After 43 days, the federal government reopened this week after Congress passed a continuing resolution that will fund most federal programs at their current level until January 30 next year. The deal also included funding for several agencies for FY 26, but lawmakers are still negotiating FY 26 funding for the Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL). Read more on the blog here. In other news, ED made several postsecondary-related announcements, and the House will host a CTE hearing next week. Read more updates below. 

• ED Announces New Postsecondary Grant Opportunities: On Nov. 10, ED announced seven new priorities under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) for the FY 2025 grant competition. Two of the priorities relate to short-term programs: one will support developing new programs that align with Workforce Pell requirements, and one will support expanding current short-term programs. The other priorities will focus on accreditation, AI and civil discourse. The deadline for postsecondary institutions to submit applications for these grants is Dec. 3. 

• ED Shutdown RIFs Reversed as Government Reopens: As part of the deal Congress made to reopen the federal government, all ED employees who were fired during the shutdown must now be reinstated. ED is also prohibited from conducting additional reduction-in-forces (RIFs) through January 30 when the CR expires. 

• 2023-24 Perkins Data Released: ED’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education recently released 2023-24 Perkins enrollment and performance data. Readers can view the data through the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network’s Data Explorers. ACTE will analyze this new data and release a blog post soon on our findings.  

• House to Host Hearing on CTE: Next week on Wednesday, Nov. 19, the House Education and Workforce Committee will host a hearing on CTE: “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills Pathways through CTE.” ACTE will be attending the hearing and reporting back on the blog. 

• ED Invites Comments on IPEDS Changes: On Nov. 13, ED posted a notice in the Federal Register inviting comments regarding proposed changes to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The changes, which were originally announced in August, would require postsecondary institutions to submit applicant race and sex information to ED. This new notice would exempt two-year and open-enrollment colleges who only award aid based on financial need from having to submit this information. Comments are due on Dec. 15. 

• National Postsecondary Enrollment Data Released: On Nov. 11, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released preliminary postsecondary enrollment trends for the fall 2025 semester. The data reveals that enrollment in two-year colleges and undergraduate certificate programs rose the most, particularly in trades-related fields. See the data here.  

• Deadline for “Your AI Horizons Challenge” Approaching: The deadline for teams to participate in ED’s “Your AI Horizons Challenge” (the third challenge in ED’s #CTEMomentum challenge series) is on Wednesday, Nov. 19. You can learn more about the challenge here. 

• Trump Admin Appeals PRWORA Ruling: On Nov. 7, the Trump Administration appealed a federal judge’s ruling that halted implementation of new interpretations of Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) provisions in 21 states. The new interpretations would prohibit Perkins V funds from supporting undocumented immigrants in postsecondary CTE programs. ACTE and a group of education organizations sent questions to ED on these changes earlier this year, but responses have been delayed due to court activity. 

After 43 days, Congress has reached an agreement to reopen the federal government. The deal will temporarily fund most federal programs at current levels through a continuing resolution that lasts until January 30. The package also includes a three-bill minibus that would fund the following agencies for all of FY 2026:

• Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies
• Legislative Branch

The Senate first passed the measure on Monday in a 60-40 vote with every Republican except Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting in favor, along with eight Democrats

The House returned to session after a long absence to approve the bill on November 12, by a vote of 222-209, and it was immediately signed into law by the President.

With the government reopen, negotiations to fund the remaining agencies for FY 2026 will resume ahead of the new January deadline. Lawmakers in both chambers have released proposals to fund the Department of Education (ED) but remain far apart. The Senate proposed level funding for most education and workforce programs in their version of the bill, including level funding for the Perkins State Grant. However, the House proposed steep cuts to education and workforce programs, including a 15% cut to the Department of Education and 30% cut to the Department of Labor, although they did include a $25 million increase for Perkins.

ACTE will continue to update members as action unfolds. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org).

Promising Combinations of Dual Enrollment, AP/IB and CTE: A study from the Community College Research Center analyzes how students combine different types of accelerated coursework (CTE, Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) and dual enrollment) and how these combinations impact their postsecondary outcomes. 

Using administrative data from several high school cohorts in Texas, the researchers found that, in 2022, 72% of students in the state took an accelerated course. Twenty-one percent of students took CTE courses, 3% took dual enrollment courses and 29% took AP/IB courses. Four percent of students participated in both dual enrollment and CTE courses. Compared to the 2015 and 2016 cohorts, the 2022 cohort had a higher proportion of students enrolling in each course type. Men, low-income, Hispanic and Black students were less likely to take an accelerated course. 

The researchers also found that, by age 24, students who took accelerated courses had stronger postsecondary and earnings outcomes compared to students who did not. Students who participated in both dual enrollment and AP/IB had the highest earnings, followed by dual enrollment takers with a CTE focus and students who participated in other dual enrollment courses. Students who took both dual enrollment and AP/IB were also the most likely to earn a postsecondary credential after high school. 

Aligning Assets and Actions for Rural CTE Success: The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS) recently released findings from its statewide assessment of rural CTE programs in Illinois. AIRSS surveyed 281 rural and small school districts—spanning 97% of Illinois’s counties—and found the following: 

• Ninety-one percent of rural and small school districts report offering CTE programs. 

• The most common clusters that rural districts offer courses in are Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (82%); Arts and Communications (56%); and Finance and Business (54%). 

• The most common challenges cited by rural districts are educator shortages (69%), insufficient financial resources (47%) and insufficient equipment or facilities (45%). 

• Sixty-four percent of rural districts report that their CTE programs are aligned with local labor demands, and 58% say that their programs align with future labor needs. 

From these and other findings, AIRSS developed recommendations and a Rural CTE Action Matrix, detailing specific policy and practice recommendations for K-12, workforce and government stakeholders.

For more rural information and resources, visit ACTE’s Community of Practice for Rural CTE through our CTE Learn portal. Additionally, ACTE is offering a professional learning track for rural CTE professionals at this year’s CareerTech VISION conference (to view sessions, filter by “Special Tracks” for “Rural CTE”). 

Analyzing State Accountability Systems for Dual Enrollment: A brief from the College in High School Alliance (CHSA) and Advance CTE examines how dual enrollment is incorporated into state accountability systems.   

• Forty-two states include dual enrollment participation or success as an indicator in at least one of the following three accountability systems: ESSA, Perkins V and/or state accountability.  

• Thirty-four percent of states incorporate dual enrollment participation or success for ESSA compared to 16% for state accountability and 12% for Perkins V. 

• California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho and Nevada are the only states that include dual enrollment in all three systems. 

Snapshots from Alabama, Tennessee and Utah provide additional context on the impact of accountability systems on dual enrollment. For additional information, the CHSA maintains a spreadsheet that details how individual states report dual enrollment data. 

Virginia’s Community Colleges and the Changing Higher Education Landscape: A report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shows that postsecondary CTE enrollment in the state is shifting toward short-term credential and workforce programs, such as the FastForward program. The proportion of postsecondary CTE students in FastForward programs rose from 13% in 2018 to 27% in 2025. The authors suggest that shifting national trends and fewer requirements for establishing non-credit programs compared to credit programs in the state may explain the rising enrollment figures. 

The FastForward program also has strong outcomes: 95% of participants complete the program, and completers who obtain a credential earn about $10,800 more annually than before the program. About three-fourths of FastForward program completers earn an industry-recognized credential. 

Most of the state’s community college CTE programs are also aligned with careers on the state’s high-demand occupation list, including 82% of FastForward programs and 76% of CTE credit programs. The CTE credit programs with the most enrollees are Registered Nursing, Computer and Information Systems and Allied Health Professions. For FastForward programs, they are Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor, Highway and Road Construction Trades and Welding Technology. 

The current federal government shutdown has officially become the longest shutdown in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 35 days. Pressure continues to mount on Congress as various federal programs and agencies suffer from reduced funding and activity. While the House remains in recess, Senate Republicans and Democrats have resumed funding conversations this week, with some progress being made, but no consensus yet. Issues currently under discussion include attaching the first three appropriations bills to the continuing resolution to reopen the government, addressing health care tax credits in some way, and overturning reductions in force issued during the shutdown while ensuring all federal workers are paid. Read more updates below. 

• ED Rulemaking Panel Meets to Discuss Student Loans: This week, the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee at the Department of Education (ED) met to discuss implementation of federal student loan changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Discussions this week were largely focused on which programs would be defined as professional, which would allow students in those programs to receive up to $50,000 in federal loans per year under new OBBBA regulations. The committee officially concluded its work on Nov. 6. 

• Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Fully Fund SNAP: On Nov. 6, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration must fully pay out SNAP benefits for November. The Trump Administration initially announced this week that it was going to only partially fund SNAP benefits prior to this ruling. 

• DOL Welcomes New Appointees: On Nov. 5, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced seven newly Senate-confirmed agency heads joining the Department of Labor (DOL). Offices that the new appointees will be heading include OSHA, the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. 

• More than 20 States Announce Lawsuit Against PSLF Regulations: On Nov. 3, over 20 Democrat-led states filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on new regulations announced last week for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The new regulations would exclude certain employers from participating in the program if they engage in certain “unlawful activities,” such as supporting undocumented immigrants. These new regulations could potentially impact educators, depending on how they are interpreted.  

• Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Apprenticeships: On Nov. 5, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on apprenticeship programs. Leaders from education and workforce organizations testified on the importance of scaling apprenticeship programs nationwide and developing student interest in skilled trade occupations. Read more about the hearing on the blog here.

This week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing entitled, “Registered Apprenticeship: Scaling the Workforce for the Future.” The witnesses included:

• Josh Laney – Competency-Based Education Network
• Latitia McCane – The Apprentice School, Newport News Shipbuilding
• Gardner Carrick – The Manufacturing Institute
• John Downey – International Union of Operating Engineering
• Brent Booker – Laborers’ International Union of North America

The hearing addressed ways to lessen red tape to encourage more companies to use apprenticeships, reach into high schools to grow interest in the trades and ensure apprenticeship programs are flexible to adjust to workforce changes.

One of the solutions offered by Josh Laney was to shift the oversight of apprenticeships to state agencies, which he said are better suited to meet the needs of local programs. He also suggested that lawmakers create a formula funding model for state agencies, similar to Perkins.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) asked how programs like Perkins could support apprenticeships. Many of the panelists said funding can help develop pre-apprenticeships in high schools and purchase equipment that both community colleges and high schools can use.

A recording of the hearing can be found here.

Advance CTE recently hosted a webinar sharing the results of a three-year study examining adult perceptions of CTE. The study surveyed over 1,000 adults in the United States from 2023-25 and found that while awareness of CTE is limited, support has been growing over the past few years and adults who are aware of CTE strongly support it. More specific findings include the following: 

• The percentage of adults aware of CTE jumped 10 percentage points from 2023 (35%) to 2025 (45%). 

• • Groups varied in their awareness of CTE, with the greatest awareness among Black/African American respondents (61%), Gen Z (58%) and parents (56%). 

• Favorability of CTE rose nine percentage points from 2023 (75%) to 2025 (84%). 

• Vocational education, career centers and career pathways are the CTE-related terms of which adults are most aware. 

• There is strong bipartisan support for CTE funding. 

• • Total support for additional CTE funding increased eight percentage points from 2023 (71%) to 2025 (79%). 

• • Eighty-four percent of adults agree that investing in CTE has a positive outcome on public education, and 87% agree that our country needs more CTE to prepare students for careers. Similarly, 85% agree that CTE will help fill the demand for highly skilled workers. 

• In 2025, 46% of parents indicated that they are either very or extremely interested in a CTE program for their child, up from 40% in 2023. 

• Misconceptions on who CTE is for persist: adults are more likely to say that students who want a job immediately after high school (65%) and trade school students (53%) should participate in CTE compared to college-bound students (17%) and high-achieving students (15%). 

• Gen Z adults have a higher level of CTE awareness compared to the national average but have lower favorability views of CTE. They are also more likely to say that college students should participate in CTE. 

Advance CTE also conducted messaging research and asked survey respondents to select phrases that are the most motivating reasons to participate in CTE. The top three phrases selected by respondents are: 

• “Gain skills and experience that lead to financial security and independence” 

•  “Get hands-on learning in the classroom and workplace” 

• “Build skills and connections for your career and for continuing your education” 

Practitioners interested in CTE awareness and communication resources can view Advance CTE’s slate of resources here. ACTE also has several related resources, including this guide on engaging families. 

Now in its fifth week, the government shutdown continues, and the House remains out of session. Several new programs will be affected by the shutdown on Nov.1, increasing the pressure on policymakers to come to an agreement. Health care premiums under the Affordable Care Act are expected to rise significantly over the weekend as well. Congress remains at a stalemate over funding bills, although there has been an increase in bipartisan conversations among Senators, which could be a sign of progress. Read more updates below. 

• Funding for Various Federal Programs Set to Run Out: As Nov. 1 approaches and the government shutdown continues, funding for several federal programs is set to run out. Head Start programs across the country are set to run out of funding and close. SNAP benefits for millions of Americans were also set to expire, but two federal judges ruled Oct. 31 that the Trump Administration must use contingency funds to continue SNAP payments. Most federal K-12 programs, including Perkins, are forward-funded and not significantly implicated by the shutdown at this time, although the lack of federal support and technical assistance is starting to be felt more significantly. 

• ED Announces Final Rule on PSLF: On Oct. 30, the Department of Education (ED) released its final rule on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The PSLF program provides student loan forgiveness to individuals who make enough qualifying monthly payments and work for specific eligible employers, such as public schools. The final rule, which was initiated from an Executive Order signed by President Trump earlier this year, amends the criteria for qualifying employers to exclude ones who engage in “unlawful activities,” such as supporting undocumented immigrants. A notice of the new rule was posted in the Federal Register, and ED also released a fact sheet on the rule. Several organizations have already indicated that they plan to file a lawsuit against the rule. 

• Federal Judge Blocks Layoffs of ED Workers During Shutdown: On Oct. 28, a federal judge ruled that ED workers laid off by the Trump Administration during the government shutdown can keep their jobs as litigation continues. The reductions in force earlier this month had left the special education, civil rights and other offices at ED decimated. 

• Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Release Mental Health Funds: On Oct. 27, a federal judge ruled that ED must release millions of dollars in federal grants meant to address mental health worker shortages in schools across the country. The grants were originally established following the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, but the Trump Administration had halted the distribution of the funds to grant recipients earlier this year, opposing several diversity aspects of the grants. 

• Democratic AGs Announce Lawsuit Against ED on TRIO Programs: This week, Democratic Attorney Generals from 21 states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against ED for delaying and terminating grants to TRIO programs over diversity-related concerns earlier this year. The Council for Opportunity in Education, a national organization that advocates for TRIO programs, filed its own lawsuit on Sept. 30. 

• Universities Continue to Contemplate Funding Compact: This week, universities across the country continue to consider the Trump Administration’s funding compact it announced earlier this month. Most universities have largely opposed the compact or expressed skepticism, but the New College of Florida announced its desire to be the first school to sign the compact this week. 

• ACTE Submits Comments on Secretary’s Proposed Priorities: ACTE and Advance CTE submitted comments to ED on Secretary McMahon’s new proposed priorities for competitive grants. You can read the comments we submitted on the Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness Priority here and the Meaningful Learning Opportunities Priority here. 

• Sen. Cassidy Introduces AI Oversight Bill Focused on Education: On Oct. 28, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced the Learning Innovation and Family Empowerment (LIFE) with AI Act to establish a framework to oversee the use of AI in K-12 education, including through enhanced privacy protections and parental rights. We will have more analysis of potential impacts of the bill on AI in CTE soon!