; Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on-time; Whereas, according to an American Federation of Teachers poll, 94 percent of parents approve of expanding access to CTE and other programs that prepare students for jobs; Whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and CTE programs have significantly higher achievement in reading, mathematics, and science than students at schools with less integrated programs; and Whereas February 23, 2018, marks the 101st anniversary of the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (commonly known as the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act of 1917 ) (39 Stat. 929, chapter 114), which was the first major Federal investment in secondary CTE and laid the foundation for the bipartisan, bicameral support for CTE that continues as of February 2018: Now, therefore, be it