For the past week or so, lawmakers have been primarily focused on tackling health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and work has stalled on the remaining FY 26 appropriations bills that have to yet pass. The continuing resolution (CR) currently funding the government expires on January 30, 2026, giving Congress limited time to address federal funding for programs before adjourning for the holidays. In other news, the AHEAD Committee at the Department of Education (ED) wrapped up its first week of negotiated rulemaking, focusing on implementation of Workforce Pell next year. Read more updates below. 

• First Week of Workforce Pell Rulemaking Concludes: On Dec. 12, the Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee concluded its first week of negotiated rulemaking. The committee came to a consensus for implementing Workforce Pell next year, adopting a series of changes aimed at better aligning Workforce Pell with WIOA and other education and workforce programs. A detailed recap of the committee’s activities can be found on Workforce Pell Watch. 

• Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Workforce Development: On Dec. 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing that discussed CTE programs and examined their role in equipping workers with the skills needed to enter high-wage careers. During the hearing, several senators expressed concerns regarding the shift of Perkins funds to the Department of Labor (DOL). You can watch the hearing here. 

• ED Launches Talent Marketplace Challenge: On Dec. 15, ED launched the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge. Beginning in January of next year, the Department will call on Governors to work alongside education and workforce leaders to develop and scale talent marketplaces that include a credential registry, learning and employment records and skills-based job description generators. Up to 10 semi-finalists and finalists will receive tailored technical assistance and earn a portion of the $15M prize pool. In addition, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on these topics on Dec. 10. You can watch the hearing, titled, “Building a Talent Marketplace: How LERS Empower Workers and Expand Opportunity,” here.    

• ED Awards $256M in Education Innovation and Research Grants: On Dec. 15, ED awarded $256M in Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grants to improve literacy across the nation. Aligning with Secretary McMahon’s initial supplemental grant priorities, the majority of grants were awarded to support projects in rural communities. 

• ED Announces Crackdown on Student Aid Fraud: On Dec. 11, ED announced that it has prevented over $1B in student aid fraud through the use of new validity processes that were implemented earlier this year.  

• ED Awards Over $208M in Mental Health Grants: On Dec. 11, ED awarded over $208M in grants to expand mental health professional recruitment and retention and strengthen the mental health workforce in schools. These grants were awarded after the Department identified new grant priorities earlier this year, discontinuing mental health grants that focused on DEI and diversity-related initiatives. 

• Credential Engine Releases Report on 2025 Credentials: A recent report from Credential Engine provides data on total credential counts for 2025. In total, students and workers earned over 1.85M unique credentials. This includes over 264K degrees, 14K occupational licenses and 486K certificates (such as academic and apprenticeship certificates).  

• ED Updates Accreditation Handbook: On Dec. 10, ED announced that it was seeking comments regarding updates to the Department’s Accreditation Handbook. The Department is specifically requesting comments on how the handbook can reduce postsecondary costs, drive intellectual diversity and better assist accreditation agencies in evaluating postsecondary education programs.   

• ED Officially Ends the SAVE Plan: On Dec. 9, ED announced that it was officially ending the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan for student loan repayment after reaching a settlement with the state of Missouri. Initiated during the Biden Administration, the SAVE Plan aimed at helping low-income student loan borrowers with lower monthly payments and an accelerated timeline to finish payments. Over seven million borrowers are currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan and will be required to enroll in new payment plans. 

• ED Launches New FAFSA Earnings Indicator: On Dec. 8, ED launched a new earnings indicator embedded in the FAFSA application process. Once prospective students submit information on institutions they are interested in attending, FAFSA will present data on whether graduates of the institution make more than high school graduates. Secretary McMahon highlights the tool as a way for students and families to make more financially transparent decisions when considering taking on loans and student debt. 

• ED Brings Civil Rights Staffers Back to Work: On Dec. 5, ED recalled dozens of staffers on administrative leave to return to work at the Office for Civil Rights, aiming to reduce the office’s backlog of discrimination complaints. This action follows the Department’s layoffs throughout the year and the numerous lawsuits that followed. 

FY 2026 appropriations remain a top priority for lawmakers as the continuing resolution signed to end the government shutdown is set to expire on January 30 next year. However, little has moved forward so far as Congress continues to negotiate over funding for education, workforce development and other federal programs. The House and Senate have also recently begun hosting CTE-related hearings as a potential Perkins reauthorization looms in the future. In other news, the Education Department (ED) will conduct negotiated rulemaking next week to determine specific rules and requirements for Workforce Pell implementation. Read more updates below. 

• AHEAD Committee to Meet Next Week: Next week, the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee will meet to begin developing regulations for implementing Workforce Pell and other provisions that were passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) earlier this year. ED has posted the list of members serving on the committee as well as the agenda, draft regulations and other important documents. ACTE will be monitoring the committee as it convenes and report back on developments. 
• Senate to Hold Hearing on Workforce Development: Next week on Dec. 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will host a CTE-related hearing titled “Building Pathways: Advancing Workforce Development in the 21st Century.” ACTE will report back on the blog summarizing the main takeaways. 
• Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on Student Data: On Dec. 3, the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee held a hearing on safeguarding student privacy and parental rights. Much of the hearing discussion focused on parents’ access to educational data. You can view the hearing here.  
• Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Veterans’ Workforce: On Dec. 2, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a heard on “Strengthening the Workforce of Veterans in America.” The hearing featured witnesses from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs as well as industry representatives. You can view the hearing here.  
• Secretary McMahon Commences Civics Tour: On Dec. 2, Secretary McMahon announced the start of ED’s History Rocks tour, aiming to visit schools across all 50 states engaging in civics education. The tour is part of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition.  
• ED Launches New Portal for Foreign Funding: On Dec. 1, ED announced that it was launching a new portal for postsecondary institutions to disclose large foreign funding gifts and contracts they receive. The portal will go live next year on January 2 and is part of the Administration’s focus on national security concerns. 
• ED Announces New Appointments to Accreditation Committee: On Nov. 25, ED appointed five new members to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), which provides accreditation-related policy recommendations to the Department. The new appointees include policy experts from education groups and a student representative from Western Carolina University. 
• DOL Releases WIOA Guidance: On Nov. 25, the Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance that encourages states to utilize WIOA waivers that would exempt them from specific statutory regulations, including exemptions from various funding and workforce development requirements. The guidance aligns with the Administration’s goal of handing states more control over specific programs.  
• Groups Sue ED for Outsourcing Federal Programs: On Nov. 25, a group of school districts, unions and nonprofits expanded a lawsuit against ED after the Department announced that it was outsourcing various programs to other federal agencies last month. The groups allege that these moves would harm K-12 and postsecondary education programs.  
• ED Releases Fact Sheet on Professional Degrees: On Nov. 24, ED released a fact sheet that provides additional information on specific professional degree programs eligible for higher graduate loan caps under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Particularly, the fact sheet focuses on nursing programs because of the media attention surrounding the new professional degree program designations. 

The Effects of High School Remediation on Long-run Educational Attainment: A paper from the Annenberg Institute examines how enrolling in remedial high school courses influences students’ access to other coursework and postsecondary outcomes. The author leverages state policy in Florida, which requires students who score low on statewide mathematics and reading assessments to take remediation courses in those subjects the following year. 

After analyzing data from a large urban school district in Florida, the author found that students who take a remedial course are 20 percentage points less likely to take a CTE course in the same year they take the remedial course and eight percentage points less likely to ever take a CTE course in high school. Remedial students earn fewer CTE credits and are less likely to be a CTE participant. They are also six percentage points less likely to take college-credit courses and other advanced coursework.  

In addition, students who take a remedial course are 20% less likely to earn a two- or four-year degree. The author suggests that about half of this effect stems from remedial students having reduced access to other high school coursework, such as CTE. 

Interest Surging in Nondegree Credentials but How Do Students Finance Them?: An article from the Pew Charitable Trusts examines how students pay for nondegree and workforce credentials. The researchers analyzed data from the National Training, Education and Workforce Survey (NTEWS) and found that more adults than ever are pursuing nondegree credentials. 

• Thirty-four percent of U.S. adults have a nondegree credential. Within this group, about half do not have a degree and the other half do (16% and 18% of all U.S. adults, respectively).  
• Most students use their own money to pay for nondegree credentials; specifically, 71% paid out of pocket for their most important professional license and 51% for their most recent vocational certificate.  
  • Other funding sources relied on by students include government/private loans (19% for most important license, 20% for most recent vocational certificate); financial support from employers (24% and 15%, respectively); and grants or scholarships from non-employer sources (13% and 15%, respectively).  

Postsecondary Fall Enrollment Trends: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center recently released preliminary fall 2025 postsecondary enrollment data. Major takeaways from the data include the following: 

• Total postsecondary enrollment in fall 2025 grew 2% compared to the previous fall. Growth occurred across all institution types, with community college enrollment increasing the most (+4%).  
• Postsecondary certificate programs (+6.6%) and associate degree programs (+3.1%) experienced the strongest growth in fall 2025.  
• Fields of study at two-year colleges that experienced the strongest enrollment increases include Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians (+10.4%); Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences (+10.1%); and Engineering Technologies/Technicians (+8.3%).  
• Postsecondary enrollment growth occurred across all age groups. Students aged 17 or younger (+6%) saw the strongest growth, followed by 25- to 29-year-olds (+3.3%) and 18-year-olds (+3.2%). 
• Hispanic (+3.1%), Black (+3.5%) and multiracial (+2.9%) learners’ postsecondary enrollment all increased in fall 2025. Asian student enrollment held steady, and white student enrollment declined by 3.7%. 
• Male and female postsecondary enrollment grew slightly, by 1.5% and 2.2%, respectively. Growth was stronger at two-year colleges, with male enrollment increasing by 2.2% and female enrollment increasing by 4.2%. 

Global Education at a Glance: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently published their annual Education at a Glance report, which provides comprehensive data on the state of education globally. 

The report found that employed adults, on average, have higher literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills across all OECD nations compared to unemployed adults. Younger adults also have higher skill levels across most nations compared to older adults. However, the researchers noted that while educational attainment rates are rising, skill levels among adults have largely stagnated or even declined. In the U.S., adults have average skill levels compared to other nations, but literacy skills declined between 2012 and 2023 across all age groups and education levels.  

The report also found that, while financial returns from postsecondary education are the highest in the U.S. compared to other OECD nations, few alternatives offer Americans a pathway to higher earnings. For instance, young adults in most nations experience a wage increase when they earn the equivalent of a high school diploma, but Americans do not: U.S. adults aged 25-34 who hold a high school diploma earn the same as those who do not.  

YouScience recently published a report that examines the challenges and opportunities identified by a survey of more than 400 CTE leaders nationwide. The researchers found five major areas of focus for CTE leaders: 

• Enrollment: Sixty-six percent of CTE leaders state that there is a lack of awareness of CTE programs, and 57% identify persistent misconceptions and biases against CTE. Furthermore, while 76% of leaders say that career exploration tools are critical to boosting enrollment, 52% note that their students have limited access to these tools. Many CTE leaders are developing solutions to these problems, such as introducing middle school students to different CTE pathways and holding CTE family nights. 

• Employer Engagement: CTE leaders have trouble connecting employers and work-based learning opportunities to CTE programs—63% struggle aligning school schedules with employer needs, 55% face liability concerns and 49% state that some employers lack awareness of CTE. The report highlights successful strategies like working with intermediaries to develop relationships.   

• Alignment With Workforce: Aligning CTE programs and curriculum with specific workforce and industry needs is another critical issue. Fifty-four percent of CTE leaders review curriculum and certification programs with industry partners, 59% participate in workforce development networks and 61% conduct labor market research. Incorporating industry credentials is one strategy that CTE leaders have turned to in order to strengthen employer and labor market connections. 

• Measurement and Outcomes: It is important that CTE leaders have comprehensive data showing the impact of CTE in their communities, but 64% rely on manual spreadsheets to track student outcomes and 29% have trouble demonstrating ROI to stakeholders. The researchers argue that modernizing data collection systems is important as manual tracking is time-consuming and diverts attention away from students.  

• Access Gaps: CTE leaders are focused on expanding CTE access to students. Fifty-four percent prioritize providing financial support or scholarships, 54% prioritize accommodations and 53% target flexible scheduling. The researchers also highlight the use of aptitude-based assessments to broaden CTE exposure.  

With the federal government reopened, activity in Congress and the Administration has ramped up significantly. Congress has returned to work on FY 2026 appropriations bills, and ACTE is advocating for an increase in Perkins funding as well as continued investment for other education and workforce programs (see the Action Alert below). The House also held a hearing on the impact and importance of CTE across the nation. In other news this week, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it was moving the administration of funding for various programs to different federal agencies. Read more updates below. 

• ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Support Education Funding in the FY 2026 Appropriations Bill: With the government reopened, Congress has turned their attention to finishing FY 2026 appropriations bills, including education and CTE funding. While the Senate bill maintains level funding for Perkins grants, the House bill provides a $25 million increase but makes steep cuts across other education and workforce programs. It is essential that Congress provides more CTE funding while also maintaining sustained investment and support for other important education and workforce programs. CLICK HERE to urge your Members of Congress to support education and workforce development funding in FY 2026! 
• Appropriations Leaders Meet on FY 2026 Plans: For the first time since the government shutdown, top House and Senate appropriations leaders met this week to discuss next steps in the FY 2026 funding process. While no final decisions emerged from the meeting, there are some reports that the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill could be part of the next legislative package.  
• ED Announces New Partnerships to Move Agency Functions: On Nov. 18, ED announced six new interagency agreements that would shift the administration of funding for various programs to other federal agencies. Among these include moving Office of Elementary and Secondary Education programs to the Department of Labor (DOL) and moving Indian Education programs to the Department of the Interior. These IAAs are aligned with the Administration’s goal of dismantling ED and mimic the IAA implemented earlier this year that moved Perkins and adult ed funding to the DOL. Read more on the blog here. 
• House Holds Hearing on CTE: On Nov. 19, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a CTE hearing titled “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills through CTE.” The witnesses highlighted the impact of CTE in their fields while Republicans and Democrats largely focused on different issues. Read more on the blog here. 
• ED Releases 2023-24 Perkins Data: Last week, the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education released 2023-24 CTE enrollment and performance data. ACTE has begun preliminary analysis of this data, and you can read some of our findings on the blog here.
• House Holds Hearing on Future of College: On Nov. 18, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled, “The Future of College: Harnessing Innovation to Improve Outcomes and Lower Costs.” The hearing focused on lowering costs, increasing flexibility and aligning postsecondary programs with workforce needs. You can watch the hearing and read testimony here.  
• ED Makes Additional Appointments: On Nov. 14, ED appointed Richard Lucas to serve as the Acting Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid. Lucas previously served as Chief Financial Officer for the office. Additionally, ED appointed former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant to sit on the National Assessment Governing Board on Nov. 17. 
• IES Releases Guides on CCR, Educator Data: This week, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) released two guides on how state and local education agencies can collect and utilize college and career readiness data as well as educator workforce data. We encourage state and local data practitioners to share these resources with their networks. 
• Secretary McMahon Holds Postsecondary Roundtable: On Nov. 19, Secretary McMahon hosted a roundtable with postsecondary leaders on reforming colleges and universities across the nation. Discussion points included increasing public confidence in postsecondary education and improving degree outcomes. The roundtable also discussed the funding compact circulated earlier this year. 
• EdWeek Releases Report on CTE and AI: This week, Education Week released a report examining the intersection of CTE and AI in the classroom and workplace. ACTE worked extensively with EdWeek as the report was being developed. Read more on the blog here. 
• President Trump Signs EO on Foster Youth: On Nov. 13, President Trump signed an Executive Order that seeks to improve the nation’s foster care system. Among the priorities listed in the EO include connecting foster youth with short-term credentials and occupational training. Youth who are in or have aged out of the foster care system are a “special population” group under Perkins.  
• National Orgs Announce Career-connected Learning Awards: Building Hope and American Student Assistance have partnered together to create the Future Forward Schools Prize & Fellowship Program. The program will recognize promising career-connected learning (CCL) programs by awarding $50,000 to five schools with a CCL program along with a year-long fellowship for school leaders. The application opens Dec. 3, and eligible applicants include public, private and charter middle and high schools that have a CCL program, serve a student population with at least 50% of students from under-resourced or underrepresented backgrounds and have existed for at least two years. Learn more here. 
• House and Senate Announce 2026 Calendars: Both the House and Senate calendars are now available for 2026! You can use these calendars to identify when Members of Congress will be in DC for congressional responsibilities and when they may be available for events or meetings in their states and districts. Notably, both chambers are in session during NPS this year! 

Last week, the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) released 2023-24 enrollment and performance data for secondary and postsecondary CTE participants and concentrators. 

Several high-level takeaways from the data include the following: 

• In 2023-24, there were about 8.6 million secondary CTE participants — a 10.3% increase from 2022-23, which had 7.8 million secondary CTE participants. Texas is the primary contributor, adding over 690,000 secondary CTE participants. 
  • This total includes 3.8 million secondary CTE concentrators in 2023-24, compared to almost 3.5 million in 2022-23. 

• In 2023-24, there were about 3.3 million postsecondary CTE participants, largely unchanged from the prior year. 
  • This total includes 1.8 million postsecondary CTE concentrators in 2023-24, again very similar to the numbers reported for 2022-23. 

• The nationwide four-year graduation rate for secondary CTE concentrators was 97.3%, a small increase from 2022-23’s graduation rate of 96.6%. 
• The nationwide placement rate for postsecondary CTE concentrators – the percentage of individuals who, after program completion, were employed or were participating in further education, advanced training, military service or a service program — was 81.5%, slightly higher than 2022-23’s placement rate of 81.3%. 

Disaggregating enrollment data yields some additional findings: 

• For secondary CTE concentrators, the top three Career Clusters were Health Science; Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; and Business Management & Administration. 
• For postsecondary CTE concentrators, the top three Career Clusters were Health Science, Business Management & Administration and Information Technology. 
• About 49.8% of secondary CTE concentrators come from economically disadvantaged families compared to 41.8% for postsecondary CTE concentrators. 
• About 10.8% of secondary CTE concentrators are students with disabilities (SWDs) compared to 4.7% for postsecondary CTE concentrators.  

States also reported data on secondary program quality indicators: 

• Almost 434,000 secondary CTE concentrators attained a recognized postsecondary credential across 22 states and territories. 
• About 134,000 secondary CTE concentrators earned postsecondary credits in their CTE program area across 11 states and territories. 
• About 236,000 secondary CTE concentrators participated in work-based learning across 29 states and territories. 

In addition to enrollment and performance data, national and state fiscal information are provided. In FY25, over $1.4 billion in Basic State Grants were awarded. Secondary recipients received over $693 million in grants; postsecondary recipients received over $429 million.  

Please be aware that this data may be subject to change, if corrections are needed. ACTE is analyzing the 2023-24 data and will share more findings on this blog. In the meantime, we encourage you to explore state CTE enrollment and performance data as well as national enrollment and performance data with the Perkins Data Explorer, and to reach out to ACTE’s Research and Policy Coordinator Jesus Galvan with any questions. 

Yesterday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled, “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills through CTE.” The witnesses for the hearing included:

• Deb Volzer – Vice President, Workforce Development, SME
• Kristi Rice – Cybersecurity Teacher, Spotsylvania County Public Schools
• Braden Goetz – Senior Policy Advisor, Center on Education & Labor, New America
• Nicole Gasper – CEO, Western Michigan Aviation Academy

Several themes emerged throughout the hearing. Many Republicans on the subcommittee focused their questions on local needs and industry alignment. In an exchange with Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI), Volzer stated, “When we look at developing out these programs, we’re looking at, locally, what the needs are for those industry partners, what equipment, what skills, and what future technologies are being integrated into that environment, into that local, so that we can best support those local entities.”

The witnesses also highlighted the innovations happening in the field. In her testimony, Ms. Gasper from the Western Michigan Aviation Academy showcased how her school is creating talent pipelines. “We create meaningful talent pipelines, and over the past 15 years, we’ve had just under 200 high school seniors earn their private pilot’s licenses by the time they graduate. We’ve also had 27 students earn their Part 107 commercial drone licenses,” she stated.

Democrats in the hearing largely focused their questions on the Interagency Agreement (IAA) shifting the administration of CTE funds from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of Labor (DOL). In his testimony, Mr. Goetz called the IAA “confusing and inefficient.” He later went on to say that “CTE is fundamentally an education program. It is not job training.” ACTE has previously expressed concern over the IAA.

A recording of the hearing can be found here.