ACTE and Advance CTE have released the 12th annual State Policies Impacting CTE: 2024 Year in Review report, compiling CTE policy trends at the state level to highlight advancements in the field.

Of the 46 states in session in 2024, 40 states enacted 152 policies affecting CTE and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders and budget provisions. Thirty-seven more policies were enacted in 2024 compared to the prior year. 

In addition to the report, which addresses trends and highlights across state policy, the companion State Policy Tracker is also updated and available to view. The tracker includes legislative, budget and executive actions connected to CTE since 2013! 

Policymakers, as well as state and local leaders connected to CTE, can see policy trends over time and explore past and present CTE policies that could be replicated to support learners and their communities. This resource empowers leaders to build on current innovations, advocate for effective policies and drive positive change in CTE. 

Make sure to also register for the upcoming Year in Review webinar! The webinar on February 27 from 3-4 p.m. ET will provide an overview of the Year in Review report. In addition, we are excited to dive deeper into CTE policy in Indiana, with Anthony Harl, Indiana’s State CTE Director, and Kandy Smitha, Indiana ACTE’s Executive Director. 

Over the last two weeks there has been a significant amount of federal policy activity. The Senate continued its confirmation process for President Trump’s cabinet nominations, including nominees for Education and Labor Secretaries, and both chambers began their work on the budget reconciliation process. Meanwhile, the Department of Education continued to implement policy changes, including updates to Perkins reporting requirements, Title IX guidelines and COVID-19 funding. The Department has also announced cancellations of several grant programs, including teacher training grants and research contracts. Keep reading for more details. 

• Department of Education Announces Plans to Reinstate Existing Perkins Requirements: On February 10, the Department of Education announced that it would be reversing a series of proposed changes to the Perkins State Plan Guide and Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) tool that states use to submit Perkins performance data to them. Read more on the blog! 

• Department of Education Announces Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Career and Technical Education: The Department of Education announced several new sub-cabinet nominations. Kevin O’Farrell was nominated for Assistant Secretary for Career and Technical Education. O’Farrell is currently the Chancellor for the Division of Career and Adult Education in Florida’s Department of Education and is the state director for CTE there. Read ACTE’s statement. 

• Trump Administration Cancels Nearly $900M in IES Contracts: The Trump Administration canceled nearly $900 million in contracts within the Institute of Education Sciences, impacting funding to a wide variety of research projects, including many focused on CTE.  

• Department of Education Cancels Grant Programs: The Department of Education Announces funding cuts and cancellations for several programs, including grants awarded under the Comprehensive Centers Program, grants to train teachers and education agencies and grants to several Regional Educational Laboratories and Equity Assistance Centers. 

• Department of Education Announces Guidance Updates for COVID-19 Funding: The Department of Education announced changes to how remaining COVID-19 relief can be claimed. States will now have to spend the money and submit their receipts for reimbursement.  

• Committee for Education Funding (CEF) Letter to Congress: CEF sent a letter to Congress objecting to the Administration’s actions to withhold funding. The letter, sent on behalf of their members including ACTE, urges Congress to insist that the Administration implement Congress’s laws requiring investments in education.  

• House and Senate Move Forward with Budget Reconciliation: Both the House and Senate have made progress on their respective budget resolutions, which outline the spending and revenue changes that they hope to achieve through the budget reconciliation process. Read more on the blog.  

• Senate Committee Considers Nominee for Education Secretary: Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Feb. 13. On Feb. 20, the committee voted to advance her nomination to the Senate floor for a full vote to confirm her nomination. For more information on her policy platform, check out the blog! 

• Senate Hearing with Nominee for Labor Secretary: Lori Chavez-DeRemer testified before the Senate HELP Committee on Feb. 19, following her nomination to Secretary of Labor. Chavez-DeRemer previously served in the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Feb. 27, the committee will hold a vote to consider her nomination. If Chavez-DeRemer advances through the committee, there will be a full Senate vote to confirm her nomination. 

• House Appropriators Hold Hearing on Career Readiness: On Feb. 12, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing that focused on the role of community colleges in workforce development. The hearing underscored the significance of community colleges in equipping individuals with skills that drive economic mobility. Read more on the blog! 

• House Education and Workforce Committee Announces Hearing on America’s Workforce and Economy: The House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on February 26, “Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening our Economy.” ACTE will share any relevant updates from the hearing! 

• Senate HELP Committee Leadership Announces Subcommittee Assignments: The Senate HELP Committee announced the member subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress. Subcommittees include Education and the American Family,  Employment and Workplace Safety, and Primary Health and Retirement Security.  

• Department of Education Issues OCR Guidance: On Feb. 14, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague letter to states and postsecondary institutions related to the use of race and ethnicity in educational activities. The letter takes a wide view of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA), suggesting it will be used as a framework to evaluate other education activities and potentially withhold funding.  

In a series of votes that started on Thursday and concluded early this morning, the Senate adopted a budget resolution that will serve as its blueprint for “budget reconciliation” legislation. Budget reconciliation is a complex special process that allows the majority party to consider legislation that only needs a simple majority to pass in the Senate, rather than the normal 60-vote threshold (eliminating the need for bipartisan compromise). A reconciliation bill can change mandatory spending, revenues, deficits or the debt limit, in line with the instructions provided in the budget resolution but is very limited related to other policy changes.

Senators voted 52-48, mostly along party lines, to advance their targeted measure. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the lone Republican to vote against the resolution. The marathon voting session, known as a “vote-a-rama” lasted about 10 hours, as Senate Democrats offered several amendments in an attempt to amend the resolution.

The resolution helps pave the way for Republicans to pass roughly $340 billion in funding through budget reconciliation, with an emphasis on carrying out President Trump’s border plan. “What we’re doing today is jumpstarting a process that will allow the Republican Party to meet President Trump’s immigration agenda,” said Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

House Republicans will also need to pass their own budget resolution, and leaders in both chambers will need to come together to officially start the reconciliation process. House Majority Leader Steve Scalice (R-LA) and House Majority Whip Tim Emmer (R-MN) said that they intend to bring their own budget resolution to the floor next week. However, since the House is currently pursuing a different strategy than the Senate, it is unclear how the process will move forward. Ultimately,

both the House and Senate will need to pass the same resolution before Republicans can begin constructing a budget reconciliation package.

As this process continues to unfold, ACTE will keep you updated on the latest developments and its potential implications for CTE. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org).

The House CTE Caucus’s CTE Month Resolution is still open for sign ons! CTE Caucus co-chairs, Reps. Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), have introduced the resolution in the House. The resolution has also been introduced in the Senate and was passed last week. Due to different process rules in the House and the Senate, the House resolution is still open to co-sponsors! 

CLICK HERE to ask your Representatives to cosponsor this year’s CTE Month resolution. 

This resolution recognizes February 2025 as CTE Month. CTE Month is a critical time in raising awareness of the role that CTE plays in connecting learners to high-wage, in-demand career opportunities that are vital to building a 21st-century workforce and strengthening the American economy.  

Strong support for the CTE Month Resolution will help to ensure that CTE is a priority for the 119th Congress. Using ACTE’s Action Center, you can identify your Representative and send a message to their office to ask them to co-sponsor the Resolution. If you have direct contacts in your Member’s offices, we urge you to call or email them directly.  

House members have the entire month of February to cosponsor the Resolution. Representatives can sign on as a cosponsor of the House CTE Month Resolution by contacting: 

• Brian Arata (brian.arata@mail.house.gov) in Rep. Thompson’s office 

• Allie Pearce (allie.pearce@mail.house.gov) in Rep. Bonamici’s office 

On Feb. 13, Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and former head of the Small Business Administration, faced rigorous questioning regarding her qualifications and policy positions.

McMahon handled questions on myriad topics, ranging from school choice to student loan forgiveness and the Administration’s Executive Orders. When asked about the authority to close the Department of Education (ED), McMahon acknowledged that any effort would require approval from Congress. However, she seemed to support at least some of the recent activities from the Department of Government Efficiency at the agency and relocating programs to other agencies, noting “the bottom line is, because it’s not working.” She also stated, “I do think it’s worthwhile to take a look at the programs before money goes out the door,” and noted she would have to review activities once she was confirmed. 

A highlight of the hearing for our community was McMahon’s support for CTE. She said, “Our workers deserve more postsecondary pathways, career-aligned programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job learning.” McMahon added that she would like to strengthen secondary CTE programs and see more dual-credit programs offered at high schools that would count toward community college and other institutions. “Our vocational and skilled-based training is not a default education; it can be front and center so that students who are inclined to go in that direction actually should be encouraged to do that,” she said.

On Pell Grants, McMahon voiced her support for expanding Pell Grants for short-term training programs. “I’d like to see short-term certificates for Pell grants for students who aren’t going on to four-year universities, who could have the opportunity to use Pell grants for skilled-based learning,” she said. She added that short-term Pell would stimulate the economy by providing an opportunity for anyone who wants to participate in skill-based learning and get into the workforce faster.

The HELP Committee will vote on the confirmation on Feb. 20. If the committee approves the nomination, then a vote by the full Senate will come next.

A recording of the hearing can be found here.

Apprenticeship Fact Sheets: The Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship recently updated their fact sheets on apprenticeships. These fact sheets cover a wide range of industries, learner groups such as veterans, initiatives by the office and more. For example, the “Explore Registered Apprenticeship” fact sheet notes that 94% of apprentices who complete a Registered Apprenticeship program remain employed and earn a yearly average salary of $84,000.

State of the Nation Report: The State of the Nation Project, a bipartisan group comprised of policy experts from various organizations, recently published their State of the Nation report. The report evaluates the United States' progress across several key areas, comparing current performance with historical trends and the progress of other nations globally.  

The average number of years in education for people aged 25-54 has been steadily increasing for the past few decades, an increase seen in other nations as well. 

• The number of adults aged 18-24 employed or in school has been rising, outside a drop during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The percentage of adults aged 25-54 who are employed has typically fluctuated between 75% and 82%, behind many other wealthy nations. 

Geography of Opportunity: The Institute for College Access and Success released a study on the availability of broad-access institutions (BAIs) — colleges that admit at least 80% of applicants — across the nation. The researchers place special attention on some of the nation's smallest and largest commuting zones, which are zones that share a common economy and labor market, analyzing how many Americans may potentially have no access to nearby BAIs. 

They found that 2.8 million people live in a small-population zone with no BAIs and 5.9 million in a small-population zone with only one BAI. Furthermore, since BAIs in these small-population zones often make up a significant portion of the zone’s postsecondary enrollment, they play a tremendous role in providing education and workforce opportunities.  

In addition, researchers found that a significant number of people in large-population zones also lack access to multiple BAIs. These findings demonstrate how a student’s place of living can dramatically affect their access to postsecondary education opportunities. 

Pathways to Implementation: Bellwether produced a series of briefs that guides state leaders and policymakers to develop and sustain effective career pathways programs for students in their state. 

The briefs in the series, seven in total, each focus on a single element critical to building out career pathways programs such as stakeholder engagement, communications, and data; discuss challenges state policymakers may face; and provide examples from other states who have successfully implemented each element.  

On Feb. 12, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing that focused on the role of community colleges in workforce development. The hearing underscored the significance of community colleges in equipping individuals with skills that drive economic mobility. 

The witnesses for the hearing were Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; Dr. Vicki Karolewics, President of Wallace State Community College; Dennis Parker, Consultant for Regional Talent Development for Toyota Motor North America; and Dr. Mary Alice McCarthy, Senior Director for the Center on Education and Labor at New America.  

Karolewics highlighted in her testimony the institution's success through "powerful partnerships and purposeful pathways." She emphasized the importance of stackable credentials, citing the nursing program where students can earn practical nursing credentials while working toward an associate degree. This approach ensures that students facing life challenges can still attain employment as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and earn a sustainable income, but then can continue their education in the future. 

The discussion extended to the potential expansion of Pell Grant eligibility for short-term programs. Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Julia Letlow (R-LA) were among the members that used their time to highlight the importance of expanding Pell Grants. Rep. Moolenar in his questions pressed witnesses on the mechanics of how to expand Pell Grants with Cooper citing the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act as one potential model. Rep. Letlow used her time to talk about a community college in her district, Louisiana Delta Community College, which partnered with the Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative and local workforce development board to develop a 16-week line worker program.  

On the witness panel, Karolewics discussed the potential of Short-Term Pell in programs like Wallace State’s commercial truck driving program. She noted that this four-to-five-week course can lead to entry-level positions with average annual salaries exceeding $60,000 in Alabama.