State Policies Impacting CTE: Year in Review
Since 2013, ACTE and Advance CTE have collaborated on annual reporting summarizing CTE-related state policies. These reports identify yearly policy trends in topics such as funding and work-based learning. Additionally, each state policy is summarized and tracked in a longitudinal tracker that CTE teachers and administrators, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders can filter by a given year, state or topic.
If you have questions regarding the Year in Review project, please reach out to ACTE’s Research and Policy Coordinator Jesus Galvan.
Year in Review Reports and State Policy Tracker
The longitudinal state policy tracker is a compilation of state-level CTE policy enacted since 2013, including CTE-related budgets, legislation, executive orders or state board of education actions across the 50 states. This tracker is filterable by year, state, system or content area and is validated annually by State CTE Directors. If you have any questions about missing or incomplete information, please reach out to Advance CTE’s Associate Director of State Policy Dan Hinderliter (dhinderliter@careertech.org)
Access the tracker here.
In 2024, 40 states passed 152 policies around funding mechanisms and structures to address national challenges that have impacted state economies, labor market participation, and learner enrollment and engagement in education.
Access the 2024 report here.
In 2023, 47 states passed 115 policies around industry partnerships, funding mechanisms, and data reporting and accountability measures. This year marked the second-highest number of states passing CTE-related policies in the past decade, surpassed only by the landmark year of 2017.
Access the 2023 report here.
In 2022, 36 states passed 123 policies around industry partnerships and work-based learning, funding mechanisms, and access and equity.
Access the 2022 report here.
Now that we have seen the end of 2020 temporary emergency actions, states have returned to passing legislation that affect Career Technical Education (CTE) and career readiness at pre-pandemic numbers with a new emphasis on systemic solutions that deliver equitable access for each learner to participate in opportunities that lead to career success.
In 2021, 41 states passed 138 policies around funding mechanisms, access and equity, and data reporting and accountability measures.
Access the 2021 report here.
The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the priorities of many states away from CTE-related issues and instead on ensuring that students are safe and have access to virtual education.
In 2020, 31 states passed 67 policies around funding mechanisms, industry partnerships and work-based learning, and access and equity.
Access the 2020 report here.
In 2019, 45 states passed 208 policies around funding mechanisms, industry partnerships and work-based learning, and industry-recognized credentials.
Access the 2019 report here.
In 2018, 42 states passed 146 policies around funding mechanisms, industry partnerships and work-based learning, and dual/concurrent enrollment and early college programs.
Access the 2018 report here.
2017 has been the most active year yet, with 49 states and D.C. passing a total of 241 policies. The issues that the states most addressed were funding mechanisms, data reporting and accountability measures, and industry-recognized credentials.
Access the 2017 report here.
In 2016, 42 states passed 139 policies around funding mechanisms, industry partnerships and work-based learning, and dual/concurrent enrollment and early college programs.
Access the 2016 report here.
In 2015, 39 states passed 125 policies around funding mechanisms, governance, and industry partnerships and work-based learning.
Access the 2015 report here.
In 2014, 46 states passed 150 policies around funding mechanisms, industry partnerships and work-based learning, and dual/concurrent enrollment and early college programs.
Access the 2014 report here.
In 2013, 47 states passed 117 policies around funding mechanisms, governance, and dual/concurrent enrollment,
Access the 2013 report here.
