CTE is a Hidden Weak Spot in Many High School’s Teacher Workforces: The Brookings Institution has published a report that analyzes the CTE teacher shortage across the U.S. with insights about the factors that are perpetuating the problem, the ways in which schools are struggling to fill these positions, policy recommendations and more. Researchers discovered that administrators are having difficulties filling CTE teacher positions 57% of the time compared to only 39% of the time for openings in academic subjects.

Top findings include:

• CTE teachers with professional teaching licenses were less likely to leave teaching than occupationally licensed CTE teachers. Occupationally licensed CTE teachers were 25% likelier to leave the field than non-CTE teachers.
• Occupationally licensed CTE instructors who do leave the profession earn about 20% more upon exit than other teachers (potentially contributing to their higher exit rates).
• Health science teacher exits (a specific area of focus for the study) often do not get fully re-staffed, leading to net losses of student participation, course sections and staff the following school year.

Some College, No Credential Student Outcomes: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has released the annual Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, which explores the educational trajectories of U.S. adults who left postsecondary education without ever receiving an award or credential. The report found that the SCNC population at the end of July 2022 was 42 million with more than 37 million of these individuals being under the age of 65. 

Top findings include:

• Between January 2021 and July 2022, there were fewer stopouts compared to the similar prior period (-0.7%). Particularly, public two-year institutions experienced larger decreases (-4.1%), which could be contributed to overall pandemic-related enrollment declines.
• In 2022-23 SCNC re-enrollees primarily chose associate degrees (51.9%), 28.2% bachelor’s degrees and 13.3% undergraduate certificates.
• Of the 864,00 learners who re-enrolled in 2021-22, over 39,000 earned a credential during that year, 467,000 persevered into 2022-23 and 80,000 earned a credential in their second year of re-enrollment.
• In 2022-23, of nearly 41,900 re-enrollees that earned credentials, 48.7% earned an undergraduate certificate, 29.4% earned an associate degree, and 19.7% a bachelor’s degree.

How States Can Use Data to Incentivize Student Postsecondary and Workforce Success: American Student Assistance and the Education Strategy Group have published a report that examines how can states use data to demonstrate the value of public education and support the long-term success of students through reporting, accountability and incentive systems. Researchers highlighted striking differences in the value of postsecondary credentials with entry-level graduates in liberal arts majors earning 24% less than STEM majors and 29% less than health-related graduates.

Top finings and recent state developments below:

• 35 states publicly report both postsecondary success and workforce outcomes but only few report metrics related to return on investment and/or postsecondary value.
• 29 states use outcomes-based funding (OBF) mechanisms with only six incorporating workforce outcomes and 22 including two- and four-year institutions.
• 11 states plus D.C report only on college success outcomes but no state reports only on workforce outcomes.
• Seven states have funding incentives incorporating college and career readiness metrics or postsecondary outcomes with five of these only including the former.
• 41 states include one or more college and career readiness metrics into federal or state accountability systems, eight incorporate both college career readiness and postsecondary outcomes and 33 plus D.C include only the former.

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing, “Finding 500,000: Addressing America’s Cyber Workforce Gap.” Witnesses included Eric Hysen, chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Leslie Beavers, principal deputy chief information officer at the Department of Defense (DOD); Rodney Peterson, director of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education within the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); and Seeyew Mo, assistant national cyber director at the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). 

The hearing primarily discussed the various methods in which new employees could enter the cyber workforce, and how to professionally train existing staff to strengthen their cyber skills. Several members of the Committee discussed the benefits of job-training programs that help potential employees without four-year degrees to enter the cyber workforce, specifically in government agencies such as DHS or DOD. Chairman Garbarino, filling in for Chairman Green, emphasized that the need for cyber talent is greatest within government agencies.  

The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, unveiled in 2023, was a key topic of discussion during the hearing. The Administration recently released a report on that strategy’s implementation, “National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy: Initial Stages of Implementation.” 

Both the Committee and several witnesses acknowledged this strategy's comprehensive approach to addressing both immediate and long-term cyber workforce needs. A key component to this strategy is collaboration with stakeholders to develop a skills-based approach to recruitment and development in cyber roles, which was discussed at length in the hearing. The ecosystem of stakeholders that work to uplift the cyber workforce includes employers, trade associations, government, economic and workforce development entities and educators. These connections help to foster accessible learning opportunities.  

Another opportunity and example of how these stakeholders collaborate discussed in both the hearing and Strategy is the option to attend a “Cyber Clinic.” Cyber Clinics support communities and small governments with cyber risk assessment and planning assistance, recruiting over 200 students to learn while they work.  

Seeyew Mo also shared his experiences with different programs he had seen across the country to promote cyber skills and jobs including CTE curriculum focused on skills like pattern recognition and problem solving, which are foundational to more specialized programs. Those skills are a foundation for other technical skills – this creates space for hands-on learning and certification done through CTE curriculum. CTE teaches cyber skills at the middle school and high school level. Leslie Beavers also discussed skills-training in community colleges, and the effort to start this training as early as K-12 to adequately prepare students to enter the cyber workforce.  

Resources and opportunities mentioned in the hearing were: 

• Cyber Apprenticeship Opportunities 
• Secretary’s Honors Program 
• DOD Cybersecurity Internship Opportunities 
• Cyber Academic Engagement Office 
• Cyber Defense Workforce Framework 
• National Cyber Workforce Education Strategy 

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies released their Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill earlier this week. The bill proposes deep cuts to many education and job training programs.  

The bill would cut spending for the agencies within its jurisdiction by 11 percent or $24.6 billion. Specifically, the bill would cut the Department of Education by 14 percent or $11 billion and the Department of Labor by 23 percent or $3 billion. There are also recissions to some current funding streams.  

In good news for CTE, the bill proposes a $10 million increase for the Perkins Basic State Grant. However, while we appreciate the legislation’s recognition of increasing current Perkins funding levels, we are extremely concerned about proposed cuts to other major education and workforce development programs elsewhere in the legislation. 

Below are just a few of the funding cuts or program eliminations included in the bill that are most relevant: 

Department of Education: 

• 25% cut for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I Grants for local education agencies 

• 50% reduction to the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work Study Programs 

• Elimination of funding for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (ESSA Title II)  

Department of Labor: 

• 57 percent grant for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Grants 

• 25 percent cut to the Employment and Training Administration 

• $135 million decrease to Registered Apprenticeship program 

• Elimination of funding for WIOA Youth Job Training 

A few programs will keep their funding at the same level as FY 2024 or also have small increases like Perkins. The maximum Pell grant will remain at $7,395, and the Department of Labor Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant program will stay at $65 million. A small increase was proposed for ESSA Title IV and for IDEA state grants.  

On Thursday, the subcommittee advanced the bill and will be considered by the full committee on July 10. Be on the lookout for an Action Alert next week to get involved and let Congress know that these massive cuts will have a negative impact on the broader education and workforce system, including CTE programs. You can view the full text of the bill here. 

Today ACTE published CTE: Developing the Education & Training Workforce and CTE: Developing the Hospitality & Tourism Workforce as part of our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE's long-time partner Pearson.  

The Education & Training Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports this workforce, which employs more than 8 million people nationwide supporting preschool through adult learners, while the Hospitality & Tourism Sector Sheet describes CTE’s role in preparing individuals to work in travel and tourism, hotels and lodging, and restaurant fields.

The Sector Sheets share information on occupations, earnings and credentials that enable individuals to succeed in these sectors. And demonstrate the importance of CTE in developing these workforces by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

Both the newer and older Sector Sheets are available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, families, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for learners and the workforce. 

Later this summer, a National Center for Education Statistics’ research team is offering a free professional development opportunity on the use of the College Scorecard. See the note below and instructions on how to register from NCES!

The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard is a free online tool to help students of all ages, families, educators, counselors, and other college access professionals make data-informed decisions when choosing a college or university to attend. Through an open and easy-to-use website, the Scorecard supports students on their pathway to college and future careers by increasing the transparency of information that will help them understand the benefits of a higher education, such as college costs, student debt, graduation rates, admissions test scores and acceptance rates, student body diversity, post-college earnings, and much more.

This session is designed for counselors, advisors, and other educators involved in training college access professionals. Participants will learn how to use the College Scorecard to support students and parents in making data-informed decisions about college attendance. The training includes a comprehensive toolkit tailored for professional development, equipping advisors with the necessary skills to effectively teach others how to utilize the College Scorecard.

Training will be offered online by College Scorecard experts. Click HERE to register for one of the following dates:

• • Tues, July 30, 10:00am-noon EDT
  • Thur, Aug 1, 4:00-6:00pm EDT
  • Thur, Aug 22, 10:00am-noon EDT
  • Tue, Aug 27, 4:00-6:00pm EDT 

In April, the Biden Administration released its final version of updated regulations related to the implementation of Title IX. These new regulations introduce several new stipulations aimed at extending protections to LGBTQ+ identifying students and enhancing protections for pregnant or parenting students. They also revise the definition of sexual harassment and the investigation process for such cases. The new regulations will go into effect on August 1, 2024, meaning that reported incidents of sex discrimination that occur on or after August 1 will be handled under the new regulations in most states, dependent on how federal courts address the regulations. 

Supporters of the Administration and the rule applaud the new regulations, while critics are working to overturn them. Recently, a federal judge in Kentucky temporarily blocked the new rule in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia on the grounds that they are inconsistent with the underlying Title IX law. This follows a previous ruling from a federal judge in Louisiana who ruled to block the new Title IX regulations from taking effect in Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi and Montana. There have been multiple other lawsuits by states and critics as well, and a recent resolution of disapproval was passed by the House Education and Workforce Committee. At this point, however, the regulations are still scheduled to go into effect in 40 states, so keep reading for a summary of the major implications. 

 New Title IX Regulations 

Under the new rule, Sex-based harassment, the standard for what constitutes as sexual harassment has been revised from “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive” conduct to “sufficiently severe or pervasive” conduct. Some warn that this more encompassing definition may result in a perceived uptick of complaints filed because the broader criteria and simpler filing process will enable more students who have experienced sexual harassment to act. 

The new rule also adopts the “single-investigator model” as an option for addressing complaints that had been discontinued in 2020. In any given case, under this model one person can investigate, adjudicate and issue any sanctions against the person accused of sexual misconduct. In other models, advisers would cross-examine the complaining and responding parties and their witnesses. Critics are concerned about how this shift will impact due process, while supporters applaud a system that encourages reporting.  

The Department of Education has also expanded the regulations to include more protections for students who are parents or with “pregnancy or related conditions" which includes pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, “termination of pregnancy” which includes stillbirth, abortion and miscarriage, all related medical conditions and recovery. The Department notes that they recognize sex stereotypes about who bears responsibility for raising children are still common and can impact students, employees and applicants who become parents when pursuing educational opportunities. This does not impact how State law defines parental rights, but prohibits policies, practices and procedures that discriminate against a student based on their parental status. 

Examples of this discrimination might include not allowing a student to participate in a field-work course or on-the-job training based on their condition or perceived condition; not allowing a parent into a program due to an assumption about their temporal capacity because of their parental duties; not providing a private and safe lactation space; or retaliation against students who are experiencing any of the protected conditions.  

The new Title IX regulations have also been expanded to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discriminatory practices. The Department has outlined that discrimination on these bases follows a similar structure of sex discrimination against students because they do not conform to masculine or feminine sex stereotypes. The rule defines gender identity as, “a description of an individual’s sense of their gender, which may or may not be different from their sex assigned at birth,” (this definition is consistent with court usage). Title IX now prohibits discrimination against students because of their gender identity, or perceived gender identity, and their perceived or actual sexual orientation. Any assertions about a student’s gender identity must either come from the student or from written confirmation by the student, their parent, counselor, coach or teacher. 

The Department also fielded comments on student and employee participation consistent with gender identity. As noted in the discussion of the regulations, “Title IX prohibits all sex discrimination, including gender identity discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities, and [that] students experience sex-based harm that violates Title IX when a recipient bars them from accessing sex-separate facilities or activities consistent with their gender identity.” This is relevant to CTE programs when conducting activities that might be otherwise gendered. An example of this form of discrimination, provided by the Department, noted that denying a transgender student’s access to a sex-separate education program or activity consistent with his gender identity imposed serious harm on his mental health and overall well-being, thus in violation of Title IX. However, the Department of Education and Biden Administration have emphasized that this does not apply to athletics, and additional rules related to that topic are expected in the future. 

The regulations noted that, in the case of a student who may identify as nonbinary, the school could coordinate with the student and their parent or guardian (as appropriate) to best determine where the student will feel safest in their access to programs or activities.  

For additional resources on the new Title IX regulations, see below. 

Drafting Nondiscrimination Policies 

Fact Sheet 

File a Complaint 

After a busy last few days, the Senate is in recess for the next two weeks. The House was not in session this week but will resume session next week before joining the Senate in recess for the Fourth of July holiday. This staggered schedule creates a compressed timeframe for legislative work before the August recess. However, it also provides opportunities for Members of Congress to connect with constituents in their districts and states. Keep reading for more on Congress and for new resources from the Administration! 

• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Held Hearing on Teacher Shortage: The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing, “The Immediate and Long-Term Challenges Facing Public School Teachers: Low Pay, Teacher Shortages, and Underfunded Public Schools.” While they did not explicitly discuss shortages facing the CTE teacher workforce, the witnesses did discuss CTE and apprenticeships to strengthen students’ opportunities and pathways. 
• House Education and Workforce Committee to Host AI in Education Showcase: On Wednesday, June 26, at 3:00 p.m., the Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a showcase titled “A.I. in Education.” The event will feature businesses from across the country that have utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance education for all students. 
• House Committee on Homeland Security to Host Hearing on Cyber Workforce Gap: The House Committee on Homeland Security has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday (June 26) at 10:00am, “Addressing America’s Cyber Workforce Gap.” It can be streamed live online. 
• Education Secretary Cardona Visits CTE Institutions in New York: On Thursday, Secretary Cardona visited New York with U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, where they discussed the importance of career pathway programs and the role of community colleges in that work alongside students at Dutchess Community College. They also visited the new Ulster Board of Cooperative Education Services career and technical center. 
• Department of Education Issues Request for Information on Loan Forgiveness to Early Childhood Educators: The Department of Education issued a Request for Information to better understand operational aspects of potentially expanding Public Service Loan Forgiveness for workers in early childhood education settings. 
• Department of Education to Host Webinar on Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth into Higher Ed Through CTE: The Department’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) is hosting a webinar as part of a series “Equity in Career Connected Education: Advancing Economic Mobility” to discuss the role of CTE and community colleges in gang-involved youth. 
• American School Counselor Association (ASCA) FAFSA Office Hours: The ASCA is hosting office hours for school counselors and college access professionals looking for specific answers for FAFSA completion and students/families needing to submit the 2024 FAFSA. 
• Department of Labor Publishes Resources on WIOA Program Collaboration: The Department of Labor published resources intended to help facilitate collaboration and co-enrollment across Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Core Programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and other partners in the workforce system. 
• Biden Administration Investments in a Climate-Ready Workforce: The Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced $60 million in funding to help train and place people in jobs that advance a climate-ready workforce for coastal and Great Lakes states, Tribes and Territories..