After a flurry of summer activity, things are quieting down in Washington as lawmakers wrapped up work and recessed for the August break. Congress will return on September 2 to what is likely to be a contentious work period as the end of the fiscal year approaches. The Senate did make some progress on appropriations bills before leaving town, but there is still much more work to be done! August is a great time to connect with policymakers who are back in their home states and districts and emphasize the importance of federal funding for CTE. See below for a wrap up of other news these past two weeks:

• Senate Moves Forward on Appropriations Bills: The Senate passed three full appropriations bills before leaving town, covering Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and the Legislative Branch. The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee also approved its bill, which provided level funding for Perkins and most other education and workforce programs.
• Senate Approves Under Secretary of Education: On August 4, Nicholas Kent was sworn in as the Under Secretary of Education after being confirmed by the Senate. He will have a leadership role in overseeing postsecondary, CTE and adult education programs, along with federal student aid. In other nomination news, Penny Schwinn removed herself from consideration as the Deputy Secretary of Education, and will instead assume an advisory position that is not subject to Senate confirmation.
• ACTE Support College Transparency Act: On July 29, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reintroduced the College Transparency Act in the Senate, with Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introducing a companion in the House. The bill would lead to a stronger postsecondary education data system and make it easier to collect and report on CTE student outcome measures, and ACTE was proud to continue our support!
• Department of Justice Issues Memo on DEI Programs: On July 30, the Department of Justice issued non-binding guidance to all federal grantees related to “the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) programs.”
• Administrations Issues Requirements for New Postsecondary Data Reporting: On August 7, the White House Issued a memo requiring new reporting from institutions of higher education on applicants and those admitted, including data disaggregated by race and sex, as well as information on test scores and GPAs. An accompanying fact sheet and follow-up communication from the Secretary of Education provide more details.
• Department of Education Issues Guidance on Waivers: In a letter sent to chief state school officers on July 29, the Department provided guidance to states on how they can use existing flexibilities in education laws or “to seek creative and effective waivers for improving student academic achievement and maximizing the impact of Federal funds.”
• President Issues Executive Order on Federal Grantmaking: On August 7, the President issued an executive order titled “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking” that institutes new approval processes for the posting of funding announcements and awarding of funds to ensure they advance the President’s policy priorities. This could slow the funding process down considerably.

Addressing CTE Faculty Shortages in Community Colleges: An article by Brandon Hensley, Michelle E. Bartlett, James E. Bartlett II and Sophia Alston in The CTE Journal investigates the challenges that shape CTE faculty shortages in community colleges and the institutional practices aimed at recruiting and retaining instructors.

The researchers surveyed postsecondary CTE instructors nationally and analyzed data from community college faculty in North Carolina to provide state-specific insights. They found that respondents from North Carolina struggle to find instructors, with 66% of respondents stating it is always or often hard to find full-time faculty and 60% reporting the same for part-time faculty. Within CTE program areas, 41% of respondents say that their institutions face a shortage in one area, 17% in two areas, 13% in three areas and 14% in 10 areas. Health (50%), Construction/Trades (27.5%) and IT (23%) are the most common program areas in which respondents report faculty shortages.  

When asked about how their institutions recruit and retain CTE faculty, the most common strategies reported by North Carolina respondents are posting positions on the school’s website or online job boards, word of mouth and faculty referrals. For retention, respondents report that their institutions actively address factors that lead to faculty burnout and consider feedback from faculty in decision-making. However, respondents rate their institution’s benefits and sense of community among faculty members as weak.  

The State of CTE in Ohio: A report from the Fordham Institute examines the current state of CTE programs and work-based learning opportunities in Ohio using state longitudinal data. 

• Participation in CTE coursework and work-based learning opportunities has risen in recent years. About one in four high school students completed at least one CTE course in the 2022-23 school year, up from one in six for 2014-15. In addition, about one-third of students, over 44,000, graduated as CTE concentrators in 2023 compared to 36,000 students in 2020. 
• The class of 2023 saw over 4,500 additional students (26% of CTE concentrators) accumulate more than 250 hours of work-based learning experiences compared to the class of 2022. 
• Attainment of industry-recognized credentials soared from 14,500 earned in 2014-15 to nearly 70,000 earned in 2021-22. 
  • Attainment of high-demand credentials, as defined by the state’s Innovative Workforce Incentive Program (IWIP), also rose significantly—from about 3,000 earned in 2019-20 to over 19,000 in 2022-23. However, IWIP credentials only made up 16% of the credentials students earned in 2022-23, indicating that students are largely pursuing lower demand credentials. 
• The top CTE programs for concentrators are agribusiness and production systems (15.4%), engineering and design (9%) and allied health and nursing (8.5%). 
• Low-income and Black students are underrepresented in enrollment at specialized career centers, which are more likely to offer high-demand programs and credentials. 

Which College and Career Readiness Standards Best Align with Positive Outcomes after High School?: A study from the Urban Institute examines 12 college and career readiness standards in state accountability models, investigating which ones best predict post-high school outcomes.  

The author analyzed 100+ studies that examined the causal impact of each standard and found that seven are positively linked to post-high school outcomes:  

Participation in early college programs or academic dual enrollment as well as participation in CTE or CTE dual enrollment are the standards mostly positively aligned to positive outcomes, each supported by a significant number of studies that indicate strong links to postsecondary enrollment, persistence and degree attainment as well as employment and earnings. The author noted that enrollment in CTE coursework appears to be particularly beneficial for male, Black, Hispanic and disabled students, echoing other studies that have made similar findings.  

Strengthening Career Value Across Diverse Models of Work-based Learning: A report from the Strada Foundation explores students’ experiences and attitudes toward various work-based learning (WBL) experiences. The researchers surveyed over 2,000 undergraduate students at public four-year colleges nationwide and found the following: 

• 65% of students who participated in WBL said it was to gain experience and skills in a specific career they plan on pursuing. Students highly value WBL experiences, with 40% ranking the career value of their experiences a ten on a 1-10 scale, 13% ranking their experiences a nine, and 18% rating their experiences an eight.  
• Experiences that students rated the highest in making them stronger candidates for careers are paid internships, undergraduate research experiences and practicums. On- and off-campus jobs were ranked the lowest. 
• Students indicated that, broadly, WBL experiences helped them expand their professional network, develop technical and soft skills, and receive extensive feedback and mentorship from their supervisors.  

On July 31, the Senate Appropriations Committee released and voted 26-3 to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill to the full Senate.  

The bill maintains level funding for the Perkins State Grant at $1.4 billion and funds the National Activities account at $10 million. Funding for adult education, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Every Student Succeeds Act Title I grant also received level funding in the bill.   

The maximum Pell grant award would be $7,395 for the 2026-27 school year. Other programs receiving level funding include Head Start, TRIO, AmeriCorps and Job Corps programs despite the Trump Administration requesting Congress to eliminate these programs. Funding for other programs and offices, including Federal Work Study, Federal Student Aid, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) are sustained at current levels as well. 

The bill also contains a variety of new requirements, including: 

• ED must maintain the staff necessary to carry out its statutory duties. 
  • Several provisions require the Department to support the staffing levels necessary for IES, the National Center for Education Statistics and OCR to carry out their duties.  
• ED must make formula grants available to states on time. 
  • Several provisions explicitly require Perkins, adult education and WIOA funds to be distributed to states on time.

During the markup of the bill, Senator Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the committee, voiced her concerns regarding the potential dismantlement of the Education Department (ED) and argued that the shift of Perkins and adult education funds to the Department of Labor (DOL) violated federal laws.  

Senator Capito (R-WV), Chair of the Labor, HHS and Education Subcommittee, praised the bipartisan support of the bill and highlighted investments to expand apprenticeship programs in alignment with President Trump’s Executive Order “Preparing Americans for High-paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” which you can read more about on the blog here.  

The committee then proceeded to vote on various amendments to the bill, most of which focused on non-education or labor issues such as research grants at the National Institutes of Health and service delivery at the Social Security Administration. Senator Murphy (D-CT) introduced an amendment that would have prevented the Trump Administration from utilizing funds appropriated to OCR until the agency’s Inspector General determined that the enforcement actions under the office adhered to investigation procedures outlined in statute, but the committee ultimately voted along party lines to not adopt the amendment.  

ACTE will continue to monitor this bill as it makes its way to the Senate floor for debate. Please reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org) if you have any questions or concerns. 

The Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) recently began implementing an Interagency Agreement (IAA) to transfer administration of career and technical education (CTE) funding through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act from ED to DOL. This move is likely to have far-reaching negative impacts on CTE programs and learners across the country.

ACTE and our partners are strongly opposed to any attempt to delink CTE from the American education system. We maintain significant concerns regarding the disruption this will have on Perkins implementation and the services it provides to students nationwide. Coordination between programs already exists without the need for such a drastic move that creates—rather than reduces—significant new administrative challenges for CTE leaders and practitioners.

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to oppose any transfer of Perkins administration to the Department of Labor!

Moving the administration of Perkins funding from ED to DOL, while maintaining statutorily required oversight at ED, will create significant administrative confusion and add unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, increasing the risk of funding delays and disruptions to program delivery. The move to Labor would shift the focus of Perkins V and weaken the crucial link between CTE and the broader education system, while jeopardizing the development of programs of study, the integration of rigorous academic standards, and alignment with graduation requirements. It  is essential to protect CTE funding and program implementation by urging your Members of Congress to consider this proposal via the legislative process, rather than unilaterally moving these functions without congressional input.

Earlier this month, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) was rolling back 63 federal regulations in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order “Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation,” which directs federal agencies to eliminate 10 existing regulations for each new one established.

Several of the deregulatory actions relate to workplace safety, including limiting OSHA oversight of inherently hazardous workplaces, such as professional sports and the performing arts, as well as rescinding illumination requirements for construction worksites and revoking a rule that requires OSHA’s Assistant Secretary to consult with the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health when modifying construction-related regulations.

Other deregulatory moves include:

• Reversing a 2013 rule that provides federal minimum wage and overtime pay protections for certain home health care and domestic workers.
• Withdrawing a notice of proposed rulemaking that aimed to end subminimum wages for workers with disabilities.

This deregulatory push has the potential to impact DOL’s approach to worksite access and safety for CTE students participating in work-based learning activities like job shadows, internships and apprenticeships. It will be important to pay close attention to specific changes that might impact your programs or students. ACTE will share updates as we learn them, and will also be watching how these moves might factor into separate conversations about moving the administration of Perkins from the Department of Education to Labor.

This was the last week in session for the House before the August recess. They adjourned mid-week and are not scheduled to return until September 2. The Senate spent the week working on appropriations bills and cleared procedural hurdles to bring the first of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 bills to the floor. They will be in session for at least one more week, where they are expected to continue to focus on appropriations bills, as well as approving nominations. On the Administration side, the biggest news of the week was that on Friday, an announcement was made that the remainder of the almost $7 billion in education funding that had been withheld from states was being released, and should be available to states and local grantees soon (although perhaps with additional compliance guardrails)! Other activities this week include:

• Senate Announces Education Funding Bill Markup: The Senate Appropriations Committee announced it will mark up its FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill on Thursday, July 31. This will be our first chance to see what Congress has in mind for Perkins funding and other education and workforce programs.
• Administration May Include Education Funding in Next Rescission Package: It has been widely reported this week that the Administration is considering sending a second rescission package to Congress, rolling back previously appropriated but unspent FY 2025 funds. This package could potentially include education funding. No further details are known at this time, but we will share more information as soon as it is available.
• ED Continues to Move Forward on Partnership with Department of Labor (DOL): The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) continues to take steps to implement the partnership it formally announced with DOL earlier this month. While we have been assured that at this time, ED staff contacts and processes for accessing funding remain the same for Perkins grantees for the time being, but that could change. More perspective on the move is provided from OCTAE Acting Assistant Secretary Nick Moore in this blog post. We remain very concerned about the implications of this move – many of which are outlined in this blog post from a former ED staff member now at New America.
• ED Announces Negotiated Rulemaking on Higher Education Issues: Following the passage of the budget reconciliation bill, which contained significant changes to federal student aid, ED is convening two negotiated rulemaking panels to begin developing implementation plans for the new law. The panel that will consider guidelines for short-term Pell will convene in December and January. There will also be opportunities for public comment.
• OCTAE Announces Next CTE Challenge: OCTAE recently announced that the next challenge in its CTE Momentum series will launch in early August and be focused on AI. The Your AI Horizons Challenge “will invite high school CTE students to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance careers across all industries.” More information will be available soon.
• Office of Indian Education Seeking Input: ED’s Office of Indian Education announced it is holding a Tribal consultation session on FY 2026 grantmaking priorities on August 26 at 2:30 Eastern. The consultation will include the Native American CTE Program funded by Perkins. Click here to register, and questions and written comments can be sent to TribalConsultation@ed.gov.

• Senate HELP Committee Approves More Education Nominees: On July 24, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved two more nominees for ED posts: Mary Christina Riley as assistant secretary for legislative and congressional affairs, and David Barker for assistant secretary for postsecondary education. It is unclear when these nominees, or others like the OCTAE assistant secretary, will be confirmed by the full Senate.

• ED Announces AI as Priority in Grant Applications: Through a notice published in the Federal Register on July 21, ED announced a new proposed priority and definitions around advancing artificial intelligence in education for its competitive grant programs. The priority also addresses providing professional development for educators on AI, as well as providing students with exposure to AI concepts and technology to ensure workforce readiness. Comments on the proposed grant priority are due August 20. The White House also announced a new AI action plan this week, with strong workforce development themes.

There has been a whirlwind of activity in Congress and the Administration over the past two weeks. The House took a short recess after passing the budget reconciliation bill, which was signed into law on July 4, but then was back in action this past week, when both chambers worked to clear a budget rescission package that rolled back some foreign aid and public media funding from FY 2025. At the same time, the House and Senate are attempting to move forward with FY 2026 appropriations bills, but progress has been slow. There has also been significant Administration activity that you can read more about below. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and concerns about these activities through this short form! Key federal activities these past two weeks include:

• Department of Education (ED) Announces New Guidance on Using Federal Funds for Undocumented Students: On July 10, ED announced a notice of interpretation on using federal funds to serve undocumented immigrants. The notice interprets many postsecondary education programs, including programs and activities funded by Perkins V, as providing federal public benefits under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and thereby subject to citizenship verification requirements under that law. Read more on the blog here.
• Supreme Court Clears the Way for Perkins Move from ED to Labor: On July 14, the Supreme Court ruled that ED may proceed with a reduction in force of approximately 1,400 employees. The interagency agreement previously signed by ED and Labor, which shifts the administration of Perkins and WIOA Title II adult education and literacy programs to DOL, may also move forward. Read more on the blog here.
• FY 2026 Appropriations Process Moves Forward Slowly: Congress is slowly beginning work on appropriations bills for FY 2026. On July 15, the House released its total funding levels for each of the 12 appropriations bills. The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill is slated for an almost $14 billion cut, which causes significant concerns. The House was scheduled to consider that bill in committee the week of July 21, but that action has been postponed until September.
• ED Continues to Withhold Education Funding: Almost $7 billion in federal funding for education has been withheld from states since its original scheduled distribution date of July 1. On July 18, states were notified that $1.4 billion in funds from ESSA Title IV-B, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which funds afterschool programs, would be released on July 21. No update has been provided on other funding. Ten Republican senators did weigh in on the ongoing issue by sending a letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging the release of funding.
• Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Dismisses Thousands of Complaints: Court documents disclosed recently revealed that OCR dismissed more than 3,400 complaints from March 11 to June 27, a significant increase over prior years. This follows recent layoffs at OCR earlier this year and the closure of seven of 12 civil rights enforcement offices nationwide.
• Department of Labor (DOL) Issues Rule on Anti-discrimination Protections in Registered Apprenticeship Programs: DOL issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarifying prohibitions against discrimination in apprenticeships and rescind equal employment requirements, titled “Prohibiting Illegal Discrimination in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.” Comments are due September 2.
• Administration Announces Several New Funding Opportunities: Several new competitive grant announcements have been made by the Departments of Education and Labor. At ED, grants are available for Alaska Native-, Native Hawaiian-, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-, and Native American-Serving Institutions, as well as transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities. The Department of Labor announced $5 million in funding for the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations program.