ACTE recently analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) for relevant CTE teacher data such as demographics,  distribution, vacancies, salaries and credentials, among other topics.

Vacancies

One of the most interesting findings is that almost one-third of public schools that reported CTE teacher vacancies in 2020-21 found those vacancies very difficult to fill or were not able to fill them. Relatedly, 28 states and territories reported CTE teacher shortages to the U.S. Department of Education in 2023-24.

Distribution

The data shows the highest percentages of public CTE instructors in business management, family and consumer sciences, and agriculture and natural resources. However, more than 10% of CTE teachers are captured in the “other CTE” category, indicating a mismatch between the taxonomy of CTE program areas in the NTPS and how programs are categorized in the field. Additionally, most public CTE teachers are located in rural and suburban locales – 33.3% and 30.6%, respectively – while towns have the lowest percentage of CTE teachers.

Demographics

Across CTE program areas, women comprise 55% of teachers while men make up 45%, with major variations across career fields. Black teachers make up 7.9% of public CTE teachers, compared to 6.1% across all public teachers, and 6.8% of CTE teachers are Hispanic, compared to 9.5% overall. Most concerningly for CTE advocates, CTE teachers are older than the public teacher workforce in general: 12.7% of CTE teachers are 60 years of age or older, compared to 7.9% overall.

Salary

The majority of public CTE teachers work full time, and in 2020-21, they earned an average base salary of $59,806 annually – less than other subject areas. However, public CTE teachers are more likely than teachers overall to receive additional compensation for extracurricular activities and for student performance.

Background and Credentials

About 38% of public CTE instructors entered teaching through an alternative certification program, a much higher rate than overall instructors (19.4%), with only natural sciences teachers close at 30.2%. Before going into teaching, 65.5% of public CTE teachers worked in the private sector. In addition, CTE teachers are more likely to have an associate degree or less – 10.9% compared to less than 1% overall – and are less likely to hold a regular or standard teaching certificate – 80.5% compared to 89.8% overall.

Morale and Influence

Last but certainly not least, how do CTE teachers feel about the profession? Public CTE teachers report similar levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction as teachers overall. Around 37% of public CTE teachers somewhat or strongly agree that they would leave teaching immediately if they could get a higher-paying job – about the same as all teachers (37.8%). On a positive note, 30.7% of all public school CTE teachers say they have a great deal of influence on curriculum – more than most other subject areas.

To learn more about this data, check out tables from the NTPS or perform your own data analysis with PowerStats.

This week in Washington was a quiet week for federal policy, with Congress in recess for the Independence Day holiday until July 10. The biggest news this week was focused on Supreme Court rulings, several of which will impact higher education admissions and federal student loan forgiveness. When Congress returns, they will continue work on the FY 2024 appropriations process, but no dates have been announced for markups of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill in either chamber. Here are a few additional news items from this week:

• Department of Labor Welcomes Nominations for National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship: The Department of Labor has announced that it is seeking nominations for members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship for the 2023-2025 term. Authorized by the National Apprenticeship Act, the committee advises the Secretary of Labor on ways to expand, modernize and diversify Registered Apprenticeship programs and provide equitable access for all workers to participate and succeed in the national apprenticeship system. Read more about the nomination process here.

• Department of Labor Awards Grants to Help Homeless Veterans Re-enter Workforce: The Department of Labor has announced over $58 million in grants awarded to support the efforts of organizations that help homeless veterans by enabling them to overcome barriers to re-entering the workforce and finding meaningful employment. Read more about the grants here.

• Department of Labor Awards Grants Provide Pre- and Post-Release Services for Re-entry Population: The Department of Labor has announced the award of grants to 17 organizations in 15 states to provide training, employment and supportive services to adults re-entering the workforce following incarceration in a local jail or state correctional facility. Learn more about the grants here.

• Department of Education Launches Application Process to Expand Pell Grant Access for Confined or Incarcerated Individuals: The Department of Education has launched a new process through which institutions of higher education can apply to offer postsecondary programs to confined or incarcerated individuals. The Department will begin accepting applications on July 3, 2023, and will approve applications on a rolling basis. Learn more about the process here.

Understanding Experiential Learning Through Work-Based College Course Taking: Evidence from Transcript Data Using a Text Mining Technique: The Community College Research Center at Columbia University recently released a study that explored work-based coursetaking at the postsecondary level. This paper examined patterns of work-based coursetaking and post-degree labor market outcomes at two- and four-year public institutions using a text mining technique to identify these courses from college transcripts.

Researcher Rachel Yang Zhou found that 11% of enrollees and 31% of graduates at two-year colleges took a work-based learning course within six years of entering postsecondary education, while the same was true for 17% of enrollees and 29% of graduates at four-year institutions. Work-based coursetaking varied widely by field of study. Two-year college completers were most likely to pursue work-based courses in the fields of education, law and social and behavioral sciences, followed by business and skilled trades. At four-year institutions, graduates in education were far and away the most likely to take work-based courses. Individuals studying engineering, natural sciences and math were less likely to go for these types of experiences at both two- and four-year colleges.

In analyzing employment outcomes, the author concluded that taking work-based courses leads to better post-graduation employment within the first three years after attaining a degree. The earnings picture was more complicated, with some evidence that four-year graduates with work-based courses have higher earnings than their peers but that two-year graduates earn no more or even less than their peers. This could be related to differential wages across career fields as well as the relationship between community and technical college learners’ earnings while in school and their work-based course decisions. The researcher recommends that postsecondary administrators pay careful attention to how work-based courses interact with students’ other working opportunities.

­From College to Career: Students’ Internship Expectations and Experiences: The Strada Education Foundation recently released a report that compared the internship expectations and outcomes of first-year university students to fourth-year students and soon-to-be graduates. In this research, internship is used as an umbrella term for internships, co-ops, field experience, student teaching and clinical placement.

• Researchers found that 70% of first-year students expect to have an internship, yet less than 50% of fourth-year students have completed one.

• Underrepresented groups such as African American and Latino students had high expectations – 69% and 67% of first years intended to participate in an internship, respectively – yet only 36% of African American students and 39% of Latino students actually did so. In comparison, 71% of white first-year students expected to participate in an internship and 54% of white fourth-year students did so.

• Participation varied by first-generation student status, with this group of individuals less likely to participate (41%) than non-first-generation students (55%).

• Women (50%) were more likely than men (44%) to participate in internships.

• Seniors who had participated in internships reported more confidence in communicating their skills and experiences to potential employers.

These findings highlight the need for postsecondary institutions to expand access to work-based learning experiences and address gaps and disparities in participation.

A Status Report on Work-Based Learning in Construction: The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) recently released a report on the status of work-based learning across the United States based on feedback from instructors who are members of the NCCER Craft Instructor Forum. These instructors come from postsecondary and secondary institutions as well as industrial training centers and contractor organizations.

Most respondents reported that the quality of work-based learning in their regions was average or better, and several cited the increase in adoption of work-based learning as a major win in the past three years. However, when asked to describe work-based learning in their region with one word, instructors responded minimal, lacking and underutilized, among similar terms.

To better support work-based learning in the construction industry, NCCER has developed a Connection Map that can help match CTE programs and training providers with industry partners for work-based learning, donations and other forms of collaboration.

This week Congress conducted hearings and continued working through the appropriations process for FY 24 funding. The Senate and House held Subcommittee and Committee markups for appropriations bills, but they have yet to announce a date to markup the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill, which will provide more insights into implications for Perkins funding and CTE programs. At the end of the week, Congress headed out of town for a two-week recess, so policy activity will be relatively light until after the July 4th holiday. Here are a few other notes and news from this week:

• Appropriations Update: As the appropriations process begins to play out, there are significant differences between the House and Senate topline spending numbers for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. While the Senate is remaining close to numbers from the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the House proposed significantly lower topline spending numbers. Read more about these updates here.  
   
• CEF and CNSF Host Panel on the Importance of STEM Investments: On Wednesday, the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) and the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) co-hosted a webinar highlighting the importance of further investments in STEM. Read more about the webinar here.  
   
• Department of Education Releases Statement in Response to Long-term Trend Assessment: Recently released scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show significant underperformance in math and reading amongst 13-year-olds. In response, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a statement highlighting the learning impacts of COVID-19 and committing to increased academic support. Read the full statement here.  

• House Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on Skills-Based Hiring: On Thursday, the committee questioned witnesses related to best practices for transitioning towards an increasingly skills-based hiring approach. The witnesses recommended federal support in removing some bachelor’s degree requirements, increasing use of pre-employment assessments and implementing additions to a reauthorized Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Read more about the hearing here.  
   
• OCTAE to Host Webinar on Advancing Economic Mobility for LGBTQ+ Youth: The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) will host a live webinar on Advancing Economic Mobility for LGBTQ+ Youth on Tuesday, June 27, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Register at this link. 
   
• Secretary of Education Visits Bismarck State College to Highlight CTE Programs: This Friday, Secretary Cardona visited Bismarck State College as part of his trip to North Dakota with a specific focus on educational access for rural and tribal communities. He toured the campus and held a roundtable discussion about CTE programs with educators. Read more about his visit here. 

On June 22, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Competencies Over Degrees: Transitioning to a Skills-Based Economy.” The hearing was a response to what committee members described as an ongoing disconnect between employers and the skilled workforce.  

Those testifying on this matter were Dr. Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s Chief Economist; Dr. Mark Smith, the Society for Human Resource Management’s Director of HR Thought Leadership; Dr. Papia Debroy, Senior Vice President of Insights for Opportunity@Work; and Mr. Dan Healey, SAP’s Head of People for Customer Success.  

The witnesses stated that high demand for skilled labor exists in many sectors, but many of these positions utilize bachelor’s degrees as proxy indicators of skill level, and therefore eliminate a large portion of the potential workforce. While continuing to emphasize the importance of post–secondary education, committee members questioned the witnesses on best practices to transition to alternative measurements of skill. Chairwoman Virgina Foxx (R-NC) stated: “The old ways of developing talent are not working for today’s economy.”  

Dr. Karin Kimbrough shared that LinkedIn’s research found that when shifting to a skills-first hiring approach, the number of qualified eligible workers increased by nearly 20 times. With an estimated 1.6 unfilled positions for every unemployed individual, Kimbrough suggested to the committee that skills-based hiring allows employers to satisfy their demand for skilled labor.  

Along with echoing these arguments, Dr. Mark Smith presented the effectiveness of pre-employment assessments to gauge skill levels. When questioned about how to best facilitate transitioning to skills-based hiring, he encouraged the committee to incentivize and support employers in their use of these assessments.  

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), citing his role as co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, questioned the witnesses on how CTE programs specifically can connect skilled students to employers. Mr. Dan Healey stated that developing relationships between employers and administrators of these programs would allow students to develop skills aligned with local employment needs.  

Throughout the hearing, the committee, supported by recommendations from the witnesses, enthusiastically committed to bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and expand its reach to those not previously touched by its programs through specifically implementing a skill-based hiring approach.  

With the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), appropriators in the House and Senate are now working on their respective appropriations bills that will make up the federal budget for FY24. This year’s appropriations process was expected to feature spending caps that were imposed by the FRA, which after adjustments hold non-defense spending roughly flat in FY 2024 and increase it by 1% in 2025.  

However, the House has chosen to use much lower caps for discretionary spending. In the House, legislators have proposed a topline number for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education appropriations bill of $147.1 billion, or a 29 percent cut. The Senate is sticking much closer to the FRA deal and approved its individual bill allocations this week. In the Senate, $195.23 billion will be available for the Labor, HHS, and Education bill, which is only a 5.9 percent cut from FY23.  

Markups of some appropriations bills have begun in both the House and Senate, with the Senate Appropriations Committee most recently approving bills for both the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies bills. The House Appropriations Committee has approved these bills, as well as Homeland Security and the Legislative Branch, and House Subcommittees have also considered the Energy-Water Bill and Financial Services. You can view the status of all 12 appropriations bills here. A date to mark up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill has not been announced, so we do not yet know how these lower funding levels could affect Perkins funding or CTE programs.  

As legislators consider these bills, ACTE is closely monitoring developments in the appropriations process. We will keep you updated so that you can continue to advocate for the highest possible levels of CTE spending. Don’t forget to contact your House members in particular about protecting Perkins funding! Please let us know if you have any questions! 

On Wednesday, the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) and the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) co-hosted a webinar highlighting the importance of further investments in STEM. The panel spoke amid the House Appropriations Committee’s recent approval of FY 24 funding levels that could lead to a significant cut of almost 30% to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. With critical STEM education funding in jeopardy, the panel outlined the existing impact and further need for STEM investments.  

Dr. Amy Burke of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics presented her organization’s data regarding the development of STEM talent. When analyzing the composition of talent in STEM fields, she emphasized the prevalence of workers in the science- and engineering-related occupational group that did not hold a bachelor's degree. As conversations about STEM talent often focus on bachelor's degree holders, she provided a more inclusive view of the STEM field that highlighted the role of all workers. Additionally, Dr. Burke presented data that emphasized the significant underrepresentation of Black, Latino and Native American science and engineering degree recipients at the bachelor’s level and above relative to their population shares. Another gap identified was that students eligible for free or reduced lunch programs tested proficient in the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) science assessment significantly less than their peers. These data sets highlight areas that demand new or further investment in STEM education.  

With the backdrop of this data, Dr. Andre Green, professor and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Southern Alabama, shared his personal STEM educational journey. He recounted underinvestment in STEM programs at his school in rural Georgia, but mentioned that his teachers' support and investments from the National Science Foundation propelled him to continue on a STEM path. He explained how he embodied the investment in STEM and is an example of why the government must allocate more funding to STEM education.   

To facilitate such STEM education, Billy Mawhiney, Executive Director of the South Dakota Afterschool Network, emphasized the importance of after-school programs in providing students with exposure to STEM. To expand such exposure, his organization is developing “Think, Make, Create” Mobile Labs that will bring STEM activities to kids across South Dakota this summer. As part of these efforts, the organization particularly seeks to provide STEM experiences to Native American students who are underrepresented in STEM programs. This initiative and others with similar goals require further investments to create equitable access to STEM.  

Presenting data, personal experiences and current initiatives, the panel highlighted the importance of STEM education and the need for greater investments. While not a focus of the panel specifically, supporting and expanding CTE programs is another important way to address the need to develop students with the knowledge and skills necessary for STEM-related jobs.