Perkins Act

Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act

On July 31, 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act was signed into law. This bill authorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education ACt of 2006 (Perkins IV) and is more commonly referred to as Perkins V.

Perkins V reflects the 100-year federal commitment to Career Technical Education (CTE) by providing federal support for CTE programs, and focusing on improving the academic and technical achievement of CTE learners, strengthening the connections between secondary and postsecondary education and improving accountability. Perkins V affords states and local communities the opportunity to implement a vision for CTE that uniquely supports the range of educational needs of students — exploration through career preparation — and balances those learners needs with the current and emerging needs of the economy.

Perkins V Implementation Resources

  • Driving Quality & Equity in CTE: A State Guide to Developing the Perkins V  Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment Template 
    This tool, developed by Advance CTE with input from the Shared Solutions Workgroup on the CLNA, helps states identify the major decision points that will impact the design, development and implementation of their CLNA and related local application. It also includes a bank of questions to draw from to help states create a template that elevates and addresses state and local priorities.
  • A Guide for State Leaders: Maximizing Perkins V’s Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment & Local Application to Drive Quality and Equity in CTE
    This guide from Advance CTE provides a summary, analysis and guidance for each major component of the comprehensive local needs assessment and the decisions states can be making now to support a robust CLNA process that aligns with the state’s overall vision for CTE
  • A Guide for Local Leaders: Maximizing Perkins V’s Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment & Local Application to Drive Equality in CTE (PDF)
    This guide from ACTE provides an overview and and guidance for the comprehensive local needs assessment so that local leaders can utilize it as a tool for program improvement.
  • State Needs Assessment Crosswalk 
    This crosswalk tool, developed by Advance CTE with input from the Shared Solutions Workgroup on the CLNA, is designed to support state-level discussions about and the coordination of state- and federally required needs assessments, such as the required under Perkins V, the Every Student Succeeds Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
  • Using Needs Assessments for School and District Improvement: A Tactical Guide (PDF)
    This report from the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Center on School Turnaround guides state education agencies and local education agencies through developing needs assessments.
  • Draft State Plan Guide (PDF)
    This guide from the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) contains the details about the requirements for the Perkins V one-year transition plan (due Spring 2019), the four-year state plan (due Spring 2020) and additional details about OCTAE’s interpretation of Perkins V. 
  • Timeline & Plan Development (PDF)
    This two-page color infographic displays the timeline for the submission of Perkins V state plans and outlines the state plan development process.
  • Putting Your CTE Vision into Action Through Perkins V Planning
    This tool aims to help state leaders to think through where their system is working and where it needs to be pushed — and how Perkins V can help drive the changes necessary to achieve a statewide strategic vision for CTE.
  • Perkins V Leadership Levers
    This one-pager highlights the leadership levers that states may choose to exercise to advance the state’s vision for CTE in Perkins V.
  • Perkins V Funding Levers
    This tool from Advance CTE highlights the funding levers and questions to consider in Perkins V.
  • Sample Perkins V State Plan Development Timeline
    This resource shows a sample timeline for Perkins V state plan development and was designed to be modified to help states create their own timeline.
  • Perkins V: Secondary “CTE Concentrator” Definition Background (PDF)
    This resource by Advance CTE and ACTE provides context and additional information on the secondary CTE concentrator definition.
  • Communicating About Perkins V
    This tool aims to help state leaders think through their overall communications strategy throughout the process of developing and implementing your Perkins V state plan.
  • Career Readiness Stakeholder Engagement Tool (PDF)
    This tool guides users through nine steps in planning effective interactions with specific stakeholders.
  • CCSSO Stakeholder Engagement Resources (PDF)
    A summary of some of the tools and resources CCSSO has provided in support of states developing effective stakeholder engagement routines and policies.
  • Planning for Engagement: Identifying Key Stakeholders for Perkins V
    This tool outlines the types of engagement required in Perkins V and was designed to help states begin the brainstorming process for their engagement efforts related to Perkins V.
  • Stakeholders and Perkins V: Meaningful Engagement for Student Success (PDF)
    This guide contains specific strategies on how best to connect with, speak to and learn from stakeholders with a unique perspective. This tool provides detailed guidance on stakeholder engagement strategies; state examples of potential strategies; stakeholder-specific tactics; planning templates and tools; a breakdown of stakeholders with whom states are required to engage under different provisions of Perkins V; and lists of additional stakeholder engagement resources.

Find all Perkins V implementation resources in the Learning that Works Resource Center.

Perkins V Policy Resources

Perkins V (September 2018)

  • Full text of Perkins V

Side-by-Side Analysis of Perkins IV and Perkins V (October 2018)

  • This document displays the text of Perkins IV alongside the text of Perkins V and includes an analysis of the changes between the two laws

Perkins V Redline (August 2018)

  • This document shows how the text of Perkins V compares to Perkins IV

Understanding Perkins V (November 2020)

  • An overview of Perkins V including its purpose, how funds are distributed and why Perkins V is an investment that matters

Major Tenets of Perkins V (August 2018)

  • A one-page overview of the major tenets of Perkins V

Summary and Analysis of Perkins V (August 2018)

  • An overview of Perkins V, including state and local implications

Infographic: Perkins V Timeline & State Plan Development Process (October 2018)

  • This two-page color infographic displays the timeline for the submission of Perkins V state plans and outlines the state plan development process.

​Advance CTE and ACTE Joint Letter on Senate Passage of Perkins V Reauthorization (July 2018)

  • A letter to the Senate in response to the Perkins V Reauthorization Bill that the Senate voted to pass on July 23, 2018

Additional Resources