; 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 are significantly more likely to meet college and career readiness benchmarks than students at schools with less integrated programs; Whereas, in 2018, Congress affirmed the importance of CTE by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act ( Public Law 115–224 ), which supports program improvement in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and outlying areas; Whereas 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of State CTE leadership by Advance CTE (formerly known as the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium or NASDCTEc ); and Whereas, February 23, 2019, marks the 102nd anniversary of the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, commonly known as the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act of 1917), 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 2020: Now, therefore, be it