Archive for December, 2009

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Pathways From Education System to Job Complicated and Oft Wastes Time and Resources

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Pathways from education system to job complicated and oft wastes time and resources
As workers adjust to the changes brought about by the nation’s recent economic downturn, they will be looking to our education system to provide them the knowledge and skills needed to earn a living wage. But navigating the pathway from postsecondary education to a job is complicated and often results in a waste of time and resources that do not even lead to a postsecondary credential, according to a recent Education Commission of the States report.

Revving the Education Engine notes the hurdles that government, education and business leaders must leap in order to create an effective education system which benefits students and state economies. Further, the report provides a series of recommendations on how to overcome those challenges. The suggested approach is drawn from ECS’s work in 2009, which is when the organization dedicated efforts to engage state education, business and workforce development leaders in the creation of a framework that would allow states to more effectively align education, economic development and workforce development policy.

In brief, the report highlights the complicated structure of education and workforce training systems – from high school to workforce training programs to community colleges – and calls for the need to coordinate goals, resources and efforts. The alignment strategy should include four main elements:
1. Integration of education, workforce development and economic development policy
2. Regional focus
3. Positions education as the arbiter of the student supply and workforce demand
4. Aligned P-20, economic development and workforce development system

While it is clear that the need for alignment should be a national priority, the report does point out that the national strategy must be regionally sensitive. The economic downturn has been felt unevenly across states and regions and it is important to recognize the disparities that exist in order to scaffold an education and training plan that can best support a specific area. The report offers thorough examples of how states have deployed strategies to reach some versions of alignment.

By Erin in Public Policy, Research, Uncategorized
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FY 2010 Appropriations Process Finally Completed

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Last week President Obama signed legislation that provides funding for six appropriations bills that had not yet been signed into law.  This includes the bill that funds the U.S. Department of Education.  As we have been aware for months, as this bill has slowly moved through Congress, there is no additional funding for programs supported through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. These programs are all flat funded at the same level as last year.

So this closes the books on the FY 2010 Federal appropriations process.  The opening act of the FY 2011 process begins soon.  The first step is the release of the President’s recommendations for FY 2011 which are unveiled in early February.  We will of course continue to monitor and influence this process at the Administration level and then after February, when the focus turns to Congress writing appropriations bills, we will be working on Capitol Hill to remind our elected officials of the important role career technical education has in developing a well educated public and a skilled American workforce.

By admin in Legislation, Uncategorized
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Education Department Hosts Meeting With WIA Stakeholders

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

The U.S. Department of Education held “WIA Community Conversations with National Organizations” this morning to get input from stakeholders about WIA reauthorization.  Brenda Dann-Messier, the Assistant Secretary of OVAE, and Martha Kanter, the Undersecretary of Education, opened the meeting by highlighting the need to better align workforce and education.  The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the American Graduation Initiative are two areas where this could be done.  Undersecretary Kanter also stressed that WIA reauthorization must be looked at in the context of Perkins and ESEA.

Attendees were then given five minutes each to present their recommendations to the panel.  While many focused on Title II of WIA (Adult Education), there was some talk of integrating adult education with workforce training, as well as developing state career pathway grants.  Several groups also suggested expanding the Title V incentive fund into more of an innovation grant program that would incentivize partner programs to collaborate on developing innovative programs.  There was also some concern that there are barriers in place that discourage community colleges from participating in the WIA system, despite being well-established training providers.

By Nancy in Legislation
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Senate To Make WIA Reauthorization a Priority in 2010

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Last week Kim and I met with a Senate HELP Committee staffer to discuss the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).  During the meeting we talked about possible connections between WIA and Perkins.

We discussed WIA summer youth programs as a possible way to connect the programs.  Are there ways to connect summer jobs to CTE training so that kids have the opportunity to not only earn money over the summer and stay off the streets, but to actually gain skills that they can use later in life?

Aligning workforce and education systems and programs, like WIA and Perkins, was another important topic we discussed.  We emphasized that the Perkins and WIA accountability measures are just different enough to make collecting both sets of measures burdensome on states and eligible entities.  Measures that track the same outcomes should be better aligned.

The staffer was also particularly interested in how CTE is funded at every level – federal, state and local.  We explained that not all states track how much money local districts invest in CTE, but we understand that knowing those figures will give Congress a better sense of how much money actually goes to CTE programs.

We walked away feeling encouraged that the Senate wants to move quickly on the reauthorizing WIA, and that we may see something early next year.

By Nancy in Legislation
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Green Definition: Center for American Progress

Monday, December 14th, 2009

The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a policy think tank that covers issues from education to national security to the economy.

In their Green Jobs Primer memo released earlier this year, CAP defines green jobs as those that “enhance environmental quality, build a vibrant clean energy economy, and help to expand the American middle class.”  According to CAP, rather than creating a new “green” sector, green elements will be incorporated into existing jobs and industries.  The primer goes on to say that green jobs are local jobs that are difficult to outsource.

What’s more, green jobs span across pay levels – from lower wage jobs to the highest paid jobs.  These jobs can also “provide ladders into the middle class for lower-skilled workers if career advancement and workforce training opportunities are integrated into our larger economic development strategies.”  This is precisely what CTE does: through its education and workforce training opportunities, CTE gives individuals the skills they need to move up the economic ladder into well-paying, secure jobs.

By Nancy in Public Policy
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Congressional CTE Caucus Co-Chair to Retire

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), founder and current co-chair of the Congressional CTE Caucus, announced last week that he will not seek re-election in 2010.  Baird has represented southwest Washington for six terms in the House where he serves on the Committee on Science and Technology and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

On Wednesday, Baird said that he wished to spend more time with his family and that politics played no role in his decision to retire:  “This is right time for my family, and I will find a new way to serve the country in the future.”

Rep. Baird has been supportive of CTE during his time in the House.  In addition to chairing the CTE caucus, he has attended other CTE-related events, introduced resolutions to highlight CTE, and  spoken passionately about CTE.  The CTE community will miss his dedication and leadership on our issues in the House.

By Nancy in Public Policy
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House Passes Omnibus Appropriations Bill

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

On December 10 the United States House of Representatives passed an omnibus appropriations bill that includes funding for six appropriations bills that have not yet been passed by Congress for FY 2010.  This includes funding for the bill that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.  As expected, all programs funded under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act were flat funded in this bill.  

Because the Federal Fiscal Year began on October 1, these programs have been funded under a continuing resolution (CR) since that date.  Because this CR expires on December 18 it is expected that the Senate will take action on this bill within the week so that it can be sent quickly to the President for his signature. 

The process for developing the FY 2011 Federal budget is underway.  President Obama will announce his budget recommendations in early February.

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
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ED Stakeholders Forum: College- and Career-Ready Graduates

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

The latest stakeholders meeting hosted by the U.S. Department of Education focused on college- and career-ready graduates in the context of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  Panelists at this week’s forum included Michele Cahill, Vice President for National Programs and Program Director for Urban Education, Carnegie Corporation; and Kathy Havens Payne, Senior Director of Education Leadership, State Farm Insurance Companies.

Under Secretary of Education, Martha Kanter, kicked off the meeting by reiterating President Obama’s call to have the U.S. lead the world in college graduates and have the most educated workforce in the world.  She then gave a broad overview of the issues that the Administration is concerned with as they look at the reauthorization of ESEA: the impact of drop outs and the achievement gap on the economy, standards that prepare students to enter the workforce and college, better assessments, and teacher preparation and professional development.

During the Q&A portion of the forum, one member of the audience raised the issue of job availability once the student enters the workforce.  Undersecretary Kanter said that there are a variety of federal programs that will help students get the experience they need for future careers – WIA Summer Youth programs, Career Clusters, and career pathways.  She emphasized that teachers should be using Career Clusters and pathways in the classroom to expose students to all available careers.

You can watch an archived version of the forum here.

By Nancy in Legislation
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House Hearing on Common Core Standards

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Earlier this week, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing, “Improving Our Competitiveness: Common Core Education Standards”, to look at the work being done by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop common math and English standards.

Witnesses included:

  • Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, chair, NGA Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee
  • Gene Wilhoit, executive director, Council of Chief State School Officers
  • Doug Kubach, president and CEO, Pearson Assessment and Information
  • Cathy Allen, vice chair, Board of Education at St. Mary’s County Public Schools, Leonardtown, MD

Chairman George Miller (CA-7) began the hearing by lauding the common standards as critical in preparing students for college and careers in the global economy.  Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-5) also expressed support for voluntary common standards, but cautioned that the Administration’s requirement in the Race to the Top grant that States adopt common standards amounts to mandating adoption because States that do not adopt them will lose out on much needed education funding.

Some of the topics addressed were whether there would be common , or state-by-state, assessments; the opportunity to use online performance based assessments; whether the standards will help students who do not plan to attend a 4 year college, but may go to a community college, get technical training, or go straight to work after high school; and the role of the common standards in preparing a high skilled workforce.

You can access the full text of witness testimony and an archived webcast of the hearing at the committee’s website.

By Nancy in Public Policy
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The Community College Emergency Stabilization Fund Act

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Last week, Rep. John Larson (D-CT) and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) introduced H.R. 4196, the Community College Emergency Stabilization Fund Act.  The bill would provide $700 million to states to offer one-time grants to assist community colleges in maintaining, or hiring additional, faculty and staff.  The bill also provides $50 million for a federal competitive grant program for career and technical colleges to maintain, or hire additional, faculty and staff.

This bill comes at a critical time – as people go back to school to upgrade their skills, community colleges are faced with increases in enrollment and a lack of resources.  According to the American Association of Community Colleges, enrollment at community colleges for 2009 is already 10% above 2008 levels. At the same time, 32 states have cut the budgets of their public colleges.  This funding would ease the financial burden of hiring additional faculty to meet the new demand.

Reps. Larson and Hinojosa hope to have the bill attached as part of any jobs package that Congress may introduce in the coming months.  According to Congressman Larson, the bill will “create jobs immediately for teachers, career counselors, and other staff at community colleges that receive the funding. And second, it will help train our workforce to take advantage of the job opportunities in new and emerging fields that come out of our economic recovery.”

By Nancy in Legislation
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