1. CTE & the National Policy Landscape: Updates and Outlook for 2016
Steve Voytek, Government Relations Manager, NASDCTEc

2. Today’s Agenda Congressional Landscape Fiscal Environment
Moving Past NCLB
WIOA Implementation
Perkins Activity
Postsecondary Updates

3. What’s Congress Been Up To?

4. Changing Faces of the 114th Congress
Republican Majorities in both Chambers
New faces, new priorities on Education Committees
Two key questions:
Can Republicans remain united enough to pass legislation?
And will that legislation be moderate enough for the President’s signature?

5. Outlook for 2016? Few legislative days scheduled this year
Presidential elections looming in November
Topics from the campaign trail will continue to garner lots of attention
Congress will focus on “campaignable” issues for most of the year
Political calculus– who will be in charge in the 115th?

6. Education Priorities for the 114th Congress
Labor-HHS-ED Funding ✓
ESEA Reauthorization ✓
HEA Reauthorization
Child Nutrition
Data Privacy
Perkins CTE

7. Federal Fiscal Environment

8. FY 2016 Funding Outcomes Process completed December 2015
Sequester caps raised for FY & 2017
Level funding for the Perkins Act
Ability-to-Benefit update(s)
Pell Boost
Newly reauthorized programs garnered the most Congressional support

9. Federal Funding Levels for the Perkins Act
2014 Omnibus
Title II Elimination
Cromnibus
Triage– stopped the bleeding, now is the time to convalesce

10. President’s FY17 Budget Request
$75m for “American Technical Training Fund” (ATTF)
$2bn for apprenticeship programs
$200m for youth / pre-apprenticeship
Level funding for Perkins state grants
$300m increase for Pell grants
Likely a non-starter for Congress

11. Outlook for FY 2017?
Congressional debate continues over budget caps & possible policy riders
November elections looming
NIH funding– broad, bipartisan support
Perkins reauthorization?

12. Reauthorizing ESEA

13. “The Every Student Succeeds Act”
Moving Past NCLB
ESEA renewal: top education priority in the 114th
Two separate proposals emerged in 2015:
Partisan House bill: H.R. 5 / The Student Success Act
Moderate Senate bill: S / The Every Child Achieves Act
Conference committee negotiations:
“The Every Student Succeeds Act”
(ESSA)

14. General Contours of ESSA
Significant regression of federal role
Short authorization period
Maintains basic structure of Title I-A
Standards, accountability, and interventions– a purely state affair
State and District “Report Cards” continued
Consolidates 49 existing programs
New fiscal provisions flexibility

15. CTE Highlights in ESSA Standards alignment Well-Rounded Education
Planning coordination
Accountability
Dual / Concurrent Enrollment
Highly-Qualified Teacher repeal
Professional development opportunities
Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grants

16. A “Well-Rounded Education” and ESSA’s Title IV Enrichment Grants
Authorized $1.6bn annually for FY
Goes into effect July 1, 2016
Formula grants to states and LEAs
Purpose (in part): To promote student access to a “well-rounded education”*
Career Technical Education (CTE) is part of the formal definition for a “well-rounded education”
States and LEAs will have the opportunity to use a portion of these funds on CTE

17. Road to ESSA Implementation– An “Orderly Transition”
Many provisions went into effect December 17, 2015
New Formula programs go into effect July 1, 2016
Existing NCLB waivers expire August 1, 2016
Remaining “big” pieces of ESSA go into effect school year

18. WIOA Implementation

19. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Signed into law July 2014
Formal implementation began July 1, 2015
Maintains basic structure of WIA
Main focus is on alignment across federal workforce, education programs
Several other key areas of emphasis

20. Key Areas for CTE-WIOA Alignment
State and local planning
Labor market information
Integrated education & training
Employer engagement
Work-based learning
Performance measures & shared data
Career pathways*
self-sufficiency, participant choice, in-demand sectors, integrated education & train

21. Notice(s) of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
NPRM(s) published April 2015
Focused on ALL aspects of WIOA implementation
Priority areas for the CTE community:
State & local planning
One-stop system
Data system alignment
Career pathways / sector strategies*
self-sufficiency, participant choice, in-demand sectors, integrated education & train

22. Key Dates for Implementation
April 1, 2016: Unified State plans due
“June 2016”: Final regulations published
June 30, 2016: Employer engagement measure due
July 1, 2016: One-Stop Infrastructure Requirements take effect
self-sufficiency, participant choice, in-demand sectors, integrated education & train

23. Perkins Reauthorization

24. The Perkins Act: An Update
Competing with HEA in the education committees’ queue
House & Senate CTE Caucuses main areas of activity up to this point
Focus has primarily been on CTE within context of WIOA/ ESEA/ HEA
Some stand-alone proposals in 2015

25. Perkins / CTE Legislation in 2015
Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (ETWA)
Next Generation High Schools Act
Perkins Modernization Act*

26. Senate’s Bipartisan Perkins Reauthorization Principles
Ensure equitable student access to high-quality CTE programs;
Support effective employer engagement with CTE programs;
Increase support of and access to career counseling;
Align and coordinate with state and local career pathways;
Maintain Perkins’ formula grant structure;
Address existing unfunded programs within Perkins; and
Align Perkins with WIOA and ESEA where applicable;
Strengthen CTE research and evaluation activities.
Early stages,

27. House Perkins Reauthorization Efforts
Perkins hearing late Fall 2015
Early stages of consideration
WIOA implementation delays
Key interest areas:
Pay for performance / success
Streamlining reporting requirements
Responsive to “skills needs” of employers

28. Likely Themes for Perkins V
Alignment to other federal legislation
Performance / accountability
Labor market alignment
Supporting innovation
Public-private partnerships
Ensuring equitable access
Secondary-postsecondary connections

29. Postsecondary Updates

30. The Higher Education Act
HEA set to expire later this year
Lots of activity (hearings, briefings, events etc.)
College affordability / student loan debt
Institutional Accreditation
Supporting Innovation
Competency-based education
Role of consumer information / data
Campus safety / assault
Many stand-alone bills introduced

31. Postsecondary CTE Issues in HEA
Expanding Title IV financial aid for CTE programs
Data system alignment
Strengthen innovation supports
Year-Round Pell / ATB
Strengthen teacher pipeline

32. Gainful Employment Regulations
Regulations overcame legal challenges earlier this year
Went into effect July 1, 2015
Apply to any program offering career education
Final rule:
Certification requirement
Debt-to-Earnings ratios (Pass-’Zone’-Fail)
NO pCDR

33. Questions? More information: www.careertech.org blog.careertech.org
Steve Voytek
Contact: