Today, the U.S. Department of Education released data from states’ Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) submissions for program year 2020-2021 – the first year that states reported performance data under Perkins V. 

Today’s release includes CTE participant numbers, CTE concentrator numbers and CTE concentrator performance on the Perkins accountability indicators, including the secondary program quality indicators new under Perkins V. The data can be accessed on the Perkins Collaborative Research Network in several formats:

• National and state-level summaries showing funding distribution, CTE participant data, CTE concentrator enrollment by Career Cluster, and CTE concentrator performance data
• A new dashboard of national- and state-level performance data, which can be filtered by gender, race/ethnicity, special populations and Career Clusters
• The Perkins Data Explorer, which enables users to generate custom reports on CTE participation, concentration and performance

We’ve shared several takeaways from this dataset below. Please note that national-level average performance should be interpreted with caution, owing to differences in how states define each indicator, particularly for the placement, postsecondary credential attainment and secondary program quality indicators:

• In 2020-21, there were almost 12 million participants in CTE nationwide, including 8.3 million secondary CTE participants and 3.5 million postsecondary CTE participants.
• In 2020-21, there were about 3 million secondary CTE concentrators and close to 1.9 million postsecondary CTE concentrators nationwide.
• The top four Career Clusters among secondary concentrators were Health Science; Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Business Management & Administration; and Arts, A/V Technology & Communications.
• The top four Career Clusters among postsecondary concentrators were Health Science; Business Management & Administration; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; and Information Technology.
• The average four-year graduation rate for secondary concentrators across the nation was 96%.

In addition to exercising caution when interpreting national averages, please also remember that COVID-19 may have impacted data for the 2020-21 program year, particularly in regards to performance on academic assessments and secondary program quality indicators such as recognized postsecondary credential attainment and work-based learning participation.

We encourage CTE educators to explore their state’s disaggregated data, and ACTE will be digging into this data and will share additional findings and takeaways with the CTE community soon.

Congress is nearing the final stretch of the recess period before the midterm elections. If you have the opportunity to attend a campaign event in the next week or two, this is a great chance to get some “face time” with the candidates in your area and inquire about their understanding and support of CTE. After the election, a brief but busy “lame-duck” session will be held before the formal swearing-in of the 118th Congress, where the bulk of the focus will be on fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations bills. ACTE will be providing you with the resources you need to effectively develop relationships with new Members of Congress and urge them to support policies that will help advance high-quality CTE for all learners. In the meantime, here is a brief update from Washington:

• Student Debt Relief Update: On October 20, the Department of Education formally opened the application for student loan borrowers to obtain up to $20,000 in student loan debt forgiveness. However, the program has been temporarily paused from processing debt discharges after the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of the program until it hears further testimony. Visit the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) website for further information.

• National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Releases Postsecondary Enrollment Data: On October 17, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released postsecondary enrollment data covering the fall 2022 semester. Key findings revealed that overall postsecondary enrollment is down, but community colleges are continuing to see strong enrollment numbers boosted by increasing numbers of matriculating students. You can read the full report here.

• Election Watch 2022: State Ballot Measures: State ballot measures are important components of the voting process in which citizens are provided the opportunity to voice their input on various legislation topics, including education. Gathered using the Statewide Ballot Measures Database by the National Conference of State Legislatures, ACTE has compiled some of the education-related state ballot measures that will be determined by voters in November. Read more about the state ballot measures that could impact CTE here.

• National Science Foundation Launches Workforce Program for Emerging Technology Jobs: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a grant opportunity to fund partnerships between workforce development entities and organizations with expertise in emerging technologies. The Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program will provide $30 million to increase access to career pathways in emerging technology fields, such as advanced manufacturing, advanced wireless, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum information science, semiconductors and microelectronics. Read more about the grant here.

On November 8, voters will take to the polls to determine the new look of the next Congress by casting their votes for 34 Senate and all 435 House seats. Currently, Democrats hold a slim majority in both the House and Senate, making this election highly consequential in terms of the potential for swings of party control in each chamber. Retirements will also play a large factor in the future composition of the next Congress – 32 House members (20 Democrats and 12 Republicans) and 6 Senators (5 Republicans and 1 Democrat) are not running for reelection this year. 

These retirements will not only influence the balance of power, but they also will cause a significant shift in representation on the education and appropriations committees that directly impact CTE. For example, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), is retiring. He is likely to be replaced by either Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) or Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The spot for top Democrat on the HELP committee is also up for grabs, as Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the current HELP Committee chair is slated to replace retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) as chair or ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, depending on the party that controls the Senate. It is expected that Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) will then take Sen. Murray’s place leading the HELP Committee Democrats.  

In addition to new Democratic leadership on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republican leadership on the committee will also experience changes due to retirements. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the top Republican on the full committee, and Sen. Roy Blunt, the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, are both retiring. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is next in line to replace Sen. Shelby based on seniority, while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is the most senior Republican in line to replace Sen. Blunt. That said, all committee assignments and leadership positions are subject to a variety of factors and are not always based on seniority.  

The bipartisan congressional CTE Caucuses will also suffer losses due to retirements from longtime CTE advocates Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI). ACTE is grateful for their valuable contributions to the CTE community and wishes them all the best in their future endeavors. Moving forward, each caucus will soon choose replacements to serve as co-chairs. We will keep you updated with more information as it becomes available. Overall, the House CTE Caucus will lose 11 members due to retirement, making it critical for ACTE members to recruit their newly elected Members of Congress to join. 

Starting next week, ACTE’s Election Watch 2022 will preview federal policy issues critical to the community that may be impacted by this year’s midterm elections. If you have any questions, please reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis (zcurtis@acteonline.org).  

COVID-19 Relief Spending: Recently, FutureEd analyzed COVID-19 relief spending plans from a nationwide sample of 5,000 K-12 school districts and charter organizations and conducted additional research with the 100 largest K-12 school districts in the United States about their plans for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) aid. The following summarize key trends from the report on COVID-19 relief spending plans among K-12 districts:

• Staff numbers: The majority of school districts in the national sample and the largest districts plan to use funds to hire new teachers and pay teachers and other staff.
• Recruitment and retention: Around 20% of school districts in the national sample and 47% of the largest districts are using ESSER funds to recruit and retain teachers.
• Financial incentives: Roughly 33% of the largest districts are using funds for additional pay and stipends to help with teacher retention, and 10% of districts in the sample are offering retention bonuses.
• More hours: One-third of the largest districts are dedicating relief funding to pay teachers a stipend for working additional hours.
• Professional development: About 43% of school districts in the national sample plan to use relief funding for professional development.

Post-Pandemic Practitioner Reflections: Last month, the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) released the latest issue in their peer-reviewed, practitioner-focused themed journal on adult education. This issue features nine articles with reflections from and innovations used by adult education practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some topics the articles discuss include serving English learners, developing statewide collaboration, devising innovative learning strategies for incarcerated learners and using remote learning to expand access to adult education.

Online Course Enrollment & Completion: A report published by the University of Florida studied the impact of online course enrollment on community college students’ degree completion, with an emphasis on outcomes among traditionally underserved student groups. The author examined 2009-19 transcript data from a high-enrollment community college and found that students who enrolled in some, but not all, online courses were more likely to earn their associate degree and/or bachelor’s degree. In contrast, students who enrolled in all online courses were less likely to earn a degree. Both trends held true for Black, Hispanic and low-income student groups.

Online Learner Perspectives: In the spring of 2022, Wiley University Services surveyed 2,500 high school graduates nationwide that had been enrolled, were currently enrolled or planned to enroll in a fully online undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate program in the next 12 months to better understand online learners’ motivations, preferences and outcomes. The following highlight key findings from the report:

• One in three respondents hadn’t considered an online program until the COVID-19 pandemic, with most of these respondents being young adults.
• Online learners’ top motivations to apply to an online program included affordability (59%), program completion time (33%) and accreditation (32%).
• Although most online learners prefer asynchronous and fully online programs, of the 18% of online learners who must complete lab work for their program of study, the majority stated that they would prefer to complete these courses in person.
• About 36% of current online learners and recent graduates reported a salary increase, 26% began a new job, 22% switched careers, 20% were promoted, 19% started their careers and 18% have more responsibilities at work.
• About 60% of online learners are open to pursuing an alternative credential, including trade credentials, industry certifications and non-credit options such as micro-credentials and digital badges.

ACTE’s recently updated “What is a Credential?” fact sheet defines different types of credentials, including alternative credentials, to help CTE advocates and stakeholders better understand the credential landscape.

This November, most voters will have the opportunity to vote on state ballot measures. State ballot measures are important components of the voting process in which citizens are provided the opportunity to voice their input on various legislation topics, including education. Typically, ballot measures are referendums or ballot initiatives, allowing voters to propose new state-level legislation or uphold or repeal a law that passed the state legislature. Gathered using the Statewide Ballot Measures Database by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the following outline some of the education-related state ballot measures that will be determined by voters in November:

• Arizona: Allows undocumented Arizona high school graduates to receive in-state university and community college tuition.
• California: Requires funding for K-12 art and music education.
• Colorado: Reduces caps for income tax deductions and the income threshold to which they apply to create and fund the Healthy School Meals for All Program.
• Florida: Authorizes the state legislature to provide an additional homestead property tax exemption on $50,000 of assessed value on property owned by certain public service workers, which includes teachers.
• Idaho: An advisory question that gauges citizen support for the passage of House Bill 1, which allocates $410 million of the state’s sales tax to the public school income fund and in-demand careers fund, as well as makes changes to income and corporate tax rates.
• Massachusetts: Creates a 4% tax on incomes that exceed $1 million for education and transportation purposes, which includes K-12 schools, CTE and adult education.
• New Mexico: Has a variety of ballot measures related to education including:
  • Issues over $215 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools and tribal schools.
  • Issues over $19 million to bonds for public libraries.
  • Dedicates funds devoted to early childhood programs from the Land Grant Permanent Fund.
• West Virginia: Requires the state’s board of education to submit any proposed rules to the legislature to approve, amend or reject.

The list above demonstrates the impact state ballot measures can have on education and CTE programs during the November 2022 election. ACTE will continue to monitor the 2022 elections and their implications on CTE and education as part of our coverage on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.

To check your voter registration, register to vote, or learn more about your state’s voting policies, visit Nonprofit Vote.

Recently, ACTE released an updated “STEM is CTE” fact sheet to describe how CTE is developing students’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills and preparing students to enter the STEM workforce.

CTE programs across the 16 Career Clusters® enable students to master STEM skills, such as computational thinking, that are increasingly required for both STEM jobs and for jobs not classified as STEM. CTE students also earn STEM industry credentials most requested in job as well as  educational credentials that allow them to pursue high-wage STEM careers in areas like data science, cybersecurity and data center operations.

We encourage ACTE members and CTE advocates to share this resource with students and families, education and workforce leaders, and policymakers to improve the public’s understanding of the connection between and the benefits of STEM and CTE.

Relatedly, this past week, the U.S. Department of Education announced their new “YOU Belong in STEM” initiative. This initiative will focus on improving student outcomes in STEM by promoting positive conditions for learning and development, such as by increasing students’ sense of belonging in the STEM classroom. In the coming weeks, the Department will provide more information related to guidance and technical assistance to elevate STEM teaching and learning.

Focus in DC continues to remain on the election as lawmakers are adjourned until after November 8. When they return, lawmakers are expected to continue work on fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations packages and a potential tax bill negotiation during the “lame-duck” congressional session. This is a great time to review our advocacy toolkit resources and equip yourself with the tools you need to effectively advocate for CTE with policymakers, your community, the media and other stakeholders. We will soon have a new crop of legislators for the 118th Congress, which presents an opportunity to inform them about CTE and encourage their support! We will be covering the election and what it means for CTE over the next few weeks. In the meantime, ACTE will keep you updated on any key developments. Here are some news and notes:

• Department of Education Student Loan Forgiveness Beta Application Opens: On October 15, the Department of Education’s student loan forgiveness application opened for a beta release. Those who are eligible for forgiveness may begin submitting the application now. If you can’t access the beta application at first, try again later – the Department notes the application may be down at times. You can find the beta application here.

• Secretary of Education Cardona, Secretary of Labor Walsh Visit Boston Technology Institute: On October 15, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited Ben Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology in Boston to discuss job training programs in emerging industries, such as wind technology, autonomous vehicles and solar energy. Learn more about the visit here.

• Department of Education Launches “YOU Belong in STEM” Initiative: On October 12, the Department of Education launched “YOU Belong in STEM,” an initiative to galvanize the broad STEM education ecosystem to implement and scale equitable and high-quality STEM education for all young people from Pre-K to higher education. The Department plans to provide guidance and other technical assistance to elevate STEM teaching and learning. You can learn more about the initiative here.

• Illinois ACTE Media Tour Makes Final Stops at Alton, Collinsville Schools: On October 6, the 2022 Illinois ACTE Media Tour visited Collinsville Area Career Center and Alton High School to get a look at the programs offered by the two schools. Read more about the visit to Alton and Collinsville here.

• Illinois ACTE Media Tour Makes Stops in Mount Vernon and Salem, Illinois: On October 5, the Illinois ACTE media tour continued to Mount Vernon Township High School and Salem High School. Read more about the Mount Vernon and Salem stops here.