Overview
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act in 2018 (Perkins V), is the primary piece of federal legislation impacting CTE programs around the country. The most recent amendment was signed into law on July 31, 2018 as Public Law 115-224. Below you will find several general resources to help you understand the law.
Perkins Statistics
- In FY 2026, the federal government allocated approximately $1.4 billion in Perkins Basic State Grants to states to support the development and improvement of CTE programs (OCTAE).
- CTE programs served over 8.6 million secondary CTE participants and 3.3 million postsecondary CTE participants in 2023-24 (OCTAE). Participants are students who take at least one course in CTE.
- These 2023-24 totals include 3.8 million secondary CTE concentrators, or students taking 2+ courses in the same CTE program area, and 1.8 million postsecondary CTE concentrators, or students earning 12+ credits in a CTE program area (or less if the program is shorter) (OCTAE).
- 97% of secondary CTE concentrators graduate from high school, among other positive outcomes for CTE students (OCTAE).
Perkins 101
This series describes, in an easy-to-understand manner, the components of Perkins V legislation to anyone new to the purpose, importance and impact of this federal law.
History of CTE in Federal Policy
- CTE Policy Past, Present, and Future: Driving Forces Behind the Evolution of Federal Priorities (April 2017): This article uses a social policy analysis approach to trace the history of federal CTE policy throughout the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Through this overview, we demonstrate how federal CTE policy has repeatedly evolved and responded to changing economic and social needs, while also incorporating policy flexibility that has led to variation in program implementation on the state and local levels.
