Rethinking High School Graduation Requirements: Education Strategy Group (ESG) released a brief detailing recommendations surrounding high school graduation requirements that, when implemented, would better prepare students for entry into postsecondary education and/or the workforce. These recommendations include:

• Involving higher education and workforce leaders in designing high school graduation requirements. K-12 leaders should not be the only stakeholder involved in this process. 

• Ensuring that all pathways to graduation are not only flexible to a student’s interests, but also rigorous enough to prepare students for life after high school. This may include requiring work-based learning opportunities for graduation or achieving specific assessment benchmarks. 

• Including a measure that indicates a student’s college and career readiness beyond high school, such as completing work-based learning, earning dual enrollment credits, completing a CTE pathway and more. 

The brief also includes examples of recent graduation requirement changes that states have made. For instance, Rhode Island has convened many different stakeholders in writing out college and career high school graduation requirements and Illinois has recently mandated the completion of the FAFSA or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid to graduate high school. 

Credentials That Pay: Designing Pathways to Tech Careers: A recent brief by Jobs for the Future (JFF) discusses tech pathways and credentials that lead to meaningful careers with a positive return on investment, also focusing on the equitable development of these pathways. While tech credentials often provide students with high-paying careers, most of these careers are for bachelor’s degree holders, and students of color often fall behind in earning tech credentials. However, meaningful tech credentials are not only beneficial to those who attend a four-year college. CEW estimates that the percentage of tech jobs that will be available for students with associate degrees and below will jump from 14% to 18% by 2031. For students who pursue a short-term credential, JFF finds that these individuals move forward in their careers and attain higher wages. More work needs to be done, however, to ensure that tech credentials are not dead ends for students, that they are equitable, and that they lead students to high-paying lucrative careers.  

Collaborating to Serve Adult Learners of Color: Lessons from the Partnerships for Adult Learner Success Initiative: Mathematica published a brief that examined universities that were part of the Partnerships for Adult Learner Success (PALS) initiative. This initiative sought to provide adult learners with various resources to succeed through an emphasis on university and external community partnerships.  

These researchers found overall positive outcomes that emerged from interviews and focus groups with both students and staff members.  Staff members also reported strong ties with external community partners, with a third of universities revealing that external partners helped bring an equity lens to their work. Students spoke positively of professors who not only engaged them in learning tied with future career options, but also made sure that their classrooms were spaces of belonging and that their voices were heard. Work still needs to be done in multiple areas, however, including barriers that students often encountered when transferring schools or enrolling and balancing school, work and life schedules.  

From Crisis to Resilience: Addressing Trauma and Toxic Stress in Workforce Development and Education Systems: The Corporation for a Skilled Workforce released a report regarding trauma and stress in education and the workforce. As students and workers nationwide face unparalleled mental health crises, especially individuals of color and other marginalized groups, and with very few employers and schools equipped enough to assist everyone, the nation finds itself in a situation where trauma, stress and other mental health conditions may go untreated. Trauma and stress make it more difficult to find and attain work; individuals who faced a traumatic experience before 18 are nearly twice as likely to have financial problems and 1.5 times more likely to have job difficulties. 

Some schools and workplaces have begun implementing unique programs and initiatives to alleviate the mental health crisis. For example, in Coosa County, Alabama, the majority of students live in deep poverty and about half do not live with a parent or legal guardian, leading to students often suffering from a multitude of mental health issues. In response to this, the county’s CTE and Workforce Development Director began implementing trauma-informed CTE curriculum in the county’s schools, allowing students to discover various college and career pathways while simultaneously providing an open space for students to disclose their personal experiences and struggles. 

It was a very quiet week in Washington as most of the focus of policymakers was on the upcoming election – don’t forget to vote! However, federal agencies did continue to work on a number of projects. The Department of Education continued to work on this year’s FAFSA rollout and Title IX legal battles. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor is promoting resources for National Apprenticeship Week. Congress is still on recess, which means you still have time to connect with your policymakers locally before they return to DC in less than two weeks!

• Election Resources: Are you #VoteReady? Next week, you will have the opportunity to have your say in who represents your community at the local, state and federal levels. Check out the CTE Policy Watch Blog for information on what’s on the ballot this November.
• National Apprenticeship Week Resources: The Department of Labor shared additional information and resources to prepare for the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week (November 17-23). These resources can help you host events, submit proclamations and promote Registered Apprenticeship in your in-person and digital communities.
• Department of Labor Announces Registered Apprenticeship Academy Webinar: The Registered Apprenticeship Academy will hold a webinar on November 20, “Expanding Recruitment to Underserved Communities,” designed for Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors and employer partners to explore strategies for expanding outreach and recruitment to underserved populations.
• Office of Educational Technology Publishes AI Toolkit: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology recently published a toolkit titled “Empowering Education Leaders: A Toolkit for Safe, Equitable, and Ethical AI Integration.” It contains guidance for education leader and numerous resources on potential AI policies.
• Executive Order Grants Nearly $19 Million to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): An Executive Order established the first White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions. As part of this initiative, President Biden announced financial awards to be distributed to several HSIs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), including select technical schools and community colleges.
• Title IX Legal Battles Continue: In August, the Department of Education released new Title IX regulations, which faced backlash and were prohibited from taking effect in many schools across the country. Most recently, the case of Tennessee v. Cardona began arguments to determine whether the Department of Education has authority to enforce the regulations.
• FAFSA Testing Update: In an interview with CNBC, the Department of Education shared that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) rollout is on track as testing continues through October. The official form is scheduled to be made available on December 1. For more information on FAFSA, see the blog.

Are you #VoteReady? In exactly one week, you will have the opportunity to have your say in who represents your community at the local, state and federal level.  

Before you head to the polls, it’s a good idea to check out who your current representatives are. All members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be up for reelection, and 34 seats in the U.S. Senate will be up for grabs as well. The states with Senate races include AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, HI, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, ND, OH, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI and WY. There are also a handful of relevant ballot measures to be aware of.  

Several ballot measures address issues in education, including: 

• Alabama: Allows Franklin County Board of Election to manage, sell or lease land or natural resources from lands in the Franklin County School System. 

• Arkansas: Allows proceeds from the state lottery to fund scholarships and grants for technical schools and institutes. 

• California: Issues bonds and authorizes the use of state funds for construction and modernization of public education facilities, including K-12 and community college projects.  

• Colorado: Implements a 6.5% tax on firearms dealers, manufacturers and ammunition vendors. Appropriates revenue to the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Cash Fund to be used for crime victim services programs, education programs, and mental and behavioral health programs for children and veterans. 

• Colorado: Establishes that all K-12 children have the right to school choice, including public, charter, private and home schooling. 

• Florida: Makes school board elections partisan rather than nonpartisan. 

• Kentucky: Authorizes the General Assembly to provide funding to non-public schools. 

• Massachusetts: Repeals requirement for high school students to achieve a certain score on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System in order to graduate. 

• Missouri: Allows gambling activities to be conducted on licensed gambling boats on a portion of the Osage River. Directs the Missouri Gambling Commission to issue at least one additional gambling boat license. Directs revenue from gambling boat license to early childhood literacy programs in elementary schools. 

• Nebraska: Asks voters to approve or reject a bill that authorizes the state to implement a scholarship program for students attending private elementary or secondary schools. 

• Nevada: Removes the Board of Regents’ state constitutional status and increases the legislature’s authority over higher education. 

• New Mexico: Authorizes the state to issue up to $230,28,400 in bonds to fund public institutes of higher education, special schools and tribal schools. 

• New Mexico: Authorizes the state to issue up to $19,305,000 in bonds to fund public, tribal, public school and academic libraries. 

• Rhode Island: Authorizes $160.5 in bonds for higher education facility improvement, especially in biomedical sciences and cybersecurity. 

• Utah: Increases the annual distributions from the State School Fund for public secondary and postsecondary education from 4% to 5%. 

To prepare for the upcoming election, check out what’s on your ballot here! 

While ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support any candidate for public office, we will share updates regarding the results of these races after the election. Stay tuned to the blog and our policy-focused social media (@ACTEpolicy on X) for new information!  

Expanding Internships: Harnessing Employer Insights to Boost Opportunity and Enhance Learning: A recent report released by the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) outlines the landscape of undergraduate internship offerings. BHEF found that while internships have proven to be extremely important for students in securing jobs after college, access remains limited, particularly for first-generation students, individuals of color and community college students. Furthermore, the total number of students who sought an internship in 2023 – 8.2 million – was much larger than the 3.6 million who had an internship and the only 2.5 million who experienced a high-quality internship. Black students from two-year institutions and Hispanic students from two-year and four-year colleges were less likely to participate in an internship.

As for employers, those who were most interested in recruiting young talent had some of the highest internship rates and were more likely to provide a quality experience. In contrast, most learners see the primary purpose of an internship as skill development. Employers also faced issues when offering internships, such as recruitment (a third of employers indicated that they had an internship opening that was never filled) and cost.  

The report concludes with strategies that can potentially expand internship offerings, such as creating different models of internships to align with the needs of students and utilizing an external entity to assist with finding candidates.  

Workforce Strategies for New Industrial Policies: Governors’ Emerging Solutions: The National Governors Association (NGA) released a report regarding new state industrial policies and what they mean for the future workforce. Governors in many states have allocated a significant amount of money to infrastructure, clean energy and manufacturing efforts, but more needs to be done for the workforce that will handle the projected millions of new jobs that will become available in those sectors. Some governors have taken initial steps toward increasing the workforce: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has invested in workforce community outreach efforts while Washington state provides workforce resources to grant applicants. Similar CTE and workforce development policies can be found in ACTE’s and Advance CTE’s annual state policy reviews and state policy tracker. 

NGA identified seven strategies that governors are utilizing as these new industrial policies are taking hold: hosting regular convenings with stakeholders, investing in workforce system infrastructure, and providing guidance to grant applicants and administrators, to name a few. 

The Postsecondary Outcomes of High School Dual Enrollment Students: A National and State-by-State Analysis: The Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University released a report detailing outcomes of high school dual enrollment students. The researchers tracked high schoolers that began taking dual enrollment courses in fall 2015, following them for four years after high school and examining various outcome indicators. They made some critical findings: 

• Dual enrollment across the nation is growing. 

• Overall, dual enrollment students have strong postsecondary completion outcomes. 

• Certain student groups are underrepresented in dual enrollment, with lower than average completion rates: low-income, Black and Hispanic students. However, these same groups, when enrolled in dual credit courses, have stronger award completion rates than non-dual enrollees.  

• Former dual enrollment students are an important source of community college enrollments. 

CCRC also developed a data tool alongside the report for those interested in examining outcomes in a particular state. Overall, the findings suggest that states must continue working on ensuring that all students have equitable access to participate in and supports to complete a dual credit course. 

This week, the Department of Education continued to work on student loan relief initiatives and workforce development opportunities. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor worked to promote Registered Apprenticeships. Congress is still on recess, but will return soon after the election, which is less than two weeks away! If you have yet to make a plan to vote, check out these resources on the blog to learn how to cast your ballot. 

• Department of Education Webinar on STEM in Rural Communities: The Department of Education is hosting a webinar, “Elevating STEM Education in Rural Communities” next Tuesday, 10/29. The event is hosted with the National Science Foundation, National FFA and other stakeholders. 

• Department of Education’s Power Your Future Challenge: The Department of Education has launched the Power Your Future Challenge — the second challenge in its annual CTE Momentum series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to CTE. Teams are invited to submit action plans that will advance the use of clean energy in local schools and communities. 

• Departments of Labor, Commerce, Education Renew Memorandum of Understanding With Switzerland to Expand Registered Apprenticeship in United States: The U.S. and Swiss governments have renewed a memorandum of understanding to expand and strengthen quality apprenticeships and pathways to good jobs, including Registered Apprenticeships, among Swiss companies and Swiss-invested companies in the United States. 

• Department of Labor Welcomes New Apprenticeship Ambassadors; Recognizes Organizations for Promoting, Expanding and Diversifying Registered Apprenticeship: The Department of Labor welcomed the latest cohort of Apprenticeship Ambassadors and recognized current ambassadors for meeting or exceeding their commitments to expand and diversify Registered Apprenticeships.  

• Department of Labor Announced $20 Million for Out-of-School Time Organizations to Increase Work-Based Learning: The Department of Labor announced up to $20 million available in grants for out-of-school time organizations to expand local work-based learning opportunities, job training and career pathways for underserved youth. 

This week, Advance CTE released its modernized Career Clusters® Framework, which is designed to serve as a bridge between education and work and a central building block for consistently designed and high-quality CTE programs, and accompanying resources to support implementation. The updated Framework consists of 14 Clusters and 72 Sub-Clusters to serve as the primary organizing structures for CTE programs:

No field has been eliminated from the Framework, though some have been shifted into other Career Clusters, combined with other industry sectors, or renamed. Major changes include the following:

• Energy has been merged with Natural Resources into a new, realigned Career Cluster.
• Information Technology has been expanded and renamed to Digital Technology.
• STEM has been eliminated and these dimensions spread across multiple Clusters.
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security and Government & Public Administration have been combined into Public Service & Safety.
• The Health Sciences & Human Services Career Clusters have been combined into the Healthcare & Human Services Cluster.
• Three Clusters – Digital Technology, Marketing & Sales, and Management & Entrepreneurship –are designated as both standalone Clusters and as Cross-cutting Clusters that provide skills and prepare learners for careers relevant across industries and sectors.
• The Clusters and Sub-Clusters include new technologies such as automation and robotics, clean and alternative energy, and artificial intelligence and unmanned vehicles.

It will be up to each state how it uses the new Framework. While most states used the previous iteration in some form, variations were made to reflect the needs of states and local communities. States may adopt the new Framework in whole or in part or decide to use it in different ways.

One policy implication of the new Framework is for federal reporting. The U.S. Department of Education will require states to align Perkins data with the modernized Framework starting with the 2025-26 academic year and submit data for the federal Perkins Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) starting in January 2027. This will not necessarily require any programmatic changes but rather cross-walking current programs to the new Clusters for reporting on student enrollment and performance.

To support implementation, Advance CTE has developed a suite of resources, including explainers, messaging tools, and a crosswalk listing each Career Cluster and Sub-Cluster with corresponding North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC) and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes. The organization will also be providing ongoing implementation support.

The modernization of the Framework has been a two-year process, incorporating feedback from more than 4,000 people across state and local secondary and postsecondary leaders, employers, national organizations including educator groups and career technical student organizations, CTE instructors, and other partners.

The general election is less than two weeks away, with early voting underway and absentee ballots already sent out in many states as November 5 approaches. Below are some tips and resources to help you create a voting plan and successfully cast your ballot. Remember, if you are not already registered to vote, there may still be time in your state! Many states offer some form of same-day registration, and others have deadlines that extend through the end of October.  

How Will You Cast Your Ballot? 

• Many states have an option to vote early or cast an absentee ballot, while some states even offer vote-by-mail programs in which all registered voters in a state will receive a ballot by mail. To learn what options you have at this point in the process, contact your local election office. 

• If you are planning to vote absentee, there are a few things you’ll need to consider. Some states require that ballots be sent in my mail, while others have drop-off boxes set up locally. Enclosed with your ballot, you should find clear instructions on where to deliver your ballot and how to ensure your vote is counted. Different states require ballots be returned at different times, so be sure to identify your state’s requirements. 

When and Where Can You Vote? 

• If you are planning to vote in person, you will need to locate your polling location and determine the best time to vote. These locations may vary based on which county you live in, and locations may be different for early voting. Many voting centers are open before and after the typical workday. Remember, if you are in line to vote when the polls are scheduled to close, you can still vote as long as you stay in line! 

What Do You Need to Bring? 

• You’ll need to make sure you have all of your materials required to vote, per your state’s voter identification laws. Some states require no identification, while others require a government issued ID like a driver’s license or voter registration card. Many states also make certain exceptions to their requirements, so it’s important to identify your state’s voter ID laws and be prepared at the polls.  

What’s on the Ballot? 

• This election will determine more than just the president – many state and local positions are up for election in addition to every single seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and 34 seats in the U.S. Senate. There may also be other policy issues on your ballot through mechanisms like referendums and constitutional amendments. Learn what is on your ballot and do your research ahead of time to avoid any confusion or uncertainty in the voting booth. 

You play an important role in deciding who represents your community locally and federally. As the election approaches, use these resources to create a plan and ensure that your vote is counted!