Perkins V recognizes the importance of beginning career exploration as early as possible by enabling Perkins funds to be spent starting in grade 5. The legislation also includes new definitions and provisions that focus on expanding and improving work-based learning and career development.

As we continue our celebration of five years of Perkins V, take a look at these resources from ACTE and its partners with tips for and examples of effective strategies for career development and middle grades CTE:

• Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE: This Advance CTE and ACTE resource lays out a theory of action for CTE in the middle grades, defines outcomes for student learning, and introduces 10 design principles that should be part of any middle grade CTE program.

• Student Career Development series: This ACTE series of briefs and webinars dives into topics such as social emotional learning, work-based learning and equitable career development through technology.

• High-quality CTE Library: Student Career Development: ACTE’s online library of resources includes publications and more on how to empower and prepare learners for the workforce through career development.

CTE educators and career development professionals can use these resources to support career advisement, exploration and more, including programming in the middle grades.

Today we’re continuing our celebration of Perkins V by recognizing the strides that CTE programs have made over the past five years in engaging stakeholders such as employers, community leaders, parents and students. Effective stakeholder engagement enables CTE programs to respond to labor market, community and learner needs.

To support CTE educators in engaging stakeholders, ACTE has developed or co-developed the following tools and resources. These resources feature examples of effective engagement strategies from states and local CTE programs:

• Engaging Families and Communities to Support Special and Underserved Populations in CTE: This report from ACTE recommends ways that CTE educators can communicate and collaborate with learners’ families and communities to support students, specifically individuals from historically underserved communities.

• With Learners, Not for Learners: A Toolkit for Elevating Learner Voice in CTE: This resource from Advance CTE and ACTE provides strategies, guidance and tools to help CTE leaders engage learners for the improvement of CTE policies and practices.

• Taking Business to School: A Resource Guide for Building an Employer Partner Engagement Plan: This ACTE toolkit supports CTE programs looking to expand the scope and quality of their work-based learning programs through improved employer engagement.

• High-quality CTE Library: Business and Community Partnerships: ACTE’s online library of resources contains publications and toolkits based on grounded research and best practices, including a section on how to support the formation of industry and community-based partnerships.

State and local leaders can use these tools to maximize their understanding of collaboration between key players to shape the future of CTE in their areas. ACTE and Advance CTE have also collaborated to provide more targeted technical assistance to states and local CTE programs focused on effectively connecting stakeholders.

As part of our celebration of the fifth birthday of Perkins V, this week we will be sharing ACTE resources that support CTE programs with implementation of the law.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, informally known as Perkins V, mandates local recipients to conduct a comprehensive local needs assessment (CLNA) to be eligible to receive federal funding. The CLNA is a significant change in Perkins V that supports data-driven decision making and provides the opportunity for better alignment across planning, spending and accountability activities at the local level.

To help CTE programs with this new requirement, ACTE has developed or co-developed the following CLNA related tools and resources:

• Maximizing Perkins V’s Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment & Local Application to Drive CTE Program Quality and Equity: This ACTE tool assists readers in translating the language of the law into concrete actionable steps for conducting the CLNA whilst providing tips for program improvement founded on meaningful, data-driven consultation with stakeholders.

• ACTE’s Quality CTE Program of Study Framework Self-evaluation: A Tool for the Perkins V Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment: The ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework™ and its companion self-evaluation can help local CTE leaders comprehensively evaluate program quality, scope, delivery, implementation and more for the CLNA.

• Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation: The Impact and Promise of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment: This report from Advance CTE and ACTE elevates lessons learned from state and local CTE leaders regarding the first round of CLNAs and offers recommendations and enhancements to ensure that future CLNAs meet the promise of ensuring equitable access to CTE.

• High-quality CTE Library: Data and Program Improvement: ACTE’s online library of resources contains publications and toolkits focused on leveraging data and engaging in program improvement processes, such as the CLNA, to support CTE. 

These resources can help state and local leaders maximize their CLNA process. ACTE and Advance CTE have also collaborated on technical assistance to provide more targeted assistance to states and local CTE programs focused on effectively conducting the CLNA.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act was signed into law five years ago today, amending the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and creating what we know as “Perkins V.” States and local CTE programs have made great strides in implementing the law over the past five years, despite the immense challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the greatest challenges and opportunities in Perkins V has been the comprehensive local needs assessment (CLNA), which most local recipients have now completed at least twice. Local CTE leaders report that this process for assessing student performance, program quality and labor market needs is helping them make more data-informed decisions about programs and funding.

Another innovation has been the implementation of the new program quality indicators at the high school level. National performance data shows that Perkins Basic State Grant recipients achieved the following attainment levels on these indicators during the 2020-21 school year, the first full year of Perkins V implementation:

• Of the 12 states that elected to use postsecondary credit attainment as their program quality indicator, nearly 100,000 secondary CTE concentrators earned postsecondary credit in their CTE program area.
• Just over 128,000 secondary CTE concentrators participated in work-based learning experiences in the 29 states and territories that chose to measure CTE program impact in this way.
• More than 227,000 secondary CTE concentrators in the 22 states that chose recognized postsecondary credential attainment earned credentials such as industry certifications, licenses, postsecondary certificates and degrees.

CTE advocates also learned through 2020-21 Perkins data, which was the first year of performance reporting under Perkins V, that all states met their targets for secondary CTE concentrators’ four-year graduation rate, with an average graduation rate across the nation of 96%. In addition, we confirmed that CTE continues to impact millions of students, with almost 12 million participants and almost 5 million concentrators across secondary and postsecondary levels. Learn more with ACTE’s deep dive into Perkins V 2020-21 data.

As we celebrate this progress, we know that there is still work to do to ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs and experiences. In spring 2024, states will be setting new performance targets and also will have the option of revising their Perkins plans for the next four years. We encourage you to get involved in this process and provide your input.

At the national level, ACTE will continue to advocate for increased resources for the Perkins Basic State Grant to ensure more of the needs identified in CLNAs can be met. We will also continue to provide tools and resources to help CTE educators implement the law and deliver high-quality CTE, including Perkins V: The Official Guide. Please let us know in the comments if there are additional supports you need!

This was a very busy week for federal action on CTE-related policy, with Congress finishing its final week in town before the August recess. The House Appropriations Committee approved one FY 24 veterans’ affairs funding bill, while the Senate Appropriations Committee completed consideration of all 12 of its funding bills for FY 24. The House’s schedule is moving well behind the Senate’s after the House Appropriations Committee decided not to consider any additional bills this week before the full committee, including its FY 24 education funding bill. The appropriations process will now pause until after the month-long recess, but your advocacy will be critical as we work to maintain the higher funding level for Perkins included in the Senate bill, in addition to the Senate’s funding levels for key education and workforce programs. Stay tuned, and here are more updates from sunny Washington this week:

• Senate Appropriations Committee Proposes $40 Million Increase for Perkins State Grants: On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 24 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations bill on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 26-2. Despite the tight budget caps enforced by the debt limit deal, the bill contained an additional $40 million for the Perkins Basic State Grant program! Learn more about the next steps to come in the appropriations process here.

• ED Hosts National Summit on Equal Opportunity in Higher Education: On July 26, the Department of Education (ED) hosted the National Summit on Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to discuss strategies and resources to expand access to postsecondary education opportunities following the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action. Learn more about the summit here.

• CTE Briefing on Capitol Hill Features National FFA: On July 26, the Senate CTE Caucus organized a briefing at the U.S. Capitol with the National FFA Organization highlighting agricultural education. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), Co-Chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, delivered remarks along with several FFA leaders and students. Read more about the briefing here.

• Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) Introduces Creating Opportunities to Thrive and Advance Act: On July 26, House CTE Caucus Co-chair Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) introduced H.R. 8195, the Creating Opportunities to Thrive and Advance (COTA) Act, a bill that would amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to bolster career guidance for adult learners. ACTE has endorsed this legislation.

• The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact Would Allow Teaching Licenses to Transcend State Borders: Seeking to address strains on the teacher workforce, legislation newly adopted in ten states aims to make it easier for teachers to move to a new state. The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact eliminates additional training and testing requirements for teachers seeking to obtain a teaching license in a different state. Learn more about the compact here.

• ED, DOL Announce New Efforts to Advance Teacher Preparation Programs and Expand Registered Apprenticeships for Educators: ED and the Department of Labor (DOL) have announced a series of new efforts to expand registered apprenticeships for educators and invest in teacher preparation programs, including new National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (NGS) for registered apprenticeships for K-12 teachers, funding from ED and DOL to support educator preparation programs and registered apprenticeship programs in critical sectors, and a new DOL intermediary to launch, promote and expand registered apprenticeship programs for K-12 educators, among other items.

• ED Launches Unlocking Career Pathways Regional Summits: On July 25, ED kicked off the first of the Unlocking Pathways Summit series at Renton Technical College in Renton, Washington. ACTE Region V Vice President Shani Watkins represented the association at the event. The series consists of four regional education and workforce convenings to highlight workforce priorities and opportunities for young people that are growing due to recent federal investments, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act. ACTE will have representatives at each summit.

• CIAW Sends FY24 House Letter: On July 26, the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce (CIAW), one of ACTE’s coalition partners, sent a letter to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee expressing concerns with proposed cuts to education and workforce development programs in its version of the FY24 education appropriations bill.

• JOBS Act Coalition Sends Letter of Support to Senate HELP Committee: On July 26, the JOBS Act Coalition, of which ACTE is a member, sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in support of S. 161, the JOBS Act.

• House Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on Accountability in Postsecondary Education: On July 27, the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Lowering Costs and Increasing Value For Students, Institutions and Taxpayers.” The Subcommittee questioned witnesses on how postsecondary education can be made more affordable, increase transparency and lead to better outcomes for students.

Analysis of Community College Health Care Training Programs: The Community College Research Center at Columbia University recently published a report in which researchers used 2019-20 data from the U.S. Department of Education to examine community colleges’ contributions to the health care workforce.

The results showed that community colleges are responsible for much of the health care programs and graduates in allied health, nursing, mental health and clinical laboratory science. Additionally, researchers looked at the demographics of community colleges and earnings outcomes that students achieve upon completion. The following represent some of the most notable findings:

• Community colleges were cited as responsible for 76% of all postsecondary programs in mental/social health, 68% in allied health and 58% in practical nursing. They were also responsible for similar percentages of graduates in those programs across the postsecondary sector.
• Public health programs were noted for their diverse recruitment with Latinx and African American students comprising 22% and 20% of all graduates, respectively.
• For many health care programs, certificates are more common than longer-term awards.
• Median hourly wages vary by program and attainment level, with the highest wages associated with two-year degrees in dental support services.

Community Colleges: Achieving Their Potential for Workforce Development: A report recently published by the American Enterprise Institute analyzed the role of public community colleges in preparing learners to enter the workforce and meet labor demand.

Community colleges are facing many hurdles, including providing academic and career supports, purchasing equipment for in-demand fields, the lack of Pell Grant access for students in non-credit programs, and the transfer disconnect with four-year institutions, among other things. Researchers highlighted some of the following recommendations for policymakers and administrators to better support these institutions:

• Update recruitment and hiring practices to attract instructors with relevant industry experience.
• Use labor market information and employer engagement to improve labor market alignment and better integrate work-based learning with classroom instruction.
• Create flexible pathways and stackable opportunities in and among for-credit and non-credit programs.
• Invest in staff who specialize in building relationships with employers and community partners.

The publication highlights examples such as Project QUEST in San Antonio, Texas, which offers community college training that supports the certification of students in high-earnings fields such as health care, manufacturing and information technology as well as the Good Jobs Challenge, which has awarded $500 million in grants extending into 2027 to regional workforce training partnerships of industry, community colleges, training partners, community-based organizations and unions.

Strategies and Resources to Align Non-credit and Credit Programs: Education Strategy Group recently published a series of resources, which share research, strategies and examples of success aimed at supporting community colleges in the pursuit of more closely aligning non-credit workforce training and degree-focused credit programs. Despite this separation often being beneficial, having two different systems internally can cause content duplication, lack of communication, missed opportunities to build and collaborate and an inequitable student experience, particularly for non-credit students.

Researchers propose the following key tenets for framework alignment:

• Treat non-credit students the same as those in for-credit programs. Ensure every institutional decision or action is taken with both types of learners in mind.
• Do not make non-credit programs an educational dead end. Instead develop seamless transitions between non-credit programs and credentials and associate degree programs.
• Reorganize for joint leadership between non-credit and credit departments and be prepared to modify institutional curriculum development and design processes for better alignment.
• Ensure that industry-focused programs are credit worthy and credit based with bridge tools like credit matrices, articulation and equivalency agreements.

On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 24 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations bill on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 26-2. Despite the tight budget caps enforced by the debt limit deal, the bill contained an additional $40 million for the Perkins Basic State Grant program! This is a huge step in a year where funding increases will be very hard to secure. Overall, the bill provides significantly more resources to education and workforce development programs than the House bill, including a very small net increase for education funding over last year (approximately .2% or $147 million).

The Senate bill does not eliminate any education programs, although most programs are frozen at their FY 23 levels and a few have minor cuts. In addition to Perkins, other programs receiving increases include Title I, IDEA, Pell grants, Head Start, student aid administration, Student Success and Academic Enrichment Grants (ESEA Title IV), and Teacher Quality Partnerships. Most workforce programs were also level funded, with a small increase for apprenticeships.

The Senate has now approved all 12 of its appropriations bills at the Committee level on a bipartisan basis, and the bills next head to the full Senate. The House has approved all but two bills (one of which is the Labor, HHS, and Education bill) at the Committee level, and one bill has passed the full House; however, all House bills are partisan. Action is now paused in both chambers for the August recess.

Next steps for the appropriations process are uncertain, as some House members are asking for even more cuts than their Labor, HHS and Education bill initially included – and the Senate and White House will not agree to those cuts. Your advocacy will be critical to attempt to maintain the higher level for Perkins included in the Senate bill, as well as the Senate funding levels for programs across the education and workforce spectrum!