Public Policy « Advance CTE Blog

Department of Labor Announces New Workforce Innovation Fund Grants

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

On December 22, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced the availability of $98.5 million in new Workforce Innovation Fund grants. These grants provide funding for programs that support, evaluate and enhance workforce investment strategies, particularly for vulnerable populations. The three stated goals of the grants are: better results for jobseekers and employers, greater efficiency in the delivery of quality services, and stronger cooperation across programs and funding streams.

Grants will be awarded in one of three categories:

New and untested ideas â€“ awards ranging from $1 to 3 million
Promising ideas â€“ awards ranging from $3 to 6 million
Adapting proven ideas â€“ awards ranging from $6 to 12 million

Eligible entities include state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards, and tribes, tribal consortia, or tribal non-profit organizations that are eligible to apply for WIA Section 166 grants. Grant applications are due March 22, 2012.

More information can be found here.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: federal grants, funding, Job training, Public Policy, WIA

New Democrat Coalition Releases ESEA Framework

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate members of the House, released a framework for the reauthorization of ESEA. The framework stresses the need for a comprehensive approach to reauthorization, calling well-educated students â€œthe foundation for a strong workforce, globally competitive businesses, and sustainable economic growth.â€

Some of the principles outlined in the framework that are relevant to CTE include:

Access to a quality, well-rounded education for all students
- Ensure that students have access to a wide range of classes that contribute to school engagement and academic achievement, such as social studies, service learning, career and technical education, art, music, physical education and health education.
High school graduates who are well-prepared for college and jobs in the global economy
- Emphasize the need for challenging and relevant coursework, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects, as well as global competence, international education, problem-solving, creativity, teamwork and communication.
- Modernize and improve the quality of standards, assessment systems and data collection to accurately measure and improve the academic progress of each student toward college and career readiness.
- Support programs that provide students access to rigorous and advanced coursework, including in higher education settings.
- Reduce high school dropout rates and re-engage students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out through programs that have proven to increase student attendance, academic counseling, credit recovery in a college and career ready course or study and ensure that all schools are safe learning environments for all students.
Outstanding educator is in the classroom of every student
- Support and develop the next generation of inspirational math and science teachers to make Americaâ€™s students competitive in the STEM fields that are vital for a thriving workforce in the global economy.
Innovative and creative approaches that improve student learning
- Encourage non-traditional, innovative partnerships to improve student achievement outcomes and leverage public dollars through responsible and transparent public-private partnerships, school-community partnerships, private-sector led research programs and partnerships with colleges.

â€œThese principles will guide us in promoting best practices learned from schools, including charter and magnet schools, and replicate in other schools for positive outcomes.Â We need to encourage non-traditional approaches to education, such as partnerships with the private sector, to encourage innovation in education. We then need to find successful ways to disseminate this information to discover innovative ways to improve educator effectiveness for better student outcomes.â€ said Rep. Susan Davis (CA), New Democrat Education Task Force Co-Chair.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation
Tags: college and career readiness, Congress, dual enrollment, Graduation Rates, NCLB/ESEA, Public Policy, Secondary

Legislative Update: Appropriations, WIA, Job Training

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Perkins Funding Still in Jeopardy

The continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress last month is set to expire on December 16. Having passed three of the 12 appropriations bills, Congress must now pass the remaining nine bills or another CR. Their goal is to package all nine bills in an omnibus bill and pass it next week. However, if this does not happen, Congress can either pass another short-term CR to buy more time, or include all compromised bills in the omnibus and fund the remaining bills under a year-long CR.

Unfortunately, some of these bills, including Labor-HHS-Education, are so controversial that Congress may choose not work out a deal and instead will fund them under a year-long CR. If this happens, the 1.5% cut applied to Perkins Act advanced appropriations in a previous CR would remain. This would mean that states will not get that money back, and it would set the level for Perkins funding lower for next year. But, if a final Labor-HHS-Education bill is passed and it contains level funding for Perkins, then states will get that money back.

So, the fight is not yet over and we need your help! Call your Member of Congress today and encourage them to work to complete the remaining appropriations bills and to fund the Perkins Act at FY11 levels. You can reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senators’ and/or Representative’s office.

Bills Introduced

Workforce Investment Act

House Republicans introduced two bills this week that will serve as the basis for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization in the House.

Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act

Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) introduced H.R. 3610, the Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act, which would consolidate 33 of the 47 job training programs identified in a 2011 report by the Government Accountability Office as duplicative into four flexible Workforce Investment Funds. These funds would focus on adults, youth, veterans and special populations. This bill would also require states and locals to set common performance measures for all employment and job training programs.

The Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act also allows states to submit a unified plan encompassing two or more job training and related programs. Both Perkins secondary and postsecondary programs are eligible to be a part of a stateâ€™s unified plan.

Local Job Opportunities and Business Success (Local JOBS) Act

Rep. Joe Heck (NV) introduced H.R. 3611, the Local Job Opportunities and Business Success (Local JOBS) Act. The goal of this bill is to ensure that the nation’s job training system can effectively provide workers with the skills necessary to compete in the local workforce. To that end, the bill would require that two-thirds of workforce investment board members be employers; that a portion of resources (as determined by the local WIB) be spent directly on training; and that local boards partner with higher education institutions and economic development organizations to better develop job training programs that address the needs of area businesses.

Bipartisan Jobs Creation Act

Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Claire McCaskill (MO) this week announced the Bipartisan Jobs Creation Act legislation which is aimed at creating jobs by cutting taxes for businesses, investing in transportation infrastructure, and consolidating federal job training programs. The bill would be paid for by a surtax on taxpayers earning more than $1 million per year and ending subsidies for oil companies. This bill includes two areas of interest:

Consolidating Duplicative Federal Job Programs â€“ In response to a March 2011 GAO report that revealed that the government spends $18 billion on 47 different jobs training programs across numerous agencies, this bill would require OMB to study the effectiveness and consolidation of duplicative job training programs and make legislative recommendations to Congress on consolidating job training programs. Of the savings that result from this consolidation, half will be devoted to classroom and hands-on training, and the other half will be allocated to reducing the deficit.
Regional Employment and Innovation Strategies â€“ The bill would authorize up to $350 million in competitive grants for cluster development each year. Cluster development includes public-private partnerships at the state and local level that identify and develop a competitive advantage in a region, and train the skilled workers needed to build on those advantages.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
Tags: advocacy, appropriations, budget, Congress, federal legislation, funding, Job training, Perkins, Public Policy, WIA

New FERPA Regulations Seek to Balance Privacy with Flexibility

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Late last week the U.S. Department of Education released new regulations for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These long anticipated regulations seek to â€œsafeguard student privacy while giving states the flexibility to share school data that can be helpful in judging the effectiveness of government investments in education.â€ The amended regulations will take effect on January 3, 2012.

The new FERPA regulations expand access to data in a variety of ways. First, they broaden the types of individuals or entities that can receive data for evaluation or audit purposes. This will allow states to link data across sectors, such as education and workforce, so that state departments of education can disclose data to state departments of labor or workforce to be used to evaluate education programs such as those supported by the Perkins Act.

Second, the regulations allow postsecondary institutions to disclose data to K-12 agencies with the purpose of evaluating how well the K-12 system has prepared students for postsecondary education. This is a change from the previous interpretation of FERPA which held that data could be disclosed only to evaluate or audit programs of the disclosing agency.

Finally, the new regulations broaden the definition of â€œeducation programâ€ in the context of evaluation and auditing to mean any program that is principally engaged in the provision of education, including, career and technical education, adult education, and job training. Note that this definition includes not only programs administered by an education agency, but education programs administered by any entity. This reinforces the reality that not all education programs are administered by a state education agency, but may be overseen by a state labor or workforce agency.

For more information, there are two webinars scheduled for this week:

December 7^th at 2:00 p.m. EST the U.S. Department of Education will host FERPA 101: Basic FERPA for Educational Entities. This webinar will provide a basic overview of the FERPA regulations. While it is primarily geared towards school officials at the local level, the information presented will be useful for SEA officials as well who need to better understand FERPA. Click link to register.
December 9^th at noon EST the Data Quality Campaign will host Analysis of the New FERPA Regulations that will provide an in-depth analysis of the final FERPA regulations and discuss their implications for statesâ€™ efforts moving forward. Register now.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
Tags: accountability, Data, FERPA, Perkins, postsecondary, Public Policy, Secondary, Webinars

Super Committee Fails to Reach Agreement

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or â€˜super committeeâ€™, as itâ€™s been dubbed, was tasked earlier this year with coming up with a plan to find at least $1.2 trillion in savings to reduce the federal deficit before November 23. The plan would have actually had to be released by midnight last night in order for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to score it. The Committee announced yesterday that they were unable to reach an agreement on a deal.

The next step in the process is that sequestration, or across the board cuts, will take place in January 2013. According to CBO, education funding could be reduced between 7.8 percent (in 2013) and 5.5 percent (in 2021) through sequestration and budget caps. In 2013 alone this would mean $3.54 billion in cuts to education.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: budget, Congress, funding, Public Policy

Third Race to the Top Competition Focused on STEM Education

Monday, November 21st, 2011

The U.S. Department of Education has announced a third round of Race to the Top grants, this time specifically targeting STEM. Grants will total $200 million during this competition, but only nine states are eligible to apply: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. These states were the runners up in the last round of grants. Grants will range in amount from $12 million to $49 million, depending on state population.

The application process will have two stages. First, states will submit a portfolio of assurances confirming their commitment to comprehensively reform education in their state, including funding for education and efforts to enhance data systems, raise academic standards, and improve evaluation systems. Next, states will submit a detailed plan and budget explaining how their proposal will impact student learning and improve STEM education.

Applicants must submit part one by November 22, followed by part two by December 16. Awards will be announced in late December.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: federal grants, Public Policy, race to the top, STEM

Friends of CTE Guest Blog: CTE Offers Pathways to High-Demand, High-Skill Jobs

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Nicole Smith is a Senior Economist at The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, co-authored Career Clusters: Forecasting Demand for High School through College Jobs. The report explores what students need to learn and what skills to attain in order to succeed in the economy.

Two views dominate much popular thinking on higher education today. The first view is that Americans are overeducated, underemployed, and that college isnâ€™t worth it. The second view is that the only pathway to the middle class is through a higher education credential. The first view is demonstrably false, but the second view is also too extreme.

The more complex reality is that, while low-skill pathways to the middle class are being placed under increasing pressure by advancements in technology, those pathways still exist â€” just at a much lesser extent than they used to. This does not mean that anyone should be satisfied with a high school diploma if there is an opportunity for further education. The data clearly show that college pays off in the long run in the form of higher wages, better jobs, and a wider opportunity to achieve the American dream. But those who cannot, for whatever reason, go beyond high school should not give up hope. Career Technical Education (CTE) offers opportunities to these students through developed career pathways that begin the grooming process in high school, preparing them for distinct high-wage, high-demand, high-skill jobs.

Over the last 40 years, our economy has seen enormous change in what the labor market demands of job seekers. In 1972, 72 percent of all jobs required a high school diploma or less along with some on-the-job training. By 2018, that number will drop to 37 percent. Of those 37 percent, one in three jobs will offer salaries of $35,000 or more. So, while the old days of using a high school diploma as a ticket to the middle class are clearly over, there are and will be middle class citizens who did not attend college.

What are these jobs and who benefits? A few highlights from our Career Clusters â„¢ study are listed below:

Most jobs that award $35,000 or more are in male-dominated fields: Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation. Jobs in the Hospitality and Tourism industry, by contrast, carry an average salary of $33,900.
The best paying jobs are supervisory roles in manufacturing. In addition to a diploma, these roles require extensive training and experience.Â Manufacturing supervisors earned $53,700 per year on average from 2007-2009.
Machinists, mechanics, cost estimators, plumbers, and electricians all earn more than $40,000 per year on average.
The opportunity cost of not attending college is higher for women.

The labor market demand for workers with higher education is increasing, but we should not forget altogether the workers who do not need a higher education credential to access the middle class and the American dream. We need to inform decision makers, institutions and individuals about the best ways to select the education and training required to achieve their educational goal. Â Career Clusters: Forecasting Demand for High School through College Jobs is a first step in that direction that answers the question: Â â€œIs it worth it? What can I expect for my career choice today and long term? And what are the prospects in my state?

The Friends of CTE Guest Blog Series Â provides advocates â€“ from business and industry, the research community and organizations â€“ an opportunity to articulate their support for Career Technical Education. The monthly series features a guest blogger who provides their perspective on and experience with CTE as it relates to policy, the economy and education.

Are you interested in being a guest blogger and expressing your support for CTE? Contact Melinda Findley Lloyd, Communications Consultant, at mlloyd@careertech.org.

By admin in News
Tags: Career ClustersÂ®, college and career readiness, community colleges, global competition, Job training, postsecondary, Public Policy, technical skills

Eleven States Submit ESEA Waiver Applications

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

Eleven states submitted applications to the U.S. Department of Education on Monday to obtain a waiver under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB): Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. These statesâ€™ applications will be examined by peer reviewers after Thanksgiving, and winning states will be notified by mid- January.

As part of their applications, states were asked to demonstrate how they plan to implement college- and career-ready standards and tie state tests to them; adopt a differentiated accountability system that focuses on the bottom 15 percent of schools; and craft guidelines for teacher- and principal-evaluation systems that will be based partly on student growth and be used for personnel decisions. The waivers will eliminate the 2014 deadline for bringing all students to proficiency in math and reading, eliminate NCLB sanctions for schools, and provide district officials with greater flexibility to use Title I funds.

Thirty-nine states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have signaled their intent to apply for an NCLB waiver. The next deadline for states to submit applications is in mid-February.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation
Tags: accountability, assessments, college and career readiness, common core state standards, NCLB/ESEA, Public Policy, Secondary, teachers

Rhode Island Proposes Regulations to Overhaul CTE

Friday, October 7th, 2011

Rhode Island is revamping its standards for Career Technical Education (CTE), staring by issuing new regulations to upgrade outdated courses and expanding the reach of quality programs, according to The Providence Journal.

â€œThe one thing we know about almost every student is that at some point in their lives, they are going to want and need to get a job,â€ Andrea Castaneda, who oversees career and technical education at the state Department of Education said in the article.

â€œAnd our responsibility is to prepare them, not merely for a job, but for a rewarding career.â€

The proposed regulations, which will be presented at a public hearing on October 13, represent the first major overhaul of career and technical education in two decades, according to The Providence Journal. Those regulations reflect state education officials to update outdated and narrowly-focused programs into those that prepare students for high-demand fields.

Erin Uy, Communications & Marketing Manager

By admin in News, Public Policy
Tags: global competition, Public Policy, Standards

President Announces NCLB Flexibility Plan

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

This morning, President Obama revealed its waiver plan for states and districts to use in order to ease No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. According to the White House, states can request flexibility from specific NCLB mandates as long as they are transitioning students, teachers, and schools to a system aligned with college- and career-ready standards for all students, developing differentiated accountability systems, and undertaking reforms to support effective classroom instruction and school leadership. The flexibility package announced today was developed with input from chief state school officers from 45 states.

â€œTo help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level,â€ President Obama said.

The flexibility package will begin to have an impact during the 2011-2012 school year, and will have increasing impact in subsequent years. However, this plan is intended to be a temporary fix until Congress reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

For more details on the flexibility package, see the U.S. Departmentâ€™s website.

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
Tags: accountability, college and career readiness, NCLB/ESEA, president, Public Policy

Posts Tagged ‘Public Policy’

Department of Labor Announces New Workforce Innovation Fund Grants

New Democrat Coalition Releases ESEA Framework

Legislative Update: Appropriations, WIA, Job Training

New FERPA Regulations Seek to Balance Privacy with Flexibility

Super Committee Fails to Reach Agreement

Third Race to the Top Competition Focused on STEM Education

Friends of CTE Guest Blog: CTE Offers Pathways to High-Demand, High-Skill Jobs

Eleven States Submit ESEA Waiver Applications

Rhode Island Proposes Regulations to Overhaul CTE

President Announces NCLB Flexibility Plan

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