This week was another period of low activity in Washington as Congress entered into its last full week of August recess. The Senate returns on September 5 and the House the following week. While recess was wrapping up, items in the headlines this week included a request from the Administration for additional FEMA disaster funds and ramped-up talks on how Congress will move forward on appropriations bills, including the agriculture spending bill and defense spending bill. Read more news and notes below:

• White House Calls on Congress to Pass Short-Term Spending Bill; Submits List of Funding Anomalies to Lawmakers Drafting CR: The Biden-Harris Administration has sent lawmakers on Capitol Hill a list of special funding items and unrelated add-ons for inclusion in the anticipated continuing resolution (CR) needed next month in the absence of a full-year appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024. This list of items represents funding areas that could present problems for major programs if a full bill is not written in time to address them. The Administration addressed policy areas such as student loans, social security, Medicaid and food packages for seniors, among other things.
• Secretary Miguel Cardona Announces “Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar”: The Department of Education (ED) has announced a week-long, multi-state road trip showcasing how schools, families and communities support and contribute to student learning. The tour will feature stops in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. CTE and career pathways programs are expected to be featured in several of the states.
• DOE Announces Funding to Provide Workforce Development Opportunities in Energy Communities: The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $3.5 million in federal funding that will be available to assist local communities historically dependent on energy assets to create a roadmap toward building technical capacity and developing a workforce necessary to help revitalize energy systems, address environmental impacts and tackle challenges associated with assets that have been retired or slated for retirement. Program submissions open in early September 2023 with a subsequent informational webinar taking place on September 7.
• Department of Labor and CTE Center in Idaho Falls Align to Promote Workplace Safety and Prevent Exposure to Hazards: The Office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Idaho Falls District 91’s CTE Center (CTEC) have announced the establishment of a two-year alliance that is aimed at providing students with opportunities to earn OSHA certifications while in high school to give them an edge in the modern-day competitive job market. During this two-year term, OSHA and CTEC will use data to design joint outreach and communication activities to foster collaboration and train students in workplace safety and health effectively.
• Department of Education Announces Annual ED Games Expo: ED has announced that the ninth annual ED Games Expo will take place September 19-22, 2023, in-person and virtually at the Kennedy Center REACH and other locations across Washington, DC. The free-to-attend multi-day event, which engages shareholders such as researchers, students and educators, is a public showcase of game-changing education technology innovations created through more than 50 programs at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), ED and the government. See the full agenda here.

Be on the lookout THIS WEEK for surveys related to the National Evaluation of CTE under Perkins V (NECTEP), a major research project authorized under the National Program section of the Perkins Act!

Surveys will be distributed the week of August 28 by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences (IES). Surveys will be distributed to CTE state directors and a random sample of school districts across the country. Within school districts, the surveys should go to the CTE Director or Perkins Coordinator, but could end up with other contacts, so keep an eye out!

If you receive one of these surveys, please take the time to fill it out carefully as soon as possible. These surveys are your opportunity to directly inform both IES and Congress about what’s happening in the field. Reporting on your experiences implementing Perkins V will help ensure federal policymakers have an accurate picture of how Perkins V is working nationwide. Without your survey responses, that picture will be incomplete.

Here is a bit more information on why the NECTEP surveys are a critical part of the study:

• IES and its contractor—AIR—will use information from the surveys to report on key aspects of Perkins V implementation.
• The surveys will provide new data on how states and districts are administering CTE under Perkins V. The last comparable survey data on federally funded CTE was collected over 13 years ago, and a lot has changed since then!
• Reports based on the survey results will inform Congress about how states and districts are implementing Perkins V and may inform future reauthorizations of Perkins.

Thank you in advance for doing your part to inform federal CTE policy! Please let us know if you have any questions.

There was less activity this week in Washington as Congress continued its August recess. Developments in the FY 24 appropriations process, described below, illustrate how important your advocacy is going to be when the session resumes in September! Ask your lawmakers to show their support for the highest level of possible funding for Perkins, workforce development and the entire secondary and postsecondary education systems. In other items, news about the defense spending bill and the delay of this year’s farm bill was also in the headlines. Read more news and notes below:

• Members of Congress Insert New Challenges into Appropriations Process: This week, the conservative House Freedom Caucus released a list of demands they are asking for in exchange for their votes to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September. The group of Republican lawmakers said it would oppose any short-term continuing resolutions unless leadership meets their demands related to military policy, border security and the workings of the FBI and the Department of Justice. These demands underscore the difficulty of passing spending legislation once Congress returns in September.
• Department of Labor Announces $1.3 Million Grant to Support Gender Equity: The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the award of more than $1.3 million to the state of Illinois and the Chicago Women in Trades organization to support the creation and adoption of equity plans to increase women’s inclusion in construction industry jobs.
• Department of Education Launches New Income-Driven Repayment Tool: The Department of Education (ED) has announced the launch of its new income-driven repayment application tool, which allows borrowers to enroll in the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. This plan is more generous to borrowers than previous income-driven repayment plans.
• The National Skills Coalition Publishes Update on JOBS Act and Gainful Employment Regulations: The National Skills Coalition (NSC), a close ACTE partner in the federal policy space, recently published an update on the JOBS Act and Gainful Employment Regulations. The post provides a comprehensive look at the status of both policy issues that have the potential to significantly impact CTE programs.
• OCTAE Invites High School Students to Enter into Your Place in Space Challenge: ED’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) is inviting secondary-level students to submit designs for a product or service that contributes to space missions or exploration to help them envision themselves in the industry and identify a space career pathway. Submissions are due by 6:00 p.m. ET on October 30, 2023. Up to 10 winners will receive $5,000 each and earn in-kind prizes such as space-related classroom equipment or supplies, site visits to space company campuses, and interactions with high-profile leaders in the space industry.
• ED’s Office for Civil Rights Issues Resource on Race and School Programming: ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on race and school programming to provide guidance to schools on lawful programs that promote racially inclusive school communities. The resource lays out the circumstances consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under which schools can develop curricula and programs and engage in activities that promote practices of diversity and inclusivity.

How Informal Mentoring By Teachers Supports Student Academic Success: The National Bureau of Economic Research recently published a report on the effects of informal teacher-student mentoring relationships. The results demonstrated a 9.4% increase in postsecondary attendance for students who had an informal mentoring relationship during K-12 education with a teacher, counselor or coach, with effects being most beneficial for individuals of lower socioeconomic status.

The researchers also described how estimates of teachers’ long-run impacts on students’ academic or behavioral skills can miss the impact of sustained teacher-student relationships on student social capital, aspirations and life decisions. However, they noted that a wide variation exists among students who report having a teacher-student mentor relationship, indicating a gap in opportunity and a need for more diverse faculty.

Researchers recommend that future research efforts focus on understanding the characteristics of school-based mentors and on how teacher training and school organizational practices can be leveraged to expand equitable access to these relationships.

State Policies Supporting Teachers Across the Career Pipeline: The Education Commission of the States recently published a policy outline that highlights state policies to improve the educator pipeline from recruitment to retention. Researchers found that at least 31 states and the District of Columbia offer a pathway, program or incentive to recruit secondary students into the teaching profession, at least nine states have launched registered apprenticeships for teachers, and at least 31 states require new teacher induction and mentoring.

The following state policy examples demonstrate how policymakers and leaders can support the teacher workforce throughout the career pipeline:

• Interest in the field: Georgia’s paraprofessional development stipend program provides paraprofessionals with economic support to pursue teacher certification.
• Initial preparation and certification: The North Carolina Teaching Fellows program offers a scholarship for prospective educators committed to teaching for at least four years in public schools.
• Early career support: Delaware has a four-year induction and mentoring program for new teachers on an initial license, teachers new to the state, and teachers who have changed their area of licensure.
• Career advancement: Maine’s Teach to Lead program fosters collaboration among educators statewide and is developing standards to promote teacher leadership opportunities.

Today ACTE has released CTE: Developing the Health Care Workforce, the fourth in 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.

These revised Sector Sheets include job opportunities and descriptions of how CTE prepares learners for the workforce in each sector, all in a new format featuring streamlined text and additional graphics to make these advocacy tools even more effective.

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the health care workforce, which employs more than 17 million people nationwide and requires approximately 1.9 million individuals each year to meet demand. It also shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that give readers guidance for how to enter and progress within fields such as allied health, nursing and behavioral health. Finally, the Health Care Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing this workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

As we move forward with these revamped Sector Sheets, both the newer and older Sector Sheets will be available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for students and the workforce.

ACTE’s Public Policy Department heard from Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson for this edition of Policymaker Perspectives. Rep. Thompson represents Pennsylvania’s 15^th Congressional District, and he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2008. He is currently serving his fifth term as a co-chair of the House Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus. 

Rep. Thompson currently serves as the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and is a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Rep. Thompson was the lead sponsor of H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which was signed into law on July 31, 2018. The bill reauthorized and updated the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and is commonly referred to as “Perkins V.” He has been a leading congressional advocate for CTE programs and students throughout his time in the House.

Rep. Thompson attended Penn State University and Temple University. Learn more below about the Congressman’s passion for CTE, his work serving on House committees and more!                                       

ACTE: As both the co-chair of the House CTE Caucus and the lead sponsor of legislation reauthorizing Perkins, you have spent your time in Congress championing CTE. What led to your interest in CTE and why do you feel it is so important to advocate for CTE students and programs?

Rep. Thompson: My appreciation for CTE came at an early age. My father went through a CTE program, leading him to become a tool and die maker. Eventually, he decided to start his own business which became quite successful. From agriculture to the arts and from marketing to manufacturing, CTE programs work to develop America’s most valuable resources – its people.

Representing Pennsylvania’s 15^th Congressional District has reinforced my belief that the key to developing the workforce of the future is reinvigorating career and technical education across the United States. Pennsylvania is home to more than 80 CTE centers, including nine in my district, and I have seen firsthand the benefits and importance of these programs in developing a skilled workforce. With more than 12 million students enrolled in CTE programs and nearly 10 million job openings throughout the country, Congress needs to work to close the skills gap and modernize federal investments in these programs.

We are providing the education and the tools to equip a 21st-century workforce by supporting these programs, and I will continue to be a strong advocate for giving people from all walks of life an opportunity to succeed and restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity.

ACTE: As a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, you work to support policies to help deliver on the needs of employers for a 21^st-century skilled workforce. How do you work with your fellow Members of the Committee to support and advance CTE?

Rep. Thompson: CTE is one of those unique issues that unites Democrats and Republicans here in Washington and across the country, and I believe the work we do in the CTE Caucus is a prime example of that. We have 107 bipartisan members, and counting, and I am grateful for the partnership and friendship of the Caucus’ Co-Chair, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who is also a senior member on the Education and the Workforce Committee. Together, we have been able to introduce and advance proposals ranging from workforce investments in infrastructure projects to increasing awareness for career counseling programs within the existing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) framework that helps connect adult learners with educational and career opportunities.

Lawmakers at every level of government are hearing from their constituents about the challenges in attracting and retaining a talented, skilled workforce, and we do not have the luxury of sitting back and throwing up our hands. My colleagues and I have rolled up our sleeves and begun addressing these issues, and there is no better evidence of this than the passage of Perkins V in 2018. That legislation passed both the House and Senate by voice votes before being signed into law by President Trump. That kind of support on such a large and impactful piece of legislation is practically unheard of, but it is a testament to the bipartisanship of this issue and a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle to promote alternative career pathways.

I stand ready to continue to work with any of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as educators and industry stakeholders, to advance meaningful CTE legislation.

ACTE: How best can CTE advocates work with their policymakers back home to help them gain an understanding of the opportunities that CTE programs offer? As a policymaker, are there elements of CTE programs that you haven’t yet been able to observe up close that you would like to see in action?

Rep. Thompson: One of the things that we, as a society, have unfortunately gotten away from is storytelling. Sharing your personal experiences with lawmakers on a range of issues, from agriculture to health care to CTE, helps us make informed decisions and improves the quality of federal programs. As we work to combat the stigma that sometimes still exists surrounding CTE programs, it is perhaps more important than ever to get the success stories of CTE out as far and wide as possible.

I have been fortunate during my time in Congress to visit many of the CTE programs and schools in Pennsylvania’s 15^th Congressional District and throughout the Commonwealth. Early on when I would visit these schools, many classrooms were mostly empty and some programs were really struggling. Now when I tour these centers, I almost always find that there is a waiting list to get into these programs. I think that shows we are doing something right and starting to get the word out about how these programs help folks climb the next rung on the ladder of opportunity.

I think it’s impossible to observe every program under the umbrella of CTE – which is a good thing. Well over half of new jobs today require skills that can be learned and developed through technical training, and the breadth that CTE covers ensures that we are building our workforce to face tomorrow’s challenges. Speaking of those challenges, I am closely following the new cybersecurity programs many CTE centers have established. Being able to confront malicious foreign actors with a highly skilled and trained workforce helps ensure our national security and protect everything from the electrical grid to our supply chain.

ACTE: As Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, you will be taking the lead on the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization. What are some of your top priorities as you craft the bill? What are some of the top workforce needs you are seeing in agricultural-based and rural communities?

Rep. Thompson: I am excited about the opportunity for the House Ag Committee to play a role in developing and improving USDA programs to help address workforce shortages in rural America. According to the 2020 Census, our rural population decreased. This marked the first decade-long fall in rural population in American history.

Opportunities in the American economy are changing as a result of developments in industry, technology, and the global market and so must our career training and education. The impacts of America's economic growing pains are uniquely felt in rural America by rural residents, who face comparatively high rates-of long term unemployment and lack access to training opportunities, and by many employers, who are finding it difficult to find appropriately skilled workers. As a result, employers are creating their own methods for finding and hiring talented people through a range of workforce development initiatives that equip applicants with the precise abilities required to carry out a job effectively.

While not directly in the purview of the Ag Committee, the Committee has authorized several programs looking at building a robust, rural workforce pipeline through the Farm Bill. In the 2018 Farm Bill, we established the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program, which offers grant assistance to rural areas to create high-wage jobs, accelerate business, and support industry clusters. USDA also has the Rural Workforce Innovation Network, which highlights USDA Rural Development programs and helps communities recruit, retain, and further educate individuals in rural America.

I have always said the number one asset any organization has is a high-quality, high-skilled workforce. It is important that Congress, through the Farm Bill, consider any and all opportunities to address the workforce challenges in rural America. With its unique reach, expertise, and experience serving rural America, USDA is well-positioned to help local communities develop and implement workforce development strategies.

The Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) has posted a notice inviting applications for new FY 2023 awards from the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program for their Career-Connected High Schools program. Approximately $24 million is available for these competitive grants from funding allocated to the Perkins Act’s National Programs line item in the FY 2023 appropriations bill. 

The new grant program seeks to identify, promote and implement innovative strategies to strengthen and modernize CTE programs. Its funding will be awarded to projects that demonstrate efforts to increase students’ access to career-connected high schools, which the Department defines as those that offer systematic postsecondary counseling and career advising, dual or concurrent enrollment, work-based learning, and programs that offer opportunities to earn an industry-recognized credential.   

To be considered for a grant, an applicant must meet the following absolute priorities:

1. Be able to describe current implementation of career-connected learning components and lay out a five-year plan for increasing the number of students who participate in postsecondary education and career navigation systems, dual or concurrent enrollment, work-based learning and industry recognized credentials. 
2. Demonstrate how the proposed project would support underserved students and close equity gaps.

25% of the available grant funding will be set aside for education within rural communities. The notice also lists competitive preferences that can increase the strength of an application, including submitting applications as a partnership and serving students from families with low incomes. 

Applications must be submitted by October 13, 2023, through Grants.gov to be considered. Further information to assist in completing the application will be available on the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network.