1. Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act History, Current Mandates, and Possible Future Directions

2. The Vision of Rep. Carl Dewey Perkins (D-KY) Increase the quality of technical education within the United States by providing individuals with the academic and technical skills necessary to be successful in a knowledge- and skill-based economy.

3. A Brief History Morrill Act of 1862 : Established land-grant colleges for the study of military tactics, agriculture, and mechanical arts. Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 : Designed to prepare high school- age students for jobs in the local economy, via the first federal program to directly fund education at the local level. It also established the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Vocational Education Act of 1963, with amendments to the law passed in 1968, 1972, and 1976. Carl D Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 : Included a stronger focus on serving historically disadvantaged students and populations with special needs.

4. “Reimagining” Vocational Education Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 : Focused on strengthening the academic component of vocational programs. The 1998 reauthorization similarly focused on strengthening the academic content of vocational programs and building stronger linkages between secondary and postsecondary programs. Carl D Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 : Re-branded vocational education as “career and technical education” or CTE, as it is known today.

5. The Ideology of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006

6. Basic Tenets of The Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 Replaces “vocational education” with “career and technical education” Maintains the Tech Prep program as a separate entity with federal funding within the legislation Maintains state administrative funding at 5 percents of a state’s allocation Requires the development of articulation agreements and strengthens local accountability provisions. Provides almost $1.3 billion annually to career and technical education programs in all 50 states. Federal funds provide the principal source for innovation and program improvement. State and local funding supports the career and technical education infrastructure and pays teachers’ salaries and other operating expenses.

7. Basic Tenets of The Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 Provides Perkins Basic State Grant funds to states that, in turn, allocate funds by formula to secondary school districts and postsecondary institutions. Gives states the control over the split of funds between secondary and postsecondary levels; after this decision is made, states must distribute at least 85 percent of the Basic State Grant funds to local programs using either the needs- based formula included in the law or an alternate formula that targets resources to disadvantaged schools and students. Allows states to reserve up to ten percent for leadership activities and five percent (or $250,000, whichever is greater) for administrative activities. Gives states a Tech Prep grant that can be folded into Basic State Grant funds or used to provide grants to consortiums of secondary and postsecondary partners that develop articulated pathways. Allows state and local flexibility and raises expectations for students participating in career and technical education by holding them to the specific, valid and reliable accountability standards that are effectively measured in terms of student progress and outcomes.

8. The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21 st Century Act Introduced into the House on June 28 th, 2016 Would reauthorize through FY 2022 Co-sponsors are: Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)

9. Quotes from Rep. Thompson and Rep. Clark Rep. Thompson : “The importance of career and technical education has grown exponentially across the country since the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act was passed unanimously by Congress in 2006,” This well-engineered and robust reauthorization aims to close our nation’s skills gap by creating clear pathways to education and training for students eager to pursue careers in vital technical fields. As co-chair of the House Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.” Rep. Clark : “Every student deserves a fair chance to earn the skills needed to thrive in the modern workforce. That's why I'm introducing the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act for the 21st Century Act. This bill ensures our career and technical education system is flexible enough to adapt to the needs of emerging industries, is accountable to ensure every child has a chance to succeed, and is providing robust support for our educators. I look forward to working with the House Education and Workforce Committee to pass it into law.”

10. Ideology of The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21 st Century Act Empower state and local community leaders by simplifying the application process for receiving federal funds and providing more flexibility to use federal resources to respond to changing education and economic needs. Improve alignment with in-demand jobs by supporting innovative learning opportunities, building better community partnerships, and encouraging stronger engagement with employers. Increase transparency and accountability by streamlining performance measures to ensure CTE programs deliver results and empowering parents, students, and stakeholders with a voice in setting performance goals and evaluating the effectiveness of local programs. Ensure a limited federal role by reining in the secretary of education’s authority, limiting federal intervention, and preventing political favoritism.

11. Proposed Changes under the The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21 st Century Act Proposed focus is on four key areas: Empowering State and Local Community Leaders Improving Alignment with In-Demand Jobs Increasing Transparency and Accountability Ensuring a Limited Federal Role The full bill : http://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/strengthening_ca reer_and_technical_education_for_the_21st_century_act.pdf

12. Empowering State and Local Community Leaders Eases burdensome state requirements: The bill simplifies the requirements states have to follow when applying for federal funds. It also streamlines the application process and better aligns it with the process for submitting the state workforce development plan under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This allows state leaders to focus more time and resources on preparing students for successful careers—not on duplicative or overly prescriptive federal requirements. Eases burdensome local requirements: Instead of requiring local education providers to submit their own lengthy plans, the bill allows providers to fill out a simple, easy-to- complete local application. Recipients will also partner with local stakeholders to perform biennial reviews to help CTE programs meet the needs of local communities. Increases flexibility: The bill increases from 10 percent to 15 percent the amount of federal funds states can set aside to assist eligible students in rural areas or areas with a significant number of CTE students. It also gives states more flexibility to use federal funds to support CTE programs that are focused on unique and changing education and economic needs or state-based innovation.

13. Improving Alignment with In-Demand Jobs Supports innovative learning opportunities: The bill promotes work-based learning and evaluates CTE providers on their ability to effectively prepare students for the workforce. The bill also encourages state leaders to better integrate their career and technical education services with other state-led job training programs, helping to provide all Americans a more seamless and efficient workforce development system. Builds better partnerships: The bill encourages stronger engagement with employers by ensuring local business leaders are involved in the development of career and technical education and the performance goals set at the state and local levels. These reforms will help CTE services prove students the skills they need to compete for jobs that exist in their local communities now and in the future, rather than the jobs that existed in the past. Addresses state and local needs: The bill empowers state leaders with more flexibility to direct federal resources to CTE programs that provide students with skills to fill available jobs in their states and communities. Under the legislation, state leaders will be able to use federal funds to support programs focused on in-demand industries or occupations or on state-based innovation.

14. Increasing Transparency and Accountability Ensures secondary programs deliver results: At the secondary level, the bill streamlines the number of performance measures used to evaluate CTE programs and aligns these performance measures with those set by each state under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The bill also replaces the unreliable “technical skill proficiency” indicator with a state-determined indicator to help ensure taxpayer dollars are supporting CTE programs that prepare students to continue their education or start their careers. These reforms will help students graduate and receive an education that can lead to success in the workplace. Ensures postsecondary programs deliver results: At the postsecondary level, the bill streamlines the number of performance measures and aligns these with the performance measures in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These reforms will help students graduate prepared to further their education or compete for good-paying jobs. Encourages public input: Current law requires states to negotiate their targeted levels of performance with the secretary of education. Under the legislation, states will set performance goals through an open process that includes input from local education leaders, parents and students, workforce development boards, community and business representatives, and others. Protects taxpayers: Under the legislation, states will include their targeted levels of performance in the state plan, as well as report and annually publish the results on how they perform. This will provide students, taxpayers, and state and local leaders the information necessary to hold CTE programs accountable for results.

15. Ensuring a Limited Federal Role Reduces the secretary’s authority: The bill repeals the requirement that states must negotiate their targeted levels of performance with the secretary of education. Limits federal intervention: The bill prevents the secretary of education from withholding funds from a state that does not meet certain performance targets. Instead, it empowers state leaders to develop an improvement plan that works best for the needs and circumstances in their states. At the local level, improvement plans will be developed in consultation with local stakeholders and overseen by state leaders, not federal bureaucrats. Prevents political favoritism: The bill requires the federal plan for research, development, dissemination, and evaluation to be carried out by an independent entity, rather than the secretary of education. The bill also requires that future demonstration projects focus on enhancing performance and student success, restricting the secretary’s ability to pick winners and losers based on politics.

16. Some Proposal Specifics: Definitions Borrows language of Career Pathways and Sector Partnerships from WIOA New definition of concentrator students and participant students at the secondary level Concentrator is defined as a student taking 3 or more CTE courses across vocational areas, or 2 courses in a particular area Accountability measures focus on concentrators Dual enrollment definition to align with ESSA’s Program of Study is more clearly defined to stress the importance of integrating academics and career skills and career awareness that lead from secondary to post-secondary career certification

17. Some Proposal Specifics: Funding State grant formulas will stay the same Changes within state allocations raises the amount states can hold back to serve students in institutions raises from 1% to 2% Of the 85% that goes from states to locals, the reserve fund to go to students with disadvantages raises from 10% to 15% Requesting an $8 million appropriations increase in the first year of reauthorization (from current $1.3 billion), and an 8% increase in subsequent years until 2022.

18. Some Proposal Specifics: Accountability Performance indicators are to be aligned with those used under ESSA and WIOA Secondary level (pertinent to concentrators): More specificity in how to gather data on graduation rates, retention rates, and movement to post-secondary ed rates Alignment of skill attainment data methods with those outlined in ESSA, focusing on industry-related credentials, dual enrollment, and work-based learning Post-secondary level: Alignment with WIOA measures of median earnings, industry- related credential acquisition, employment in traditional and non- traditional fields

19. Some Proposal Specifics: National Activities Retention, but in limited form, of coordination with National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) in data collection Retention of national assessment of CTE Elimination of CTE Research Center funding (with intention to move to private entity support) Demonstration project funding is retained, but supplemented by new innovation grants submitted by consortia

20. Some Proposal Specifics: State Plan Changes Alignment with WIOA submission of every four years, replacing the current every six years Calls for specific plan language in: Programs of study and career development Evidence of alignment with market data in designing programs Professional development activities Fiscal split between secondary and post-secondary providers Clear delineation of how state performance targets are set Clear evidence of needs assessment requirements in local applications, including services to special populations

21. Obama Administration's Priorities for Perkins Reauthorization Effective alignment with today's labor market, including clear expectations for high-quality programs. Stronger collaboration among secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, and industry partners. Meaningful accountability to improve academic and employment outcomes for students. Local and state innovation in CTE, particularly the development and replication of innovative CTE models.

22. CEC Urges Congress to: Build pre-service and in-service career and technical education personnel knowledge and skill sets to effectively serve youth with disabilities in the Perkins reauthorization bill. Strengthen career and technical education counseling services for youth with disabilities in the Perkins reauthorization bill. Increase opportunities for work-based training models to accommodate students with disabilities who are significantly challenged in the Perkins reauthorization bill. Strengthen access to guidance and career exploration curriculum for students with disabilities in the Perkins reauthorization bill. Maintain strong partnerships via alignment with the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in the Perkins reauthorization bill.

23. Remember!!! These are only proposed changes in a proposed act in one chamber of Congress that is still undergoing House mark-up. There is no word yet from the Senate yet on any action they might take.