Both the House and Senate were out of session this week for Labor Day but will return from recess next week. There was still quite a bit of activity though, as the Department of Education (ED) released new resources, and the Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance around apprenticeship programs and Workforce Pell. The latest PISA scores for the U.S. were also released this week. Read more updates below. 

• DOL Releases Guidance on Apprenticeship Programs: On September 8, the DOL released guidance and opinion letters on numerous labor-related topics. Two of the notices from the Employment and Training Administration focus on apprenticeship programs: the first defines a framework for effective pre-apprenticeship programs and outlines their relationship with CTE programs and the second describes how Registered Apprenticeship sponsors can leverage Workforce Pell. 

• House Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Limit IAAs: On September 2, Reps. Mannion (D-NY), Scott (D-VA) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced a bill in the House that seeks to prevent the transfer of four ED offices to other agencies. The bill is companion legislation to a Senate bill passed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in July that still awaits a full vote.  

• U.S. Reading Scores Fall, Math and Science Remain Flat: Results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveal that U.S. reading scores for 15-year-olds have fallen by 14 points since the last time the test was administered in 2022. Furthermore, the gap between students in the 90th percentile and the 10th percentile was the largest among any other country. Math and science scores remained relatively flat compared to the 2022 test. 

• ED Launches Learning Agenda Playbook: On September 9, ED released the Learning Agenda Playbook, a resource aimed at helping state education agencies develop their strategic plans and then translate them into action. The playbook contains case studies, templates, exercises and resources tailored to staff supporting state teams. 

• ED Releases Workforce Pell Training Course: On September 9, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released a self-paced training course on Workforce Pell. The course focuses on various topics, including eligibility requirements and processes for maintaining eligibility and awarding grants to students. 

• Sen. Gallego Releases New Plan to Improve Public Education Including CTE: On September 8, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) released a new plan to improve America’s public schools. The plan includes a pillar focused on preparing students for college, careers and the workforce, which specifically mentions strengthening CTE through a strong federal funding commitment to Perkins.  

• House Holds Hearing on Industrial Base and Workforce Development for Skilled Trades: On September 4, the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Defense held a field hearing in Santa Clarita, California, on the industrial base and workforce development for the skilled trades. A recording of the hearing can be found here.   

• Department of State Announces the Launch of National Workforce Training Initiative: On September 3, the Department of State announced the launch of the Foundry School, a training program for entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and industrial leaders with an emphasis on American manufacturing.  

• NTIA to Host Listening Session on E-rate Program: On September 15, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will host a listening session on the E-rate program to gather feedback from students, parents, educators and other stakeholders. The listening session is in response to a notice of proposed rulemaking from the Federal Communications Commission on whether the E-rate program should be terminated. Interested readers can register here.