Its good to be the “in thing” – right?

Sustained interest

• Persistent skills gap

• Positive data proving CTE’s impact

• New models gaining interest (P-TECH)

• Common Core

1. 36 states – New funding for CTE!

2. 28 states - Employer engagement/ CTE alignment with labor market demands and offer work-based learning opportunities for students.

3. 24 states - postsecondary credit in high school and articulating credit across institutions.

White House Interest in CTE

• White House event

• CTE Presidential Scholars

Initiatives galore!

• U.S. Chamber Talent Pipeline Initiative

• CCSSO Career Readiness Initiative

• NGA “new minimum” (and WBL)

Philanthropy interest

• Siemens Technical Scholars

• JPMC

• ECMC Foundation

• Lumina Foundation

• USA Funds

Congressional (in)Activity

Changing Faces of the 114th Congress

• Impact of changing Speaker of the House

• Two key questions this year:

• Can Republicans remain united enough to pass legislation?

• And will that legislation be moderate enough for the President’s signature?

Congressional Agenda

• Funding

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• Higher Education Act

• Perkins Act

Federal Funding Levels for the Perkins Act

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY2015 FY 2016

$1.00

$1.04

$1.08

$1.12

$1.16

Perkins Basic State Grant Program Funding (In Billions)

Sequestra-tion

?Title II Elimination

2014 Omnibus

Cromnibus

ESEA Reauthorization

• Student Success Act (H.R. 5)

– Passed 218-213

– Removes “highly qualified teacher” requirement

– Anti-Common Core language

– Stronger student privacy language

– Opt out language

ESEA Reauthorization

• Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177)

– Passed 81-17

– CTE defined as an “academic subject”

– State plan language on “college and career pathways)

– Expanded support for integration, educator PD, career exploration

HEA Reauthorization

• Accountability (ensuring strong accountability and a limited federal role)

• Accreditation

• College affordability/financial aid (simplifying and improving student aid

• Campus assault/safety

• Empowering students and families to make informed decisions

• Promoting innovation, access, and completion

• Competency-based education

A Congressional Spotlight on CTE

• House CTE Caucus:

– Perkins reauthorization

– CTE 101

• Senate CTE Caucus:

– CTE Science Fair

– CTE within HEA / ESEA

CTE-Related Legislation

• Senate CTE Caucus

• Pathways and programs of study

• Defining quality programs of study

• Increased access to financial aid for short-term post secondary

• Access to Pell for dual credit

• Increased access to middle grades CTE

• Teacher education

• FERPA/data issues

Perkins Reauthorization

• Listening sessions and possible movement?

• Influences – WIOA (content and how it was negotiated)

• Tweaking rather than rewrite

• Potential areas of focus:– Labor market alignment– Employer engagement– Credentials– Performance/accountability

Presidential Politics …

Presidential Politics

• “I think [President Obama] is trying to distract us from the fact that we have too many failing high schools in this country by offering community college for free.”

• VS

• “Higher education should be a right.”

• “I fully support President Obama’s plan to make community college free.”

Presidential Politics

• “If I was president of the United States, I would not have a Department of Education, perhaps at all….We don’t need a national school board.”

• VS

• “‘Invest in education, invest in our infrastructure, and invest in workforce development....We’re closing the skills gap.' Those are the pillars, the foundations of building a good economy.”

Presidential politics – CTE

• “Parents, technical and vocational education is okay. It's good. It's good.”

• “We should expand the use of apprenticeships, and make them more attractive for young people and employers.”

Presidential politics – CTE

• “Not everyone should be forced to get a four-year degree in order to find a job. There are millions of good-paying jobs out there, and we should allow people to have access to skills they need in a cost-effective way. In the twenty-first century, some of the best jobs require more than high school–traditional high school–but less than four years of college.

Presidential politics – CTE

• “As I look at the things economically we need to do....having a skills agenda for the twenty-first century for our people that redesigns that fourth year of high school and that dials up the value of career and technical education, especially in the information age.”

Kimberly GreenExecutive Director, NASDCTEckgreen@careertech.orgwww.careertech.orgTwitter: @CTEWorks