Earlier this year, Advance CTE conducted a survey of State CTE Directors asking how states were implementing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins) and using their Perkins Basic State Grants. It is important to note that Perkins requires that at least 85 percent of each state’s Perkins grant go to local eligible recipients (e.g., school districts, area technical centers, institutions of higher education, etc.). The focus of the new fact sheet, “How States Use Perkins – The Basics” details how states are using the remaining 15 percent and other flexible portions of their grants. The findings include:

• 50 states report using a portion of their state leadership funds on supporting or improving new CTE courses or initiatives and the improvement of career guidance and academic advisement;
• 38 states report dedicating a portion of the local allocation to the creation of a reserve fund, which can be used for specialized projects benefiting rural areas, areas with a high number of CTE students and/or areas with a high percentage of CTE students; and
• 12 states report that they require local secondary recipients to distribute 100 percent of their Perkins funds to programs of study

To learn more about the top uses of state leadership funds, how states are distributing their reserve funds and more, check out the fact sheet here.