Perkins V
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| Perkins V | |
|---|---|
| Name | Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2018 |
| Short title | Perkins V |
| Enacted by | 115th United States Congress |
| Effective date | 2018 |
| Public law | Public Law 115–224 |
| Introduced by | Glenn Thompson (R–Pennsylvania) |
| Signed by | Donald Trump |
| Signed date | 2018 |
Perkins V is the informal name for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act reauthorized in 2018 by the 115th United States Congress and signed by Donald Trump. It reauthorizes federal support for secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs across the United States and emphasizes alignment with labor market needs, state-level accountability, and expanded stakeholder engagement. The statute amended prior law to update definitions, funding formulas, performance measures, and governance structures for workforce-related education programs.
Background and enactment
The law builds on prior Congressional action including the original Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act and the 2006 reauthorization, commonly referenced as Perkins IV, passed by the 109th United States Congress and signed by George W. Bush. Legislative deliberations involved stakeholders such as the U.S. Department of Education, state education agencies like the California Department of Education, national organizations including the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium and the Association for Career and Technical Education, plus representatives from industry consortia such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor groups like the AFL–CIO. Committees engaged included the House Committee on Education and Labor and the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, with floor action culminating in Public Law 115–224.
Key provisions and changes from Perkins IV
The reauthorization revises definitions and priorities that affect entities such as local education agencies and community colleges and clarifies the role of statewide bodies like State Workforce Development Boards established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It introduces a stronger emphasis on Career Technical Student Organizations including Future Farmers of America and SkillsUSA by allowing those activities within funded programs. The statute refines terms used by institutions such as Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (California) and changes governance structures influencing relationships with employers like General Electric and Amazon (company). It modifies state plan requirements similar to mechanisms used by Every Student Succeeds Act and affects reporting frameworks previously used under Perkins IV.
Funding and federal-state administration
The act continues an allocation model that distributes federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education to states including territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam. It adjusts reservation and set-aside provisions that affect entities like State Leadership Activities and the distribution to local recipients such as school districts and technical colleges; it retains formula-based grants influenced by state demographic data from the United States Census Bureau. State allocation decisions involve State Directors of Career Technical Education and coordination with agencies like State Workforce Development Boards and institutions such as Iowa Department of Education or Texas Education Agency. The law also addresses maintenance of effort and supplement-not-supplant principles monitored by the Government Accountability Office and oversight by the Office of Management and Budget.
Career and technical education (CTE) program elements
Authorized programs cover secondary career pathways delivered by institutions like high schools and postsecondary training at community colleges, including registered apprenticeships affiliated with employers such as United Technologies and certification pathways recognized by sector partners like CompTIA and Manufacturing Institute. The statute endorses career advising and transition supports that coordinate with programs run by agencies like Veterans Affairs for veteran pathways and student services modeled after TRIO (programs). It supports integration of recognized industry credentials, work-based learning such as internships with corporations like Boeing, and partnerships with regional workforce entities including Chambers of Commerce.
Accountability, performance measures, and reporting
Perkins V revises performance indicators that states must report, aligning some metrics with measures used by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act. Required indicators include placement in employment or further education, attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials, and completion rates for CTE concentrators, and are submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by State Education Agencies and postsecondary entities such as community colleges. The law permits states to establish negotiated performance levels in consultation with stakeholders including employers like Intel Corporation and labor organizations such as the National Education Association. Data collection interacts with systems maintained by entities like the National Student Clearinghouse and state longitudinal data systems.
Implementation challenges and policy debates
Debate on implementation has involved tensions among stakeholders such as state education agencies, industry groups like National Association of Manufacturers, labor unions including Service Employees International Union, and advocacy organizations such as the Education Trust. Challenges include aligning federal CTE funding with state workforce strategies coordinated through State Workforce Development Boards, ensuring equity for underserved populations represented by groups like the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, and measuring outcomes across institutions such as for-profit colleges and public community colleges. Additional issues concern credential quality and stackability debated by research centers like the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, data privacy concerns raised in state longitudinal data efforts, and balancing local control with accountability favored by federal oversight bodies including the Government Accountability Office.