary education at less than a bachelor’s degree level.

This nomenclature is important to us in CTE as well, as the Perkins Act emphasizes a focus on “high-skill” jobs. If one considers middle-skill jobs as those requiring only routine tasks, and high-skill jobs require non-routine tasks and at least some postsecondary education and training, then CTE focusing on high-skill jobs certainly makes sense. Using the alternative definition most widely accepted for middle-skill jobs, however, leaves them firmly in CTE’s arena.

Regardless of the terms used, both economists seem to agree that there has been shrinkage in middle-wage jobs requiring the performance of routine production or clerical tasks. However, the author points out that “Many important middle-skill jobs involve non-routine tasks and require some postsecondary education and training short of a bachelor’s degree. These jobs are not shrinking in the labor market, and will offer substantial opportunities for earnings improvements to many youth and adults.”

By: Alisha

Earlier today, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released its annual report on the state of American education. The Condition of Education 2010 includes data on 49 indicators related to enrollment trends, student and educator demographics, and outcomes.

The report contains a special section on high-poverty schools. According to NCES, “One in six U.S. students attends a high-poverty school.… In 2007-2008, about 20 percent of all elementary students and 9 percent of secondary school students attended high-poverty schools, compared with 15 percent and 5 percent respectively in 1999-2000.” The number of schools with more than 75 percent of students who quality for free and reduced lunch (the proxy used for high-poverty) is growing tremendously, and brings with it large achievement gaps.

There is a lot of additional information contained in the 429 page report, but a few thoughts stood out to me as being particularly relevant to current education reform discussions and CTE:

• Public school enrollment is predicted to rise from 49 million in 2008 to 52 million by 2019. (This likely means that more students will have to be served with less resources.)
• The average freshman graduation rate was 73.9 percent for public high school students in the class of 2007.
• In 2008, 69 percent of high school graduates immediately enrolled in two- or four-year colleges.
• 750,200 associate degrees were awarded during the 2007-08 school year (a 34 percent increase over 10 years earlier), and 21 percent were in the area of health professions and related clinical sciences.
• In 2008, about 45 percent of full-time college students ages 16-24 and 79 percent of part-time college students ages 16-24 were also employed. (A good reason to ensure that all high-school students are college AND career ready.)
• From 1999-00 to the 2007-08 school year, the percentage of all secondary teachers whose main assignment was classified as “vocational/technical” increased from 10.6 to 11.5 percent.

By: Jamie

Although the economy appears to be recovering in some areas, states are still facing severe budget shortfalls for the coming year, and many educators' jobs are in jeopardy. To address this issue, Congress has proposed $23 billion in additional education funding for states. Right now, advocacy efforts to include the $23 billion in the emergency spending bill are being focused on the House. Wednesday, May 26, has been designated by education groups as the Speak Up for Education and Kids National Call-in Day. ACTE strongly encourages you to contact your representative during this call-in day and ask him or her to support teachers and other education personnel by ensuring that $23 billion is included in H.R. 4899, the Fiscal Year 2010 emergency supplemental appropriations bill, to save crucial education jobs.

Take Action 

• Call 1-866-608-6355. This toll-free number has been set up specifically for the Speak Up for Education and Kids National Call-in Day. When you call, you will hear talking points then be directed to the Congressional Switchboard.
• Ask to be connected to your representative.
• If you have a relationship with the staff member who works on education in that office, ask to speak to him or her or leave a message. If you cannot speak with the education staff member, leave a detailed message with the receptionist.
• Tell the staff member that you are calling to encourage the Member of Congress to support educators' jobs by including $23 billion in the emergency spending bill.
• Provide examples of how CTE jobs have suffered in your school, and how these potential losses prevent students from receiving the education necessary to be prepared for further education and careers. Be clear that this is an emergency and an immediate threat.
• Thank your Members of Congress for supporting education and jobs.
• Follow up with ACTE with any feedback or any questions you receive.

By: Alisha

The “Talent Shortage Survey” released on May 20 from Manpower Inc. contained interesting findings that support the need for high-quality CTE programs. According to Manpower, “Thirty-one percent of employers worldwide report having difficulty filling key positions within their organization—a rise of one percentage point from 2009, amidst a perpetual global pool of available workers.”

The survey included more than 35,000 employers in 36 countries. Worldwide, the top jobs in demand were skilled trades, sales representatives, technicians and engineers. The top four categories have remained the same for the last four years, despite drastically changing economic conditions. This is evidence of a large mismatch between what employers need and the skill levels of those seeking work.

In the United States, while only 14 percent of employers report trouble filling positions, skilled trades were also the most difficult positions to fill. The top 10 jobs most in demand in the United States in 2010 were:

1. Skilled Trades
2. Sales Representatives
3. Nurses
4. Technicians
5. Drivers
6. Restaurant and hotel staff
7. Management/Executives
8. Engineers
9. Doctors and other non-nursing professionals
10. Customer service representatives and customer support staff

For the purposes of the survey, the "skilled trades" include a broad range of jobs that require workers to possess specialized skills, often learned as an apprentice, such as electricians, bricklayers, carpenters, cabinetmakers, masons, plumbers and welders. Employers also noted that it was important for employees to possess key employability skills as well as these critical technical skills. "Simultaneously, employers are seeking ever more specific skill sets and combinations of skills—not just technical capabilities alone, but perhaps in combination with critical thinking skills or other qualities that will help drive the company forward." CTE programs can prepare students with all of the necessary skills to help ease the skilled-worker shortage around the country, and the world!

By: Jamie

Although the economy appears to be recovering in some areas, states are still facing severe budget shortfalls for the coming year. Since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed in 2009, it is estimated that its State Fiscal Stabilization Fund has saved over 300,000 education jobs. However, most of that money has been spent, while most states are still in the same fiscal situation they were a year ago. Every day, educators across the country are in jeopardy of losing their jobs.

To address this issue, Congress has proposed to allocate $23 billion to help save educator’s jobs through the Senate’s Keep Our Educators Working Act and the House’s Local Jobs Act of 2010. The House had originally introduced its Local Jobs Act of 2010 in March, and this bill included both the $23 billion for educator’s jobs and other funds to help local governments keep workers. In the Senate, Senator Harkin decided to introduce a similar bill that only included the $23 billion for educator jobs. To ensure that these funds get authorized swiftly and to states as soon as possible, the strategy is to fold the money into an emergency spending bill.

Right now, advocacy efforts to include the $23 billion in the emergency bill are being focused on the House. Many education groups have joined forces to ensure that we have the loudest voice possible on Capitol Hill by announcing Wednesday, May 26, as the National Call-In Day to Save Educator Jobs. ACTE strongly encourages you to contact your representative during this call-in day, and encourage him or her to support education by ensuring that $23 billion is included in H.R. 4899, the Fiscal Year 2010 emergency supplemental appropriations bill, to save crucial education jobs.
ACTE will send a Legislative Alert out on Tuesday with the call-in information and talking points, so stay tuned for further instructions. If you have any questions, please contact Jamie Baxter.

By: Alisha

The recent report, “Hot Careers for College Graduates 2010,” from the University of California San Diego Extension identifies 14 career areas that provide opportunities for college graduates despite the recession. While the term “college graduates” can be misinterpreted to imply only four-year degrees, many of the career fields mentioned have opportunities for students with two-year degrees or certificates as well. The hot careers identified by the study, which based its findings on enrollment figures, national employment statistics and interviews with San Diego business executives, are:

1. Health Information Technology
2. Clinical Trials Design and Management for Oncology
3. Data Mining
4. Embedded Engineering
5. Feature Writing for the Web
6. Geriatric Health Care
7. Mobile Media
8. Occupational Health and Safety
9. Spanish/English Translation and Interpretation
10. Sustainable Business Practices and the Greening of all Jobs
11. Teaching Adult Learners
12. Teaching English as a Foreign Language
13. Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
14. Health Law

While these careers don’t overlap completely with current Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, there are a number of common themes, including health care and technology. The report’s authors state, “The overall advice of the study is to enrich your job prospects, go niche. Knowing where to look and honing your skills just might be the right strategy for finding the career that is best for you.” CTE programs around the country can help students at all education levels hone their skills in specific career areas and achieve employment success!

By: Alisha

Leaders of the Common Core State Standards Initiative recently announced that the final version of the grade-by-grade and college- and career-readiness standards in English language arts and mathematics will be released on June 2. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers will formally release the final standards in the Atlanta area at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET on that day. More specific details about the release event will be available soon.

Originally, 48 states and the District of Columbia committed to developing the common core state standards, and once the final standards are released, many of these states will begin the process of formally adopting them and implementing them in their schools and classrooms (a process some states have already begun). States must adopt the new common core standards in their entirety, although may add some additional state-specific standards. The new standards have the potential to dramatically impact academic and CTE integration efforts, and CTE stakeholders should pay particular attention to the release and state-level adoption process. We will provide more information as it becomes available!

By: Alisha

The House Education and Labor Committee held its eighth Elementary and Secondary Education Act hearing of the year on May 19. The hearing, titled, “Research and Best Practices on Successful School Turnaround,” looked at the critical issue of how the nation’s lowest performing schools can be improved.

This issue has received quite a bit of attention in recent months as the Department of Education has highlighted school turnarounds in its Race to the Top grant competition, School Improvement grants and ESEA blueprint. The department’s model focuses on four specific options that range from restructuring to closing the school.

However, one key message from the hearing was an emphasis on flexibility. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), a strong CTE supporter, stressed this in his opening remarks. He said, “As policymakers at the federal level, we must remember each school is different and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.” Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) also highlighted flexibility and emphasized that “different systems work for different schools.” Panelists seemed to agree that the models outlined in the Administration’s blueprint are too restrictive and more flexibility is needed, especially in rural areas.

Dr. Daniel King, superintendent of schools for the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District in Texas, shared about specific turnaround initiatives in his district that were built on CTE programs. In his testimony, he highlighted the district’s efforts to improve schools and increase the graduation rate through a STEM-focused early college high school and a new dropout recovery school with a CTE foundation. He emphasized connecting every student to higher education, including those in CTE courses; allowing and motivating students to move to higher levels of learning through career pathways; and the importance of CTE courses aligned with industry standards and connected to colleges to create these pathways for all students.

By: Sabrina

Today, I started my week-long editorial board tour in Wisconsin. I had two meetings today with the Green Bay Post Gazette and Wausau Daily Herald. During the Post Gazette meeting, representatives from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) discussed the impact of CTE in building a qualified workforce and how they use federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education funds. I discussed the proposed consolidation of Perkins and how Wisconsin could lose $315,432. According to NWTC, the school would lose $20,000, and the representatives told the reporter about the impact it would have on the program with specific examples.

During my visit with the Daily Herald, we had a great conversation about the important role CTE plays in educating students as well as retraining dislocated workers. A representative from Northcentral Wisconsin Technical College provided information on the types of programs they are offering, including a sustainability program. The representative discussed how they are constantly updating their curriculum to meet local industry demands. She also mentioned how they use Perkins money for retraining programs and the critical need for more funding from the state and federal government.

During these meetings, it’s very important to bring specific information on how the programs are impacting your community and the affect it would have on CTE programs if you lost money. While driving on the highway today to Wausau, I saw a great ad on a billboard that read, “What makes Champions: Education; Pass it On.” Not only is this ad very powerful, but it truly describes the influence of education. As you educate and advocate about the value of CTE, remember to mention how CTE not only produces champions, but it is key to turning around the economy and building a qualified workforce.

By: Steve

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held yet another hearing today in a series focused on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The topic was “supporting student health, physical education and well-being,” which has received a lot of national attention from policymakers and has prompted a task force led by First Lady Michelle Obama.

The House has adopted the FIT Kids Act which among other things, requires school districts to assist schools in collecting and disseminating to families information about the school’s physical education program and requires districts to provide to the state a description of the amount of time that students spend in physical education. The Senate is now considering the legislation.

Most of the testimony from panelists focused on increasing the amount of physical activity of students. Senators at the hearing were concerned about the costs related to this suggestion but several panelists pointed out that this increase in activity might well be performed in the regular hours of the school day and in some cases is more about increasing rigor of exercise than adding additional time. Others noted that community based organizations might provide some support to schools and did mention afterschool opportunities.

Panelists also called for physical education to be part of the school reporting system, some advocating that a student’s GPA include physical education performance, but be based on skills learned rather than athletic performance. Other panelists said schools should be graded. Panelists said more parents and students need to learn healthy habits early, and that physical education teachers need to know how to use data and technology.

Senator Harkin indicated the Congress might provide incentives for schools to help address the issue of student health and obesity.

By: Sabrina

Last week the New York Times ran a story by the Associated Press titled “College for All? Experts Say Not Necessarily,” which discusses the notion that having a four-year degree is not necessary for a successful career. The belief that everyone needs a four-year college degree is changing. The article highlights that many of the high-demand occupations don’t require a four year degree, but rather a technical or community college degree or certificate or industry certification.

According to Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder, “the more money states spend on higher education, the less the economy grows—the reverse of long-held assumptions.” He believes that there is a strong cultural notion that everyone needs a college degree, but society needs to move away from that perception to look at actual job requirements.

Martin Scaglione, president and chief operating officer of workforce development for ACT, says that a new definition of education success needs to be developed and it should include certifications because they will become the new currency for jobs. Scaglione says that employers are focusing on whether or not you have the skills to perform the job, not just mastery of curriculum.

It’s important as we advocate for CTE to mention how we need to reshape the definition of postsecondary education and include community and technical colleges and certifications, as well as the full range of skills students need to be successful in their future careers, including academic, technical and employability skills.

By: Steve

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Education Association hosted an event on May 10 as part of their Partnership for Teaching Equity. Provocatively titled “Policymakers: Can You Hear Us? Effective Teaching Requires Effective State Policies,” the event featured five teacher education papers written by experts available on the AACTE Web site.

There was agreement from the panelists that focus needs to move from teacher quality to include “teaching” quality. Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University said there is evidence that factors such as preservice training, licensure and graduating from a competitive college contribute to the quality of teaching. While Darling-Hammond noted the importance of teaching conditions, curriculum, professional development, materials, class size and a range of other factors that affect the learning environment, she emphasized training as one of the most important factors.

While most panelists did not dispute the importance of accountability, they advocated for teacher assessments that include a focus on teaching quality to help teachers improve instruction. Ms. Darling-Hammond noted the importance of performance-based assessments to identify where strengths and weaknesses lie. George Noell with Louisiana State University said data is another key tool to help teachers improve instruction and likened the lack of data to “flying a plane with the windows blacked out.”

Barnett Berry with the Center for Teaching Quality said that the current teacher licensing system is a patchwork of programs that does not focus equal attention on the teaching quality issue. He agreed with Darling-Hammond that a performance assessment for teaching is a good idea and advocated that while there must be multiple pathways for teachers to enter the field and at different timelines, closing down long-standing and alternative teaching programs that are ineffective must be an option.

By: Steve

On National Teachers Day, May 4, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to discuss the importance of quality teachers and leaders. While a range of issues was explored by two separate panels, a key theme was how to better evaluate teachers. Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers said that evaluations lie at the root of developing a system of effective teachers.

Marcus Winters with the Manhattan Institute argued that improving the system would include rewards for performance and removal of ineffective teachers. He voiced his belief that good teaching is more of an innate ability and not taught, something most other panelists disagreed with. Winters also noted that practically all teachers are rated as satisfactory or higher, another reason to change the system.

Winters and Deborah Ball, dean of the University of Michigan's education program, said that the U.S. needs to ensure that all teachers can do the work rather than having them meet a set of input credentials which do not indicate effectiveness. Ball advocated for more clinical work to determine what new teachers can really do and more deliberate work on the part of mentors to ensure new teachers truly know how to teach. She referenced ineffective practice as unethical due to the effect on students and noted that good teachers need to be more evenly distributed.

Members of Congress on the Committee including Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) worried that the 3-5 years advocated for development of better systems was too long, but Weingarten indicated it will take about that long to identify what is working through research and practice.

By: Steve

The Senate’s focus on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) turned to improving America’s high schools on May 4th during a hearing held by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Much of the discussion and questions from senators focused on how to bring to scale the effective practices of schools which have used strategies to lower dropout rates and improve student academic achievement. Early colleges and career academies were two CTE-related strategies featured.

Speaking about adolescent literacy needs of students, panelist Don Deshler with the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Kansas said that two myths must be dispelled: (1) it is too late to do anything for students once they get to middle and high schools; (2) it’s better to focus on young children and get them while they’re young. Deshler said that powerful evidence-based practice can have an effect on student performance. He also said that while early intervention is good, public policy should focus on students in middle and high school as well.

School culture was highlighted as a significant concern related to engaging students and keeping them through graduation. HELP Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) noted the United States’ performance in relation to other higher performing countries. Sen. Sanders asked if the nation takes intellectual development seriously. Some panelists noted the difficulty of competing with the American culture but others noted the need to focus on the different challenges that students face today, regardless of the difficulty.

Developing good instructional leaders, attracting effective teachers, cultivating good parental involvement and extending the time that students have to learn were all mentioned as important to turning around low performing high schools.

By: Alisha

The National Data Quality Campaign (which ACTE is a member of) recently released the results of a survey of state activities related to connecting education and workforce data. This is especially critical as we seek to show economic results of our CTE programs, and to meet Perkins performance measure data requirements more specifically.

The paper, “Education and Workforce Data Connections: A Primer on States’ Status,” reports that only eight states are able to link data across the P‐20/workforce spectrum and follow students as they enter the workforce. Barriers to connecting this data including lack of resources, lack of common ID numbers, lack of coordination, incompatible data systems, and FERPA and other privacy issues. While states are making progress to link students’ education and workforce outcomes, more must be done to address these barriers and improve data collection. The report recommends that states should engage stakeholders to:

1. Prioritize, through broad‐based stakeholder input, the critical policy questions to drive the development and use of longitudinal data systems.
2. Ensure data systems are interoperable within and across agencies and states by adopting or developing common data standards, definitions and language.
3. Protect personally identifiable information through governance policies and practices that promote the security of the information while allowing appropriate data access and sharing.

ACTE is working with the Data Quality Campaign to address the education and workforce data connection and make it easier for CTE programs to collect the information needed to show true student success in college and careers!

By: Jamie

On May 5 Rep. David Obey (D-WI) shocked Capitol Hill by announcing his intent to retire at the end of this year. Rep. Obey has served in the House of Representatives since 1969 and currently serves as the chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, and the chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. This subcommittee allocates funding for all education and labor programs including CTE.

Rep. Obey has been a strong supporter of education throughout his career, and ACTE is sad to see Rep. Obey leave the House. However, we will continue to work with future committee leaders to encourage strong support for CTE. It is expected that Rep. Norman Dicks (D-WA) will take over the chairmanship of the full committee if the Democrats remain in control of the House after the November elections. It is unclear who will take over the leadership for the subcommittee, but one possibility is Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), who is the next most senior member on the subcommittee.

“There is a time to stay and a time to go. And this is my time to go,” Rep. Obey said. “I hate to do it. There is so much that needs to be done. But frankly, I am bone tired.”

By: Jamie

On Monday, May 3, the Rachael Ray Show gave a deserving teacher the gift of a lifetime. Ms. Wilma Stephenson, best known for being the “tough love” teacher in the documentary, Pressure Cooker, received a slew of gifts from the celebrity chef in recognition of her teaching abilities and her refusal to let any of her culinary arts students fail. ACTE has worked closely with Ms. Stephenson and the crew behind Pressure Cooker to raise awareness for CTE programs.

On the Rachael Ray Show, Ms. Stephenson was surprised by an unannounced visit from Ray at her school, and even more surprised by the gifts that Ray unveiled. These gifts included a brand new, state-of-the-art kitchen and bistro; a $5,000 scholarship for each culinary arts student funded by Ray’s Yum-O foundation; a class taught by Chef Bobby Flay; a $5,000 donation for the kitchen; a year-long supply of eggs; and then as an extra bonus, Ms. Stephenson received a trip to Anguilla in the Caribbean. The show announced these items throughout the hour, and also took an emotional journey through Ms. Stephenson’s and her students’ lives and the hardships that these individuals encounter. Like other CTE teachers throughout this country, Ms. Stephenson is not only a teacher, but a Mom for most of these students.

ACTE is pleased to see Ms. Stephenson in the limelight once again. It was also positive to see Rachael Ray discussing the benefits of CTE and addressing the budget woes that are affecting many programs throughout this country. ACTE will be reaching out to the Rachael Ray Show to thank her for her remarks and to Ms. Stephenson for her dedication to each and every student.

By: Steve

On April 28, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held an ESEA hearing on standards and assessments that included significant discussion about the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) and college and career readiness. Both HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (IA) and ranking Republican Senator Michael Enzi (WY) stated support for the CCSSI effort.

Several committee members including Senators Michael Enzi (WY), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Lamar Alexander (TN), asked about the CCSSI and related college and career standards related to the work. In response to a question from Senator Murray about the skills students need to be successful in college and career,  panelist Cynthia Schmeiser with ACT answered that the CCSSI assumes a common definition for both and noted that the CCSSI definition reflects ACT’s work around WorkKeys assessments. She advocated that professional development to help educators teach to the standards be a focus of the new law.

Later in the hearing, Senator Kay Hagan (NC) mentioned her state’s effort to establish the first Center on 21st century Skills. Panelist Steven Paine with the West Virginia Department of Education said measuring these skills is important. Paine, the current head of the Council of Chief State School Officers which is developing CCSSI, said that technical assessments which measure skills engage students. He also voiced support for the use of multiple assessments to measure progress.

The committee and panelists addressed a number of other subjects including how to ensure special education and English language learner students are included in standards and assessments and how to use technology to administer assessments. Look for more ESEA hearings from Congress later this spring.

By: Jamie

On Tuesday, April 27, ACTE participated in the official launch of the Skills for America—NOW! coalition on Capitol Hill. This coalition, which is being led by ACTE, has brought together education and labor organizations to address the shortage of skilled workers in the United States. The kick off was a success with Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) making remarks supporting the coalition and many other Hill staff in attendance.

During the event, the Skills for America – NOW! coalition proposed an urgent, targeted response to mobilize resources around the most cost-effective and evidence-based strategies for re-skilling the current workforce and the most effective preparation of the future American workforce, with the highest priority on re-skilling America’s laid-off workers. The strategy proposes:

• New national leadership for career and technical education.
• The urgent mobilization of both the public and private sectors with new targeted cash and tax incentive resources.
• Creation of permanent positions to guide the Federal government on investments and the needs of the nation’s human capital.

The coalition will be working over the coming months to push these objectives, and you will be hearing more about our efforts as activities unfold.

In April’s episode of ACTE’s podcast series Career Tech Talk, Jane Oates, assistant secretary of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor, talks about ETA’s goals, collaborative programs with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, green jobs initiatives and Workforce Investment Act reauthorization.

Throughout the podcast, Assistant Secretary Oates emphasized the need for the Department of Labor and workforce development system more broadly to establish stronger connections with partners and stakeholders. “So that connection with business, that connection with the Department of Education, both really critical to not only my first year here but my ongoing work at ETA, and hopefully the work of ETA long after I'm gone” said Oates in response to a question the major issues she will be addressing while leading ETA.

The Assistant Secretary also discusses her thoughts on WIA reauthorization during the podcast, emphasizing the Administration’s desire to complete the legislation this year (if only Congress would introduce a bill!). She said, “Well, the Administration decided from the onset—in order to expedite this process, since this bill refuses to be reauthorized—that we would not slow it down by writing legislation but would instead offer coordinated, regular technical assistance, along with our sister agency at Education. We've been doing that now for probably the last two months, going up and assisting the bipartisan efforts in the Senate, and we will hopefully do the same thing in the House when they begin the actual writing of the bill.”

Listen to the podcast to hear more about the Administration’s workforce development priorities!

By: Alisha

In order to help us best represent the interests of the CTE field with federal policymakers, ACTE is creating four new public policy task forces to help inform our work. Two task forces (Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Workforce Investment Act) have already been launched and are still open for members.

The application process for the two remaining task forces is now open to all interested ACTE members with the appropriate knowledge, passion and willingness to devote time to the focus of the groups. The two new task forces are the School Reform Task Force and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act Task Force.

The School Reform Task Force will develop a set of school reform recommendations. The recommendations will include review of the existing position papers “Reinventing the American High School for the 21st Century” and “Expanding Opportunities : Postsecondary Career and Technical Education and Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce.” The task force will deliberate policies which can improve both secondary and postsecondary education.

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act Task Force will undertake a thorough review of the existing law and develop a formal set of recommendations in preparation for the Perkins reauthorization, which could occur as early as 2012. The recommendations will be used as a basis for ACTE’s specific policy recommendations and will be disseminated widely to federal policymakers and state education leaders. Once preliminary feedback and thoughts have been gathered, additional topic-focused task forces may be created to address specific issues.

If you are interested in joining either the Perkins Task Force or the School Reform Task Force, visit the Policy Task Forces page on ACTE's Web site for more details and the task force applications. Applications are due on May 21, 2010. Please contact me with any additional questions.

By: Steve

This morning, Michelle Jackson with Project HIRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) at Tulsa Technology Center in Oklahoma, delivered compelling testimony about the reasons to include more flexibility and changes to requirements in the Temporary Assistant for Needy Families (TANF) program. The hearing examined the role of education and training in helping TANF recipients successfully move to self-sufficiency.

Most of the witnesses agreed with Michelle’s view that the current system’s caps on the amount of time allowed for education and training are counterproductive. For instance, there was a lot of discussion about the 30% cap on TANF recipients who can receive CTE services and the 12 month cap on work activity for postsecondary instruction. ACTE advocates that 12 months is not enough time for most recipients who require remediation and cannot earn accreditation in a skilled occupational field in only one year – most of the panel agreed.

A lone voice of dissent on the panel was Lawrence Mead with New York University who argued that eliminating the caps would discourage work experience. According to Julie Strawn, a witness with the Center on Law and Social Policy, research indicates effective programs include a mix of education, training and work experience, and that mix needs to vary according to the individual. “Programs today are very different than those of the 1980’s and 90’s,” she said.

I was pleased to be able to provide assistance to Michelle as she prepared for and delivered the testimony. One important note: Lou Ann Hargrave with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technical Education leveraged this opportunity through close contact with congressional members and staff -- an example of very effective advocacy! Identify how you can advocate for CTE on ACTE's Web site.

By: Steve

Today, I attended a meeting sponsored by the American Youth Policy Forum titled “Closing Persistent Achievement Gaps in Preparing All Youth for Long-Term Success.” The meeting was a discussion forum that brought together many Washington-based education, workforce development and civil rights organizations to discuss issues surrounding achievement gaps, and featured one of AYPF’s recent publications, “Success at Every Step.” The publication features twenty three programs which support youth on the path to college and beyond, and ACTE reported about it when it was released.

Much of the discussion was about how policy can provide the broad support that youth need. We did not get into the details of how policy should be structured at the federal level but discussed the types of supports and actions that are needed. One item that particularly resonated with me was that many people in the room believed a common definition of “college and career ready” is needed. I was pleased that ACTE’s career ready definition was highlighted; however, the conversation was more about a common definition of college and career ready from all organizations since everyone is defining it a bit differently. ACTE will want to participate in this activity!

As we delved into the discussion about what it takes to be college and career ready, the conversation turned to the nation. There was an opinion  expressed that the general public does not understand the challenges facing education (such as achievement gaps, low graduation rates and high remediation rates), nor do people feel a sense of urgency to address these issues. What do you think? Is the United States complacent about this problem?

By: Alisha

The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing on April 21 to review the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI bill and its future. Committee Chair Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) mentioned in his opening statement that he would be introducing a bill to make corrections and improvements to the program before Memorial Day.

Two panels of witnesses participated in the hearing. The first, which included representatives from the Veterans Benefits Administration and Department of Defense, focused primarily on early problems with the technical aspects of the law’s implementations. The second panel of outside organizations talked more broadly about issues in the program.

Representatives from the American Legion and the National Association of State Approving Agencies (which is made up of state agencies that determine which programs are appropriate for veterans to enroll in to utilize their educational benefits) both suggested improving the Post-9/11 GI bill by allowing institutions offering non-degree programs to be eligible to serve students. In fact, the representative from the National Association of State Approving Agencies suggested this was the number one improvement that could be made in the law. Sen. Brown also asked a question about whether the processing technology being implemented to improve administration of the program could handle these types of institutions, and the answer was “yes,” if the statute was changed.

While stand-alone bills have already been introduced in the House and Senate to address this issue (see ACTE’s previous story), a group of senators led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced broader legislation to improve education and training for veterans the day before this hearing. Their bill, the Veterans Employment Act of 2010, would also correct the issue in the Post 9-11 GI bill to allow veterans to pursue training at non-degree-granting institutions, and would make other changes you can read more about in the press release announcing the bill.

By: Sabrina

This week ACTE held a free one-hour Webinar on the Obama Administration’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) blueprint, which was led by the Department of Education (DOE). Massie Ritsch, Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Outreach for the U.S. Department of Education, Glenn Cummings, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and Judy Wurtzel, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, walked listeners through the document and answered questions about the proposal.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Cummings said during the Webinar that CTE is a key component of high school reform. With the department's plan for the reauthorization of ESEA, one of the goals is to develop and use a new generation of assessments that is aligned with college- and career-ready standards that can be used to better inform classroom instruction to respond to academic needs and measure student growth and higher-order thinking skills. DOE hopes that the new ESEA will help elevate the profession, provide multiple career ladders for teachers, multiple measurements for assessments, increase the amount of professional development and strengthen teacher preparation.

If you missed the Webinar this week, make sure to listen or download a copy of the presentation.

By: Sabrina

Yesterday, ACTE officially released its career readiness definition to the press during a teleconference. The paper, “What is ‘Career Ready'?,” outlines three broad sets of skills students need to be career-ready: core academic skills, employability skills and technical skills.

Recently, the Obama Administration and groups such as the National Governors Association (NGA), Council of Chief State School Officers (CSSO) and other national and state policymakers have discussed the importance of high schools preparing students to be “college- and career-ready.” However, most of the discussion has centered on college readiness, with little focus on actual career readiness. ACTE created the paper to broaden the national discussion around the term career readiness and increase the recognition of the broad range of skills students need to succeed in 21st century careers.

Media and representatives of other groups, including staff from Capitol Hill, listened in on the call. Inside Higher Education, Education Week, and Converge Magazine have written stories about the career readiness definition. ACTE sent the career readiness definition to Capitol Hill yesterday, and will send copies to governors, CTE state directors, national education groups and chief state school officers this week.

By: Jamie

Today, I attended the National Council of Women’s Organizations congressional briefing, “Making WIA Work for Women: Reforming the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to Help Women Gain Quality Jobs and Narrow the Wage Gap.” This meeting was very insightful into how the services women receive under WIA lag behind the services that men receive. For example, women who are involved with the WIA program make close to $1500 per quarter less than men.

The meeting focused on providing women with all career options, including salary and working conditions information, so they can make an informed decision when deciding which occupational training or career to pursue. According to a panelist, 65 percent of women said that if they had more career information readily available to them they would not have chosen a career in a traditionally female field.

Another panelist discussed aligning WIA’s data collection with Perkins data collection efforts. Currently, Perkins requires administrators to report on the success of students enrolled in nontraditional programs and to disaggregate data by several special populations categories, which draws attention to the success of those groups. If WIA would require reporting on special populations and workers in nontraditional occupations like Perkins, then program administrators would have to focus more on these underserved populations.

This is just one issue that Congress will consider as it prepares to consider the reauthorization of WIA. ACTE continue to track the reauthorization and keep you updated on new developments or proposals.

By: Alisha

On April 6, the Department of Education announced the availability of $350 million in Race to the Top funds for the development of common assessments by consortia of states. The funds will be awarded through two separate competitions, a Comprehensive Assessment System grant and a High School Course Assessment grant.

The High School Course Assessment grant will provide funding for consortia of at least 5 states to develop new assessment programs that cover multiple high school courses. The requirements specifically allow for both the development of assessments for academics as well as career and technical education courses! Consortia that include CTE will include a competitive preference in the grant process.

The Comprehensive Assessment System grant will be available to consortia of at least 15 states to develop new assessment systems that measure student knowledge and skills against a common set of college- and career-ready standards in mathematics and English language arts.

According to guidelines released by the department, the new assessments must:

• Measure standards that are rigorous, globally competitive, and consistent across the states in the consortium.
• Provide accurate information about what students know and can do—including both students’ achievement of standards and students’ academic growth from year to year.
• Reflect and support good instructional practice so they inspire great teaching.
• Include all students from the outset—including English learners and students with disabilities.
• Present data to everyone who needs it—students, parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers—in ways that are clear, useful and actionable.

Applications are June 23 and grants will be awarded in September. It is estimated that one or two consortia will receive funding under comprehensive grant and only one consortium will be funded under the high school course grant.

By: Alisha

On April 1, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a field hearing titled, “Career and College Readiness in Practice.” The hearing, part of a series begin conducted by the HELP Committee to prepare for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, was held at Metro Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio, and involved a number of local practitioners sharing about their efforts to increase students’ college and career readiness. ACTE Educational Institution Member Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development was represented at the hearing by its senior vice president, Steven Jackson. Great Oaks was invited to testify by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.

Mr. Jackson’s testimony emphasized that CTE has evolved over the years to reflect economic opportunities and that CTE programs can provide students with numerous advantages upon high school graduation, including industry credentials and certifications. He also stressed the role of Great Oaks in preparing students for both careers and college through rigorous, integrated academics and opportunities for accelerated learning programs such as dual enrollment and articulation agreements; and highlighted the importance of partnerships with business and industry and the postsecondary community.

This hearing provided an opportunity to highlight the role of CTE in the issues that Congress is focusing on as ESEA is reauthorized, and we hope it plants some seeds as the legislative process moves forward!

By: Alisha

An article posted yesterday on Yahoo’s “hot jobs” page echoed what many CTE advocates already know—that CTE prepares students to enter the jobs that are available in today’s economy. “Jobs That Are Growing—Despite the Recession” lists nine career possibilities where jobs are “relatively plentiful.” The career fields are:

• Bus/Truck Mechanics
• Physical and Massage Therapists
• Special Education Teachers
• Environmental Engineers
• Healthcare
• Nursing
• Finance/Banking
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Wind Energy Technicians

The take-away message of the article was that individuals looking for work should target their search to career areas where there is high demand, even if those areas require them to get additional education and training. CTE has a definite role to play in ensuring students know about high-demand career fields and can get the skills needed to have success in those areas!

By: Steve

“This is our time,” said Office of Vocational and Adult Education Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier today during a planning session at the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium’s spring meeting. The planning session focused on the future of CTE as the state director’s unveil their document identifying a new vision of CTE, and provided an opportunity for dialogue with the assistant secretary on a range of issues related to CTE, school improvement and federal education laws.

The assistant secretary urged directors to think broadly about federal laws and asked them to insert themselves into state conversations about ESEA and other legislation. She emphasized that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan does not want CTE and adult education to be an afterthought and noted that there has been much communication from the White House and other federal departments and agencies regarding how CTE might fit into policies outside of the Perkins law. Much of the attention centers on CTE Programs of Study and how those programs might be integrated into academic policies.

“We don’t want to just look at tinkering around the edges,” said Dann-Messier. She said that the Office of Vocational and Adult Education is working in a number of ways to promote CTE. One of those actions includes development of an issue brief based on the Workforce Investment Act recommendations released by ACTE and NASDCTEc.

The planning session followed a morning address by the assistant secretary where she noted that the Department of Education is working to ensure no states lose funding as a result of the Perkins Tech Prep and Basic State Grant consolidation proposal included in President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget.

By: Sabrina

Today, the Department of Education announced that Delaware and Tennessee won grants in the first phase of the Race to the Top competition. States included information about getting students ready for college and careers in their winning entries. Here are a few highlights:

Delaware

• The state wants to have 70 percent of its graduates enroll in college by 2014, includes aligning K-12 and college readiness requirements.
• The state will host a standard-setting event that will bring together K-12, postsecondary experts and assessment experts to ensure that that assessment scores represent college-and career-ready status for all high schools, align high school graduation requirements with two public universities, and develop specific grade-level assessments.
• Starting in the 2010-11 school year, the state will implement a college-preparedness curriculum in middle school to begin developing a college ready mindset in students.
• Students will develop Student Success Plans as part of the Reaching Higher for Success Initiative, which are personalized goals and pathways to high school graduation.

Tennessee

• Since 2003, Tennessee focused on individual school needs to help make strides in increasing its four-year graduation rate by adding graduation coaches, creating smaller learning communities, and starting dual enrollment programs with local colleges. About half of Tennessee’s approximately 400 high schools have freshmen academies.
• Tennessee's feeder-to-reciever initiative launched in 2002 uses adult mentors and academic coaches to help students succeed as the move from the ninth grade.
• Tenessee is putting in place new tougher standards and assessments to better prepare students for college or for the world of work.
• The state held a summit with business and industry that identified gaps between business needs and workforce skills, and the state developed rigorous standards in 2008 to educate and build a qualified workforce.
• Tennessee is going to expand its data system to P-20 and include an early-warning system, hoping to achieve a 90 percent graduation rate.
• Starting in 2013, the Tennessee Diploma Project will align public college/university requirements to high school graduation requirements, including more rigorous courses and academic standards linked to assessments.

Delaware will receive approximately $100 million and Tennessee approximately $500 million to implement their school reform plans over the next four years. The second round of applications is due June 1.

By: Jamie

Over the last few months, Congress has been working on legislation that aims to create and retain jobs. The effort began in December, when the House passed a $157 billion Jobs for Main Street Act that included many provisions for education and worker training. The Senate has been unable to secure enough votes to pass a similar size bill, so its strategy has been to break the House’s large bill into many different pieces. Since then, numerous pieces of legislation have been passed by both chambers. Below is a summary of the activity.

• H.R. 2847, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, was passed by Congress and signed into law on March 18. This $17.6 billion bill contains tax credits for new hires, allocations for highway renovations, an expansion of the Build America Bonds program, and a provision that allows companies to write off equipment purchases as a business expense. The bond program in particular could benefit education by financing new facilities.
• H.R. 4213, the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010, was originally passed in the House on December 9, 2009, but was amended by the Senate on March 10, 2010. It now awaits further action in the House. This bill extends unemployment programs such as COBRA, numerous tax provisions, and also includes items for education, such as a tax deduction for teachers and other school employees who purchase classroom materials out of pocket.
• H.R. 4899, the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010, was passed in the House on March 24. In addition to funding for disaster relief, this bill would provide $600 million for summer youth job programs, similar to those funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last year. This bill now awaits action in the Senate.
• H.R. 4812, the Local Jobs for America Act, was introduced by Rep. Miller (D-CA) to provide $23 billion to help save education jobs, as well as additional funding to help local governments keep workers. The education funding was also included as part of the December House-passed Jobs for Main Street Act. There have been discussions in the Senate about moving the $23 billion for education jobs, which would be funneled through the American Recover and Reinvestment Act’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, but a specific plan has not been released.

ACTE will continue to monitor these bills, and others that may be introduced, and will keep you updated on the education and workforce development implications.

By: Alisha

Late on March 22, the House passed H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, by a vote of 220-211. While much of this bill (and the attention surrounding it) was focused on health care, there were education provisions included. As we reported last week, portions of the House-passed Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act did get incorporated into this legislation.

Most notably for CTE, the bill would provide additional funding for Pell Grants to shore up minimum grant amounts, and provide $2 billion for new “Community College and Career Training Grants.” The language ultimately passed by the House had been tweaked slightly from the draft released last week, and the grants seem to be more focused on serving those eligible for trade adjustment assistance (references to those also receiving unemployment assistance were removed).

The Senate is expected to begin debate on the bill this week, although procedural objections and possible amendments could complicate its final passage. ACTE will keep you updated as the process move forward.

By: Alisha

In order to help us best represent the interests of the CTE field with federal policymakers, ACTE is creating four new public policy task forces to help inform our work. The application process for these task forces is open to all interested ACTE members with the appropriate knowledge, passion and willingness to devote time to the focus of the group. Geographic and discipline diversity will be considered in the final selection of the task force membership, but we are really looking for people with an interest in policy and legislation and the ability to provide a local perspective on how federal policies might affect CTE around the country.

The first two task forces will be on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorizations. These two task forces are designed to operate during the congressional consideration of these two laws to provide feedback to ACTE staff regarding legislative proposals and policy developments during the reauthorization process. These groups will not have a formal meeting schedule. Most of the work will be accomplished over e-mail on an as-needed basis, with the possibility of some conference calls. For example, as the House and Senate introduce legislation in these areas, ACTE will contact the task forces for their feedback on specific issues.

If you are interested in joining either the ESEA Task Force or the WIA Task Force, visit the ACTE Web site’s new “Policy Task Forces” page for more details and instructions. You can also contact me with any additional questions.

In a few weeks, you will be hearing more from us about the two other task forces we plan to launch—on school reform and Perkins reauthorization. These two task forces will have more definitive goals and thus will be smaller groups with a more rigorous application process.

By: Alisha

Late yesterday, Congress finally unveiled the contents of a “reconciliation” bill, H.R. 4872, that will likely be considered over the weekend by the House and then by the Senate. As reported earlier in the week, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) is being included in this reconciliation bill, along with health care reform policies, in order to ensure its passage.

After a week of disappointing reports, there was great news in the draft bill! $2 billion is included to help community colleges “develop and improve educational or career training programs”! Thank you to all of you who responded to ACTE’s Legislative Alert on this issue and weighed in with members of Congress on the importance of new resources. Our early reviews lead us to believe that area CTE centers would also be eligible for this funding, and we are working to confirm this.

The new funds would provide $500 million a year for the next four years for the “Community College and Career Training Grant Program” through the Trade Adjustment Assistance account in the Department of Labor (authorized but not funded by last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). The grants would be competitive, but each state would receive at least 0.5 percent of the total. Programs must be targeted toward dislocated workers or those in danger of becoming unemployed, although may serve other students.

The bill would also invest $36 billion over 10 years in the Pell Grant program, largely to shore up current funding levels for the influx of new participants, and provide $750 million for College Access Challenge Grants. Still missing are funds from the original legislation for educational facilities and renovations and for early childhood education.

For more details, you can read news coverage from the American Association of Community Colleges, view a fact sheet on the education portions of the bill from House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, and if you are really interested, read the entire bill online. Congress is expected to vote as early as March 21, but with all the procedural issues surrounding the broader health care legislation and this reconciliation bill, anything could happen. Stay tuned to the blog for more info!

By: Jamie

On March 18, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified in front of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. The secretary discussed and defended the president’s Fiscal Year 2011 proposed budget for programs housed primarily in the Department of Education.

Members of the Appropriations Subcommittee took this opportunity to ask the rationale behind the president’s proposals. Although no representative asked a question specific to the Perkins program, Congressman Ryan asked how the department was planning on expanding robotic programs in CTE schools. Secretary Duncan responded that extracurricular programs like robotics were essential and he will continue to work to expand their funding.

A particular concern that members of the subcommittee shared was the shift from formula-funded programs to competitive grant funding. Currently, the Administration is funding programs authorized through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), such as Race to the Top, through competitive grants, and has proposed in the president’s budget to make more programs competitive. The concern is for high-need, low-performing schools which need additional resources. These institutions often do not have access to a grant writer and there are budgetary concerns for all schools if they are unsure of funding. The secretary understood these issues and reassured the committee that ¾ of the president’s proposed budget is still formula funded, and that they are not looking for fancy grants, but for schools and programs in need of additional resources.

Committee members also continue to be concerned about the department’s direction in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, student loan provisions and closing the achievement gap.

ACTE is scheduling meetings with appropriators to talk about the need for quality CTE programs in secondary and postsecondary institutions.

By: Steve

The House Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee held a hearing on March 18 to examine how to address diverse learners issues in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The hearing took place only one day after Education Secretary Arne Duncan's appearance before the House and Senate full education committees to address the Obama Administration's ESEA blueprint.

A diverse set of wItnesses included three school district superintendents and those representing the interests of low-income and minority students, English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and Native American and homeless students. Several of the witnesses offered recommendations of how to improve academic persistence and performance from diverse learners including investment in supports to create more equitable learning conditions such as better data systems, proven interventions and assistive technology to address various learning disabilities. Several witnesses said that academic targets must not be lowered for diverse populations and recommended addressing cultural sensitivities and parental involvement.

Dr. Daniel Curry, Superintendent of a rural Deleware school district asked members of the subcommittee to consider ESEA's accountability functions effects on small rural districts. Rural schools are more likely to have small schools and classrooms which has a magnified effect on accountability said Dr. Curry. Dr. Jack Dale from Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools said that significant attention to design of assessments is important. He nted Virginia's work on implementing new portfolio assessments which he believes better gauge performance of some students who do not perform well on traditional tests.

Members of Congress on the committee seemed interested in many of the district and school level comments but provided little indication about what would be included in a House bill.

By: Jamie

On March 17, the Senate passed the $17.6 billion jobs package, H.R. 2847, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, by a 68-29 vote. The president signed the bill today and stated that “It is the first of what I hope will be a series of jobs packages that help to continue to put people back to work.”

This particular piece of the jobs package has been sent back and forth between the two chambers of Congress several times. The final legislation contains tax credits for employers to hire new employees, allocations for highway renovations, a provision that enables companies to receive a tax write off for equipment purchases, and an extension of Build America Bonds, which expands subsidies for school construction bonds. As part of the Build America Bond program, a 100 percent subsidy will be provided for direct federal interest payments for Qualified School Construction and Qualified Zone Academy Bonds. School districts will have the option of issuing such bonds either as under current law and having the bond purchaser receive a tax credit in lieu of interest or issuing them via this mechanism whereby the district is paid its interest via this direct federal payment. In another provision of interest to education, public institutions of higher education can participate in the the tax credit for employers that hire new workers, but school districts are not eligible.

The House and the Senate continue to work on legislation for to create jobs and support workers. The House is expected to pass an extension of unemployment benefits and the Senate is currently working on an aviation bill that is expected to spur job growth. ACTE will continue to keep you updated on any new jobs packages that impact CTE.

By: Alisha

In 2006, Civic Enterprises’ report The Silent Epidemic shed new light on the reasons that students drop out of high school. In that report, 47 percent of those surveyed said they dropped out of high school because their classes were not interesting, and respondents consistently noted that school did not seem relevant.

The perspectives of parents and teachers were considered in two follow-up reports by Civic Enterprises, and in March 2010, a fourth report in this important series was released. “Raising Their Voices: Engaging Students, Teachers and Parents to Help End the High School Dropout Epidemic,” brings together all three groups previously surveyed at four focus group sites to explore in depth the earlier findings and disconnects. For example, only 20 percent of teachers saw students’ lack of interest in school as a major factor in their dropping out, compared to the high number of students who cited this reason.

Out of the discussions came a new understanding and greater collaborative effort toward reducing dropouts. A lack of relevance surfaced as a major issue in these discussions, as it had with students. The report elaborates, “Most students, teach­ers, and parents recognized that a failure to connect classroom learning to career interests and the real world was a problem underlying high school dropout and that this failure, compared to many other causes, was something that could be addressed with dynamic, engaging teachers, students receptive to learning, and parents willing to engage.”All three groups also supported more CTE programs for students to help address the relevancy issue, and more explicit connections between all coursework and the real world.

You can listen to the authors of the report discuss their findings on an Education WeekWebinar, and use the discussion guides included in the report to host your own community conversation on addressing the dropout issue.

By: Sabrina

In today’s issue of USA Today, Mary Beth Marklein wrote an article entitled, “What if a college education just isn’t for everyone?” The story discusses how society tells everyone that they need to go to college and raises concerns about this issue. The author provides data showing that good jobs increasingly need a college degree, but expresses concern that fewer than 60 percent of new students graduate from college in six years and only one in three community college students earn a degree. This data leads to the articles’ question of whether it's realistic and responsible to push students into college even if the odds of academic success seem low.

The article briefly mentions that policymakers are broadening the definition of a “college” degree to include two-year community colleges and other credentials after high school, but didn’t talk much about the merits of these various diverse options. However, the article didn’t address how all students should be prepared academically for college, whether it’s a four-year or two-year degree, apprenticeship programs, or other postsecondary training opportunities.

One program that was highlighted was an apprenticeship program in Wisconsin that’s helping students explore career options, but the article should have included more information on the important role career guidance plays in helping youth and adults choose a career and postsecondary options. Programs like CTE and apprenticeships can help provide more opportunities for students to explore different careers and allow them to choose postsecondary options that will connect to their future goals, ultimately helping them to be more successful.

It’s important for ACTE and CTE educators to continue to educate the media, policymakers and parents about the different ways students can access “postsecondary education,” which include accelerated high school programs like early and middle college high schools, program of study, and dual enrollment. What are your thoughts about her argument? ACTE is working on a response and will submit a letter to the editor.

By: Alisha

On March 15, the Department of Labor announced that $125 million was being made available through a competition for community-based job training grants to support workforce training programs. Awards for individual institutions will range from $1 million to $3 million.

Applications are due April 29, 2010, and complete requirements are available in the federal register. Interested applicants are encouraged to view a pre-recorded Webinar, which will be available at http://www.workforce3one.org on April 6. Below is a short excerpt from the press release:

Community-Based Job Training Grants will be awarded through a competitive process to support workforce training for high-growth/high-demand industries through the national system of community, technical and tribal colleges. In order to be eligible for consideration under this solicitation, an applicant must be: (1) an individual community or technical college, such as a public community college, a nonprofit community college, a tribally controlled college or a tribally controlled university, (2) a community college district, (3) a state community college system, (4) a One-Stop Career Center in partnership with its local workforce investment board that specifies one or more community or technical colleges where education/training activities will occur or (5) another entity proposing to serve an educationally underserved community without access to community or technical colleges that meets requirements outlined in the solicitation for grant applications.

By: Steve

Over the weekend, the Obama Administration released a blueprint outlining its Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) proposal. The blueprint builds on Race to the Top by focusing on five areas: (1) College- and career-ready students; (2) Great teachers and leaders in every school; (3) Equity and opportunity for all students; (4) Raise the bar and reward excellence; and (5) Promote innovation and continuous improvement.

Not surprisingly, the plan supports the work of the nation’s governors and chief state school officers to develop a common core of rigorous standards in English language arts and mathematics, and asks states to adopt state level, measurable standards and aligned assessments. On a press call, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described the accountability measures as different than the current No Child Left Behind Act because it allows greater flexibility on how to implement the reform and provides rewards to schools, districts and states which are making progress.

Secretary Duncan said the proposal focuses on the nation’s chronically underperforming schools and schools which have high achievement gaps. The Secretary also noted that there are “sticks” as well as rewards in the plan. Schools which fail to identify research-based interventions to address achievement gaps will lose control of their Title I funding after three years. Control will go to the state.

The Administration says that developing new standards and performance targets takes time but that many parts of the blueprint can be implemented right away. Teachers unions have been critical of the plan saying it continues to rely too heavily on standardized tests to identify good performance and places too much burden on teachers. ACTE is reviewing the full plan and will have additional comment.

By: Alisha

Over the last week, the conversations around ESEA reauthorization have reached a fever pitch. Following the House’s lead, the Senate held its first hearing on ESEA reauthorization on March 9. The hearing was titled, “ESEA Reauthorization: The Importance of World-Class K-12 Education for our Economic Success,” and featured testimony from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, the Business Roundtable, the National Education Association, and the Chairman and CEO of H-E-B Supermarkets in San Antonio, Texas.

Interestingly, this first Senate hearing was very broad, and focused on the links between education and economic development and prosperity. While the NEA was represented, the other panelists all had a business and industry slant. The theme of increasing student skill levels in order to increase both students' individual economic prosperity and the country's economic success was repeated throughout. Few concrete solutions were offered, but some of the topics explored included recruiting and rewarding teachers, reducing class size and involving parents. Sen. Murray asked an interesting question about what students need to know, and one of the panelists said that workforce readiness is often getting lost in the conversations about education. This is an area where CTE can play a strong role.  

While there is no word on when legislation might be introduced in the Senate, Sen. Harkin has stated publically that he plans to mark up an ESEA reauthorization bill in May with a Senate floor vote to follow in June. The timing and content of a Senate bill will likely be shaped by the Administration’s priorities. It was announced this week that on March 17, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will testify before the House Education and Labor Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the Administration’s ESEA reauthorization blueprint.

Education Week reporter Alyson Klein has a great blog titled, “ESEA Renewal: What We Know So Far,” that outlines some of the policy proposals that have already been mentioned by the Administration, such as college- and career-ready standards, and provides a preview of other items that may be in the blueprint.

By: Sabrina

Yesterday, the Education Department released the names of 15 states and the District of Columbia as finalists for the Race to the Top (RTTT) grant. Finalists will send representatives to D.C. during the week of March 15, and they will interview with the panel that reviewed their applications. Winners will be announced in April.

Here are the finalists for the RTTT Grants:

• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvannia
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• DC

One interesting note about the finalist is they all signed onto the Common Core Standards Initiative, which is led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Seven of the states either removed barriers preventing the expanison of public charter schools (Illinois, Louisiana and Tennessee) or advanced policies to stregthen and preserve charters (Massachusetts, Ohio and Rhode Island).

According to a Washington Post article, analysts are surprised about New York, Ohio and Kentucky being finalists and California missing the cut. The Department of Education has said it will award no more than half the funding available for RTTT in the first round (about $2 billion), and the funds will be divided among a few winners. States that applied in the first round but aren't ultimately chosen can reapply for the second round. These applications are due in June.

By: Jamie

On March 4, the House passed a revised version of the Senate’s first jobs package. By a 217-201 vote, the House approved a $17.6 billion bill that focuses on tax breaks for companies hiring new employees, allocations for highway renovations, an expansion of the Build America Bonds program, and a provision that allows companies to write off equipment purchases as a business expense. The vote was close due to opposition from fiscally conservative members who thought the legislation was too costly and liberal legislators who believe that the proposal did not go far enough to spur job creation.

The Senate had passed a $15 billion jobs package on February 24, and then the legislation moved to the House where amendments were added which increased the overall allocations in the bill to $17.6 billion. The legislation will now move back to the Senate for final passage, unless more amendments are added then it will return to the House to be voted on once again.

This legislation is significantly smaller than the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 that the House passed in December. That $154 billion bill focused on many additional issues including education and workforce training. The Senate lacked the votes to pass that large of a bill, so its strategy is to do a series of bills. The $17.6 billion bill is the first in this series.

By: Alisha

Earlier today, the House Science and Technology Committee held a hearing titled, “Reform in K-12 STEM Education.” Committee Chair Bart Gordon opened the hearing by linking STEM education to the country’s economic success. He said, “Our Committee has repeatedly heard that we need more STEM educated graduates and teachers if we want to continue to be leaders in the global economy and maintain a high standard of living for all Americans.”

This idea was repeated numerous times by panelists as they provided the Committee input into the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act of 2007, which focused on increasing STEM-related capacity in education, research and development, and innovation.

The thing I found most interesting about the hearing, however, was the fact that witnesses and Members of Congress alike used so many words and phrases that I identify directly with CTE:

• “motivating and inspiring students”
• “project-based learning”
• “do school differently”
• “community colleges are the front door to the American dream
• “STEM competency for all students”
• “partnerships”
• “pathways”

Several witnesses also talked about the pressing need to show students the application of STEM disciplines to real-world problems in order to stimulate their interests in the subjects and motivate them to pursue related careers. Another witness also cited the "lack of technically trained young people" (although he identified being "technically trained" with getting a bachelor’s degree in a STEM subject).

All these comments reinforced my belief in the critical role CTE has to play in advancing STEM education, (you can read more in ACTE's Issue Brief on this topic) although I was disappointed none of the witnesses seemed to make that connection. This is an area ACTE will continue to work on over the coming months.

By: Sabrina

In Time/CNN online this week, Ramesh Ponnuru wrote an article entitled, “College Education, Good Jobs: Why Degrees Are Overrated.” His article contends that not everyone is well-suited to go to college and implies it’s unwise that employers use a college degree to judge if a person has the appropriate skills for employment. Society tells students that everyone needs to get a liberal arts degree, but statistics show that the number of people that enter college and graduate is less than 25%. Near the end of his column, Ponnuru mentions that not everyone needs to go to college and provides alternatives like online learning, certification tests and expanding career and technical education.

The column does a great job highlighting other options to college. Research shows that most of the high-demand, high-wage jobs need a postsecondary degree. Although the column highlights the importance of CTE, it starts to revert back to the old way of thinking that CTE is for students not going to college, but the exact opposite is true. Many students in CTE are scoring higher than “other” students and graduating high school with rigorous and relevant CTE courses. An article I read on Friday describes how CTE students in Clarksville- Montgomery County School System in Tennessee outscored the state in academic attainment in reading, language arts, math, technical skills and graduation rate.

Articles like these can be very powerful advocacy tools! It’s critical that CTE educators not only collect data on CTE, but use it to educate the press and your state and national policymakers. Meet with the education reporter and make the connection between graduation rates and test scores to CTE. Educate parents with these statistics and illustrate how CTE has changed! Think about the impact you could make if you showed statistics like those in Tennessee, and help policymakers understand that this is why CTE programs need more money.

By: Alisha

With only one week remaining before ACTE's 2010 National Policy Seminar, we are busy making the final preparations. The agenda is close to being complete, with just a few remaining tweaks to be made this week. Speakers recently confirmed include:

• Teresa Frison, Executive Assistant/Legislative Assistant, Rep. Jerry McNerney’s Office
• Patricia Brennan-Gac, Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor to the CEO, Learning Point Associates
• Jennifer McGee, Senior Public Affairs Advisor, Holland and Knight
• Neil Ridley; Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Development; Center for Law and Social Policy
• Mala Thakur, Executive Director, National Youth Employment Coalition
• David Johns; Senior Education Advisor; Senator Tom Harkin; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Maria Worthen; Education Policy Advisor (Majority); Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Sonja H. Trainor, Senior Staff Attorney, Office of General Counsel, National School Boards Association
• Betsy Brand, Executive Director, American Youth Policy Forum
• Gregg Betheil, Senior Executive for Career and Technical Education, New York City Department of Education
• David Wakelyn, Program Director, National Governors Association

This new group of speakers includes several Capitol Hill staff to provide insights into their work, a legal expert to talk about issues related to engaging students in advocacy activities, and an expert on congressional earmarks that can provide insight into helping you secure this funding.  

In recent days, we've gotten several questions about whether the Administration's proposal to combine the Perkins Tech Prep and Basic State Grant programs will be covered at the meeting. We will definitely be addressing this issue during our Issues Briefing and there will be materials in the NPS Legislative Handbook that attendees will receive. In addition, we have alerted OVAE Assistant Secretary Dann-Messier that this is an issue our membership is very interested in.

If you registered for NPS before February 22, you should have received a reminder e-mail from ACTE last week that discussed making appointments with you Members of Congress. If you did not recieve that message or have additional questions, please e-mail ACTE's Advocacy Manager Jamie Baxter and she'll be happy to assist you. We look forward to seeing many of you in a few days!

By: Steve

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, February 24 to discuss how to build a stronger workforce investment system through reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) noted during his opening remarks that current high unemployment statistics combined with businesses’ inability to attract enough qualified workers to fill openings is an indication that there is a disconnect and a lack of access to the type of training and education that many individuals need. Democrats and Republicans on the HELP Committee, who have worked well together, agreed on the need to revamp the WIA system and voiced some frustration over the House of Representative’s inability to make WIA progress to date.

Witnesses testifying before the committee provided a variety of suggestions on how to improve the law. Anthony Carnevale with Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce was encouraged by the Obama Administration’s inclusion of $261 million in the president’s budget to link and break down silos between education and labor departments, which many on the panel agreed was a problem. Several panelists encouraged allowing more flexibility in how WIA funds are spent, noting that federal funding streams and rules are often too rigid. Alignment of WIA programs to encourage more postsecondary degree, certification and apprenticeship completion, and incentives to encourage more Workforce Investment Board collaboration, were also offered as suggestions.

Several senators voiced support for the community college system. Robert Templin with Northern Virginia Community College agreed and communicated that community colleges are often underutilized and need to have a place at the table related to WIA Boards.

View the ACTE-NASDCTEc WIA recommendations on the ACTE Web site.

By: Jamie

On Wednesday, February 24, the Senate passed the first portion of its “jobs bill” package with a bi-partisan vote of 70-28. The legislation now moves back to the House, which passed a much larger piece of legislation, the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010, in December. The Senate’s $15 billion bill includes a range of tax credits for hiring new employees and allocations for highway renovations. The $154 billion bill that the House passed focused on many additional issues including education and workforce training. The Senate’s strategy was to break the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 into a few individual bills to increase chances of gaining bi-partisan support and reduce opposition.

Currently, some Representatives are concerned about the legislation because of its impact on the federal deficit while others believe that the bill does not go far enough to address the current economic crisis. Despite these concerns, the legislation is scheduled to be voted on the House floor on Monday, March 1.

ACTE is currently tracking this legislation and will provide updates to the CTE Policy Watch Blog as soon as the legislation moves.

By: Jamie

Earlier today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before the House Budget Committee about the Administration’s FY 2011 budget proposal. During this hearing a few members of the committee expressed concern about the proposed increase in the Department of Education’s budget during a time while the budget deficit is continuing to grow. Secretary Duncan responded to this by saying, “I think we need to educate ourselves to a better economy.” He continued by saying that the best investment the American people can make is investing in education and holding the Department of Education accountable.

In addition to the deficit, a few committee members expressed their concern with the department moving toward a block grant structure and proposing to expand competitive grants for key education programs. These members of the committee feel that this structure would provide “winners and losers” and not provide for every child that is in need. Secretary Duncan assured the committee that the department is committed to helping every child become career and college ready.

In regards to higher education, Secretary Duncan addressed the struggle in the Senate to finalize the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which would move all student loans to the Department of Education and includes a substantial influx of money for community colleges. The secretary stressed that they are working with the Senate to get this legislation passed. He also discussed the need to increase capacity for community colleges and labeled job training in community colleges as a “hidden gem” that needs to continue to flourish and train students for high-wage, high-demand jobs like sustainability, health care, technology, etc.

For more information regarding the president’s budget proposal for FY 2011 please see the ACTE’s Web site.

By: Sabrina

Today, ACTE, DECA, FCCLA and Education Daily toured CTE programs and academies at Falls Church High School in Arlington, Virginia. It was a great visit! Students and teachers discussed the importance of CTE and its impact in their life. All of the students loved the hands-on learning and experience they received in and outside the classroom. We toured a number of programs including marketing, auto tech, business, technology, culinary arts, dental careers, EMS, practical nursing, pharmacy tech, criminal justice and exploring health careers.

During the marketing class, four students talked about their experience with learning how to write business plans, developing their communication and creativity skills, and gaining experience in the real world. Students in the marketing class worked with culinary students to create their own coffee, which they have marketed to the community and along the east coast. In three years, the students have made more than $10,000 selling coffee with the profits going into their technology fund and other projects at the school. The students showed passion about marketing, and they said the skills they are learning in the classroom can be translated into any career.

The teachers talked about how these courses are providing students with the knowledge and skills to be competitive in the job market, but also how they give students a leg up when they enter their postsecondary education. Becky Trkula, the practical nursing teacher, told us that students have written her letters letting her know that they have more knowledge about nursing than some of their counterparts in college because of their experience with CTE.

Each year ACTE enjoys visiting a local school to gain a better perspective of how students are learning in the classroom. It helps us advocate for CTE on Capitol Hill and provide media with great stories! During February or any time of year, invite policymakers, media, members of your local chamber of commerce, and other organizations to take a tour of your CTE program. It will provide a great opportunity to showcase how CTE is a great investment!

By: Sabrina

Last week the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) released information about a new plan that will allow sophomores in high school to graduate early and immediately enroll in community college courses if they pass a number of tests called board exams. These exams will show if a student has mastered information in courses like math, English, science and history. NCEE hopes this will help reduce the number of high school graduates that need remedial courses when they enroll in college.

The program is modeled after countries like England, Denmark, Finland and Singapore. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided NCEE with a $1.5 million planning grant that will allow NCEE the opportunity to work with eight states to begin the pilot project with coursework starting in 2011. The eight states are Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Each state will have 10-20 schools participating in the program.

A NY Times article discusses how this new plan will help reduce the number of remedial courses at community colleges because it will provide an early warning system to help students understand the skills they need to improve before enrolling in college. Do you think this will provide an accurate assessment to show how prepared students are for the postsecondary level?

By: Alisha

Earlier today, key House Democrat and Republican leaders took a key step toward reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Much has been made about partisanship on Capitol Hill in recent months, but Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Ranking Member John Kline (R-MN), and Subcommittee Chair Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) and Ranking Member Michael N. Castle (R-DE) have pledged to work together.

In a statement released February 18, these representatives said:

“Today, we’re announcing a bipartisan, open and transparent effort to rewrite No Child Left Behind – a law that we all agree is in need of major reform. It will start with a series of hearings in the coming weeks to explore the challenges and opportunities ahead as we work to ensure an excellent education is available to every student in America. With a real commitment to innovation, we invite all stakeholders who share our serious interest in building a world-class education system to email us their suggestions.”

The hearings are expected to begin next week with a focus on charter schools, and will likely continue throughout the spring. The House Education and Labor Committee has also released a new e-mail address for comments on the ESEA reauthorization—eseacomments@mail.house.gov. The deadline for comments is March 26, and ACTE will be submitting its reauthorization priorities on behalf of the CTE community.

Despite this renewed focus on the legislation, the reauthorization is still a monumental undertaking in a year with very little room in the legislative calendar. Personally, I remain doubtful that much will be accomplished due to the tight timeframe, but this announcement is a positive step in the right direction (and hopefully I will be proven wrong)!

By: Alisha

Earlier this week, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis testified for the first time on Capitol Hill before the House Education and Labor Committee. The hearing was titled, “Strengthening the Economy and Improving the Lives of American Workers,” and provided Secretary Solis and committee members the opportunity to review the overall agenda and priorities of the Department of Labor.

One of the top five goals for the department in 2010, as outlined in the secretary’s written testimony, is to “increase opportunities for America’s workers to acquire the skills and knowledge to succeed in a knowledge-based economy.” Unfortunately, there was very little discussion of job training during the hearing, with the exception of some comments about grants issued by the Department of Labor in high-growth areas like heath care and energy.

Most of the discussion was about how to create jobs. In his opening statement, Committee Chairman Miller said, “We will not rest until the millions of Americans still out of work find a job.” There were numerous questions about how more jobs can be created, the effect of the stimulus, and employee protections and wage rules. Secretary Solis emphasized the number of jobs created by the stimulus and the Administration’s desire for passage of a new jobs bill.

There was some useful insight on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) during the hearing. Secretary Solis mentioned that the Department of Labor is already working with the Senate on a bi-partisan bill, and that she hopes to also work with the House in this manner to pass a WIA bill this year. This affirms earlier rumors we had heard that the Senate might be ready to introduce a bill soon and was further ahead in the process than the House.

By: Jamie

On Monday, February 1, President Obama released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act remains frozen at FY 2010 levels and the Tech Prep program would be consolidated into the Perkins Basic State Grants under the proposal.

Tech Prep was not the only program to be consolidated; the Administration proposed 38 programs to be consolidated into 11 funding streams and eliminated six other programs in the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Along with the consolidation, the Administration proposes to increase funding for ESEA by $3 billion, which includes expansion of the Race to the Top, $500 million for the Investing in Innovation Fund, and an increase in funds for charter schools. The budget also reserves an additional $1 billion for Congress to use if ESEA is reauthorized this year.

In regard to higher education programs, in addition to many changes to the student aid program, the president proposes to increase the Pell Grant maximum by $160 to $5,710. In the pending Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) the president proposes $10.6 billion over 10 years for the American Graduation Initiative and $3.5 billion over five years for the College Access and Completion Fund.

Additional programs and initiatives of interest to the CTE community include:

• $500 million to continue the Investing in Innovation program
• $25 million for a new STEM initiative in the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
• $100 million for College Pathways and Accelerated Learning, a new program to increase graduation rates
• $612.3 million for Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants
• $2.3 million for the Women’s Educational Equity program to recruit women and girls to STEM
• $30 million for the Workforce Innovation Fund

Read the ACTE Policy Watch blog for more details throughout the week.

By: Alisha

The theme of the Department of Labor budget proposal released earlier today was “Good Jobs for Everyone.” The budget request included $14 billion in discretionary spending, down from $14.3 billion in FY 2010. Approximately $10.9 billion of the discretionary spending is designated for the Employment and Training Administration, which administers the Workforce Investment Act. Below are a few highlights:

• The Workforce Investment Act’s Adult, Youth and Dislocated Worker grants all receive increases. However, the new funding will be set aside for “Workforce Innovation Fund” grants ($154 million of this funding will be for Youth Innovation Grants and $108 million for adult and dislocated worker grants.) These new competitive grants for states and localities are designed to identify best practices that can be replicated across the country and will be administered in partnership with the Department of Education.
• Other competitive grants receive focus as well. The Administration requested an increase for the Green Jobs Innovation Fund, for a total of $85 million, as well as $40 million to continue the transitional jobs program and $13.75 million for the department’s data quality initiative.
• Funding for the Career Pathways Innovation Fund (formerly Community-based Job Training Grants) is eliminated. Budget documnets present the following rationale: “Instead of requesting money for the Career Pathways Innovation Fund, the Administration strongly supports enactment of the American Graduation Initiative (AGI), which is part of student aid legislation passed by the House and pending in the Senate. The AGI would provide significant resources for competitive grants to community colleges that could support career pathways and other innovative training and education programs.
• Within the budget proposal documents, the Administration presents five new objectives for the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act, which has been pending since 2003. They are:
• Streamlining service delivery
• Truly one-stop shopping for high-quality services
• Engaging with employers on a regional and/or sectoral basis
• Improving accountability
• Promoting innovation and identifying and replicating best practices

By: Steve

States have made great progress over the past few years to develop their longitudinal data systems that measure student progress over time, but more effort is needed to move these systems from database warehouses to usability. This was the overriding sentiment conveyed at a Data Quality Campaign (DQC) briefing on Capitol Hill. The DQC event marked the launch of an inaugural report that measures 10 State Actions to Ensure Effective Data Use, and recognized two states (Illinois and Oregon) and one locality (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) which are leading the field with respect to aspects of data-quality action.

DQC’s Action #1 is “Link state K-12 data systems with early learning, postsecondary education, workforce, social services and other critical state agency data systems.” Panelists noted the difficulty of linking education data to other sources such as workforce data. Both states indicated that student privacy issues are a primary challenge, “but it is something we must do and we are making headway,” indicated a representative from Oregon. Another panelist noted that linking to workforce data is the only true way to measure school success.

Illinois representatives indicated that their state is doing a lot of work to connect students to middle-skills jobs, which in Illinois will account for roughly half of the future jobs that will be available in the state. Charlotte-Mecklenburg conducted a massive overhaul of its technology and data infrastructure and the work is paying off. Last year a representative from the Gates Foundation commended the district for the way it was collecting and using data. Charlotte-Mecklenburg shares data with teachers via very user-friendly technology so they can improve instruction, something DQC commends and supports.

ACTE is an endorsing partner of DQC.

By: Steve

President Obama’s first State of the Union speech focused on increasing jobs, helping the middle class and small business, and decreasing the federal deficit. But education advocates should be relieved to hear that the speech also included a promise to increase the education budget despite his plan to freeze domestic spending.

Specifics included mention of a national competition to improve schools, undoubtedly a nod to the Race to the Top fund that focuses on improving education through innovation. The president vowed last week to increase the program by $1.35 billion. The speech also included a request that the Senate follow the House’s lead in passing a bill to revitalize community colleges through the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA). ACTE strongly supported the House-passed SAFRA bill and is eager to see the Senate adopt similar legislation.

Although there was a mention of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization in the context of school reform, few details were proposed in the speech. Rumors are that there will be an increase for the program and that many smaller education programs will be proposed for consolidation in the president’s upcoming budget proposal to Congress. For additional budget speculation please see the CTE Policy Watch blog.

The president noted that the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act stimulus funds saved jobs including 300,000 teachers and other construction and energy workers. He also said that more work needs to be done to save additional jobs and encouraged the Senate to pass a jobs bill, similar to the legislation the House passed in December. In addition to job creation, the president made reference to the importance of emerging industries such as sustainable energy.

Overall, the speech included few specifics that were not already known. ACTE is closely monitoring details of the president’s plan and will share all information related to the president’s budget release on February 1.

By: Alisha

Two new surveys, each released with a slightly different purpose, provide interesting insights into the skills students need to be prepared for postsecondary education and careers.

First, the “ACT National Curriculum Survey” presents data about what entering college students should know and be able to do to be ready for college-level coursework in English, math, reading and science. This survey is given every three to five years to middle school, high school and postsecondary level instructors in those core subject areas. One of the most significant findings of this survey is that high school teachers rate their students considerably more ready for college than the college instructors do. This was especially true in reading, echoing concerns in CTE programs that students are not prepared for demanding content-area reading.

The second survey, “Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn,” from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, asked over 300 employers about the skills students need to gain in college. It is clear from this survey that employers’ expectations of workers are increasing—“Only one in four employers thinks that two-year and four-year colleges are doing a good job in preparing students for the challenges of the global economy.” The survey also found that “Employers believe that colleges can best prepare graduates for long-term career success by helping them develop both a broad range of skills and knowledge and in-depth skills and knowledge in a specific field or major.” Employers’ were also interested in students’ ability to apply their college learning in real-world settings, an emphasis of CTE.

Both of these surveys highlight the need to align expectations and content between high schools, postsecondary institutions and the workplace—an effort that clearly has not made as much progress as needed!

By: Alisha

The January 2010 edition of Career Tech Talk, ACTE’s podcast series featuring conversations with leaders and innovators in the field of CTE, features Brenda Dann-Messier, assistant secretary of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) in the U.S. Department of Education, and Sharon Miller, director of OVAE’s Division of Academic and Technical Education.

The interview was recorded during their visit to ACTE’s Annual Convention in November, just recently after the assistant secretary was confirmed and joined the department. This interview is a great introduction to Dann-Messier’s background and priorities—she discusses in depth her work in adult education, which has helped to lead to her very student/participant-centered approach to her work.

One of Dann-Messier’s top priorities is to integrate and align adult education, CTE and the broader world of postsecondary opportunities. She emphasized sharing best practices, reducing silos within OVAE and then throughout the Department of Education, and making sure CTE is front and center as a big part of the Administration’s agenda.

I personally enjoyed meeting the assistant secretary at Convention and look forward to getting to know her more, and to continuing our long-standing relationship with Sharon Miller, who leads the department’s work on Perkins. It is wonderful to have such thoughtful, dedicated individuals at OVAE (and there are many more like them)!

By: Alisha

On January 7, it was formally announced that Frank Chong was joining the Office of Vocational and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education as its second deputy assistant secretary. In this position, Chong is predicted to take a leadership role related to community colleges, a key interest area of the Administration.

Chong had previously served as president of Laney College in Oakland, CA, part of the Peralta Community College District. Prior to assuming this role in 2006, he had served as president and chief executive officer of Mission Community College in Santa Clara and the Dean of Student Affairs at City College of San Francisco.

He also has former policy experience, serving as special assistant to the Speaker of the California State Assembly from 1987-1991 and being elected to the San Francisco Board of Education in 1998.

Chong holds Bachelor’s degrees in Social Welfare and Asian American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also earned a Doctorate in Educational Administration, Leadership and Technology from Dowling College.

ACTE looks forward to working with Frank Chong in this new role!

By: Jamie

Today was the Committee for Education Funding’s (CEF) annual advocacy and planning retreat. CEF members gathered to discuss the political climate related to education funding, hear input from chief staff on the budget committee and a budget policy expert, and decide how CEF will move forward in the New Year to ensure that the voice of educators and students is being heard on Capitol Hill. The political climate for education funding and the experts’ predictions on the overall federal budget presented at the meeting was rather grim.  

I discussed in a past blog post what experts are saying regarding ways to address the federal budget deficit. Although the scenarios presented during the CEF meeting were similar to the ones I discussed in my past post, one new, frightening possibility concerns a plan for balancing the budget and addressing the deficit that will not just level fund, but will likely cut federal education programs such as Perkins. Experts see education programs as being one of the first areas to be cut, mostly because other areas like healthcare, social security and defense are not able to be cut due to the amount of people they directly impact and the rising costs of administering these programs.

Please understand this is the message the experts are relaying. You and I know education cuts do impact many people. The experts believe that the message of education being an investment in the future is not very effective because Congress wants an immediate payoff but education programs require students graduate to see the contributions to the economy. This news is very discouraging, especially to the education committee which focuses its materials and brand on the investment angle.

Education Advocates will have our work cut out for us!

By: Alisha

An article published yesterday by U.S. News and World Report presents some interesting policy implications. The article, “The 50 Best Careers of 2010,” contains a list of 50 jobs that present positive opportunities for workers across 5 broad categories: Science and Technology, Healthcare, Education and Civic, Business and Finance, Creative and Service.

Contrary to what many may believe in this current economy, there are job categories that are growing, and demand in critical areas will increase. This particular list is based on careers that will add jobs at an above-average rate over the next decade and provide an above-average median income. It takes into account total number of jobs, job satisfaction, turnover and impending retirements, and strived to include a broad range of career areas and education levels. Some of the jobs on the list include:

• X-Ray technician
• Environmental science technician
• Hydrologist
• Dental hygienist
• Emergency management specialist
• Special-education teacher
• Accountant
• Meeting planner
• Multimedia artist
• Technical writer
• Security system installer
• Landscape architect
• Plumber
• Film and video editor

Like many other similar lists, what struck me was the technical nature of these careers, even the ones in the “Creative and Service” category like technical writing and film editing. What this tells me is that most “good” jobs of the next decade will require higher levels of both academic and technical skills of students – and CTE is in a prime place to prepare students for these jobs. It will be interesting to see how federal policy begins to reflect the good jobs that are available in 2010.

By: Jamie

Throughout this series we have given you many tips on how to educate policymakers and advocate on behalf of CTE. What happens if you think you have the pledged support of your legislators, but when vote time comes around, your policymaker votes against CTE? Why, after all you have done and all they have said, are your legislators not showing their support?

There could be many reasons why policymakers are not showing their support for CTE. It is possible that the piece of legislation that includes the positive language for CTE has other language that is in strong conflict with the policymaker’s priorities, the policymaker might be feeling pressure from his/her political party to act a specific way, or there could be a larger population of constituents who want to see the legislator vote the opposite way.

Do not get frustrated or angry if he/she votes opposite to the way you want. Instead, view this as a challenge and find out why the legislator voted a specific way, what information you could have provided to help sway the vote, and how this vote will affect voters in your district. Use specific examples, and share your thoughts on why this specific legislation was important.

Give your policymaker other concrete ways to show support for CTE, such as by joining the Congressional CTE Caucus, visiting your program, or making public statements about why CTE is so critical to your community.

Remember, it is up to you to hold your Members of Congress’ “feet to the fire” and educate them on CTE so when a piece of legislation is before them, they can act the way you see fit. The more contact you have with the legislators’ offices the more influence you will have on a vote, and the more they will hear what you say.

By: Jason

The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is especially true when creating leave behinds in your advocacy efforts. Graphics have been shown to:

• Attract attention to the material and heighten the likelihood that a reader will remember the material
• Help the reader have a positive emotional attachment to the material
• Increase the reader’s comprehension, recollection and retention of the material

For example, if you are using statistics as part of your presentation, have them in a graph on your leave behind to help make your point instead of just a list of written bullets. Use pictures of your CTE students as part of the leave behind to put faces to your cause. Make sure your association or school logo is included so the reader will quickly remember who gave them the information. Excellent examples of visually appealing and effective leave behinds have been created by Illinois and Ohio.

Be careful though, just like you don’t want to overwhelm policymakers with words, you don’t want to bombard them with graphics either. Use your graphics in the appropriate places to make your arguments better. Use the most simple graphics possible to make your point. Make graphs and charts easy to understand. Make sure the pictures used are clear and easy to see.

By: Jamie

With unemployment rates still at record high levels despite signs that the economy is beginning to recover, Congress has been discussing a second "jobs" or stimulus bill. Late on December 16, the House of Representatives passed the “Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010,” H.R. 2847, by a vote of 217-212. This $154 billion legislation is crafted to create jobs and address the needs of the unemployed. The legislation will redirect $75 billion in existing funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to offset costs.

The Jobs for Main Street Act contains many allocations that are beneficial to CTE. Among these items are:

• $4.1 billion for school renovation grants
• $500 million for summer youth employment in the Workforce Investment Act
• $300 million for college work study
• $750 million for job training in “high growth fields”; specifically green and health care industries
• $23 billion for an education jobs fund—this money will be funneled through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Fiscal Stabiliazation Fund to help states save and create 250,000 new education jobs over two years

Most of the allocations in this bill are geared toward low-income individuals. You can read a summary of the job creation legislation and the entire text on the House Appropriations Web site. Despite the quick House passage, the Senate is not expected to act on the bill until January.

By: Steve

How many of us have sent a personal e-mail and mistakenly hit “reply all” instead of “reply,” or worse yet, had our private conversations broadcast via microphone as has happened in several high-profile political campaigns? Hopefully, our mistakes won’t be as uncomfortable or as memorable for the wrong reasons, but these stories do emphasize a point: you never know who is listening.

I have had the good fortune to work on a number of Washington “Hill Day” events through the years. Whether an ACTE event or an event with another organization, invariably someone always gets upset if they do not get to meet with their Member of Congress and instead meet with staff. This is a problem if you know your Senator or Representative is deliberately avoiding you, but most of the time Congressional Members have taxing schedules and multiple demands upon them. Staff handle the day-to-day workload on most issues and many times they know more than the Member of Congress about a particular issue. They also are listening, so never think that time spent with a staff person is time wasted.

I have been in many meetings where the staff have taken copious notes and get back to me with questions later. At times I have heard statistics or words used in a meeting on the House or Senate floor. Your words are important. You are a constituent and viewed as a leader in the community by many policymakers. Any time you are speaking to policymakers or staff there is the potential your words are making an important impact, so remember to be prepared, be professional and make your case to anyone who is willing to listen.

By: Jamie

On Sunday, December 13, 2009, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 omnibus appropriations bill, H.R. 3288, by a vote of 57-35. This bill contains funding for the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill along with five other funding bills. The House of Representatives passed this final funding bill on December 10, and it now moves to the president’s desk for his signature.

In this finished bill, the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act remains funded at FY 2009 levels. For details on more program allocations, please see this chart on the ACTE Web site.

By: Jamie

On December 10, the House of Representatives voted 221 to 202 to pass H.R. 3288, an omnibus appropriations bill containing final FY 2010 funding levels for programs under the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, as well as the components of five other appropriations bills. The Senate is expected to pass this bill very soon to ensure that it is enacted before current funding expires.

Currently, the programs in this bill are operating under a continuing resolution (CR) that has been in effect since the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1. The CR is scheduled to expire on December 18, so the six individual funding bills were combined to expedite their passage. The Defense appropriations bill is the only funding measure that remains to be finalized, and it is also expected to move quickly.

In the omnibus, the entire Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill is increased by $8.5 billion over FY 2009 levels, but education programs received few increases. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is funded at $1.27 billion, which is equal to the FY 2009 level.

Three new programs of particular interest to CTE are included in the bill. Under the Department of Labor, $40 million is provided for a Green Jobs Innovation Fund that is designed to prepare workers for careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and $45 million is provided for a transitional jobs program to help workers who face substantial barriers to entering the workforce. Under the Department of Education, $50 million is designated for a High School Graduation Initiative designed to assist high schools labeled as “dropout factories” retain students and raise graduation rates.

View ACTE’s FY 2010 Funding Chart online for information on other key program funding levels.

By: Steve

That was the message—more or less—that I heard from a lot of people who attended the “Redefining Teacher Education for Digital Age Learners” conference this week. What was a bit surprising to me was that many of the conference attendees saying this were from higher education themselves.

The conference was attended by a range of organizations and included higher education officials, associations, business representatives and secondary school administrators and teachers. One of the primary messages was that the world is changing quickly but teacher education has not changed with it. In many places schools continue to operate teacher education similar to how it was run at the turn of the century.

Several speakers noted the need to use new technologies such as Web 2.0 and cloud computing, and not-so-new technologies such as online Webcasting. Others noted that teachers are not prepared to enter the classroom of the 21st century. They need more training. Much of our discussion centered on the need to build teaching teams as opposed to expecting one teacher to “be everything” for all students. Career and technical education can offer some good examples of how teachers or teaching teams need to prepare students.

The conference practiced what it preached. Technology was used throughout the sessions. A backboard gathered immediate feedback from those listening to the speakers; Web 2.0 technology was used for input on documents; and Webcasting was available for those not able to attend. Check it out and tell us what you think about teacher education, especially CTE programs.

By: Jamie

The U.S. Department of Education hosted another “Education Stakeholders Forum” on Tuesday, December 8. This meeting was the last in a series of forums on topics surrounding the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This meeting was focused on “college- and career- ready graduates.” The meeting began with Department officials explaining what they see as necessary to prepare all students with the skills necessary for college and careers. Items they mentioned included increasing parental involvement, increasing standards, closing the achievement gap, and working with students to ensure they all have access to rigorous academics and a rich curriculum that can encourage students to set high career and college goals.

The Department officials see this component as the final piece, the overall goal of the work on ESEA. They believe that the ESEA is not successful if its programs are not ultimately preparing students for careers and colleges. The Department emphasized the need to set career and college goals with students at an early age and to involve parents throughout the entire education process.

A lot of the talk was on making sure that students have the skills necessary to succeed in college and careers and that these skill sets should not be different; that all students should be on the same track. One question that came up was, if we prepare these students for college and for jobs, will there actually be jobs for them? The Department of Education responded with “yes.” They continued by saying that with the help of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and the Department of Labor we can help focus CTE to the specific jobs that are available in the student’s community, and that engaging students in CTE can help provide real world experiences and get kids more interested in learning and setting career and college goals.

Perhaps the forums should have began with this topic instead of ended with it. If all the goals of ESEA are focused on career and college readiness, then this should be the beginning of the conversation and the rest should be, “how do we get students to this point?”

By: Sabrina

When you write an e-mail or fax over a letter to your Member of Congress, keep the purpose of the letter to one issue. It keeps it simple and clear and allows the Member to understand your stance on a particular issue. For example, if you are contacting your Member about an increase in Perkins funds, then write about how funding impacts your district. You can include specific examples of student success, return on investment, and how CTE has reduced dropout rates—but focus on the examples on the funding issue.

Try to keep your letter to one page and include who you are and who you represent. If you disagree with an issue, then the letter should include sound reasons why you oppose it. Don’t be abusive or threatening, but use specific reasons why the bill or issue would affect your community. You can also ask for a written response from your Member of Congress on the issue. This is a great way to advocate on different issues throughout the year by providing written feedback to your legislator.

By: Jamie

As ACTE staff, we can talk about CTE programs. We can provide data and success stories and list the top ten reasons why Perkins funding should be increased. What we cannot do is show first hand what a CTE program looks like. This is where you come in handy. A great way to spark Member of Congress’ and other policymakers’ interests is by showing them what great things you are doing in your classrooms. Invite policymakers to see your school and to meet the students that are being prepared for a successful future.

Scheduling a Member of Congress isn’t too difficult, especially if you know the congressional calendar. Check the House of Representatives or Senate calendars to see when your policymakers will be in their home state and districts. Following your Members of Congress on Twitter is also a great way to get this information.

Once you have an idea of the schedule, contact the district or state office and ask about their specific scheduling process. Following the procedures provided, submit a formal invitation to your representative and senators’ offices. When providing a date or time, be sure to mention that you are flexible with the time and event date. Congressional schedules fill up quickly, so be sure to send your invitation at least a few weeks in advance. If the office says that the Member of Congress is unable to attend, ask if a staff member would be able to attend.

Once you receive a firm commitment, it is show time! Have your brightest students featured, show what they are doing and encourage participation from your visitor. This visit should demonstrate the exciting things that are happening in CTE and ensure that your policymaker will be a strong supporter in the future. For more tips on inviting policymakers to your school, check out ACTE’s Action Center.

By: Alisha

A few days ago, I came across a Twitter stream that was full of negative political statements. There was name calling, belittling and a general lack of respect for the democratic process. This type of talk almost seems the norm these days as partisan passions run high and Congress is deeply divided on important issues. However, that doesn’t make it right—or helpful! Rudeness and rancor can be very damaging to any advocacy case you may be trying to make, whether for CTE or another issue.

Instead, it is important to work with all the policymakers that represent you to figure out the best way to solve problems and address the challenges facing education and workforce development. The best advocates work equally well with both Republicans and Democrats—I’m proud of the bi-partisan approach ACTE takes and the diverse group of supporters we have had over the years. Every policymaker might not agree with you on every issue, and you will surely disagree with many of them on many occasions, but it is important to find common goals you can work toward.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Kerry (D-MA) couldn’t be more different politically, but they are working together right now to build consensus on a comprehensive Senate energy bill. This is the perfect example for us to follow in working on CTE policy. We need to determine the priorities of specific Members of Congress, then work within those parameters to accomplish our goals. You may find out that the policymaker who has what you consider an extreme position on an issue like health care is a huge supporter of CTE programs. If you keep your eyes open for areas of common interest and stay respectful even in disagreements, much more can be accomplished!

By: Alisha

For the first time in a number of years, the leaders of both the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education attended ACTE’s Annual Convention. Assistant Secretary Jane Oates from ETA and Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier both presented during the Friday morning General Session in Nashville and expressed their strong support for CTE.

Assistant Secretary Oates highlighted the fact that many of the jobs that students are currently being trained for, such as in the area of health IT, don’t even exist yet, and the critical need for sharing labor market data and information freely. She discussed two major priorities of the Employment and Training Administration—apprenticeships and green jobs. She said that apprenticeship programs marry the education and work worlds and keep students from having to choose between them, stressing the need to expand and grow the nature of apprenticeships. She also discussed the question of “What is a green job?” and the potential for these jobs to help lift the country out of the recession.

Assistant Secretary Dann-Messier, who has only been in her position for a few weeks, said that we have an “unprecedented opportunity to reform CTE” and that we can educate our way to a better economy. She emphasized the role CTE can play in helping all students attend and complete college and achieve a career path providing a family sustaining standard of living. Dann-Messier said we must help all students find a purpose in education, determine an area of interest and develop a program of study, and that she views implementation of career clusters and programs of study as key to the Administration’s goals.

Both assistant secretaries emphasized the need for collaboration between the two departments and the efforts they have already initiated to work more closely together to address the challenges facing education and workforce development. We will likely be hearing much more about these efforts in the future!

By: Alisha

Yesterday at the ACTE Convention in Nashville, the Department of Education held two listening sessions with attendees on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. The “Community Conversations” were led by Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier and focused on how WIA could be enhanced to create better outcomes for youth and adults.

Key ideas discussed in the session included the need to focus on longer-term outcomes instead of merely focusing on “work first,” the importance of career guidance and comprehensive counseling for WIA clients, and the need for linkages between local education professionals and workforce investment boards.

The conversations are part of a series of events being held around the country by OVAE to gather information on WIA. If you weren’t able to attend one of our sessions during the Convention, you can submit comments to WIAConversations@ed.gov. Please also share your thoughts with ACTE so that we can include them in our discussions with Congress on this important law.

By: Steve

Earlier this month, I attended a meeting that was billed as “business casual.” I showed up in a sport coat and dress slacks. Fortunately, I guessed right. Had I shown up in jeans, I would have been under-dressed. I believe the message is more important than the delivery, but the truth is others are judging us: the clothes we wear, the language we use and even our body language. It’s important to appear as professional as possible when advocating since this is about influencing opinion.

If meeting with a Member of Congress, I highly recommend wearing a suit or similar appropriate dress. This is the Washington “uniform” on most days and you should dress for success. If you are planning to speak to your legislator at a fundraising barbeque, you might be better off in jeans and your ten-gallon hat. The point is, do a little homework and dress the part.

Take business cards to your meeting, if at all possible. Even if your workplace does not provide business cards, today’s access to the Internet, computer programs and other new technologies will allow you to order them at a reasonable rate. You can even acquire some for free via the Internet (however, study the fine print).

Finally, think about your body language and demeanor. Be assertive, but not aggressive. You want to make your point and convey that you are serious about the issues you are advocating but you don’t want to be threatening or “turn off” the legislator or staff person. A bit of small talk is fine to get the conversation started but stay focused and remember you are there to make your case.

Visit ACTE’s Web site to get additional pointers on visiting Members of Congress and other policymakers.

By: Alisha

How many of you have reached out to your Member of Congress to inquire about an issue or schedule a meeting and were routed to a junior level staff person? If you had come all the way to Washington, DC, for such a meeting and this happened, you may have been disappointed or frustrated that your message wasn’t getting to a person that could take action. Have no fear! Congressional staff are the engine that make Capitol Hill run.

Members of Congress represent thousands of people and handle a wide variety of policy issues on a daily basis, so they rely on staff to develop expertise on specific issues and solve problems for constituents. Congressional staff take leadership roles on drafting legislation and prepping Members for committee hearings and mark-ups, and are your best connection to a congressional office.

However, staff are often overworked (not to mention underpaid), so you have to carefully utilize these connections. Recently, I heard the stat that each staff person gets 200-400 e-mails a day! It is important to carefully identify the staff person in your Member of Congress’ Washington, DC, or local district office that works on the issues you care most about, and to cultivate a relationship with that person. Use their personal e-mail or try to get their direct phone number, send short and timely messages, and invite them to visit your program along with the Member of Congress (or even to come preview your school in hopes of getting the Member to visit).

Get to know the staff person on a personal level so that you can communicate easily with them. Keep them in the loop related to things happening in the district that will affect the Member of Congress (make their jobs easier!). These efforts will provide you with the direct and influential connection you need when critical issues arise!

By: Alisha

On November 5, the House of Representatives approved a resolution, H. Res. 880, expressing support for postsecondary CTE programs. Specifically, the resolution recognizes the efforts of postsecondary institutions offering CTE to educate and train workers for positions in high-demand industries and supports the connections between employers and students that are provided by postsecondary institutions offering CTE.

The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and was approved by a vote of 409-0. During discussion of the resolution on the House floor, Rep. Cassidy said:

"Postsecondary institutions that offer career and technical education are an incredibly valuable resource to our communities. These institutions enable adults in the community to improve their lives by furthering their education in order to improve their employability and working life. Career and technical education enables students to learn specific skills or earn a certificate or a degree that employers require or prefer. Many institutions that offer career and technical education also have valuable connections with employers in the community. These connections allow these institutions to better serve their students. Employers in high-demand industries are able to communicate with postsecondary institutions what skills, certificates and degrees they expect potential employees to exhibit. The close relationship between postsecondary institutions that offer career and technical education and employers provide students and potential employees with a valuable advantage."

With the amount of attention currently being focused on ensuring students complete at least one year of postsecondary education, this resolution comes at a key time. It shows how much Congress values CTE as a viable form of postsecondary education and supports institutions that are providing education directly connected to business and industry needs.

By: Steve

Rather than focus on alternative teacher education verses traditional teacher education routes, a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education titled "Teaching for a New World: Preparing High School Educators to Deliver College- and Career-Ready Instruction" recommends that the focus be on the quality of the teachers measured by outputs (i.e. student performance) rather than inputs (i.e. degrees and certifications). The focus on outputs in measuring teacher quality and effectiveness is gaining momentum in Washington as organizations grapple with how to improve teacher education programs.

The report follows remarks from Education Secretary Arne Duncan provided earlier this month. Secretary Duncan asked “America’s colleges of education to dramatically change how they prepare the next generation of teachers so that they are ready to prepare their future students for success in college and careers." The secretary commended the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for linking teacher preparation programs to better student outcomes.

ACTE is concerned that the reference to “career-ready” by most Washington organizations and this report only includes academic knowledge and skills requirements. I spoke to several organizations after today’s event—including the Alliance—concerning the importance of other needs: employability skills such as working in a team and entrepreneurship, and technical skills required of specific occupations. The Alliance acknowledged that most of the focus of this report was centered on academic knowledge and skills only.

By: Jason

Finding research to support your CTE programs can be a daunting task. It is very easy to get bogged down in databases and Web sites trying to find good information that you can use—but there are lots of useful sites that can help you gather research to use in advocacy efforts.

First, the ACTE Web site has several sources of excellent research. The Research Clearinghouse is a compilation of reports, papers and briefs based on ACTE’s national research agenda. The clearinghouse is updated as often as relevant research is found.

Also on the Web site are Fact Sheets with information that includes CTE’s impact on the dropout rate; the important role CTE plays in the economy; and CTE’s impact on energy and environmental sustainability. The State Profiles are an excellent source of information if you need to see how comparable states are dealing with issues in CTE.

Second, there are many other education and workforce associations and groups that have useful CTE research. America’s Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), the Alliance for Excellent Education, Jobs for the Future and MDRC all have CTE research papers and reports that can help you support your program.

Finally, there are several federal government sources of research that can be very useful. The National Research Center for CTE (NRCCTE) is a federally funded center that is devoted to researching and disseminating information about CTE. The Education Department’s Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a free database of current and historical education research with many full-text papers and reports. The Bureau of Labor Statistics can help you find information about fast-growing careers and employment trends.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I hope it will be a starting point for your research needs. Please contact Jason Kiker for more research help and questions.

By: Sabrina

This morning I attended a National Association of State Boards of Education briefing on a new study group report entitled “Partners in Prevention: The Role of School-Community Partners in Dropout Prevention,” which was released last week during their annual conference. The report studied 15 states nationwide for a year and looked at why students are dropping out and ways to combat the problem. Common themes were community, engagement and relevance.

Tom Brewster, NASBE Study Group Chair, discussed the importance of CTE in preparing students for postsecondary education and providing them the essential skills necessary to be competitive in today’s economy. He also emphasized business partnerships were key in keeping students engaged.

Specifically, the fifth recommendation of the report related to the importance of building multiple pathways to graduation and opportunities to gain knowledge and skills (e.g. CTE and service learning). Marty Blank, president, Institute for Educational Leadership, and director of the Coalition for Community Schools, said engagement is the key to achievement. He said engagement can happen through a number of ways, including apprenticeships, mentoring and college access programs, and we have to make things relevant to the students!

They provided a number of great examples, including a career academy in Henry County Public Schools. They work with students that aren’t graduating in June, and the school provides them with different options to graduate in December. They offer opportunities to take classes, earn industry certifications, become a CPA and connect students with community colleges. The program started three years ago, and the last two years they have had a 100 percent success rate (80 percent the first year). It’s always wonderful to hear other people mention the important role CTE plays in engaging students!

By: Sabrina

This past week I attended DECA’s Business Advisory Board meeting. I talked about ACTE, what we do, our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and our partnership with DECA. After my presentation, the businesses asked great questions about how they could become involved in helping to advocate for CTE, especially funding for Perkins and educating policymakers about the critical need for CTE in their industry.

I mentioned to them advocating on Capitol Hill about CTE’s impact on their industry, including financially and through developing a qualified workforce. I talked about how they are making a difference in the education community by donating equipment, participating on advisory boards and working with CTSOs. I talked about how education budgets are tight, and the message they need to deliver that CTE programs are becoming more critical to have in schools around the country. I asked them to voice this concern to policymakers. I also placed a bug in their ear about ACTE’s National Policy Seminar, and I hope they consider attending and helping us educate policymakers in March!

After the meeting, two business representatives came up to me saying they wanted to help! I encourage you to reach out to your business advisory councils and industries in your region and talk with them about how they can advocate for CTE. ACTE is planning a session at the Annual Convention for our exhibitors to provide them information on how they can be a voice on Capitol Hill and with the media. Hopefully, we can encourage them to speak out for CTE!

By: Sabrina

ACTE has joined the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), which is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the availability and use of high-quality education data to improve student achievement. ACTE is one of more than 60 organizations around the country that have joined DQC to help reduce the duplication of effort in gathering data as well as improve data quality, access and use.

ACTE will work with the DQC to support the use of longitudinal data to inform policy and practice and to improve student achievement. By joining DQC, ACTE will be able to access the latest information on data policy and practices, and we can share this information with ACTE members to help with their data collection and use.

For more information on the DQC and ACTE’s official announcement, please read our press release.

By: Sabrina

When you are meeting with a state, local or national representative, be honest and straightforward about ALL issues—even difficult ones! It’s important to be truthful and accurate in your comments and research presented, and to clearly state how you or your organization stands on issues.

During a meeting with a legislator, he may ask you to support legislation or find information on a topic or issue. You need to be realistic and make sure not to make promises you can’t keep.

If policymakers ask you questions about CTE and you don’t know the answer, tell them that you don’t know, but that you will find out and get back to them. Policymakers would much rather hear that than find out later something you guessed at an answer to wasn’t really true. They might restate your comments in a public setting, which could lead to an embarrassing situation!

Once you find that information, make sure you send it as a follow-up. Being honest and being responsive to your policymakers is critical in building a successful relationship.

By: Sabrina

Echoing a subject that has been in the news quite a bit lately, in today’s Education Week’s High School Connection’s blog, guest writer by Dakarai I. Aarons reports on an exchange in which Education Secretary Duncan emphasized, "I think college versus career is a false dichotomy," in response to a question about rigor and readiness in CTE. The blog discusses the image of CTE, and misperceptions about preparing certain students for college and others for careers. Duncan said that "college-readiness skills are also career and technical skills" and that "we have to get dramatically better in both of those." (He made similar statements on NPR in July).

It’s important to remember this false dichotomy as we go out and educate our communities, policymakers and the media about CTE's impact on education that we need to stress that every student needs knowledge and skills in every career. Although some careers may not need a four-year degree, most of the fastest-growing jobs require some form of postsecondary education or training. We need to change people’s mindset about CTE being for students who are not going to college. ACTE is working on raising money to conduct a feasibility study and a public awareness campaign to illustrate the impact CTE has in the classroom and building a qualified workforce. 

Some questions we need ask ourselves are:

• Are we providing enough information and resources to students for them to make informed education and career decisions?
• What resources do you need (as educators) to help students make these choices?
• How can CTE educators help contribute to both career-ready and college-ready skills?
• How can we remove the stigma of CTE?

By: Steve

In case you haven’t noticed, the Obama Administration is placing a lot of emphasis on quality teachers. As Education Department Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Carmel Martin explains, this includes treating teachers like professionals, which means providing support, tools, data and compensation (sometimes linked to student outcomes); recruiting exemplary teachers and good school leaders; and placing these teachers where they are most needed—in high need schools. Expect these themes to come up again as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is reauthorized—now a priority for the Obama Administration and Congress.

Assistant Secretary Martin made her comments during today’s ED Stakeholders Forum which focused on effective teachers. The department is holding a series of forums to communicate priorities and receive input from stakeholders. Dr. Arlene Ackerman, CEO of the Philadelphia school district, said it would take until 2123 to get all students to proficiency (under the current ESEA benchmarks). She and other panelists called for more ESEA flexibility, wrap-around services for students and better professional development and pre-service training. Where panelist opinion differed was on how to measure and compensate teacher quality—an ongoing issue that will continue to be debated throughout the reauthorization.

But most, if not all, of the discussion focused on academic teachers. What was not addressed by most panelists is how to address and define CTE teacher effectiveness, something I asked the panel about but which most panelists did not seem to have a good answer.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention…the department started this month’s forum event with a clip of Secretary Duncan’s recent appearance on The Colbert Report—very entertaining!

By: Sabrina

In this week’s issue of Education Week, there is a provocative commentary written by John Myres, a retired teacher and superintendent from California, that discusses five realities of public schools and why “Dropouts Happen.” He contends that:

• schools will never have enough money to run their programs
• not everyone goes to college
• students will drop out no matter what we do
• education reforms will always be with us
• we don’t control our destiny

He mentions CTE when he discusses not all students going to college (meaning four-year schools), and how the definition is changing to incorporate vocational institutions. Myres asks for more space for vocational and technical education for those that forgo “college.” His statement signifies how we need to educate people within education on how CTE has changed. Many people believe that CTE classes are for those not going to four-year colleges, but there are students who take CTE courses in order to attending four-year colleges and pursue specific careers, such as engineering or medicine.

Near the end of his column, he writes, “The result of the continuous cycle of change is that educators become quite immune over time—not because a reform may have no value, but because it usually means they become prey to its implementation.” As educators, do you believe that new education reforms are being implemented without an understanding how things are done at the local level? Do educators have too little say? Are dropouts inevitable no matter what schools do? Are there other realities he didn’t touch on? Read the article and let us know what you think!

By: Jamie

Earlier in this series we discussed “keeping it real,” strengthening your message with specific program examples. I want to expand on that idea by stressing the importance of personal stories. These stories can demonstrate the true value of CTE: how a student got discouraged with school, but overcame that obstacle to succeed in a CTE program; how a student from a low-income family won a CTE scholarship to enter postsecondary education; or how another student is giving back to the community by running their own small business.

Personal stories are a great way to get your message heard on Capitol Hill. Whenever I enter a congressional office I am armored with research, facts about the district and CTE, and media articles. All of this is crucial for advocacy, but what is missing is a personal reflection of how CTE has affected someone in the district. This is where you come in! As an educator you have encountered countless students who went above and beyond to ensure that they got the most out of their time in your classroom. Or perhaps you had a student who started off the year on rocky terrain, but by the end of the year had soared beyond any expectations. Every student has a story, every student felt like giving up at one time or another—tell Members of Congress how your program kept these students engaged.

When you are advocating for CTE, be sure to put a face on the program. Make sure that the policymaker knows that CTE students are real students with real issues and that CTE is preparing these students for real successful careers. Keep in touch with your students after they leave your classroom so you can tell their stories and demonstrate that these are real people who are preparing for successful careers.

By: Jamie

Tuesday night, ACTE partnered with Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Participant Media – the production company behind the film Pressure Cooker – in hosting a fantastic event on Capitol Hill! The event was titled, "Cooking Up a Future on Capitol Hill," and featured students from FCCLA, SkillsUSA, DECA and FBLA. The students demonstrated what they are doing in the food industry. FBLA’s project focused on healthy teen eating habits, while DECA and FCCLA discussed how the organizations partner with outside groups to get students involved in the food industry. SkillsUSA students demonstrated their culinary skills by preparing crepes for the attendees. I must say, they had to prepare an awful lot of crepes, because we had over 100 staffers and four Members of Congress in attendance, which by Capitol Hill standards is a HUGE success! It was such a great opportunity to showcase all the fantastic things that CTE is doing, and showed the diversity of the projects.

The students were a key element to this reception’s success, and the other ingredient was a local celebrity. Carla Hall, a former finalist on the hit show Top Chef, made an appearance at the event and talked to different students to see what they are doing in culinary arts. Being a huge fan of Top Chef, I was very excited to see Carla, who won my heart in the last season. I know the students were very excited to meet her and hear what she had to say about CTE. It is nice to know that those in the field realize that education is the future for their industry.

All-in-all, the entire event was superb. Thank you to everyone who made it possible, especially the students and advisers who put together fantastic presentations and spoke eloquently at the reception. I heard nothing but positive feedback, and I know that the students made a lasting impression! Hopefully, we will have some pictures to post soon!

By: Jamie

On Monday, October 5, 2009, the Senate confirmed Brenda Dann-Messier to the post of assistant secretary for vocational and adult education in U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE).

Assistant Secretary Dann-Messier has a strong commitment to adult learning, literacy and transitioning students into postsecondary education – key elements of ensuring youth and adults are prepared to enter the workforce. As president at Dorcas Place Adult & Family Learning Center, Dann-Messier previously worked on developing partners with adult basic education and English as a Second Language programs. The center developed a college preparatory program called “Bridge to College,” which offers low-income, first-generation adults an opportunity to take a tuition-free one-semester course at the Community College of Rhode Island. This program highlights the importance of career planning, which provides students with a foundation for success and leads them to be informed and prepared citizens.

Dann-Messier has also co-authored a number of papers on ways to increase access to higher education for different communities, an area of high priority to ACTE. Our policy paper titled, “Expanding Opportunities: Postsecondary CTE and Preparing Tomorrow's Workforce” describes strategies to increase access to education and training to enable people to secure high-skill, high-wage or high-demand jobs in current or emerging career fields.

ACTE wishes to congratulate Assistant Secretary Dann-Messier and welcomes her to the CTE community! You can read our official statement on the confirmation in the ACTE Press Center.

By: Alisha

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said recently that part of the delay in WIA reauthorization was because he was “Still trying to make sure that we have WIA right for this reauthorization.” Key issues he identified were flexibility, partner integration, long-term connections between programs and current economic factors. While the Administration has not yet officially weighed in on the WIA reauthorization, Employment and Training Administration Assistant Secretary Jane Oates added, “We are ready to work with you whenever you are ready.”

These comments were made at a recent House Education and Labor Committee hearing titled, “Ensuring Economic Opportunities for Young Americans.” Witnesses included Assistant Secretary Oates, as well as representatives from other leading youth workforce and economic organizations, such as YouthBuild USA, the Economic Policy Institute, 80 Million Strong and Applied Economic Strategies, LLC.

Much of the hearing focused on the stimulus’ investment in summer jobs programs for youth and the importance of those types of programs to both individuals and the economy as a whole. The current recession is having a dramatic impact on youth and young adults. Algernon Austin, director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity and the Economy at the Economic Policy Institute, testified, “In August of this year…the unemployment rate for workers 25-to-54 years old was 8.7 percent. For 20-to-24 year olds, the August unemployment rate was 15.1 percent. For 16-to-19 year olds, it was 25.5 percent.”

Panelists repeatedly made the connection between this critical issue and education, stressing the need for coordination between the departments of Education and Labor. One witness said that the best way to improve workforce outcomes for youth was to improve K-12 education, and at the same time to promote the value and dignity of trade occupations. Another suggested providing broad labor market education to students as a standard part of the high school curriculum. Better connecting workforce and education systems is a key priority of ACTE’s for the WIA reauthorization, and this is an issue we will be following closely.

By: Jason

Having and using research as part of your CTE advocacy efforts is vital to being effective. But just what research will be most effective? While there is no perfect answer, there are some guidelines to follow. First, find out what is important to the policymakers you are talking to. If they are interested in economic development, use ACTE’s "Return on Investment" or "CTE: Education for a Strong Economy" Leave Behinds and talk about how CTE builds lasting partnership with business and industry. If they are interested in dropout prevention and student graduation, use ACTE’s dropout prevention Issue Brief or Issue Sheet, and add data from your own CTE program.

This brings me to the second guideline to follow—use as much positive research and information from your program as possible. National data and statistics are good tools, but the information on your CTE programs will help make the local connection with the policymakers.

Third, not all effective research is from gold-standard, evidence-based clinical trials. Gold-standard research is important, but so are stories from your students and teachers; percentages of CTE students in your program who graduate and go on to postsecondary education; number of students entering nontraditional career paths; partnerships with business and industry; and number of dual enrollment students and credits earned.

Finally, don’t try to overwhelm someone with numbers. Use a few strong research points to back up your advocacy efforts and tell them that you are willing to send them more information if they want it.

By: Sabrina

Last night I spoke at FCCLA’s Ultimate State Officer and Adviser Academy conference in DC. There were 200 students and advisors, and I talked about how we need to change the image of CTE. One of the major tools I mentioned for this effort is social media. I asked students to stand up if they have used one form of social media in the last week, and all 140 students stood up (the advisors wanted to stand up, too)! It was amazing to see students get excited!

As I work on changing the perception of CTE, I focus mainly on newspapers and magazines, but we need to focus our attention on social media as well. Students are using Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Why not ask them to tweet about the impact CTE has on their life and send it to your local and national legislators? Ask students to blog about their experience and send it over to your local reporter, legislators and community outlets. There are over 1,000 journalists on Twitter, and 70 percent of journalists use social networks to assist in reporting (read more here). To give you a perspective of how fast social media is growi