Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006: An Overview

Summary

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV; P.L. 109-270) is the main federal law supporting the development of career and technical skills among students in secondary and postsecondary education. Perkins IV aims to improve academic outcomes and preparedness for higher education or the labor market among students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs, previously known as vocational education programs.

The federal government has a long history of supporting programs to develop students’ career and technical skills, dating back to the 19th century. Perkins IV, the most recent federal law targeting CTE, was passed in 2006 and authorized through FY2012. The authorization was extended through FY2013 under the General Education Provisions Act, and Perkins IV has continued to receive fairly constant appropriations through FY2016. The total appropriations for Perkins IV in FY2016 were approximately $1.1 billion. This report provides a summary of Perkins IV.

The largest program authorized by Perkins IV is the Basic State Grants program. Key features of this program include the following:

formula grants to the states to develop and improve CTE programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels;

a state allocation formula that allocates money based on population and per capita income factors;

a distribution of at least 85% of the funds from the states to the local level;

state flexibility in deciding the allocation of state funds between secondary and postsecondary local CTE providers;

requirements for states to develop and implement programs of study, which are nonduplicative sequences of courses that span the secondary and postsecondary levels and lead to an industry-recognized credential, certificate, or postsecondary degree;

core indicators of performance for accountability purposes, with target levels of performance negotiated between each state and the Secretary of Education;

disaggregation of performance data by special populations and subgroups defined in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015; and

the requirement for states to prepare and implement program improvement strategies if the target levels on core indicators of performance are not met.

Perkins IV also authorizes additional programs: Tech Prep, National Programs, Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Institutions (TCPCTI), and Occupational Employment Information. Of these, only National Programs and TCPCTI received funding for FY2011-FY2016.