News this Week:
As we get closer to the end of September, when government funding will expire, Congress has been continuing to work on the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations bills. In the past week, the importance of CTE was recognized with the House introduction of the Strengthen CTE in Higher Education Act. The U.S. Department of Education also shared a guide on supporting access to dual enrollment for students with disabilities and embarked on its 2019 Back-to-School Tour. Read below to learn more about each of these updates.
Senate and House Continues Work on Appropriations Bills
On September 18, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Education), Roy Blunt (R-MO), released the text of the Subcommittee’s Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) appropriations bill.
The bill allocated $71.4 billion for the Department of Education and $12.1 billion to the Department of Labor. The FY20 bill allocates $1.3 billion to CTE State Grants, also known as Perkins Basic State Grants- an amount that is level with the FY19 funding level.
The full Labor-HHS-Education FY20 bill can be found here and a summary of the bill can be found here. A markup of the Labor-HHS-Education funding bill has not yet been rescheduled after it was cancelled earlier this month.
On September 19, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution funding bill that would continue federal funding through November 21- allowing additional time for appropriators to finalize the long-term FY20 bill. A Senate vote for this measure has not been scheduled. Advance CTE will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.
House Introduces The Strengthen CTE in Higher Education Act
Last week, Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Kendra Horn (D-OK) and Abby Finkenaur (D-IA) introduced The Strengthen CTE in Higher Education Act (H.R. 4371). This bill would authorize nearly $200 million in funding to strengthen program alignment for postsecondary Perkins Career Technical Education (CTE) programs through collaboration between postsecondary CTE and partners in education and the workforce.
The full bill can be found here. A press release, including a quote from Advance CTE’s Executive Director Kimberly Green, can be found here.
Department of Education Shares Guidance on Dual Enrollment for Students with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education released a guide last week on “Increasing Postsecondary Opportunities and Success for Students and Youth with Disabilities.” The guide shares information about how federal funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can be used by states and districts to support access to higher education programs, such as dual enrollment, for students with disabilities.
In a press release accompanying the guide, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos stated the following:
“All students deserve the freedom to pursue an education that is challenging and allows them to reach their full potential. I hope this information will make clear what the law says and serve as a resource to families, Individualized Education Program (IEP) Teams and State VR agencies as they continue to collaborate and find ways to increase postsecondary opportunities – and success – for students and youth with disabilities.”
Department of Education Participates in Annual Back-to-School Tour
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, carried out her annual Back-to-School Tour to visit schools that are rethinking education. Secretary DeVos spent time at elementary and secondary schools, as well as postsecondary institutions across Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education Scott Stump also participated in the 2019 Back-to-School Tour. Assistant Secretary Stump visited:
- University High School in Tucson, Arizona;
- GateWay Community College’s Washington Campus in Phoenix, Arizona;
- St. Pius X High School and Santa Fe Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico;
- East Career Technical Academy and Morris Sunset East High School in Las Vegas, Nevada;
- Lake Mead Christian Academy in Henderson, Nevada; and
- BridgeValley Community and Technical College, George Washington High School and Saint Albans High School in the greater Charleston, West Virginia area.
Meredith Hills, Policy Associate