This month, high school CTE teachers around the nation will begin receiving packets of questionnaires as part of ACTE’s continuing partnership with myOptions® Encourage® (formerly myOptions) and its College and Career Planning Program. This no-cost program helps you discover your students’ interests, future goals and postsecondary preferences. It also provides valuable data for educators and ACTE about students’ and teachers’ experiences with CTE.

As part of the program, your students can access Encourage, a free college and career planning app. This powerful tool allows them to explore and save majors and careers, see personalized college and scholarship matches, check out financial aid information, and manage tasks that will help keep them on track for graduation and beyond.

To have the most impact, we need your help! We’re delivering packages to your school and would love it if your class would complete and return the short college and career planning forms included. It’s quick, easy, free and totally voluntary.

If you don’t receive a package or prefer to participate electronically, email acte@myoptions.org with the subject “ACTE Form Package Request.” Our partners at myOptions Encourage will provide a link to the online planning form or send you a package of paper forms—whichever works best for you!

Learn more about myOptions Encourage here or check out the frequently asked questions.

Congress remained in recess this week, but Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) revealed that after recess concludes, he expects lawmakers to move forward with a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government from shutting down at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, providing Congress with additional time to complete FY24 appropriations bills. Even this CR is expected to be very contentious though, and as the appropriations process unfolds we will need your support in urging your lawmakers to support the highest possible funding levels for Perkins and additional education and workforce programs. In other items, disaster response to Hawaii, planning for the Farm Bill and discussions about foreign aid and national security were also in the headlines this week. With Congress in recess, most of this week’s specific news comes from the Administration:

• DOJ and ED Release Resources to Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education: The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) have released two resources to help postsecondary institutions understand the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision and continue to advance diversity and opportunity in higher education.
• Department of Labor Announces Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants: DOL has announced the availability of $65 million in funding to increase community colleges’ ability to provide equitable access to training to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs for in-demand industries.
• Application Materials Officially Posted for Career-Connected Learning Proposals: On August 14, ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) officially released the notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) Grant Program for Career-Connected High Schools. The link to the Federal Register notice is available here. The application deadline is October 13, 2023.

• Third OCTAE Unlocking Pathways Summit Held in Madison, Wisconsin: On Thursday, August 17, the Department of Education (ED) hosted the third Unlocking Pathways Summit series in Madison, Wisconsin, with a visit to Madison Area Technical College to promote state partnerships between school, industry and community organizations in support of career-connected learning. This visit, joined by Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Under Secretary James Kvaal and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Unlocking Career Success ACTE Chief Policy, Research and Content Officer Alisha Hyslop represented ACTE at the summit.

• OCTAE Announces Career Z Challenge Winners: 81 applicants were selected as winners in the first phase of the Department of Education’s Career Z Challenge to expand work-based learning opportunities. These semi-finalists will now participate in a community of practice and receive technical assistance during this school year, as well as have the opportunity to earn $10,000 prizes for this phase of the competition. Up to 10 finalists will then be chosen as finalists for the next phase of the competition.
• Department of Education Student Loan Relief: ED has announced that automatic discharges will begin for additional borrowers who qualify for $39 billion in student loan relief as a result of fixes to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans.

• Department of Labor Launches Apprentice Trailblazer Initiative: The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the Apprentice Trailblazer initiative, which will create a national network of apprentices and apprenticeship graduates whose individual stories may inspire career seekers interested in becoming apprentices. The first cohort will be open for youth apprentices ages 16-24 or recent youth apprenticeship graduates along with their registered apprenticeship sponsors. Apply by September 30, 2023.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding to Help Youth, Young Adults with Disabilities:  DOL has announced the availability of more than $69 million in funding to support the development of innovative strategies that will help youth and young adults with disabilities transition to the workforce successfully.

The National Skills Coalition (NSC) recently released a report titled “The Non-Degree Credential Quality Imperative” which outlines a framework for defining and promoting quality non-degree credentials. The report seeks to support stakeholders such as students, workers, businesses and education and training programs by encouraging productive state action toward policy and investment in quality non-degree credentials. 

A non-degree credential is defined as a postsecondary credential that does not fit the parameters of a degree program. Categories of non-degree credentials include certificates, industry certifications, apprenticeship certificates, occupational licenses, badges and microcredentials. Earning non-degree credentials can assist workers in attaining higher-paying jobs by displaying skills and experience while simultaneously aiding employers in identifying quality candidates. Additionally, non-degree credentials are often more affordable and less time-consuming than a traditional degree program. 

However, not all non-degree credentials lead to equal outcomes, and differentiating quality non-degree credentials could provide learners with key insights to choose programs that lead to better outcomes and allow policymakers to feel more confident investing in these programs. As states have increasingly developed their data systems to provide more complete data across the educational system, they are best equipped to evaluate the outcomes of these programs and communicate their findings to the public. To stimulate such action, NSC launched a multi-year initiative to define and promote quality non-degree credentials by collaborating with states that were already engaged in developing or implementing quality criteria such as Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Virginia. 

By evaluating many factors including earnings, competencies and employment within these states, NSC crafted a framework for developing criteria for quality non-degree credentials. This defines a quality non-degree credential as a credential that equitably leads to substantial job opportunities, includes clearly defined competencies, leads to higher earnings, can be stackable with additional education and training, and can be applicable to a range of employment opportunities. 

NSC then worked with states to develop policy that implements this framework, and the report identifies steps to increase the probability of success for states that engage in this process in the future. They include a commitment to strong leadership, determining specific goals for the quality framework, engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders, investing in improved data collection and reporting, implementing policies that prioritize funding for those pursuing quality credentials and evaluating how the quality framework can promote racial and gender equity.  

This framework, and the lessons learned by states engaging in the process of applying it to credentials in their own state, can yield important insights for work on the national level as well, such as work to expand Pell Grants to short-term credential programs.

With Congress still in recess until early September, it was another quiet week in Washington for CTE-related policy. President Biden called for supplemental emergency spending that would support Ukraine, disaster relief and more that will likely be considered as a part of the appropriations process when Congress returns. The appropriations process is likely to be very contentious though, so we must continue to advocate for the highest possible funding level for Perkins and programs throughout the entire education and workforce development ecosystem.  Ask your lawmakers to show their support! In the meantime, here are a few updates:

• OCTAE Career-Connected High School Grant Application Requirements Released: This week, the Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) posted an early copy of application requirements for new awards for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) grant program, which will be focused on the career-connected high school initiative. The requirements will be formally posted in the federal register next week and applications will be due in mid-October.

• Department of Labor, National Governors Association Partner to Enhance State Workforce Development Systems: The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a partnership with the National Governors Association (NGA) to bring federal partners, state policy advisors, workforce development boards and agencies and other policymakers together to make strategic improvements in the delivery of workforce development services using the 2024 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan. This could have particular implications for states pursing a combined WIOA and Perkins plan.

• Secretary of Education Talks Career-Connected Learning in Colorado: On August 10, the Department of Education continued its Unlocking Pathways Summit series in Aurora, Colorado with a conversation between Secretary of Miguel Education Cardona and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to mark the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act. The Summit also featured Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). The series consists of four regional education and workforce convenings to highlight workforce priorities and opportunities for young people that are growing due to recent federal investments, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act. ACTE Deputy Executive Director Steve DeWitt attended the Summit representing ACTE.

Emerging Postsecondary Labor Market Insights: The Education and Employment Research Center at Rutgers University recently published a report that examined existing and emerging Labor Market Information (LMI) practices at postsecondary institutions. The report revealed that the usage of LMI at two-year institutions was primarily motivated to develop academic and strategic plans, tended to focus more on workforce development and aimed at helping students achieve their future educational and career goals. The report also highlighted the impact of Perkins and the requirements around using LMI as a key driver of this work.

The following recommendations on policies and processes can assist school administrators in the adoption and institutionalization of LMI within their organizations:

• Examine potential LMI applications related to institution core activities like program review, academic planning, recruitment and enrollment management.

• Understand that institutional needs may require multiple LMI data sources apart from publicly available material and that these sources may result in additional costs from private vendors.

• Establish an infrastructure with organizational processes that provide centralized support; offer internal professional development for LMI in postsecondary contexts; and create policies from senior leaders on shared LMI expectations.

Researchers recognize the importance of LMI and recommend its use to leaders as postsecondary institutions face a looming enrollment cliff and as politicians and parents demand more accountability about how degrees connect to work. 

Updated Equitable Value Explorer Tool Provides New Disaggregated Student Earnings Data: The Institute for Higher Education Policy recently released an update to the Equitable Value Explorer tool, an interactive data visualization platform. The tool has been updated to include the latest data from the College Scorecard, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and American Community Survey. In particular, it includes new disaggregation of the median earnings of students by gender and family income for each institution.

Overall, the tool measures the economic value that institutions deliver through a series of economic thresholds and is designed to assist leaders, researchers and policymakers in better understanding student outcomes to improve equitable postsecondary value.

Credential Engine Equity Advisory Council Report and Recommendations: Credential Engine’s Equity Advisory Council recently published a report with recommendations focused on improving equity through data usage across the educational spectrum. The council’s findings centered on data transparency from providers for better informed decisions and optimal outcomes and on data principles for better student counseling on career pathways.

The report lists three tiers of data that the advisory council believes can assist school leaders and administrators in improving student outcomes:

• Tier One, No Excuses: Data points like cost of programs; time to completion; possible transfer pathways; enrollment, persistence and completion rates, licensure exam pass rates; earnings and placement data; and others that providers should make publicly available now.

• Tier Two, Time to Stretch: Data points like the availability of digital student records, the modalities of program offerings (online vs. in person); accreditation status, credential acquisition and others that providers should be working to make publicly available.

• Tier Three, Future Forward: Data points like advisor-to-student ratios, tutoring offered, number of transfer credits accepted, return on investment and others that providers should assess to make publicly available in the near future.

The advisory council also calls to action owners of occupational credentials, credential engine stakeholders and policymakers, developers of counseling tools and other individuals to follow these recommendations to meaningfully and collectively bring about a more equitable education and training marketplace.

A recent journal article examining accident occurrences reported by instructors in secondary construction programs revealed that among construction teachers participating in the Technology and Engineering Education (TEE)—Facilities and Safety Survey, 92% reported a minor accident occurrence in their construction courses in the past five years and 34% reported a major accident occurrence.

Researchers Tyler S. Love from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Kenneth R. Roy from Glastonbury Public Schools in Connecticut identified seven risk factors and 13 protective factors associated with an increase or decrease in accidents. The following list details some of the most significant factors highlighted by the researchers:

• Facilities and Equipment: Having a laboratory in the instructional area was significantly associated with an increase in accident occurrences, as was having a separate finishing room. Lockable storage cabinets, sinks in the instructional space and fume extractors for soldering activities were all linked to decreased accident occurrences.

• Class Size: Average enrollments exceeding 20 students were linked to increases in major accident occurrences and 52% of construction teachers in the study reported class sizes greater than 20 students.

• Safety Training: School district training was associated with reduced minor and major accident occurrences, but few construction and TEE teachers reported receiving safety training from their school district. More construction and TEE teachers reported receiving safety training from their undergraduate or graduate coursework.

• Teachers’ Background: Holding a teacher certification through an alternative pathway was a risk factor for accidents, while holding a bachelor’s degree in engineering was a protective factor.

The researchers note that “as students matriculate into postsecondary education programs and into the workforce, they will carry with them the safety knowledge and practices they developed during their secondary education experience” and recommend the following:

• Partnerships among school districts, industry, state departments of education and safety officers to share best practices and provide professional development and supports for increased safety in the classroom for instructors and learners.
• Ensuring access to CTE-specific coursework and safety training for alternatively certified instructors.
• Placing no more than 20 students in a construction course with one certified and safety-trained educator.

Read more from Love and Roy about specific safety considerations for CTE classrooms and labs in Techniques.

This week in Washington was a quiet one for CTE-related policy items. Congress is in recess until next month, but the FY24 appropriations process will continue once lawmakers return during the first two weeks of September. There will be much appropriations work to be done when they return in order to avert a government shutdown before October 1. Lawmakers will either need to complete and pass all 12 appropriations bills before then, or pass a continuing resolution to extend government funding as they work to complete their funding bills. This will be a critical time for your advocacy as we work to share our message of support for the Senate’s FY24 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill and its higher funding levels for Perkins and education and workforce development programs! We will continue to share updates throughout August, and in the meantime, here are some news and notes:

• ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Support the Senate’s FY 2024 Education Funding Bill: On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee considered and approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill on a bi-partisan basis, which contains a $40 million increase to the Perkins Basic State Grant program, and provides significantly more resources to education and workforce development programs than the House version of the bill CLICK HERE to urge your Members of Congress to support the Senate’s $40 million increase for Perkins and overall higher funding levels! 

• Senate FY24 Funding Thank-You: On August 4, ACTE and Advance CTE sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee thanking the committee for their proposed FY24 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill.

• Perkins V Turns Five: The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act was signed into law five years ago on July 31, amending the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and creating what we know as “Perkins V.” To celebrate the anniversary, we posted resources throughout the week on data sharing and analysis, middle grades and career development, stakeholder engagement, and the CLNA.

• Secretary Cardona Statement on New Chief of Staff for Department of Education (ED): Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a statement on the new chief of staff for ED, Lexi Barrett, whose background includes time at Jobs for the Future.

• Secretary of Education and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) Visit Maryland CTE Programs: On August 2, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) visited Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Maryland. The Secretary and Rep. Ivey toured the school’s career pathways programs, spoke with students enrolled in apprenticeship programs and learned more about employer partnerships that connect students with good-paying jobs in their communities.

• White House Releases National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy: On July 31, the Administration released a new strategy to increase cyber education and skills training and place Americans into cyber-related jobs. The strategy seeks to equip every American with foundational cyber skills, transform cyber education, expand and enhance the national cyber workforce, and strengthen the federal cyber workforce.