NAPE news
Dear NAPE Members,

I hope this message finds you well and that your 2019 is off to a good start. I am pleased to share some of the exciting work that NAPE is engaged in this winter. First, I want to welcome our newest state member, Maryland, who joined us earlier this month! Second, I would like to welcome our newest staff member, Nokware (Nok) Adesegun, who started as our Director of Grants and Development earlier this week. I look forward to Nok meeting many of our members, and vice versa, at our Summit and other activities this winter and spring. Please join me in welcoming Nok to NAPE!

We have continued to be deeply engaged in the Perkins V Planning process. On December 14, I participated as a panelist, and was joined by NAPE Program Manager, Janay McClarin, at the Rethink CTE Summit at the U.S. Department of Education. Over the holidays, we submitted comments to the Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) on its State Plan Guidance and the Guidance for Submission of the Consolidated Annual Report (CAR). In both cases, we emphasized the importance of providing structure and guidance to help states in identifying and addressing equity gaps by gender, race and ethnicity, and each of the special populations subcategories in CTE, especially in programs leading to high-skill, high-wage, in-demand careers. You can find the NAPE comments and other Perkins V Resources on our website. We look forward to working with a number of states in 2019 as they work with their local partners to prepare for the planning and implementation of the new law. Please let us know what we can do to support your efforts.

Finally, I am pleased to report that we have hired Najera Consulting, Inc. from Chicago to assist us with the Strategic Planning Process for our next phase of growth and development as an organization. A Strategic Planning Committee of NAPE Executive Committee members, NAPE Education Foundation Board members, and staff will convene starting this winter. We will reach out to the field for input and feedback through electronic means and in-person communication at the Summit. Thank you in advance for your assistance in the process and for your investment in our work. I look forward to working with our members and partners to chart our course for our next phase of development and positive social impact as we strive to help every person to fulfill their potential through equal access to and equity in educational options that lead to the entire spectrum of career choices.

Warmest regards,
Ben
Applications now open for the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship grant initiative
The  Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is seeking applications from partnerships in cities, states, and regions that are launching or expanding high-quality youth apprenticeship programs that produce equitable outcomes for students, employers, and communities. NAPE is a partner in this national initiative. Learn more in this blog post, and apply here.
Publications
Policy Snapshot: Career and Technical Education
Education Commission of the States
This report highlights legislation enacted in 2017 and 2018 pertaining to career and technical education. Read More >>
Better Together: How Adult Education/CTE Collaborations Benefit Workers and Business
National Skills Coalition
This brief highlights the benefits of partnerships between adult education and CTE providers for businesses and workers. Read More >>
Career Pathways in Career and Technical Education
 CLASP 
This brief provides the CTE community with an overview of adult career pathways, which are now defined the same way in three laws: Perkins V, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and the Higher Education Act. Read More >>
The Push Toward Gender Diversity in The HVAC Industry
Kevin Burns, Facility Executive
In response to the labor gap and shifting trends, HVAC industry leaders are pushing to include more women in this traditionally male-dominated field. Read More >>
The Black Achievement Paradox Nobody's Talking About
Daarel Burnette II
Drawing on his personal experience growing up in an Air Force family, Education Week staff writer Daarel Burnette II looks at how a new ESSA reporting requirement may shed light on why black students from military families significantly outperform their peers from black civilian families. Read More >> 
NAPE's whereabouts

Ricardo Romanillos,
Director of Professional Learning

1/18: E3 Alliance PIPE (TX)
1/22: Manor ISD Micromessaging (TX)
1/23: West Monroe High School Micromessaging (TX)
1/28: Lockhart ISD EE STEM (TX)
2/1: Front Range Community College (CO)
2/5: Dallas ISD STEM Equity Pipeline (TX)
2/15: Austin ISD MM (TX)
2/15: Navarro College Corsicana Micromessaging (TX)
2/15: South Coast ED Micromessaging (OR)
2/22: Navarro College Waxahachie Micromessaging (TX)
2/22: West Monroe High School Micromessaging (TX)