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Vision Commitments ‘Vlog’ Episode 2: Challenging our Limits to Quality CTE 

July 13th, 2021

This summer, Advance CTE is pleased to partner with experts from supporting organizations of Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits) to conduct video panels to delve into four of the five foundational commitments that connect the vision principles. 

Our second panel featuring the Association for Career Technical Education (ACTE), Education Strategy Group (ESG) and the National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) discussed the quality commitment across multiple dimensions, including program design, evaluation, instructors, work-based learning and credentials. Each panelist shared their insights on current progress and barriers to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE), as well as short and long-term policy priorities to achieve consistent quality across all aspects of CTE. 

There was widespread agreement on key action areas to create a culture of sustainable quality, including expanding data infrastructure to “rigorously evaluate” program quality in addition to widespread focus on learner outcomes; the use of Perkins V as a key state tool to scale effective practices and leverage data to identify priority investments in quality; and the importance of active industry support through professional development opportunities, equipment investments and more to ensure programs remain responsive and fully prepare learners for career success. 

“The bottom line is CTE programs have to be valued by policymakers and resourced in order to be high-quality and aligned with business and industry needs.”  – Alisha Hyslop, Senior Director Public Policy, Association for Career Technical Education 

“The renewed spotlight on CTE is extremely encouraging, but has also led to sometimes difficult [and necessary] conversations about the legacy of CTE, particularly for low-income students and students of color, and brought emphasis on unpacking what quality means for each key pillar of CTE programs.”  – Dr. Emily Passias, Director of Career Readiness, Education Strategy Group 

“Perkins V and initiatives like this vision make it really clear what the vision for collaboration and quality in CTE looks like and should look like. So, the best solution at the federal level is to address the intense need for increased funding.”  – Amy Williams, National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships 

Thank you to Advance CTE’s Dan Hinderliter for serving as a facilitator and to our panelists for your expertise and insights. 

Watch the previous episode that discusses steps CTE leaders can take to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in realizing CTE Without Limits. Future episodes will explore meaningful public-private partnerships and actionable data. 

Visit our vision page to read the full vision, access vision communication and implementation resources, and view recordings of our summer Lunch and Learn webinar series focused on the five vision principles. Vision the Learning that Works Resource Center for tools to evaluate and advance equity in CTE systems and programs.

Stacy Whitehouse, Senior Associate Communications and State Engagement 

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New Vision Resource Elevates Existing Initiatives Aligned with CTE Without Limits

July 8th, 2021

Today, Advance CTE released a repository of partner initiatives related to Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits). The intent of this resource is to elevate existing national investments in the CTE, education and workforce fields related to the principles of this shared vision and to highlight current gaps to determine where future investments need to be made to accomplish the vision. 

Repository initiatives were shared with Advance CTE by national partners that have signed on to CTE Without Limits. The initiatives submitted by partners serve as concrete examples from the field to help conceptualize how the principles and action areas from CTE Without Limits can be realized with shared commitment and shared ownership among leaders and practitioners at all levels.

CTE leaders will be able to access the learning and resources from the examples in this repository as a starting point for building on existing work related to the vision and laying new building blocks for transformational systems change that allows each learner to achieve success in the career of their choice without limits.

The repository currently has over 50 initiatives submitted by over 20 vision partners and will serve as a living resource that will be periodically updated. Below are a few of the examples organized by principle:

Principle 1: Each learner engages in a cohesive, flexible, and responsive career preparation ecosystem

  • Southern Regional Education Board (SREB): Known as Making Schools Work and spanning grades 3-14, SREB’s continuous improvement process is grounded in the belief that increased achievement starts with motivating students to make the effort to succeed. With designs for elementary grades, middle grades, high schools and technology centers, Makings Schools Work shows school teams how to create improvement plans that address five focus areas: quality instruction; aligned curriculum; career exploration and pathways; student supports; and cultures of continuous improvement.

Principle 2: Each learner feels welcome in, is supported by, and has the means to succeed in the career preparation ecosystem

  • Achieving the Dream: Eight community colleges were selected in June, 2020, to participate in College Success for Single Mothers, a project led by Word Education’s National College Transition Network in partnership with Achieving the Dream and PERG Learning, with funding from ECMC Foundation. The goal of the project is to identify the needs of single mother students on campus and develop an action plan to address their needs and expand key practices and services to enhance their success in college and careers.

Principle 3: Each learner skillfully navigates their own career journey

  • Education Strategy Group (ESG): Making the Connection: Aligning Advising to Improve Postsecondary Access and Success makes the case for prioritizing alignment of advising across K-12 and higher education, offers a vision for achieving that alignment, and lays out concrete action steps and resources for the many stakeholders who have a role to play. This new resource was developed with input from an Expert Workgroup, comprised of national, state and local leaders, and will serve as the foundation for ESG’s efforts to ensure that high-quality, aligned advising is an expectation for every student, not enrichment for some.  The microsite was developed with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the Level Up.

Principle 4: Each learner’s skills are counted, valued, and portable

  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation: A new open-data tool, the Job Data Exchange (JDX) is the vehicle employers need to move in a scalable, sustainable way towards competency-based hiring. The JDX, and the data standard it employs, will help employers and their HR partners break down a job description into specific skill and hiring requirements. Open-source, non-proprietary, and free to use, the JDX collects that hiring data in a structured, machine-readable way and then makes that data available to the education and workforce partners that are helping students and job seekers prepare for the workforce.

Principle 5: Each learner can access CTE without borders

  • Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): Interstate Passport® is the only nationwide network of institutionally accredited, nonprofit, public and private two- and four-year institutions dedicated to the block transfer of lower-division general education attainment based on multi-state faculty-developed learning outcomes and proficiency criteria instead of on specific courses and credits. Students of member institutions experience a seamless, efficient and economical transfer process.

To access the repository and more implementation resources related to CTE Without Limits, visit: careertech.org/without-limits. 

Christina Koch, Policy Associate

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Two New App Development with Swift Certifications from Apple

June 28th, 2021

On March 29th, Apple made available two new App Development with Swift certifications to recognize foundational knowledge of Swift, a robust and intuitive programming language that’s easy to learn, simple to use, and super powerful — which makes it a great language for first-time coders and full-time developers. The App Development with Swift Associate and App Development with Swift Certified User exams are based on free Develop in Swift curriculum from Apple to help learners in high school and higher education stand out for high-demand jobs in iOS app development.

Coding has transformed the global economy, creating entire new industries and supporting millions of jobs. The iOS app economy in the US alone now supports more than 2.1 million jobs across all 50 states, helping to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages. Certification in App Development with Swift helps students prepare for current and future app economy careers.

App Development with Swift Associate

Learners in high school or higher education who successfully complete the App Development with Swift Associate exam demonstrate knowledge of the impact of computing and apps on society, economies and cultures while exploring iOS app development. This certification is aligned with the Develop in Swift Explorations course, which is available for free from the Apple Book Store. 

App Development with Swift Certified User

Learners in higher education who successfully complete the App Development with Swift Certified User exam demonstrate fundamental iOS app development skills with Swift. They have knowledge of core concepts and practices that professional Swift programmers use daily. This certification is aligned with the Develop in Swift Fundamentals course, which is available for free from the Apple Book Store. 

To learn more about the new App Development with Swift certifications, please visit certiport.com/apple. 

Learn more about Develop in Swift, visit: http://apple.co/developinswift

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Legislative Update: Hearing on ED Priorities and Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

June 25th, 2021

This week, the House held a hearing on education policies and priorities. Read below for details, as well as information on the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, reintroduction of a bill on teacher shortages and the first session of the Equity Summit Series. 

Cardona Testifies on ED Policies and Priorities 

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified to the House Committee on Education and Labor about the policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). In his statement, Secretary Cardona spoke about the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to make up for years of federal underinvestment in education programs. He also voiced a commitment to addressing the inequities that persist for students and teachers in underserved schools. Secretary Cardona discussed the need to improve career pathways, including through an increased investment for Career Technical Education (CTE) in Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) and a $1 billion annual investment for 10 years through the American Jobs Plan. Secretary Cardona also covered the American Rescue Plan Act, ED funding levels, funding inequities in state and local education systems, investment in Title I grants to local educational agencies, investment in improving students’ physical and mental health, community-based programs, support for special education, teacher training and support, postsecondary education investments, school infrastructure, student aid administration and enforcement of civil rights laws.  

Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Congressional CTE Caucus, used his time to talk about the importance of CTE and ask for an update on implementation of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). Secretary Cardona responded that he is looking forward to working together on implementation.

Secretary Cardona’s full opening statement can be found here. A full recording of the hearing and opening statement from Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) can be found here. 

Administration Announces Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

The Biden-Harris Administration announced support for a new Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework on Thursday. The $1.2 billion framework invests in clean transportation infrastructure, clean water infrastructure, clean power infrastructure, remediation of legacy pollution and resilience to climate change. It also addresses universal broadband infrastructure with a $65 billion investment. The fact sheet on the framework, including spending levels, can be found here. 

Senate Reintroduces Bill on Teacher and Principal Shortages

On Thursday, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals (PREP) Act to address teacher and principal shortages. The PREP Act particularly addresses shortages in rural areas, and ways to increase teacher diversity.  Senator Kaine is also one of the Co-Chairs of the Congressional CTE Caucus. The legislation would expand the definition of high need districts under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to include schools with teacher shortages in rural communities as well as in “core academic subjects,” which includes CTE.  Advance CTE is pleased to support the PREP Act. Full bill text can be found here.   

ED Holds First Installment of Equity Summit Series 

The first installment of ED’s Equity Summit Series took place on Tuesday and covered “Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools.” The session discussed how the Biden Administration is committed to advancing equity through school reopenings, recovery and long-term investments in education, and how this shows up in the American Families Plan and the President’s FY22 Budget request.  

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden joined the virtual event and spoke about how, “For many years schools across the country have grappled with issues of inequity, especially our students of color, those from low income homes, students with disabilities, and English language learners. As we recover from this pandemic, it’s on all of us to ensure we don’t return to the same broken systems of the past, but build back better than before. And that’s exactly what our administration is committed to doing.” Other speakers included Secretary Cardona, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Dean of USC Rossier School of Education Pedro Noguera, 2021 DC Teacher of the Year Alejandor Diasgranados and learners and educators from across the country. A full readout can be found here. 

Meredith Hills, Senior Associate for Federal Policy

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New Skills ready network Year 1 Reports Highlight Early Innovations and State Support to Advance Quality and Equity in Career Pathways

June 15th, 2021

Today, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group (ESG) released an annual report and site snapshots for the first year of the New Skills ready network initiative.  The five-year initiative, part of JPMorgan Chase and Co.’s $350 million global New Skills at Work program and $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity, aims to improve student completion of high-quality, equitable career pathways to gain skills needed for the future of work, particularly among learners of color and other historically marginalized learners. 

The New Skills ready network focuses on six domestic sites as illustrated in the graphic below. As a partner in this initiative, Advance CTE strives to elevate the role of state capacity and resources in advancing project priorities and gain a unique perspective on promising practices to strengthen state-local partnerships across the country. 

One key step highlighted across the snapshots is each site’s approach to connecting systems and creating a common vision and definitions. Boston, Massachusetts, centered on a shared definition of cultural wealth as a framework to discuss equitable practices in career pathway design. Denver, Colorado created the Pathways Data Framework, a shared process for defining, collecting and analyzing data across partners to fully measure progress in achieving equitable career pathways. 

Dallas, Texas, is leveraging their Dallas Thrives initiative to draw on capacity from across their region to work towards a common vision. As an early step, Nashville, Tennessee’s leadership team agreed upon common definitions of systemic racism, implicit bias, educational equity and more and has provided racial equity training to over 300 stakeholders to ground their work in a foundational understanding in what racial equity really means in their community and institutions. 

The report and snapshots also explore how sites are utilizing state leadership, capacity, and existing initiatives to guide the focus of their first year and to map future work. For example, several schools in Indianapolis, Indiana will serve as pilots for the state’s Next Level Program of Study initiative, which aims to improve quality and consistency of CTE program instruction as part of Indiana’s Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) implementation strategy. 

Columbus, Ohio will leverage statewide articulation and transfer agreements as well pre-existing statewide programs to advance equity and access to postsecondary opportunities in career pathways, including the College Credit Plus program, Career-Technical Assurance Guides, the Choose Ohio First scholarship program. The Ohio Department of Higher Education has also established an internal project team to provide state support to the larger cross-sector project team. Nashville, Tennessee’s local efforts are tapping into the state’s Tennessee Pathways’ Designation Process 

Visit Advance CTE’s New Skills ready network series page to read the full annual report and a snapshot of each site’s innovative partnerships and early accomplishments across the four project priorities. Our New Skills ready network collection page provides additional resources for strengthening career pathways.  For more information about the New Skills ready network initiative, read the Getting to Know interview with Senior Policy Associate Jeran Culina. 

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5 Steps to Refresh Career Technical Education Program Recruitment Plans This Summer 

June 10th, 2021

The impending summer season is a great time for state and local Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders to take a step back and evaluate how existing recruitment plans and practices reach each learner and family to achieve an effective and equitable recruitment process.

As conversations continue about potential national investments in the career preparation ecosystem, it is essential that communications about CTE align with what matters most to families in their education, and address in detail the opportunities provided through CTE to meet those needs. Recruitment processes and communications must also address lingering stigmas, lack of knowledge and systemic barriers that have prevented learners of color, learners experiencing low income and other historically marginalized populations from participating in and fully benefiting from the potential of CTE programs. 

Today, Advance CTE released a second round of tools to help state and local CTE leaders implement updated communications research released in April 2021 on tested messages and messengers for CTE that resonate with learners and families. The research also details equity considerations and message tailoring for Black and Latinx families and families experiencing low income so that each learner feels welcomed, supported and has the means to succeed in CTE programs. 

Developing and  executing a recruitment plan can seem like a big undertaking, but Advance CTE is here with simple steps to help you get started. 

Here are five easy ways to put this research into action this summer using messages and tools from Advance CTE: 

  1. Learn the key messages that resonate with families and learners about CTE, and message tailoring considerations to reach Black and Latinx families and families experiencing low income. Our core messages resource provides three top messages for all audiences and additional messages for historically  marginalized populations. 
  2. Evaluate your current communications tools, including newsletters, digital media, website and printed materials. Do the materials include these tested messages? Have steps been taken to remove barriers to each family accessing and fully understanding information about CTE programs? Our messaging card provides a starting point for effective use of messages. 
  3. Inform your colleagues about key messages, and develop a plan of action to share these messages with stakeholders to ensure consistent communication both during and after CTE recruitment season. Our newly updated communications advocacy guide provides five keys to success and a step-by-step process to develop a plan.  Advance CTE has created a ready-made slide deck and talking points that make it easy to share these findings in a 20 minute presentation.
  4. Engage your ambassadors and trusted sources to receive feedback about current recruitment practices and communications materials.  Advance CTE’s newly updated parent engagement tool provides seven steps and assessments to evaluate current practices and fully leverage your team and ambassadors in the recruitment process.
  5. Reintroduce the value and impact of CTE to families through digital media this summer as you make plans to align messaging and equitable outreach across all communication channels. Advance CTE’s social media guide and ready-to-use graphics assist leaders in navigating the differences among digital platforms and keep messages about the impact of CTE front-of-mind for families this summer.

 

Visit our Engaging Families and Learners web page for the full research report and list of communication and implementation resources. Visit Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center for additional resources on communication, career advisement and access and equity. 

Advance CTE is here to help leaders fully realize and leverage this research and their state and community. Email [email protected] with questions or to receive assistance in putting this research into action.

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CTE Without Limits Summer Lunch and Learn #1 Recap: Building Foundational Relationships and Infrastructure Key Areas of Focus for First Vision Principle

June 7th, 2021

On June 1, Advance CTE hosted the first session of a five-part summer lunch and learn series delving into each of the five principles of Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits). Each session features a panel of leading voices from organizations across learning and work followed by interactive group discussions on the information shared and next steps. 

This session discussed the first principle of CTE Without Limits, featuring perspectives from organizations representing state elected officials, state and local education administrators and workforce leaders:  Amanda Winters, Program Director for Postsecondary Education at the National Governors Association (NGA); Najmah Ahmad, Program Director for the Career Readiness Initiative at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO); and Yvette Chocolaad, Workforce Policy and Research Director at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). 

Themes

Throughout the panel and breakout sessions, several key themes emerged on the most urgent areas of action and foundational steps to be taken at the local, state and organizational level: 

  • State Leaders as Visionaries: Both Amanda Winters (NGA) and Najmah Ahmad (CCSSO) emphasized the role of governors and state education administrators as the visionaries and drivers for organizational change needed to realize this principle, from providing flexibility in funding and funding models to connecting state initiatives for economic growth, postsecondary attainment, racial equity and more into a larger vision for systemic change.  Ahmad also highlighted the role of organizations supporting state leaders in providing tools and guidance for that leader’s vision to reach local education agencies and translate into tangible, meaningful action.
  • Yvette Chocolaad (NASWA) emphasized the importance of designing infrastructure with flexible capacity to support collaboration across sectors, integrated services and innovative funding models. In doing so, systems can be truly responsive to the changing and flexible paths taken by learners to education and employment. This infrastructure can span informational technology and administrative and business service to physical building design and upgrades.          
  • All partners emphasized that investment in career advising, coaching and job search professionals who are often “overloaded and undervalued” as critical to build a cohesive career preparation ecosystem with seamless transitions among education and work experiences.                  
  • Promising potential of federal stimulus funding: All panelists elevated federal stimulus funding as a historic opportunity to reimagine infrastructure and state initiative investment in the lens of CTE Without Limits and not just make upgrades to existing systems. 

During the breakout sessions, attendees elevated the importance of involving learner voice in the design of career preparation ecosystems and prioritizing the needs of learners with those of other stakeholders such as government and industry. Attendees also highlighted the need for manageable, tangible steps from both the top down and the bottom up to enact lasting change, and the acknowledgement that true cohesion between systems of learning and work is extremely complex and all partners will be learning during the execution of this principle. 

First Steps 

The foundational steps offered by the panelists may seem obvious at first glance, but are often skipped in favor of pursuing project-based work and are critical to establishing a shared understanding of success. 

  • Shared Vision and Definitions: Chocolaad elevated the importance of cultivating a shared vision, metrics and data infrastructure among all stakeholders at the outset of this work. The need for comprehensive, informed and accurate data was termed a “shining light” for executing both this first step and the principle at large. 
  • Leadership Buy-in: Winters emphasized the importance of governors and other top leaders specifically communicating their commitment to making systemic change and collaboration a priority when current systems are designed to encourage siloed progress. 
  • Equity at the Center: Ahmad elevated the importance of centering equity, a foundational commitment within CTE Without Limits, in all aspects of implementation but particularly in determining the “who and the why” of systemic change. The prior two recommendations are strongly connected to this step, as a shared understanding and equity is critical to measuring progress towards equitable career preparation ecosystems. 

Visit the CTE Without Limits web page to read the full vision and access resources to communicate  the vision to stakeholders, including a promotional video, slide deck and five sector-focused fact sheets. 

Register for Advance CTE’s second lunch and learn scheduled for June 22 at 4:00PM ET featuring Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Fellow at the National Skills Coalition; Mimi Lufkin, CEO Emerita at the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity; and Stephanie McGencey, Executive Director at the American Youth Policy Forum

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Legislative Update: President’s Budget Request and ED Roundtable

June 4th, 2021

Last week the White House released its full Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget request. Read below for information about what this means for Career Technical Education (CTE) and additional details on education and labor programs, as well as a readout from a U.S. Department of Education (ED) virtual roundtable and an upcoming labor hearing in the House.  

White House Shares Full Budget Proposal- Additional Details  

Last week, the White House released its $6 trillion budget proposal for FY22. This request calls for a $20 million increase ( approximately 1.5%) to the Perkins Basic State Grant, as well as a $108 million increase for National Programs- of which $100 million would fund competitive awards for middle and high school CTE innovation projects aimed at advancing equity and $8 million would fund technical assistance and grant evaluations. The request also includes a new $1 billion annually for 10 years to support middle and high school career pathways that would occur through the passage of the American Jobs Plan. Advance CTE in partnership with the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) released a statement on this proposal, which can be viewed here.

Of the record 41% increase ($29.8 billion) for education programs, much of that funding is dedicated to new programs. For example, the $20 billion increase for Title I is designated for a new Equity Grants program with the purpose of addressing inequities in education systems. Some additional changes to existing programs include an increase of $200.8 million for Federal TRIO Programs and an increase of $5 million for rural school districts through the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP).  

Some notable requests for labor programs include: 

  • Increase of $37.3 million for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Adult programs; 
  • Increase of $42.7 million for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth program that provide services to prepare low-income youth for academic and career success; 
  • Increase of $51.9 million for the Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) program that prepares justice-involved adult and youth for the job market; and
  • Increase of $48.4 million for YouthBuild. 

Please find additional information on the budget at the below links: 

ED Holds Virtual Roundtable on Providing Pell Grants for Incarcerated Individuals 

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona held a virtual roundtable to discuss the importance of providing Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals. This conversation included students and former students who took college classes while incarcerated. Secretary Cardona shared that he is “committed to ensuring that the Department works to serve currently- and formerly incarcerated students well, and to increasing access to high-quality post-secondary education for these students.” During this roundtable, formerly incarcerated students talked about the successes and challenges they faced while working to achieve their educational goals. Readouts of these experiences can be found here. Advance CTE has advocated for expanding Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated individuals, and is pleased by the support of the Administration. ED is currently implementing the Second Chance Pell Experiment that enables approximately 100 colleges to offer Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals. In the coming years, ED will be implementing a change Congress made in December 2020 that removes a legislative ban. 

House Schedules Hearing with Secretary Walsh

The House Committee on Education and Labor scheduled a hearing with U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. During the hearing Secretary Walsh will be asked questions and speak about the policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The hearing will take place Wednesday, June 9 at 12:00pm EST, and you can watch it here. 

Meredith Hills, Senior Associate for Federal Policy

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New Resource Strives to Strengthen Collaborative Partnerships Between State and Local Partners

June 2nd, 2021

Intentional and early collaboration between state and local leaders is vital to ensuring success in high-quality career pathways for all learners. Strengthening partnerships between local entities and state agencies helps each partner achieve its mission and amplify its reach. 

Given the state’s vital role in creating aligned systems, leaders in education, workforce and public policy must commit to breaking down silos and building up trusting, collaborative relationships. This means that leaders at both the state and local level must work together to create shared visions and mindsets and align their work to better support all learners. 

Strengthening state and local partnerships is a critical strategy to advance mutual interests that benefit learners and the entire career pathways system as a whole.  Advance CTE’s latest publication, Strengthening Career Pathways through the Power of State and Local Partnerships, suggests five strategies states can take to build, refine and sustain partnerships across state and local parties — with a specific focus on the challenges that exist in beginning and sustaining those partnerships. Each section of the report describes what the strategy looks like in practice and provides state and local examples of promising practices across the country.

Those strategies include:

Leveraging federal and state funds to fuel local innovation, using state criteria as guidelines for quality. 

For example, Tennessee leveraged Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) reserve funds and provided technical assistance to help Wilson County build and scale a special program for biotechnology that would meet the state’s criteria for approval. After initially approving the program in 2018 as a “special program of study,” the Tennessee Department of Education worked to scale the biotechnology program into the now statewide BioSTEM program of study in the 2019-2020 school year.

Providing meaningful technical assistance to help local administrators define roles and establish shared definitions, goals and strategies.

For example, the Nebraska Department of Education’s reVISION process lays the foundation for strong state and local partnerships through direct technical assistance and support for local education agencies through the use of a state-level reVISION coordinator to collaborate with on the work.

Sharing knowledge, ideas and best practices by extending expertise and leveraging convening power. 

This approach helps local leaders identify proven strategies to overcome challenging barriers. For example, the Colorado Community College System recognized the importance of flexibility, relationship development and collaboration when working on the strategic planning process for Perkins V. This included sharing information on the CTE visioning and strategic planning process, collecting feedback on how to improve the state CTE system as a component of Colorado’s talent strategy, and establishing mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders for feedback.

Strong state and local partnerships are a key component of any high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) program. As state leaders begin implementing their Perkins V plans, they have a responsibility to build partnerships with local leaders across their state. States can do this by building trusting and collaborative relationships with local leaders and leveraging economies of scale to provide innovation funding, offer technical assistance and share best practices. This report, and the strategies included, is one tool designed to support state leaders in this endeavor. 

Visit Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center for more resources on systems alignment and access and equity to CTE. Visit the New Skills ready network series page to read all three policy briefs with promising practices to strengthen career pathways. 

 

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Legislative Update: White House Plans to Release Full Budget and New CTE Research

May 21st, 2021

This week, the White House shared an updated timeline for the release of a full budget proposal. Read below to learn more about what to expect, as well as the next scheduled hearing in Congress for reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and new data on Career Technical Education (CTE).

Administration Schedules Full Budget Release

On Thursday President Joe Biden announced that the full Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget request from the White House will be shared on Friday, May 28. This is a change from the previously scheduled release date of Thursday, May 27. The upcoming proposal follows the April release of a “skinny budget” request which included a $29.8 billion increase for U.S. Department of Education (ED) programs. 

Advance CTE will be monitoring the full budget release and the implications for CTE.  

House Plans Second WIOA Hearing 

The House Committee on Education and Labor’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment will hold the second of three hearings on the reauthorization of WIOA on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00pm EST. The hearing will be on “Creating Employment Pathways for Dislocated Workers.” The first subcommittee hearing on WIOA reauthorization took place last week and was about “Creating Opportunities for Youth Employment.” An overview of the topics discussed during that hearing can be found here.  

Advance CTE recommendations for reauthorization of WIOA can be found here. This resource includes strategies to: 

  • Connect education and the workforce; 
  • Align federal policy to the 21st century workforce; 
  • Support successful outcomes for in-and out-of school youth; 
  • Improve data and accountability; and 
  • Elevate career pathways. 

New Research Shows Impact of CTE on Postsecondary Outcomes 

Written by Hannah Neeper, Policy Research Associate, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Original post can be found here. 

CTE concentrators are seven percent more likely to graduate from high school on time and 10 percent more likely to enroll in postsecondary education within two years of graduating compared to non-CTE concentrators, according to a new report from the Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Education Laboratory Central (REL). REL worked together with education leaders in Nebraska and South Dakota to examine the impact of secondary CTE on graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment and completion within two to four years. The researchers sought to answer two research questions throughout their analysis:  

  1. What is the impact of being a CTE concentrator on high school graduation, two-year and five-year postsecondary enrollment and completion, and type of postsecondary award attained?  
  2. How do high school graduation and two-year and five-year postsecondary outcomes vary by career cluster? 

For the first question, overall, the data showed positive impacts of a learner being a CTE concentrator. Not only did the data show that CTE concentrators were more likely to graduate from high school on time and enroll in postsecondary education, but these learners were also more likely to earn a postsecondary award within two and five years of graduation. Findings from the second research question focused on learner outcomes of concentrators in each career cluster. The researchers found that regardless of the career cluster, high school graduation rates were consistently higher than those learners who were non-CTE concentrators. Regarding specific career clusters, learners in finance, marketing, health sciences, and government and public administration had the highest two- and five-year postsecondary enrollment rates. Learners in transportation, distribution and logistics, had the highest two-year postsecondary award attainment rates, yet the third lowest for five-year postsecondary award attainment rates. 

The researchers conclude that the findings provide evidence that state and local education agency leaders can use when determining whether to fund, strengthen or expand CTE programs. These findings also suggest that CTE concentrators might have a greater likelihood of completing a certificate, diploma or associate degree, and almost as high a chance of completing a bachelor’s degree, as other students—challenging misperceptions that CTE is not academically rigorous. The researchers encourage students and families to use these findings when deciding whether and how to participate in CTE programs. They also encourage education leaders to look at the postsecondary enrollment and attainment rates across career clusters to better align CTE programs with local, regional and state workforce needs.

Meredith Hills, Senior Associate for Federal Policy

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Posted in Legislation, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Legislative Update: White House Plans to Release Full Budget and New CTE Research

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