Title: School to Career Pathways Act of 2019
Policy area: Education

Summary:
School to Career Pathways Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of Education to (1) award grants to states to establish statewide career pathways coalitions, (2) establish a career pathways innovation grant program to support career pathways in high school and career exploration in the middle grades, and (3) provide technical assistance.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3893 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3893

To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program that awards 
    grants to State coalitions that build or expand career pathways 
 programs in schools within the State, and to direct the Secretary of 
    Education to establish a program that awards grants to eligible 
            agencies to carry out career pathways programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2019

   Mr. Harder of California introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program that awards 
    grants to State coalitions that build or expand career pathways 
 programs in schools within the State, and to direct the Secretary of 
    Education to establish a program that awards grants to eligible 
            agencies to carry out career pathways programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This act may be cited as the ``School to Career Pathways Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In every congressional district, career and technical 
        education programs and career-connected pathways programs play 
        a vital role in ensuring workers remain competitive in high-
        wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields, including 
        information technology, health care, and the skilled trades, 
        all of which have hundreds of thousands of job openings across 
        the United States.
            (2) Every student should have access to career and 
        technical education opportunities to learn how their academic 
        background will prepare them for postsecondary education and a 
        career.
            (3) Curriculum and course offerings should not be based on 
        the assumption that every student has the same academic needs, 
        interests, and goals. Instead, schools should prepare students 
        for their individualized career goals by providing 
        opportunities for students to discover and delve into their 
        interests. These opportunities may include career and technical 
        education, personalized learning, apprenticeships, early 
        college and dual enrollment, and language immersion programs.
            (4) Specifically, career and technical education and dual 
        enrollment programs integrate classroom learning with 
        technical, job-specific skills to prepare students for high-
        skill careers in industries such as information technology, 
        manufacturing, health science, nursing, medical professions, 
        construction, engineering, and more. Under the Carl D. Perkins 
        Vocational and Technical Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2301), States 
        receive funding to integrate career pathway programs with 
        academic learning for students who choose to enroll in career 
        and technical education programs.
            (5) Career and technical education programs currently serve 
        12,500,000 high school and college students and boast a 
        graduation rate of about 90 percent, which is 15 percent higher 
        than the national average.
            (6) Career-connected learning programs, which integrate 
        college preparatory academics, technical training, work-based 
        learning, and support, have had positive outcomes for students.
            (7) Six out of ten students plan to pursue a career related 
        to the career-connected learning programs they are exploring in 
        high school.
            (8) According to the Census Bureau 33.4 percent of 
        individuals in the United States hold college degrees as of 
        2017, which falls drastically short of meeting the national 
        need for skilled labor and demonstrates that traditional 
        college career paths only work for about 30 percent of 
        individuals in the United States.
            (9) While career and technical education models have been 
        piloted across the United States, grant programs need to be 
        expanded to encourage additional school districts to offer 
        students opportunities for career-connected learning, including 
        apprenticeships, and project-based learning pathways.
            (10) Career and technical education programs should 
        incentivize school districts to offer summer internships or 
        course credit through opportunities created by business and 
        community partnerships.

SEC. 3. STATE SKILLS EDUCATION COALITIONS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall award 
grants to States to establish a statewide career pathways coalition (in 
this section referred to as a ``coalition'').
    (b) Eligible Entities.--Any State agency responsible for carrying 
out educational programs in a State shall be eligible for a grant 
awarded under subsection (a).
    (c) Use of Funds.--Funds made available under such a grant shall be 
used for--
            (1) convening employers to discuss local workforce needs 
        and trends;
            (2) reaching out to local and regional public or private 
        partners and conducting research into local workforce needs and 
        trends;
            (3) promoting skill standards and career paths that match 
        local employers' needs;
            (4) helping to improve and govern the workforce development 
        system;
            (5) bringing together businesses, faith-based and community 
        organizations, educational institutions, labor unions, social 
        service agencies, and other providers to implement programs and 
        policies to improve labor market outcomes;
            (6) increasing economic mobility for workers; and
            (7) increasing awareness of programs and related economic 
        opportunities.
    (d) Conditions.--As a condition for receipt of funds under such a 
grant, a State agency shall require a coalition to do the following:
            (1) Develop State plans for how to expand on existing 
        evidence-based programs that are effectively providing 
        nontraditional paths to students and recommendations on new 
        programs that would provide both academic and real-world work 
        experience (such as student apprenticeships, dual programs, 
        career-connected or integrated programs that provide concurrent 
        credit).
            (2) Establish a statewide career-connected learning system.
            (3) Promote diversity among apprentices by promoting 
        outreach to underrepresented populations such as women and 
        minorities, youth, individuals with disabilities (as defined in 
        section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 
        U.S.C. 12102)), and veterans.
            (4) Provide the Governor of the State and Secretary a list 
        of findings and recommendations of the coalition regarding the 
        elements of a successful statewide career-connected learning 
        system.
            (5) Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, create a detailed and specific 4-year 
        action plan for how the State school system can implement a 
        statewide career-connected learning system, with a timeline for 
        the implementation, and projected funding requirements of such 
        system.
            (6) Not later than 2 years after the provision of such 
        plan, the coalition shall report on the implementation and 
        success of its plan, including best practices, and 
        recommendations for improvement.
    (e) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--Each coalition established 
        through funds received under such a grant shall be comprised 
        of--
                    (A) at least one individual recommended by the 
                State's Public University Board or its equivalent 
                representatives (as determined by the Governor); and
                    (B) a minimum of 9 individuals who have public and 
                private career or technical education experience, 
                including course instruction, selected by the chief 
                State school officer with approval from the State Board 
                of Education or its equivalent and State Public 
                University Board or its equivalent.
            (2) Composition.--The coalition shall be representative of 
        the State's geographical diversity. All geographical regions 
        (as determined by the chief State school officer) must be 
        represented by a minimum of one education stakeholder and one 
        public or private industry stakeholder. A regional 
        representative may be determined by residence or location of 
        primary employment.
    (f) Termination.--Federal funds received under such a grant shall 
terminate on the day after 6 years from the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. SECONDARY SCHOOL TO CAREER PATHWAYS INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Career Pathways Innovation Grant Program Established.--
            (1) In general.--From amounts made available to carry out 
        this section, the Secretary, after consultation with the 
        Secretary of Labor, shall establish a career pathways 
        innovation grant program, through which the Secretary shall 
        award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible agencies for 
        the purpose of addressing the specialized skill needs of 
        business and industry by carrying out programs of study and 
        career pathways programs through school partnerships that 
        support career pathways in high school and career exploration 
        in the middle grades.
            (2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section--
                    (A) shall be for a period of 3 years; and
                    (B) may be renewed for one additional 2-year 
                period, if the eligible agency demonstrates sufficient 
                progress in achieving the goals of the initial grant.
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible agency desiring a grant under 
        this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the Secretary may require, and in accordance with requirements 
        under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
        2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).
            (2) Contents; partnership agreement.--The application 
        submitted under paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) an initial partnership agreement, entered into 
                by the eligible agency and all members of the school 
                partnership, that--
                            (i) specifies the duties and 
                        responsibilities of each partner;
                            (ii) describes the commitment of resources 
                        or materials to be provided by each partner 
                        toward the school partnership, ensuring that 
                        the business or industry partners in the school 
                        partnership provide an amount of resources, in 
                        cash or in-kind, toward the activities 
                        supported under the grant that equals or 
                        exceeds the amount contributed by the eligible 
                        agency and the amount to be provided by the 
                        grant under this section; and
                            (iii) describes how the overall goals of 
                        the school partnership align with any statewide 
                        or regional workforce development strategies in 
                        existence at the time of the application, 
                        including those established under the Workforce 
                        Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 
                        et seq.) or the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                        Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 
                        et seq.);
                    (B) a description of how the eligible agency and 
                members of the school partnership will collaborate to 
                ensure the quality of the career pathways program 
                offered under the grant, including any program that 
                leads to an industry-recognized credential or 
                recognized postsecondary credential earned as part of a 
                career pathway;
                    (C) identification of the goals and measures used 
                to define progress toward student outcomes; and
                    (D) a strategic plan describing the role and 
                activities of the eligible agency and all members of 
                the school partnership in supporting how the program 
                will be sustained following the end of the grant.
    (c) Award Basis.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) ensure that, to the extent practicable based on the 
        applications received under subsection (b)--
                    (A) not less than 15 percent of the grant funds 
                available to carry out this section are awarded to 
                rural eligible agencies; and
                    (B) not less than 5 percent of the grant funds 
                available to carry out this section are awarded to 
                eligible agencies that serve a substantial percentage 
                of Indian or Native Hawaiian children; and
            (2) except to the extent necessary to comply with paragraph 
        (1), give priority to--
                    (A) any eligible agency whose school partnership 
                includes an institution of higher education offering 
                postsecondary credits, or an entity offering a 
                registered apprenticeship program that is articulated 
                through secondary school programming counting towards 
                the registered apprenticeship requirements, through the 
                career pathways program under the grant; and
                    (B) any eligible agency whose career pathways 
                program--
                            (i) in a high school, offers concurrent 
                        enrollment opportunities for postsecondary 
                        credit; or
                            (ii) leads to an industry-recognized 
                        credential.
    (d) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Required use of funds.--An eligible agency receiving 
        grant funds under this section shall use grant funds to build 
        or expand a career pathways program featuring school 
        partnerships that supports career pathways in high school and 
        career exploration in the middle grades.
            (2) Permissive use of funds.--An eligible agency receiving 
        grant funds under this section may use grant funds either 
        during or outside of the school day or school year--
                    (A) to hire a designated career pathways 
                partnership coordinator to seek out and build 
                relationships with business or industry partners to 
                foster and manage the school partnerships supported 
                under the grant;
                    (B) for the costs of new equipment, infrastructure 
                (such as facilities, technology, and staffing), or 
                transportation related to the career pathways program;
                    (C) to recruit, or assist with State licensure and 
                credential requirements, career and technical education 
                teachers, and others implementing career pathways 
                programs;
                    (D) to train or support the professional 
                development of career and technical education teachers 
                and others implementing career pathways programs, 
                including providing externship opportunities for 
                educators to spend time in industry;
                    (E) for youth apprenticeship, internship, or 
                experiential learning opportunities;
                    (F) to provide, as part of the career pathways 
                program, coursework that awards postsecondary credit at 
                no cost to high school students; and
                    (G) to support development of curricula that offer 
                industry-certified credentials.
    (e) Requirements.--
            (1) Matching funds.--An eligible agency that receives a 
        grant under this section shall provide, toward the cost of the 
        activities assisted under the grant and from non-Federal 
        sources, an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the 
        grant. Such matching amount may be in cash or in-kind and shall 
        include support from business or industry partners of a school 
        partnership in accordance with the partnership agreement 
        described in subsection (b)(2).
            (2) Participation of business or industry partner.--In any 
        case where a business or industry partner included in an 
        initial partnership agreement described in subsection (b)(2)(A) 
        withdraws from a school partnership supported under a grant 
        under this section, the eligible agency shall notify the 
        Secretary immediately of the withdrawal and of the eligible 
        agency's plan for obtaining a comparable business or industry 
        partner.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Eligible agency reports.--
                    (A) Interim reports.--Not later than 18 months 
                after receiving a grant under this section, the 
                eligible agency shall submit a report to the Secretary 
                demonstrating that the eligible agency is achieving 
                sufficient progress toward the goals of the grant, and 
                ensure that data collection aligns with the 
                requirements under the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et 
                seq.), and demonstrates how the program advances 
                Perkins Career and Technical Education Act indicators.
                    (B) Final reports.--Each eligible agency receiving 
                a grant under this section shall prepare and submit to 
                the Secretary a final report regarding the use of funds 
                from the grant, including the outcomes of the 
                activities assisted under the grant, not later than 90 
                days after the end of the grant period.
            (2) Secretary reports.--The Secretary shall prepare and 
        submit to the House Education and Labor Committee and the 
        Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on an 
        annual basis, a report regarding the grant program under this 
        section that includes a summary of the reports received under 
        paragraph (1) during the preceding year and the outcomes 
        resulting from the use of grant funds.

SEC. 5. CAREER PATHWAYS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant 
Secretary of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, shall--
            (1) administer and manage the career pathways innovation 
        grants awarded under section 4;
            (2) provide technical assistance to eligible agencies 
        preparing grant applications under section 4(b); and
            (3) support career pathways partnership coordinators, or 
        other personnel of eligible agencies that have received a grant 
        under section 3, in order to ensure that--
                    (A) the eligible agency participates in the 
                required school partnership; and
                    (B) the grant results in positive program outcomes.
    (b) Designated Personnel for Rural and Native-Serving 
Applications.--The Secretary shall designate not less than 1 employee 
of the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education who will 
exclusively support rural and native-serving eligible agencies with the 
preparation of grant applications under section 4(b) and the 
development of school partnerships necessary to apply for and implement 
a grant under section 4.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Business or industry partner.--The term ``business or 
        industry partner'' means--
                    (A) a local public or private business;
                    (B) a local public or private industry;
                    (C) a sector partnership (which has the meaning 
                given the term ``industry or sector partnership'' in 
                section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
                Act (29 U.S.C. 3102));
                    (D) a community partner; or
                    (E) an intermediary organization.
            (2) Career and technical education.--The term ``career and 
        technical education'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (20 
        U.S.C. 2302), including:
                    (A) Work-based learning.--The term ``work-based 
                learning'' means sustained interactions with industry 
                or community professionals in real workplace settings, 
                to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at 
                an educational institution that foster in-depth, 
                firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given 
                career field, that are aligned to curriculum and 
                instruction.
                    (B) Program of study.--The term ``program of 
                study'' means a coordinated, nonduplicative sequence of 
                academic and technical content at the secondary and 
                postsecondary level that--
                            (i) incorporates challenging State academic 
                        standards, including those adopted by a State 
                        under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and 
                        Secondary Education Act of 1965;
                            (ii) addresses both academic and technical 
                        knowledge and skills, including employability 
                        skills;
                            (iii) is aligned with the needs of 
                        industries in the economy of the State, region, 
                        Tribal community, or local area;
                            (iv) progresses in specificity (beginning 
                        with all aspects of an industry or career 
                        cluster and leading to more occupation-specific 
                        instruction);
                            (v) has multiple entry and exit points that 
                        incorporate credentialing; and
                            (vi) culminates in the attainment of a 
                        recognized postsecondary credential.
            (3) Career-connected learning.--The term ``career-connected 
        learning'' means programs that integrate college preparatory 
        academics, technical training, work-based learning, and 
        support.
            (4) Career pathway.--The term ``career pathway'' means a 
        combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, 
        and other services that--
                    (A) aligns with the skill needs of industries in 
                the economy of the State or regional economy involved;
                    (B) prepares an individual to be successful in any 
                of a full range of secondary or postsecondary education 
                options, including apprenticeships registered under the 
                Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the 
                ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 
                663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) (referred to individually in 
                this Act as an ``apprenticeship'', except in section 
                171);
                    (C) includes counseling to support an individual in 
                achieving the individual's education and career goals;
                    (D) includes, as appropriate, education offered 
                concurrently with and in the same context as workforce 
                preparation activities and training for a specific 
                occupation or occupational cluster;
                    (E) organizes education, training, and other 
                services to meet the particular needs of an individual 
                in a manner that accelerates the educational and career 
                advancement of the individual to the extent 
                practicable;
                    (F) enables an individual to attain a secondary 
                school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and at 
                least 1 recognized postsecondary credential; and
                    (G) helps an individual enter or advance within a 
                specific occupation or occupational cluster.
            (5) Community partner.--The term ``community partner'' 
        means a nonprofit organization that has expertise--
                    (A) in the planning and delivery of education, 
                career training, and related programs;
                    (B) in forging coordination and cooperation between 
                educators and other members of the community;
                    (C) in training educators and other deliverers of 
                educational services; or
                    (D) in development and implementation of data 
                systems that measure the progress of students, schools, 
                and institutions of higher education, and career 
                pathways programs.
            (6) Eligible agency.--The term ``eligible agency'' means--
                    (A) a local educational agency;
                    (B) a consortium of local educational agencies or 
                an agent operating on behalf of the consortium; or
                    (C) a school operated or funded by the Bureau of 
                Indian Education.
            (7) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``high school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``middle grades'', and ``secondary 
        school'' have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (8) Indian.--The term ``Indian'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (9) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (10) Intermediary organization.--The term ``intermediary 
        organization'' means a nonprofit organization that has 
        expertise in training, forging public-private partnerships, 
        systems development, capacity-building, improving scalability, 
        and evaluation.
            (11) Native hawaiian.--The term ``Native Hawaiian'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 6207 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517).
            (12) Registered apprenticeship program.--The term 
        ``registered apprenticeship program'' means a program 
        registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as 
        the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 
        29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
            (13) School partnership.--The term ``school partnership'' 
        means a partnership that--
                    (A) shall include, at a minimum--
                            (i) an eligible agency;
                            (ii) instructors and faculty at an eligible 
                        agency; and
                            (iii) one or more local business or 
                        industry partners; and
                    (B) may also include one or more of the following 
                partners:
                            (i) A local community-based organization.
                            (ii) A joint labor-management partnership.
                            (iii) An institution of higher education.
                            (iv) A State board or local board (as such 
                        terms are defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
                        Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
                        3102)).
                            (v) An apprenticeship college (as defined 
                        as an institution partnership that is 
                        registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 
                        (commonly known as the ``National 
                        Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 
                        663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) and is an 
                        institution of higher education (as defined in 
                        section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
                        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)))).
                            (vi) Any other entity that the Secretary, 
                        after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, 
                        considers appropriate.
            (14) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (15) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of 
        Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, 
        and U.S. Virgin Islands.
            (16) State educational agency.--The term ``State 
        educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 
        U.S.C. 1401).
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