CTE STUDENT ADVOCACY QUICK REFERENCE PAGE 6 SkillsUSA Texas Student Leaders | Updated September 15, 2026 6 TEXAS State Advocacy Texas lawmakers, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the State Board of Education shape funding, graduation rules, accountability, credentials, and statewide pathways. CURRENT TEXAS INITIATIVES Initiative What is Happening Now Student Advocacy Angle Applied Sciences Pathway House Bill 20 created a pathway for grades 11 and 12 to earn a high school diploma and a Level I or II certificate in designated high wage, high growth fields. Districts may begin in the 2026 to 2027 school year. Ask whether your district and a college partner are participating, which students can enroll, and how transportation, tuition, supplies, and advising will be covered. Career Readiness Changes House Bill 120 and related changes require stronger career readiness goals and outcome reporting. Texas also expanded the maximum certification examination subsidies from one to two per eligible student. Ask for public district goals, student friendly reporting, and full reimbursement of exam, fingerprinting, and required review costs when allowed. Regional Pathway Coordination Senate Bill 1786 requires TEA, the higher education coordinating board, and the workforce commission to coordinate competitive CTE grants and calls for a biennial assessment of regional labor demand. Ask how students and employers will help choose pathways and how agencies will prevent duplicated or disconnected programs. Texas Regional Pathways Network TRPN connects districts, colleges, workforce boards, and employers. Its regional teams use Perkins reserve funds, while regional conveners support broader pathway infrastructure. Ask whether your region participates and how students can serve on planning or feedback groups. Rural Pathway Expansion Texas announced 2026 Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership planning and expansion awards to help rural districts share high-quality college and career pathways. Ask how small districts can share instructors, equipment, transportation, dual credit, and employer partners without limiting student choice. Updated Programs and Credentials TEA updated the CTE course catalog in August 2026. The 2025 to 2030 industry-based certification list affects future accountability and includes many more credentials than the prior list. Ask whether every promoted credential has employer value, is portable, and connects to the next education or career step. TEXAS TALKING POINTS • A state approved pathway only helps me if I can reach it. Transportation, scheduling, prerequisites, fees, and uneven advising can block access. • The credential I earn should have value beyond a school rating. Texas should publish completion, employment, earnings, and further education outcomes in a form families can understand. • Students should help design and evaluate pathways. We can identify barriers that enrollment data alone can miss. • Regional labor demand matters, but I also need portable skills and choices that remain valuable if I move or change careers. • My CTE teacher needs time and support to stay current. State policy should help recruit and retain instructors with industry knowledge while maintaining teaching quality. • SkillsUSA chapters need dependable state and local support so leadership and technical skill development are available to every CTE student, not only students who can pay or fundraise. QUESTIONS FOR TEXAS OFFICIAL • What funding will help districts launch the Applied Sciences Pathway without shifting costs to students or families? • How will Texas report whether credentials lead to employment, higher wages, apprenticeships, or continued education? • Will students have a formal role in state and regional pathway planning? • How will the state address CTE teacher shortages and help instructors keep their industry skills current? • What will Texas do to expand paid work- based learning and protect students from unsafe or low-quality placements?