Overview
Status: On July 31, 2018, the President signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act into law. This bill reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins) and will be referred to as Perkins V.
Purpose: Perkins is dedicated to increasing learner access to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study. With a focus on systems alignment and program improvement, Perkins is critical to ensuring that programs are prepared to meet the ever-changing needs of learners and employers. Perkins reflects the 100-year federal commitment to CTE by providing federal support for CTE programs and focuses on improving the academic and technical achievement of CTE students, strengthening the connections between secondary and postsecondary education and improving accountability. Perkins affords states and local communities the opportunity to implement a vision for CTE that uniquely supports the range of educational needs of students — exploration through career preparation — and balances those student needs with the current and emerging needs of the economy.
Perkins V Implementation Resources
- Draft State Plan Guide (April 2019)
This guide from the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) contains the details about the requirements for the Perkins V one-year transition plan (due Spring 2019), the four-year state plan (due Spring 2020) and additional details about OCTAE's interpretation of Perkins V. - Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) Guide (June 2019)
This guide from the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) contains the details about the requirements for submitting the annual CAR reports.
Find all Perkins V implementation resources in the Perkins Virtual Resource Table.
Perkins V Policy Resources
Perkins V Text and Comparisons to Perkins IV
- Perkins V (September 2018)
Full text of Perkins V (The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act)
- Side-by-Side Analysis of Perkins IV and Perkins V (October 2018)
This document displays the text of Perkins IV alongside the text of Perkins V and includes an analysis of the changes between the two laws.
- Perkins V Redline (August 2018)
This document shows how the text of Perkins V compares to Perkins IV
Perkins V Summaries and Analyses
- Understanding the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) (August 2018)
An overview of Perkins including its purpose, how funds are distributed and why Perkins is an investment that matters
- Major Tenets of Perkins V (August 2018)
A one-page overview of the major tenets of The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V)
- Summary and Analysis of Perkins V (August 2018)
An overview of Perkins V, including state and local implications
- Infographic: Perkins V Timeline & State Plan Development Process (October 2018)
This two-page color infographic displays the timeline for the submission of Perkins V state plans and outlines the state plan development process.
- Advance CTE and ACTE Joint Letter on Senate Passage of Perkins Reauthorization (July 2018)
A letter to the Senate in response to the Perkins Reauthorization Bill that the Senate voted to pass on July 23, 2018
Perkins IV Resources
- Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (January 2006)
Full text of Perkins IV
- Recommendations for Perkins Reauthorization (February 2016)
A summary of Advance CTE’s recommendations for the renewal of Perkins
- How States Use Perkins — The Basics (October 2017)
A summary of the ways states leverage Perkins to support CTE
- Perkins Collaborative Resource Network
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education Division of Academic and Technical Education website with information on Perkins, including non-regulatory guidance, state profiles, performance data and more
- Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006: Background and Performance (December 2012)
A Congressional Research Service report for Congress on outcomes under Perkins
Resources on the Federal Investment in Perkins
- Investing in CTE: An American Imperative (April 2019)
Illustrates the need for an increased federal investment in CTE
- FY2004-2019 Perkins Funding Levels (April 2019)
An overview of federal appropriations to CTE