When the 117th Congress comes to a close, Congressional CTE Caucus co-chairs Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) will depart from their offices one final time to begin their well-earned retirement. The two public servants have dedicated large parts of their career to advancing the needs of CTE learners, educators and systems, earning them each an ACTE Lifetime Achievement Award this year. 

Sen. Portman, alongside his colleague Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), co-founded the Senate CTE Caucus in 2014. As caucus co-chair, he led several bipartisan efforts to expand opportunities in CTE and address the growing national skills gap. Most notably, Sen. Portman has been a leading co-sponsor of the JOBS Act – legislation that would allow the Pell grant to be used for high-quality short-term workforce training programs – since 2015. Since that time, the bill has grown from 2 co-sponsors to 52, making it one of the most widely supported bipartisan education bills. The Senator also successfully included the Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce Act of 2017 into the reauthorization of Perkins V. His efforts on these issues, as well as his support of apprenticeships and CTE prison re-entry programs, have made a lasting impact for educators, learners, and the economy.  

Rep. Langevin spent 11 years as the co-chair of the House CTE Caucus alongside his colleague, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA). During his tenure, he became well known as an advocate for CTE funding, career counseling and cybersecurity careers. Langevin co-led the annual bipartisan letter to the House Committee on Appropriations requesting robust funding for the Perkins Basic State grant. Further, he was an original co-sponsor of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, commonly known as Perkins V, which modernized CTE systems. Most recently, he re-introduced bipartisan legislation that would invest funds in CTE to develop the cybersecurity workforce. Rep. Langevin’s contributions will last long beyond his time in Congress.  

ACTE warmly thanks both Rep. Langevin and Sen. Portman for their dedication to CTE and congratulates them on their fantastic careers. Their leadership will be sorely missed, but we will work to ensure that their legacies continue in the 118th Congress. 

Last week in Washington, the focus was still on negotiating a funding package in order to avert a government shutdown as Congress heads out of town for the holidays. In addition to appropriations work, Congress passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and President Biden later signed the bill into law. Other focuses last week included statehood for Puerto Rico, immigration and tax provisions.

The 118th Congress will begin right after the new year, on January 3. In the meantime, here are some updates from Washington:

• FY23 Appropriations Update: On December 15, Congress passed a one-week extension of government funding until December 23, which is the new deadline for completing an omnibus funding package for FY23. The next steps for lawmakers and appropriations staff members will be to introduce legislative text of the omnibus agreement, which is expected on December 19, followed by formal Senate and House approval of the package by the December 23 deadline.

• Introducing Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, New Co-Chair of House CTE Caucus: On December 16, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) announced that Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) will become the new co-chair of the bipartisan House CTE Caucus! She will be taking the place of Rep. Langevin, who is retiring after 22 years in Congress, 11 of which he spent leading the caucus. Read press releases from ACTE and Rep. Langevin here. Learn more about the Congressional CTE Caucus here.

• A Deep Dive into Perkins V Enrollment and Performance Data: In October, the U.S. Department of Education released data from states’ Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) submissions for program year 2020-21 – the first year that states reported performance data under Perkins V. The dataset includes CTE participant numbers, CTE concentrator numbers and CTE concentrator performance on Perkins accountability indicators, including the secondary program quality indicators new under Perkins V. Read more here.

• Election Watch: Teacher Shortage Legislation in the 118th Congress: This year, amid growing concern over teacher shortages across the country, Congress increased its focus on the educator pipeline through hearings and legislation. However, with personnel changes in the House and Senate and new education committee leaders, the 118th Congress will offer a different political dynamic that will impact how the federal government may respond to national teacher shortages. Read more here.

• OCTAE Releases Perkins Secondary Program Quality Guide: OCTAE has released a comprehensive resource guide titled “Collecting and Analyzing Data for the Secondary Program Quality Indicators in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006” to support state secondary and postsecondary education agency administrators and data analysts in addressing the accountability provisions within Perkins V. ACTE Senior Director of Public Policy Alisha Hyslop contributed to the guide, and you can view it here.

On December 16, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) announced that Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) will become the new co-chair of the bipartisan House CTE Caucus! She will be taking the place of Rep. Langevin, who is retiring after 22 years in Congress, 11 of which he spent leading the caucus.  

Rep. Bonamici serves Oregon’s 1st congressional district, which includes parts of Portland, Portland’s western suburbs, and rural communities stretching to Oregon’s Pacific Coast. Bonamici has been a stalwart of the House Committee on Education & Labor during her career. Since she entered Congress in 2012, she has served as the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, a member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investments, and led bipartisan negotiations of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The Congresswoman also currently serves as a senior member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and is the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional STEAM Caucus, which promotes the integration of arts and design with STEM.  

Before earning her bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Oregon, Rep. Bonamici began her postsecondary education at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR. She has focused her work in Congress on making postsecondary education more affordable, providing workers with in-demand skills, and promoting equity in education funding.  

ACTE looks forward to deepening its relationship with Rep. Bonamici and her staff as we work together to provide more opportunities in CTE for learners across the country. Please join us in congratulating her on becoming the new co-chair of the bipartisan House CTE Caucus by clicking here to sign a card! 

In October, the U.S. Department of Education released data from states’ Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) submissions for program year 2020-21 – the first year that states reported performance data under Perkins V. The dataset includes CTE participant numbers, CTE concentrator numbers and CTE concentrator performance on Perkins accountability indicators, including the secondary program quality indicators new under Perkins V.

In a previous blog post, ACTE shared high-level takeaways from the dataset. Here, we will offer a more in-depth look at the data, which can be accessed through the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network. This online data hub includes national- and state-level summaries, a new dashboard of national- and state-level performance data and the customizable Perkins Data Explorer.

CTE Participants: In 2020-21, there were almost 12 million participants in CTE nationwide, including 8.3 million secondary CTE participants and 3.5 million postsecondary participants. In total, the number of female and male CTE participants was roughly equal, with more male CTE participants on the secondary level and more female CTE participants on the postsecondary level. When disaggregated by race and ethnicity, the data shows that about:

• 5.5 million CTE participants identified as white
• 3.2 million identified as Hispanic/Latino
• 1.7 million identified as Black or African American
• 606,000 identified as Asian
• 417,000 identified as two or more races
• 170,000 identified as an unknown race
• 116,000 identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native

When disaggregated by special population status, the data demonstrates that about:

• 5.3 million CTE participants were from economically disadvantaged families
• 5 million were preparing for career fields nontraditional for their gender
• 1 million were learners with disabilities
• 683,800 were English learners
• 213,000 were single parents
• 168,000 were out-of-workforce individuals
• 138,00 were individuals experiencing homelessness
• 116,000 were youth with an active-duty military parent
• 5,000 were youth who were in or had aged out of foster care

CTE Concentrators: There were about 3 million secondary CTE concentrators and close to 1.9 million postsecondary CTE concentrators nationwide in 2020-21, for a total of about 4.9 million CTE concentrators. As with CTE participants, the number of female and male CTE concentrators was roughly equal, with more male CTE concentrators on the secondary level and more female CTE concentrators on the postsecondary level. When disaggregated by race and ethnicity, the data shows that about:

• 2.4 million CTE concentrators identified as white
• 1.1 million identified as Hispanic/Latino
• 677,000 identified as Black or African American
• 226,000 identified as Asian
• 146,000 identified as two or more races
• 77,000 identified as an unknown race
• 43,000 identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native

When disaggregated by special population status, the data demonstrates that about:

• 2 million CTE concentrators were from economically disadvantaged families
• 1 million were preparing for career fields nontraditional for their gender
• 384,000 were students with disabilities
• 205,000 were English learners
• 127,000 were single parents
• 105,000 were out-of-workforce individuals
• 42,000 were individuals experiencing homelessness
• 38,000 were youth with an active-duty military parent
• 14,000 were youth who were in or had aged out of foster care

Because states have different ways of operationalizing the legislative definition of concentrator in Perkins V, cross-state comparisons and data aggregated across states should be interpreted with caution.

Concentrator Performance: 2020-21 marked the first year that local recipients and states reported CTE concentrator performance on the Perkins V accountability indicators. For each indicator, states set measurable targets to meet, known as state-determined performance levels.

Secondary Performance

• All states met their targets for secondary CTE concentrators’ four-year graduation rate, with an average graduation rate across the nation of 96%. In addition, all six states that chose to measure the extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate met their targets.
• 34 states met their targets for reading and language arts proficiency, 32 states met targets for mathematics proficiency and 32 states met targets for science proficiency.
• 47 states met their targets for post-program placement, defined as concentrators who are in postsecondary education, advanced training, military service, national service, the Peace Corps or are employed after graduation.
• 46 states met their targets for nontraditional program concentration, which measures the percentage of concentrators from underrepresented gender groups studying for career fields in which individuals of that gender comprise less than 25% of the workforce.
• Among the 22 states that chose to measure attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials, 17 states met their targets and 227,765 CTE concentrators attained recognized postsecondary credentials.
• Among the 12 states that chose to measure attainment of postsecondary credits, 10 states met their targets and 98,877 CTE concentrators attained postsecondary credits.
• Among the 29 states that measured participation in work-based learning experiences, 23 states met their targets and 128,019 CTE concentrators participated in work-based learning.

Postsecondary Performance

• 48 states met their targets for postsecondary placement, defined as concentrators who remain enrolled in postsecondary education or pursue advanced training, military service, national service, the Peace Corps or employment after graduation.
• 48 states met their targets for attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials.
• 47 states met their targets for nontraditional program concentration.

Owing to different definitions as well as different measurement approaches, cross-state comparisons and data aggregated across states should be interpreted with caution.

Data Collection Challenges: Locals and states faced numerous challenges in collecting and reporting 2020-21 Perkins data. These include:

• New definitions for secondary CTE concentrators
• New program quality indicators on the secondary level
• COVID-19 impacts such as waivers for academic assessments, which affected academic proficiency indicators, and fewer opportunities for hands-on and work-based experiences
• Ongoing challenges in collecting data that originates in other systems, such as post-program employment data

Reporting for measures like placement and work-based learning participation will likely improve over time as states continue to improve their data systems.

Government funding talks for fiscal year 2023 are proceeding slowly, with appropriations leaders in both parties at odds over the total amount of non-defense spending to be included in a potential “omnibus” spending package. ACTE has been monitoring this process closely and participating in meetings with education and workforce staff members on Capitol Hill to advocate for the priorities of the CTE community.  

As this is likely one of the final bills to be considered by this Congress, there is the potential for additional, bipartisan priorities to be attached to the final funding legislation. One area that could be addressed is the expansion of Pell Grants to short-term CTE programs. Earlier this year, the JOBS Act (S. 864/H.R. 2037) was close to being included in other legislation, and the bill’s sponsors have been looking for an appropriate vehicle where it might be included. Now is a perfect opportunity for CTE advocates to make their voices heard in support of short-term Pell Grant expansion during these negotiations. 

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your policymakers in the House and Senate to ask them to support Pell Grant eligibility for high-quality, short-term CTE programs as they negotiate fiscal year 2023 appropriations packages. 

If you have a direct contact in your representative’s or senator’s office, such as from a meeting with a staff member during NPS or at another time, we urge you to call or email directly. You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your requested congressional office. Please contact your senators and representatives today!

This year, amid growing concern over teacher shortages across the country, Congress increased its focus on the educator pipeline through hearings and legislation. However, with personnel changes in the House and Senate and new education committee leaders, the 118th Congress will offer a different political dynamic that will impact how the federal government may respond to national teacher shortages.  

During the 117th Congress, ACTE endorsed two bills that would alleviate shortages by providing K-12 teachers with improved financial benefits. The RAISE Act (H.R. 7660 / S. 4125) would provide all K-12 teachers with a federal income tax reimbursement between $1,000 and $15,000 annually, scaled by the level of school poverty. This bill was able to accrue 29 co-sponsors in the House and 7 in the Senate, all of which are members of the Democratic Party. The Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act (H.R. / S. 4867), which gained 17 co-sponsors in the House and 15 in the Senate, would reform the Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) program to include all teachers in low-income schools, shorten forgiveness to five years of teaching, and expand the forgiveness to graduate and parent-held student loans. Both bills will need to find some bipartisan support once they are re-introduced in the next Congress. 

In 15 states, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) have created a financial penalty for CTE teachers who have accrued Social Security benefits during their time in industry. The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82 / S.1302), which would repeal both WEP and GPO, accrued an impressive 305 House co-sponsors and 42 Senate co-sponsors during this Congress. While the bill has not had an opportunity to receive a floor vote, its broad bipartisan support puts it in a strong position to be re-considered in the next Congress – regardless of committee control.  

Further, both the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related appropriations bill reports for fiscal year 2023 included language that would direct the federal government to improve its data collection on CTE teacher shortages. Should Congress not pass an appropriations omnibus before the end of the calendar year, it will be up to the new Congress to include this language in any final appropriations package that is passed, and this will remain an important issue to address.  

With HEA due for reauthorization, the new House and Senate education committees may also undergo debate on how and whether to address teacher shortages through that process. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who will take over as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, will likely have a much different approach to HEA reauthorization than the Republican candidates to chair the House Education and Labor Committee, making some sort of compromise very uncertain.  

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions for how the new Congress could address teacher shortages, please contact ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis (zcurtis@acteonline.org).  

Much of the attention in Washington this week was on the FY 23 appropriations process, which is yet to be resolved (see more below). In addition to appropriations work, the House passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is now awaiting Senate approval. Congress also passed and President Biden later signed legislation codifying federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The 118th Congress will begin right after the new year, on January 3. To prepare for the start of the new Congress, ACTE will be sharing more information on the impact of the election on CTE, including information on committee leadership, new Members of Congress and other resources relevant to CTE stakeholders. In the meantime, here are some updates from Washington:

• Discussions Continue on FY 23 Appropriations Bills: Congress has yet to agree on non-defense spending levels for fiscal year 2023, meaning that lawmakers will need to pass a short-term extension of government funding before expiration of government funding on December 16. The short-term extension, known as a “continuing resolution,” would temporarily fund the government at fiscal year 2022 levels until a larger framework for fiscal year 2023 is agreed upon. Timing on a final agreement is still unclear, and a resolution may not arrive until after the congressional holiday recess, or perhaps at the very beginning of the 118th Congress in January. There was some positive news over the weekend about the negotiations, and bipartisan, bicameral conversations continue.

• Department of Education Hosts National STEM Coordinating Conference: The Department of Education hosted the YOU Belong in STEM National Coordinating Conference in Washington, DC, as a kickoff to the “Raise the Bar: STEM Excellence for All Students” initiative. ACTE’s Public Policy Department was in attendance and participated in the conference. You can read more about the conference and initiative here.

• Department of Labor Youth Systems Building Academy Announcement: The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is inviting workforce communities to nominate themselves to be a part of the Youth Systems Building Academy (YSBA), which will provide local workforce systems and their community partners with training and technical assistance to explore, design, test, implement or scale system-level approaches to engage and support young people in the workforce. Applications are due before Friday, January 13, 2023, at 5:00PM (ET). You can find more information at the link here.

• JOBS Act Letter to Capitol Hill: ACTE joined coalition partners to send a letter to appropriations leaders on Capitol Hill urging them to include language similar to the JOBS Act in any fiscal year 2023 omnibus funding package.

• Department of Education Releases Updated ESSER and GEER FAQs: On December 7, the Department of Education released updated guidance in the form of new “frequently asked questions” related to spending under the COVID-relief focused Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Programs.