This week, legislation was introduced in Congress to expand Pell Grant eligibility to short term programs and to high school students. Read below to learn more about these bills, Secretary DeVos’s remarks on Second Chance Pell, ESSA guidance, the 2019 Presidential CTE Scholars and apprenticeship updates from the Department of Labor. 

Congresses Introduces Legislation to Expand Pell Grant Eligibility 

Today the Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, H.R. 3497, was introduced in the House by Representatives Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Andy Levin (D-MI), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Steven Horsford (D-NV) and John Katko (R-NY). The JOBS Act was introduced in the Senate (S.839) this past March by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH). This legislation would expand Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality short-term postsecondary programs. Eligible short-term programs would have to be at least 150 clock hours over at least eight weeks, meet local or regional labor market needs, articulate to institutional credit and provide students with a recognized postsecondary license, certification or credential.

Additionally, over the course of this month the Go to High School, Go to College Act was proposed in both chambers of Congress. In the House, H.R. 3268 was introduced by Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY). A companion bill, S. 1888, was then introduced by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mark Warner (D-VA). The bill would authorize a new pilot program to evaluate the impact of expanding Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and early high school college programs. 250 institutions of higher education would be able to participate in the pilot, and students would be able to earn up to two semesters of college credit in high school before taking out of the 12 semester Pell limit. A summary of the bill can be found here. 

Secretary DeVos Delivers Remarks at Second Chance Pell Commencement

On June 25, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos delivered commencement remarks to students in the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy, Oklahoma who completed Tulsa Community College’s Second Chance Pell pilot. In her speech, Secretary DeVos shared her intent for the Second Chance Pell experimental site pilot to become a permanent program. 

Advance CTE supports expanding Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated individuals, and lifting this ban is one of the organization’s priorities in reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  

Secretary DeVos Releases Final “Supplement not Supplant” Guidance

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released final non-regulatory guidance on the supplement not supplant requirement under Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) following the 30-day public comment period. In a press release, Secretary DeVos stated that “This proposal does not change the legal obligations school districts have to make appropriate investments in education. It simply makes clear that a school district has significant flexibility in how it demonstrates compliance with the law.” To follow this new guidance, school districts need to demonstrate that a school’s Title I status was not considered when designating state and local resources to each school. 

2019 U.S. Presidential CTE Scholars Visit Washington, DC

Following the May announcement of the 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars, the group was celebrated by the U.S. Department of Education and the White House this week during a ceremony in which each received a Presidential Scholar Medallion. In 2019, 161 students were selected out of the 5,200 candidates. Each year, 20 CTE students are selected from the pool of applicants, and this year’s Presidential CTE Scholars come from Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin. This program originated about 60 years ago, and expanded in 2015 to include exceptional CTE students. 

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Apprenticeship Program Updates

On June 24, the U.S. Department of Labor released a proposed rule on Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). This proposal outlines the requirements for entities such as trade, industry groups and employer groups, educational institutions, state and local governments, non-profit organizations and unions to be recognized as a Standards Recognition Entity (SRE). This is significant because the SRE would set the standards for high quality IRAPs and monitor for compliance. 

The Department also announced the Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant. Funding will be awarded to private-public apprenticeship partnerships in the information technology, advanced manufacturing and healthcare sectors. More than 85,000 apprentices will be the recipients of this grant through participation in newly-formed or expanded existing apprenticeship programs. Twenty-three academic institutions and the corresponding industry partner will be awarded this grant across Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.  

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

This week, the House of Representatives passed a Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) appropriations bill. Read below to learn more about this appropriations update, the latest House hearing on higher education and the new accreditation handbook issued by the U.S. Department of Education.

FY2020 Appropriations Bill Passes in the House

On June 19, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20)  $1 trillion minibus appropriations bill, H.R. 2740, that included funding for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) on a 226-203 vote. Bundled into this minibus were the funding bills for Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water. The bill included close to $1.3 billion for CTE State Grants, also known as Perkins Basic State Grants- leading to a total increase of $47 million over the amount provided by Congress for FY19.

It is important to note that the final House bill is unlikely to pass into law. The Senate Appropriations Committee has still not yet released their FY20 funding bill for Labor-HHS-Ed. In addition, Congress has not yet agreed on the overall levels of spending for defense and non-defense discretionary spending, which must happen before final allocations for the FY20 appropriations bills can be determined. Congressional leadership and administration officials met this week to attempt and come to an agreement, however, talks are ongoing.

Advance CTE will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.

House Holds Hearing on Pathways to a College Degree

The House Committee on Education & Labor held a hearing in preparation for Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization on “Innovation to Improve Equity: Exploring High-Quality Pathways to a College Degree.” In their opening remarks, both Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) both discussed how the traditional higher education landscape has changed, and innovative postsecondary practices must be implemented to meet the needs of each and every learner.

The panel of witnesses included:

• Judith Marwick, Provost, William Rainey Harper College
• Tomikia LeGrande, Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Charla Long, Executive Director, Competency-Based Network
• Sameer Gadkaree, Senior Program Officer, Joyce Foundation

The witnesses spoke about a variety of topics, including competency-based education, dual enrollment, student support services, and the persistent equity gaps in higher education.

You can watch the full hearing here and read statements from Congressman Scott and the witnesses here.

U.S. Department of Education Issues New Accreditation Handbook

On June 20, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a revised Accreditation Handbook to be referred to by college accrediting agencies. The guidelines are not required, but are how accreditors will be evaluated by the U.S. Department of Education. Secretary DeVos shared the intention to streamline requirements with this handbook- this new version is 28 pages, compared to the last one that was issued in 2012 and was 88 pages. One of the new additions to the handbook is a site visit to the accreditor by a department staff member.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

This week, the House of Representatives continued to move forward with the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) appropriations process. Read below to learn more about this appropriations update, new proposed higher education regulations, a postsecondary Career Technical Education (CTE) fact sheet and how you can get involved in a campaign to double the federal investment in CTE.

House FY2020 Appropriations Process Moves Forward

On June 10, the House of Representatives moved ahead with the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) appropriations process by packaging it with the funding bills for the Legislative Branch, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water, into what is called a “minibus” appropriations bill, H.R. 2740. Members of the House proposed a total of 189 amendments to the Labor-HHS-Ed portion of H.R. 2740, and the House Committee on Rules determined that 77 of these would  be considered. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN) proposed one of these amendments, an amendment that brings attention to the importance of CTE (however, it does not increase or decrease the money allocated to CTE State Grants). It is anticipated that the full House will vote on this appropriations package next week.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet released their FY20 funding bill for Labor-HHS-Ed. In addition, Congress has not yet agreed on the overall levels of spending for defense and non-defense discretionary spending, which must happen before final allocations for the FY20 appropriations bills can be determined.Advance CTE will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.

New College Accreditation Regulations from U.S. Department of Education

This week, the U.S. Department of Education published the proposed regulations to change the federal requirements for college accreditation to the federal register for a 30-day public review. These regulations are a result of the negotiated rulemaking process that concluded with  consensus in April. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a statement on the proposed regulations, which would reduce some of the regulatory requirements and simplify state authorization rules for distance education. Proposed updated rules for distance education and innovation, TEACH grants and faith-based institutions are expected to be published soon.

Advance CTE and Higher Learning Advocates Release New Factsheet

Advance CTE and Higher Learning Advocates released a new fact sheet on 101: Career Technical Education as part of the Higher Learning Advocates 101 resource series. This document provides an overview of what CTE is, postsecondary CTE outcomes and funding mechanisms for CTE programs. Check out the full fact sheet here.

Get Involved in the Campaign to Double the Investment in CTE

Looking to support efforts to increase the federal investment in CTE? Check out www.ISupportCTE.org, the website for the campaign to double the investment in CTE. In February, the CTE community launched this shared campaign and we invite everyone to join us in asking employers to sign onto a statement that supports doubling the investment in CTE. The signatures collected from employers will be a critical component to building visibility and support for CTE with members of Congress. Check out the share page to find a one-pager, PowerPoint, social media toolkit, and more that you can use and modify to spread the word about the campaign.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

This week brings new research on postsecondary education in the U.S., as well as an important update on the Innovation and Modernization Grants authorized under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). Read below to learn about the newest reports on higher education, how to apply to be a peer reviewer for the Perkins V Innovation and Modernization Grants, and the latest Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations resource.

NCES Released 2019 Report on the Condition of Education

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the annual Condition of Education report. The congressionally mandated report includes data and analysis for 48 indicators across four categories: 1) Preprimary, Elementary and Secondary Education; 2) Postsecondary Education; 3) Populating Characteristics and Economic Outcomes and 4) International Comparisons. This year’s report also included a “spotlight indicators” section that examines postsecondary education enrollment (e.g., broken down by socioeconomic status) and outcomes (e.g., completion and transfer rates for nontraditional undergraduate students).

Some of the findings in the report include:

• Undergraduate enrollment increased by 27 percent between 2000 and 2017, and by 2028 undergraduate enrollment is expected to increase by 17.2 million students;
• In the fall of 2017, 75 percent of undergraduate learners at four-year institutions were enrolled full-time and 37 percent of undergraduate learners at two-year institutions were enrolled full-time;
• From 2000 to 2017 the median earnings of young adults was consistently higher for those with some type of postsecondary attainment than without; and
• The number of postsecondary certificates and degrees awarded increased from the 2000-2001 and 2016-2017 school years.

Check out the full report, At a Glance document and Highlights document for more information.

New NSC Policy Brief Details  Postsecondary Consumer Reports

A new policy brief from the National Skills Coalition, Consumer Reports for Today’s Postsecondary Students, outlines the different consumer-facing postsecondary reports currently in play. The report explains the required performance measures and reports for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), as well as the measures included in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. The report also discusses the value of reporting short-term post-graduation labor market outcomes.

Call for Peer Reviewers to Apply by Friday, 6/7 for Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program

The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) in the U.S. Department of Education put out a call for peer reviewers for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program (Perkins I and M). The review process will take place across three weeks from the end of June to the middle of July. Reviewers should fit the following qualifications:

• “Persons who are career and technical education (CTE) school leaders, teachers, district leaders, foundation officers, university faculty (who work with CTE), researchers, evaluators, professional development providers, or other individuals who have significant and current CTE experience and expertise at the secondary or postsecondary level.
• Persons who are interested in identifying what is new or innovative nationally in CTE, and in determining how those innovations can be successfully implemented and evaluated.
• Persons who are excellent writers, good critical thinkers, and committed to completing assigned tasks in a professional and timely manner.”

In order to apply, resumes (at most five pages) must be sent to [email protected] by this Friday, June 7.

Appropriations Fact Sheet Shared by the House Committee on Appropriations

As the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) appropriations process continues, the House Committee on Appropriations released a one-page fact sheet on the FY20 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill outlining some of the funding increases the bill allocated to the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services and Education.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate