The recently signed fiscal year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill marked the first spending bill in a decade to include earmarks. Earmarks, also known has “community project funding” or “congressionally directed spending,” are used by Members of Congress to guarantee funding for specific projects or grantees that would benefit their state or district.

Each Member office submits project funding requests from constituents, which must then be reviewed by the appropriations subcommittees. For FY 2022, members of the House could submit a maximum of 10 earmark requests to be reviewed while members of the Senate had no request limit, and the total funding for earmarks could not exceed 1% of overall discretionary funding. In the coming days, ACTE will publish a blog post on steps our members can take during the earmarking process for FY 2023.

The FY 2022 omnibus appropriations bill earmarks a total of $2.3 million for vocational rehabilitation projects, $140 million for K-12 projects, $249 million for higher education projects and $137 million for employment and training projects. ACTE analyzed this funding and found that 119 earmarks provided over $107 million for CTE-related projects in FY 2022:

• Elementary and secondary CTE-related projects received $16.2 million through 22 earmarks
• Postsecondary CTE-related projects received $49.8 million through 49 earmarks
• Employment and training CTE-related projects received $41.4 million through 48 earmarks

Of the 39 states that received earmarked funding for CTE-related projects in FY 2022, Virginia was allocated the most funding, totaling $8.97 million, and California had the most earmarks with 11 different projects funded. Specific CTE-related projects that received the most funding include:

• $5.1 million for Northern Virginia Community College’s Data Center Operations degree and certificate program.
• $4.5 million for an apprenticeship initiative at Marshall University in West Virginia.
• $3.7 million for Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, a work-based learning program.

Readers can use this spreadsheet created by ACTE to learn more about which CTE-related projects in their state received FY 2022 earmarked funding.

Last week in Washington, the House was out of session, while the Senate remained in town to conduct Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Both chambers will return this week. There is expected to be action on the America COMPETES Act, which contains legislative language similar to the College Transparency Act (CTA) and the JOBS Act, two of ACTE’s top legislative priorities. Stay tuned to the CTE Policy Watch blog for potential advocacy opportunities in the coming days! You can read more about the America COMPETES Act and its implications for CTE below. ACTE is also awaiting the release of President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget, which is expected to be released on March 28. ACTE will continue to work with its partners on Capitol Hill and within the Biden Administration to advocate for more robust federal investments in CTE, so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks! As we await more congressional action, here are a few key notes from the week:

• Senate Votes to Proceed on America COMPETES Act/USICA: The Senate is set to vote on Monday on a motion to proceed on the House-passed America COMPETES Act, also known as the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) in the Senate’s version of the legislation. The bill is aimed to support economic competitiveness with China, U.S. supply chains and semiconductor manufacturing. In addition to ACTE Public Policy’s advocacy work on the bill, National Skills Coalition is circulating a letter to national, state and local organizations in support of the amendment introduced by Reps. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) containing the CTA and JOBS Act language. If your organization would like to sign-on, please contact us. Read more about the America COMPETES Act/USICA here.

• FCC Opens Third Filing Window for Emergency Connectivity Fund: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it will open a third application filing window for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program to award at least $1 billion in remaining ECF support and address outstanding demand for devices and broadband connections. The third application filing window will open on Thursday, April 28, 2022, and close on Friday, May 13, 2022.  During this filing window, applicants will be able to submit ECF requests for funding to purchase eligible equipment and up to 12 months of service between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, for students, school staff and library patrons with unmet needs.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding to Support Employment Readiness for American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians: The Department of Labor has announced $71 million in funding to provide training and employment assistance to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. The grants will support services to equip individuals in these communities with education, job search assistance and occupational skills training to improve their access to better jobs and increased wages. The grants will be administered by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Indian and Native American programs. Learn more about the grant and apply here.

• Department of Education and NASA Host Conversation on Title IX and STEM: On March 24, the Department of Education and NASA held a conversation on elevating the role of Title IX in involving girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. Watch the recording of the event here.

CTE in the High School Transcript Study: Recently, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released results from the 2019 High School Transcript Study. Researchers examined a nationally representative sample of 2019 high school graduates and the courses they took, how many credits they earned, their GPAs and their performance on NAEP Grade 12 assessments. The following are key findings relevant to CTE:

• In 2019, graduates earned 3.3 CTE credits compared to 3.8 credits in 1990. The biggest declines in CTE credits earned were among Black and female graduates.
• Graduates had higher average GPAs in CTE courses (3.33) than in 1990 (2.87). Female and Asian/Pacific Islander students had the highest CTE GPAs, and Black students had the lowest.
• Of the 28% of graduates who took a dual enrollment course, about 13% were enrolled in CTE dual enrollment courses, the highest percentage among all types of dual enrollment courses.
• Since 1990, the percentage of graduates earning at least one CTE credit increased the most in fields such as health science, IT, and hospitality and tourism. In contrast, fields like business and marketing, architecture and construction, and manufacturing faced the largest declines.

Career Readiness Benchmarks: In 2021, MajorClarity released a career & college readiness (CCR) benchmark self-assessment tool for K-12 leaders to score their districts on five key areas of CCR: postsecondary options, data, supports, stakeholder engagement and resources. MajorClarity analyzed responses from over 140 self-assessments in a recent report. Overall, the median score on the benchmark was 68.5%, with the highest average score in postsecondary options and the lowest in stakeholder engagement.

Postsecondary Completion Rates: This winter, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released its tenth report in the Completing College Series, tracking postsecondary enrollment and six-year completion outcomes. The following are key findings from the cohort that began postsecondary education in fall 2015:

• The completion rate reached 62.2%, an increase of over one percentage point compared to the fall 2014 cohort, with the largest increases (+1.5 percentage points) among public community colleges.
• Completion rates increased for two-thirds of states (32 out of 46) examined, and in 26 states, completion rates grew by at least one percentage point for students who started at community colleges.
• Among all racial/ethnic groups, Black students experienced the largest increases in completion rates (+1.9 percentage points) and had the greatest growth in students enrolling in community college (+1.6 percentage points).
• Completion rates for adult learners increased by 2.5 percentage points compared to traditional college-age students, whose completion rates declined. For adult learners who started at community colleges, their completion rate increased by 2.3 percentage points for a total rate of 37.9%.

Employment and Earnings Outcomes: Recently, the American Enterprise Institute compiled a collection of 9 reports that address the history, arguments and data resources regarding postsecondary outcomes and earnings. The featured reports include those of New America, the Higher Education Advisory Group and the Urban Institute and discuss the effect that accountability policies, college advising programs, intermediaries and student demographics have on earnings and employment outcomes. Read the full collection here.

Last week, action in Congress was relatively limited after President Biden signed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations package early last week. With FY 2022 appropriations now complete, Congress now turns its focus to the FY 2023 appropriations process. The first step is the release of the president’s budget, which is now expected to arrive on Monday, March 28. ACTE will continue to work with its partners on Capitol Hill and within the Biden Administration to advocate for more robust federal investments in CTE, so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks! Only the Senate will be in session next week, as House members are back in their districts for a district work period. Our focus at ACTE will be on the National Policy Seminar! As we await more congressional action, here are a few notes:

• ACTE Publishes New “CTE Works!” Fact Sheet: ACTE published a new “CTE Works!” fact sheet that provides an evidence-based overview of CTE’s impact on student achievement, education and employment outcomes, and the skills gap and economy. We encourage CTE supporters to share this fact sheet with students and families; federal, state and local education and workforce leaders; policymakers; and the media to convey the value of CTE. It can be used along with our “What is CTE?” infographic that introduces people new to CTE to its scope and benefits. A Spanish-language translation of this new fact sheet will be coming soon!

• President Biden Signs Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bill: On March 15, President Biden signed the omnibus bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2022, providing over $1.5 trillion across the entire federal government. Overall investments in education were lower than what the President had originally proposed, but the Perkins Basic State Grant was given a much needed $45 million increase! While this represents a steady increase in CTE funding since 2017, ACTE will advocate for larger investments in the FY 2023 budget. Read more about FY 2022 appropriations here.

• President Nominates Nasser Paydar as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education: On March 18, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Dr. Nasser Paydar, Chancellor Emeritus of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Executive Vice President Emeritus of Indiana University (IU) as the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. You can read more about Dr. Paydar’s qualifications here.

• Northern Virginia Community College Visit: If you are attending NPS or located in the northern Virginia area, you can participate in a school tour of Northern Virginia Community College on Wednesday afternoon, March 23^rd, from 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Be sure to check out ACTE’s NPS website for the latest information on the school visit and the RSVP!

Today, ACTE published a new “CTE Works!” fact sheet that provides an evidence-based overview of CTE’s impact on student achievement; education and employment outcomes; and the skills gap and economy.

Research shows that CTE students excel in high school and postsecondary education. The average high school graduation rate of CTE concentrators is 94% – 9 percentage points higher than the overall U.S. graduation rate – and CTE concentrators are just as likely as non-concentrators to earn a postsecondary degree or certificate.

The benefits of CTE extend into employment. For instance, associate degree holders in CTE fields like engineering, IT, health care and skilled trade occupations can earn up to $2.8 million over their lifetimes – the same as the median lifetime earnings for workers with bachelor’s degrees.

Additionally, filling roles in CTE fields is critical to supporting the economy. Over the next decade, the United States faces a projected shortage of 6.5 million skilled workers.

We encourage CTE supporters to share this fact sheet with students and families; federal, state and local education and workforce leaders; policymakers; and the media to convey the value of CTE along with our “What is CTE?” infographic that introduces people new to CTE to its scope and benefits.

Last week, the biggest items Congress focused on were negotiating and passing a Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations package, as well as responding to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. In great news for CTE, the Perkins Basic State Grant program received a $45 million increase in the FY 2022 spending package! You can read our full recap of the bill in the linked blog article below. With FY 2022 appropriations now complete, Congress now turns its focus to the FY 2023 appropriations process. The first step is the release of the president’s budget, which is expected to arrive by the end of March. ACTE will continue to work with its partners on Capitol Hill and within the Biden Administration to advocate for more robust federal investments in CTE, so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks! Both chambers of Congress will be in session during this upcoming week, although activity is expected to be light. As we await more congressional action, here are the key headlines of the week:

• Congress Passes Negotiated Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bill: On March 8, congressional leaders released the negotiated text of the long-overdue Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations omnibus package. The bill was then passed by the House and Senate. The omnibus bill includes a $45 million increase for the Perkins Basic State Grant. While larger investments in CTE are still needed, this bill offers more than what the President requested and continues the steady increase in Perkins funding since 2017. Overall, the omnibus proposes $1.5 trillion in spending, including a 5.6% increase over FY 2021 in defense-related spending and a 6.7% increase for non-defense spending. You can read more about the bill here.
   
• Departments of Labor and Transportation Announce Effort to Advance Infrastructure Jobs for Underrepresented Populations: Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg have announced a partnership with the signing of a memorandum of understanding to promote the creation of infrastructure and transportation jobs with a focus on equitable workforce development using funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The partnership will include registered apprenticeships to connect workers in underserved communities to modern day infrastructure and transportation jobs. You can read more about the initiative here.

• NPS Agenda Taking Shape: With one week to go before ACTE’s Annual National Policy Seminar, the agenda is being finalized and several new events have been added. In particular, NPS attendees can participate in a tour and reception hosted at the site of Amazon’s new second headquarters, and a school tour of Northern Virginia Community College. The school tour is open to any CTE stakeholder – you do not have to be planning to attend NPS! Be sure to check out information about the hybrid NPS conference on ACTE’s website for the latest information.

On Tuesday, March 15, President Biden signed the omnibus bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2022, providing over $1.5 trillion across the entire federal government. Today was the last day to do so to avert either another continuing resolution or a government shutdown. While overall investments in education were lower than what the President had originally proposed, the Perkins Basic State Grant was given a much needed $45 million increase! While this represents a steady increase in CTE funding since 2017, ACTE will advocate for larger investments that are needed in the FY 2023 budget.  

Within the omnibus, the Department of Education was funded at $76.4 billion overall – an 4% increase over FY 2021. This includes many important investments across K-12, postsecondary and adult education that are important to the CTE community, such as:  

Secondary Education 

• 6% increase for Title I grants to local education agencies 
• $27 million increase to Title II of ESEA for effective instruction
• $448.4 million increase for special education 
• $7.5 million increase for education for homeless children & youth 
• $60 million increase for Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants 

Postsecondary & Adult Education 

• $15.5 million increase for Adult Education 
• $20 million increase for federal work-study 
• $400 increase to the maximum Pell grant 

Further, FY 2022 was the first spending bill in a decade to include earmarks. Earmarks are used by Members of Congress to guarantee funding for specific projects or grantees that would benefit their state or district. This bill earmarks $2.3 million for vocational rehabilitation projects, $140 million for K-12 projects, and $249 million for higher education projects. We will be reporting back with a full analysis of the earmarked projects pertaining to CTE in the near future.  

The Department of Labor (DOL) was funded at $13.2 billion, a 5% increase over FY 2021. Included in the $653 million increase for DOL are numerous investments in programs that are critical to ensuring connections between education and the workforce. For example, registered apprenticeships were given an additional $50 million – a 27% increase over FY 2021! Strengthening Community College Grants received a $5 million, or over 10%, increase, and WIOA state grants received a $34 million increase.   

With FY 2022 appropriations now complete, Congress now turns its focus to the FY 2023 appropriations process. The first step is the release of the President’s budget, which is expected to arrive by the end of March. ACTE will continue to work with its partners on Capitol Hill and within the Administration to advocate for more robust federal investments in CTE – stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks.