Department of Education

CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Fiscal Year 2015 Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language ........................................................................................................O-1

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes.......................................................................O-2

Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers ..............................................................................O-3

Summary of Changes .............................................................................................................O-4

Authorizing Legislation............................................................................................................O-5

Appropriations History.............................................................................................................O-6

Summary of Request ..............................................................................................................O-7

Activities:

Career and technical education: 

State grants ...................................................................................................................O-10

National programs .........................................................................................................O-21

Adult education: 

Adult basic and literacy education State grants..............................................................O-23

National leadership activities..........................................................................................O-31

State tables*

*State tables reflecting 2014 allocations and 2015 estimates are posted on the Department’s Web page at: 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html#update.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-1

Appropriations language

For carrying out, to the extent not otherwise provided, [the Carl D. Perkins Career and 

Technical Education Act of 2006 and] the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (“AEFLA”), 

[$1,702,686,000 of] $597,667,000, which [$911,686,000] shall become available on July 1, 

[2014] 2015, and shall remain available through September 30, [2015, and of which 

$791,000,000 shall become available on October 1, 2014, and shall remain available through 

September 30, 2015] 2016:

1 Provided, That of the amount provided for Adult Education State 

Grants, $70,811,000 shall be made available for integrated English literacy and civics education 

services to immigrants and other limited-English-proficient populations:

2 Provided further, That 

of the amount reserved for integrated English literacy and civics education, notwithstanding 

section 211 of the AEFLA, 65 percent shall be allocated to States based on a State's absolute 

need as determined by calculating each State's share of a 10-year average of the United States 

Citizenship and Immigration Services data for immigrants admitted for legal permanent 

residence for the 10 most recent years, and 35 percent allocated to States that experienced 

growth as measured by the average of the 3 most recent years for which United States 

Citizenship and Immigration Services data for immigrants admitted for legal permanent 

residence are available, except that no State shall be allocated an amount less than $60,000:

3

Provided further, That of the amounts made available for AEFLA, [$13,712,000] $33,712,000

shall be for national leadership activities under section 243.

4

 (Department of Education 

Appropriations Act, 2014.)

NOTES

No appropriations language is included for programs authorized under the expired Carl D. Perkins Career and 

Technical Education Act; when new authorizing legislation for the Perkins Act is enacted, a budget request for these 

programs will be proposed.

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language 

Provisions and Changes document, which follows the appropriation language.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-2

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1 ...[$1,702,686,000 of] $597,667,000, which 

[$911,686,000] shall become available on 

July 1, [2014] 2015, and shall remain 

available through September 30, [2015, and 

of which $791,000,000 shall become 

available on October 1, 2014, and shall 

remain available through September 30, 

2015] 2016:...

This language provides for funds to be 

appropriated on a forward-funded basis for 

Adult Education programs. The language 

also makes a portion of the funds 

appropriated for Career and Technical 

Education State Grants available on an 

advance-funded basis.

2 Provided, That of the amount provided for 

Adult Education State Grants, $70,811,000 

shall be made available for integrated 

English literacy and civics education services 

to immigrants and other limited-Englishproficient populations:...

This language reserves funds from the Adult 

Education State Grants appropriation for 

English Literacy and Civics Education State 

Grants, which are not otherwise authorized 

under the Adult Education and Family 

Literacy Act.

3 Provided further, That of the amount 

reserved for integrated English literacy and 

civics education, notwithstanding section 211 

of the AEFLA, 65 percent shall be allocated 

to States based on a State’s absolute need 

as determined by calculating each State's 

share of a 10-year average of the United 

States Citizenship and Immigration Services 

data for immigrants admitted for legal 

permanent residence for the 10 most recent 

years, and 35 percent allocated to States that 

experienced growth as measured by the 

average of the 3 most recent years for which 

United States Citizenship and Immigration 

Services data for immigrants admitted for 

legal permanent residence are available, 

except that no State shall be allocated an 

amount less than $60,000:...

This language specifies an allocation formula 

for awarding State grants for English literacy 

and civics education.

4 Provided further, That, of the amounts 

made available for AEFLA, [$13,712,000] 

$33,712,000 shall be for national leadership 

activities under section 243.

This language provides a specific amount for 

National Leadership activities authorized 

under section 243 of the Adult Education and 

Family Literacy Act, overriding the statutory 

set-aside of 1.5 percent of the Adult 

Education appropriation (not to exceed 

$8 million).
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-3

Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2013 2014 2015

Discretionary:

Discretionar yAppropriation.............................................................. $1,737,154 $1,702,686 $1,722,686

Discretionar y Across-the-board reduction (P.L. 113-6) .................... -3,474 0 0

Discretionar y Total, discretionary appropriation 1,733,680 1,646,533 1,702,686

Discretionar ySequester (P.L. 112-25)............................................. -87,147 0 0

Discretionar y Total, adjusted discretionary appropriation.......... 1,646,533 1,702,686 1,722,686

Advance:

Advance for succeeding fiscal year ........................ -791,000 -791,000 -791,000

Advance from prior year......................................... 791,000 791,000 791,000

Total, budget authority ....................................... 1,646,533 1,702,686 1,722,686
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-4

Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2014................................................................................................. $1,702,686

2015................................................................................................. 1,722,686

Net change ............................................................... +20,000

Increases: 2014 base

Change 

from base

Program:

Funding for new Skills Challenge Grants under Adult Education 

National Leadership Activities to support partnerships that scale up 

promising and evidence-based models that combine basic skills 

education with training, and improve alignment of services across 

sectors and with postsecondary education and training. 0 +$20,000

Net change +20,000
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-5

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

2014 2014 2015 2015

Activity Authorized Estimate Authorized Request

Career and technical education (Carl D. Perkins CTEA):

CTAE State grants (CTEA Title I) 01 $1,117,598 01 $1,117,598

CTAE National programs (CTEA Section 114) 01 7,421 01 7,421

Adult education (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 

(AEFLA)):

AEF LA Adult basic and literacy education State grants (AEFLA and 

WIA section 503) 02,3 563,955 02,3 563,955

AEF LA National leadership activities (AEFLA section 243) 02,3 13,712 02,3 33,712

Unfunded authorizations

UA Grants to States for workplace and community transition 

training for incarcerated individuals (HE Amendments 

of 1998, Title VIII-D) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 0

UA National Institute for Literacy (AEFLA section 242) 0 0 0 0

UA Occupational and employment information (CTEA 

section 118) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 0

UA Tech prep education State grants (CTEA Title II) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 0

Total definite authorization ......................................................... 0 0

Total annual appropriation.......................................................... 1,702,686 1,722,686

NOTE: The Administration is proposing to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. FY 2015 funds for affected programs are 

proposed for later transmittal and will be requested once the legislation is reauthorized. 1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2013; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015. 2 Section 211(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act requires that, of the funds appropriated for Adult Education, the Secretary reserve 

1.5 percent, not to exceed $8 million, for the National Institute for Literacy; 1.5 percent, not to exceed $8 million, for National Leadership Activities; and 

1.72 percent for incentive grants (as authorized under section 503 of the Workforce Investment Act). 3 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2004; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-6

Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Foot

-

note Appropriation Foot

-

note

2006 $215,734 $1,991,782 $1,927,016 $1,992,159

(2006 Advance for 2007) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2007 579,552 N/A1 N/A1 1,992,170

(2007 Advance for 2008) (791,000) (791,000)

2008 1,189,808 2,038,220 1,894,788 1,941,642

(2008 Advance for 2009) (791,000)

2009 574,590 1,951,6112 1,863,1622 1,944,348

(2009 Advance for 2010) (791,000)

2010 2,018,447 2,016,447 2,018,4473 1,928,447

(2010 Advance for 2011) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2011 1,942,707 1,991,4474 1,942,5413 1,737,4515

(2011 Advance for 2012) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

Rescission (P.L. 112-74) (1,495)

2012 1,683,392 1,738,9466 1,738,9466 1,737,154

(2012 Advance for 2013) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2013 1,737,154 1,737,1547 1,737,1547 1,646,533

(2013 Advance for 2014) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2014 1,750,154 N/A81,737,949 1,702,686

(2014 Advance for 2015) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2015 1,722,686

(2015 Advance for 2016) (791,000)

1 This account operated under a full-year continuing resolution (P.L. 110-5). House and Senate allowances are 

shown as N/A (Not Available) because neither body passed a separate appropriations bill. 2 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2009 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 110th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 3

 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Committee action only. 4

 The level for the House allowance reflects the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 5

 The level for appropriation reflects the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 

(P.L. 112-10). 6

 The level for the House allowance reflects an introduced bill and the level for the Senate allowance reflects 

Senate Committee action only. 7

 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2013 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 112th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 8

 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action.
ACCOUNT

O-7O-7

Summary of Request

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2015 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET 

Click here for accessible version 

(in thousands of dollars) 2015

Category 2013 2014 President's

Account, Program and Activity Code Appropriation Appropriation Budget Amount Percent

Career, Technical, and Adult Education

1. Career and technical education (Carl D. Perkins CTEA):

(a) State grants (Title I)

Annual appropriation D 273,446 326,598 326,598 0 0.000%

Advance for succeeding fiscal year D 791,000 791,000 791,000 0 0.000%

Subtotal 1,064,446 1,117,598 1,117,598 0 0.000%

(b) National programs (section 114) D 7,421 7,421 7,421 0 0.000%

Subtotal, Career and technical education 1,071,866 1,125,019 1,125,019 0 0.000%

2. Adult education:

(a) Adult basic and literacy education State grants (AEFLA and WIA section 503) D 563,955 563,955 563,955 0 0.000%

(b) National leadership activities (AEFLA section 243) D 10,712 13,712 33,712 20,000 145.858%

Subtotal, Adult education 574,667 577,667 597,667 20,000 3.462%

Total, Appropriation D 1,646,533 1,702,686 1,722,686 20,000 1.175%

Total, Budget authority D 1,646,533 1,702,686 1,722,686 20,000 1.175%

Current 855,533 911,686 931,686 20,000 2.194%

Prior year's advance 1 791,000 791,000 791,000 0 0.000%

NOTES: D = discretionary program; M = mandatory program; FY= fiscal year

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding. 

Compared to 2014 Appropriation

2015 President's Budget 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-8

Summary of Request

Programs in the Career, Technical, and Adult Education account further the efforts of States 

and communities to improve their career and technical education programs and their adult 

education and literacy systems. The objective of the career and technical education programs 

is to develop the academic, career, and technical skills of youth and adults in high schools, 

community colleges, and correctional institutions by helping States develop challenging 

standards; promoting the integration of academic, career, and technical instruction; and 

supporting State and local program improvements. Adult education programs support local 

efforts to provide educational services to adults who lack the basic or English literacy skills 

needed for them to benefit fully from job training, obtain better jobs, complete secondary 

education, succeed in postsecondary education, and become full participants in their children’s 

education. The request for the Career and Technical Education programs would support 

implementation under a reauthorized Perkins Act as outlined in the proposal the Department 

published in April 2012, “Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and 

Technical Education.” Adult Education programs would be included in the pending Workforce 

Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization.

The Administration requests a total of $1.7 billion for this account. This request includes 

$1.1 billion for Career and Technical Education State Grants and $7.4 million for Career and 

Technical Education National Programs. The request also includes $564.0 million for Adult 

Education State Grants, and $33.7 million for Adult Education National Leadership 

Activities.

The request for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Grants program would 

support the first year of activity under a reauthorized Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 

Education Act that would seek to ensure that all CTE programs become viable and rigorous 

pathways to postsecondary education and career success. The Administration’s reauthorization 

proposal would increase the alignment between CTE and labor market needs, strengthen 

collaboration among secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and business and industry,

create a better accountability system, and provide competitive funding modeled after the 

Investing in Innovation (i3) program to promote innovation and reform in CTE. The request for 

CTE State Grants includes up to $100 million to fund competitive grants under a CTE innovation 

fund, including $10 million for “Pay-for-Success” projects. The proposal would also support the 

Department’s secondary school agenda and the President’s 2020 college completion goal.

The request for Career and Technical Education National Programs would support 

implementation of a reauthorized Perkins Act through research, evaluation, data collection, 

technical assistance, and other national leadership activities aimed at improving the quality and 

effectiveness of career and technical education.

The request for Adult Education State Grants would support the Department’s ongoing efforts 

to assist adults in becoming literate and in obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for 

employment and self-sufficiency, assist adults who are parents in obtaining the educational 

skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and 

assist adults in the completion of a secondary education. The Adult Education State Grants

request also includes continuation of a set-aside for English Literacy/Civics Education State 

Grants to support the unmet needs of immigrants learning English. The program helps States 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Summary of Request—continued

O-9O-9

and communities provide adult English Learners with expanded access to high-quality English 

literacy programs linked to civics education.

The request for Adult Education National Leadership Activities will continue to support 

activities intended to increase the literacy and workforce skills of our Nation’s native-born adult 

population, as well as the ongoing need to address the English language acquisition, literacy, 

and workforce skills gaps of the immigrant population. The requested increase of $20.0 million 

will support Skills Challenge Grants to help scale up promising and evidence-based models that 

combine basic skills education with training and improve alignment of services across sectors 

and with postsecondary education and training. A portion of the 2015 request will also support 

the expansion of the Department’s reentry education model demonstration initiative. This will 

help develop evidence of effectiveness in a variety of institutional contexts and build on the 

Department’s recent Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of Educational 

Opportunities competition.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-10

Activities:

Career and technical education: State grants 

(Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, Title I)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: Indefinite1

Budget Authority: 

Acti vity and period of fund availability

2014 2015 Change

Annual appropriation $326,598 $326,598 0

Advance for succeeding fiscal year 791,000 791,000 0

Total 1,117,598 1,117,598 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2013; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV), State 

Grants for Career and Technical Education (CTE) assist States and Outlying Areas in 

expanding and improving career and technical education in high schools, technical schools, and 

community colleges. Each State uses program funds to support a variety of career and 

technical education programs developed in accordance with its State plan. 

The Department allocates funds to States, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 

the Virgin Islands, through a formula based on State per-capita income and population in three 

age cohorts (15-19, 20-24, and 25-65). The formula provides for a minimum State allocation of 

at least 0.5 percent of the total, and a “hold-harmless” provision in the formula ensures that no 

State’s share of the appropriation is less than its share of the fiscal year 1998 appropriation. A 

special provision limits the increase a State with an initial allocation of the 0.5 percent minimum 

may receive, resulting in a number of States that receive an allocation of less than 0.5 percent 

of the total. If appropriations result in the amount of funds for allocation to States exceeding the 

amount of funds allocated to States from the fiscal year 2006 appropriation, up to one-third of 

the additional funds is to be allotted to States with fiscal year 2006 grant awards that were less 

than the minimum 0.5 percent grant amount and the remainder is to flow to the other States. 

In addition, the Pacific territories receive 0.13 percent of the total appropriated for State Grants 

to operate the same kinds of career and technical education programs as the States. Within 

that set-aside, Guam receives $660,000, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands 

each receive $350,000, and Palau receives $160,000. Any remaining funds are distributed 

among Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands in equal shares. Also, 

1.25 percent of the total appropriation for State Grants is set aside for grants to federally 

recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and 0.25 percent is set aside for competitive 

grants to organizations that primarily serve and represent Hawaiian Natives.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-11O-11

Under the statute:

• Programs must, among other things, integrate academic and career and technical 

education, promote student attainment of challenging academic and career and technical 

standards, provide strong linkages between secondary and postsecondary education, and 

provide professional development for teachers, counselors, and administrators.

• States and local recipients must offer at least one program of study. Programs of study are 

coherent sequences of non-duplicative CTE courses that progress from the secondary to 

the postsecondary level, include rigorous and challenging academic content along with 

career and technical content, and lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at 

the postsecondary level or to an associate or baccalaureate degree. 

• The Secretary and each State must reach agreement on annual levels of performance for a 

number of “core indicators” specified in the law. 

o The core indicators for secondary education programs focus on student attainment of 

challenging academic standards, as measured by attainment of the proficient level or 

above on the statewide assessments required under Title I of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act (ESEA); high school graduation; student attainment of career 

and technical skill proficiencies; student attainment of a secondary school diploma or its 

recognized equivalent, or a proficiency credential in conjunction with a secondary school 

diploma; student placement in postsecondary education, advanced training, military 

service, or employment; and student participation in and completion of career and 

technical education programs that lead to employment in fields that are traditionally 

dominated by one gender.

o The core indicators for postsecondary education programs focus on student attainment 

of challenging career and technical skill proficiencies; student attainment of an industryrecognized credential, certificate, or degree; student retention in postsecondary 

education or transfer to a baccalaureate degree program; student placement in the 

military or in apprenticeship programs, or placement or retention in employment; and 

student participation in and completion of career and technical education programs that 

lead to employment in fields that are traditionally dominated by one gender.

• At least 85 percent of State Grant funds must be allocated by formula to local educational 

agencies (LEAs) and postsecondary institutions, and a State may reserve up to 10 percent 

of those funds to make grant awards to local agencies in rural areas and areas with high 

percentages or high numbers of career and technical education students. 

• States may use up to 10 percent of their allocations to carry out State leadership activities, 

such as professional development, expanding the use of technology, assessing career and 

technical education services, furthering the integration of academic and career and technical 

education in order to improve student achievement, preparing students for employment in 

fields that are traditionally dominated by one gender, delivering career and technical 

education in correctional institutions, and providing services for special populations.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-12O-12

This is a forward-funded program that includes advance appropriations. A portion of the funds 

becomes available for obligation on July 1 of the fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated 

and remains available for 15 months through September 30 of the following year. The 

remaining funds become available on October 1 of the fiscal year following the appropriations 

act and remain available for 12 months, expiring at the same time as the forward-funded 

portion. 

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2010 ...................................................... $1,160,911

2011 ........................................................ 1,122,164

2012 ........................................................ 1,123,030

2013 ........................................................ 1,064,446

2014 ........................................................ 1,117,598

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2015, the Administration requests $1.1 billion for the Career and Technical 

Education (CTE) State Grants program, the same amount as the 2014 appropriation. The fiscal 

year 2015 appropriation would support implementation under a reauthorized Carl D. Perkins 

Career and Technical Education Act consistent with the Department’s reauthorization proposal, 

“Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education,”

which was released in April 2012. The proposal would strengthen provisions of the current

statute and would provide States, local educational agencies (LEAs), and postsecondary 

institutions with the support required to help ensure that all students exit their CTE programs 

well prepared for further education or employment in high-skill and high-demand occupations, 

including for technical jobs that are currently going unfilled. The reauthorization proposal would 

also support the President’s goals of ensuring that (1) every student graduate from high school 

college- and career-ready and (2) the United States again lead the world in college completion 

by 2020.

The blueprint for reauthorization of the Perkins Act proposes statutory reforms to both address 

the current program’s shortcomings and transform it. Under the current Perkins Act, it has been 

difficult to determine the program’s effectiveness and to hold States accountable for 

performance, in part because States can establish their own performance measures and goals. 

Furthermore, the current structure of the CTE State Grants program—with funds allocated from 

States to local secondary and postsecondary recipients separately and by formula—does not 

promote adequate linkages between secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, and 

employers to promote effectiveness. The Administration strongly believes, however, that highquality CTE programs can have a significant, positive impact on student achievement, high 

school graduation, transition to college, college completion rates, and labor market outcomes. 

The blueprint proposes the following strategies to achieve that vision: 

• Increase alignment between CTE and labor market needs. While the current system lacks 

requirements for States to work with workforce and economic development agencies, our 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-13O-13

reauthorization proposal would require States and local agencies to work with these 

agencies and other partners to identify in-demand occupations in high-growth industry 

sectors to ensure that CTE programs are aligned with and provide students with the skills 

they need to succeed in these occupations.

• Strengthen collaboration among secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and business 

and industry. In place of separate within-State formula allocations to secondary and 

postsecondary programs, our proposal would require States to make competitive grants to 

consortia of secondary and postsecondary institutions, thus strengthening the linkage 

between secondary and postsecondary education while also directing funds to programs 

with the strongest and most proven strategies for delivering CTE, including strategies for 

serving all students. Because employer involvement is also key to ensuring that CTE 

programs are aligned with workforce needs and give students work-based learning 

opportunities, consortia would be required to include relevant employers within each career 

pathway. Finally, each State would be required to obtain matching funds from the private 

sector through its grantees. 

• Create a better accountability system. The current accountability system does not provide 

valid, reliable, or comparable information about whether CTE programs are accomplishing 

their goals because States determine how their own performance will be measured. Nor 

does it create a basis for recognizing and expanding the most successful programs or 

identifying ineffective programs and taking actions to improve them. The Administration’s 

proposal would move States toward common definitions for performance measures 

including measures that would hold States accountable for providing students participating 

in CTE programs with access to postsecondary education and increasing students’ 

attainment of a postsecondary credential, certificate, or degree. In addition, the 

reauthorized Perkins Act would create financial incentives for good performance as well as 

consequences for poor performance.

• Promote innovation and reform in CTE. A key to improving the effectiveness and impact of 

CTE programs is expanding the knowledge base of effective practices by promoting the 

development, evaluation, and scaling up of innovations in CTE. Building on the 

Department’s successful experience with the Investing in Innovation (i3) program, the 

reauthorization would support a discretionary fund aimed at promoting innovation and 

reform in CTE and replicating the success of proven models. An innovation fund dedicated 

to CTE would be unique because it would allow for projects that focus on the alignment and 

articulation between secondary and postsecondary education. A particular emphasis of the 

fund would be to promote employer involvement and linkages to workforce needs as well as 

projects that focus on both labor market and educational outcomes. Initial investments 

under a CTE innovation fund might target programs or strategies to (1) provide services that 

help disconnected youth access career pathways in high-skill, high-wage jobs; (2) expand 

the capacity of rural and remote communities to provide access to articulated pathways to 

industry-recognized postsecondary credentials or degrees for in-demand industry sectors 

and occupations; or (3) use technology to improve service delivery and provide learning 

experiences to students through the use of virtual simulations of workplace equipment. 

Funding would also support activities to promote the development and adoption of Statelevel reforms in CTE and to carry out “pay-for-success” projects. 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-14O-14

A reauthorized CTE State Grants program will help provide better opportunities for students to 

graduate from high school and exit postsecondary education with the skills to succeed in today’s 

economy. By addressing a persistent skills gap in the employment market, the program will 

have the potential to strengthen the U.S. economy and its global competitiveness while 

increasing the employment rate. 

A 2011 survey of manufacturing executives by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute entitled 

“Boiling Point? The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing” found that 67 percent of respondents 

reported a moderate to severe shortage of available qualified workers and 80 percent 

anticipated that the shortage would grow worse in the next 3 to 5 years for skilled production 

occupations such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and technicians. This 

skills gap is affecting American productivity. Fifty-one percent of respondents said that they

have experienced difficulty maintaining production levels consistent with customer demand 

because of workforce shortages or employee skill deficiencies. 

Moreover, the demand for skilled workers is not likely to decrease. More than two-thirds of 

respondents to the 2011 survey believe that the most important issue for their companies’ future 

business success in the next 3 to 5 years is having a highly skilled, flexible workforce. The 

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce projects that low-skills jobs will 

not come back during or after the United States’ economic recovery. Rather, as has happened 

in past economic downturns, new technologies will likely emerge to increase efficiency, and 

these technologies will require skilled workers to operate them. The reauthorization proposal is 

designed to help ensure that American workers have these skills. 

The Department also expects to propose revisions to the State allocation formula as part of the 

reauthorization proposal in order to improve and simplify the process for calculating allocations 

and to ensure that the formula drives funds to States based on current data. For 2015, the 

Department would use up to $100 million for the competitive innovation program (including 

$10 million for “pay-for-success” projects) and the remainder for the new State formula grant 

program.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2013 2014 2015

Formula funds:

State grants $1,047,095 $1,099,382 $1,001,011

Range of awards to States $568-$113,295 $567-$122,944 $563-$107,239

Territories allocation $1,384 $1,452 $1,323

Indian set-aside $13,306 $13,970 $12,720

Number of grants 30 30 30

Native Hawaiian grant $2,661 $2,794 $2,544

Number of grants 10 10 10
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-15O-15

Measures 2013 2014 2015

Innovation fund:

Amount for innovation and 

reform grants

0 0 $89,000

Number of new awards 0 0 10-20

Range of awards 0 0 $3,000-$25,000

Peer review of applications 0 0 $1,000

Pay-for-Success projects 0 0 $10,000

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in 

fiscal year 2015 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served 

by this program.

Goal: Increase access to and improve educational programs that strengthen education 

achievement, workforce preparation, and lifelong learning.

Objective: Ensure that secondary and postsecondary CTE concentrators, including special 

populations, meet rigorous academic standards, attain technical skills, and make successful 

transitions to further education and employment.

Measure: The percentage of CTE concentrators scoring at the proficient level or above on 

State reading/language arts assessments.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 69% 75%

2011 70 75

2012 71 75

2013 76

2014 77

2015 77
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-16O-16

Measure: The percentage of CTE concentrators scoring at the proficient level or above on 

State mathematics assessments.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 63% 71%

2011 64 70

2012 65 71

2013 72

2014 72

2015 72

Measure: The percentage of CTE concentrators who graduated in the reporting year.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 91% 90%

2011 91 90

2012 91 92

2013 91

2014 91

2015 93

Additional information: The Department has defined a secondary CTE concentrator in nonregulatory guidance as a secondary student who has earned three or more credits in a single 

CTE program area (e.g., health care or business services), or two credits in a single CTE 

program area, but only in those program areas where two-credit sequences at the secondary 

level are recognized by the State and/or its local eligible recipients. However, States have 

authority under the Perkins statute to set definitions for performance measures, and they 

generally do so. As required in the statute, States measure reading/language arts and 

mathematics achievement by determining the percentage of CTE concentrators (of those who 

took State assessments) who attained a level of proficient or advanced on the assessments 

administered by the State under Title I of ESEA. Performance targets are averages of the 

performance targets the Department negotiated with individual State agencies. The source of 

data is the Consolidated Annual Report that State agencies submit to the Department. Note 

that many CTE students take the State assessments before they begin their coursework in CTE 

(i.e., in 9th or 10th grade).

The percentage of CTE concentrators who graduate from high school is obtained by extracting 

data on the CTE students who were included in the State’s computation of the graduation rate 

as required under ESEA Title I. This rate has been higher than the average graduation rate for 

all students. However, States have been revising their graduation rate calculations to meet the 

requirements of the 2008 ESEA Title I regulations. These revisions will likely result in significant 

changes in the reported rates both for CTE students and for students as a whole. Data for 2013 

will be available in May 2014. 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-17O-17

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators attaining technical skills.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 80% 80%

2011 81 76

2012 82 79

2013 82

2014 78

2015 80

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators earning a diploma, a GED, or a 

proficiency credential in conjunction with a secondary school diploma.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 84% 94%

2011 85 95

2012 86 94

2013 94

2014 94

2015 95

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators placed in postsecondary 

education, advanced training, military service, or employment.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 86% 81%

2011 87 81

2012 88 84

2013 81

2014 82

2015 85

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators participating in programs in 

nontraditional fields.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 30% 35%

2011 31 35

2012 32 37

2013 31

2014 32

2015 38
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-18O-18

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators completing programs leading to 

nontraditional fields.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 19% 32%

2011 20 35

2012 21 37

2013 30

2014 32

2015 38

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators attaining technical skills. 

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 68% 80%

2011 69 82

2012 70 83

2013 82

2014 83

2015 84

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators earning an industryrecognized credential, certificate, or degree.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 56% 53%

2011 58 54

2012 60 53

2013 56

2014 58

2015 58

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators remaining in postsecondary 

education or transferring to a baccalaureate program.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 58% 72%

2011 60 71

2012 62 70

2013 60

2014 73

2015 73
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-19O-19

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators placed in military service, 

employment, or apprenticeships. 

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 74% 74%

2011 75 75

2012 76 73

2013 74

2014 75

2015 75

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators participating in nontraditional 

programs.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 20% 23%

2011 21 23

2012 22 24

2013 23

2014 24

2015 25

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators completing nontraditional 

programs.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2010 20% 23%

2011 17 20

2012 18 21

2013 19

2014 21

2015 22

Additional information: In order to encourage consistency in how States collect data for the 

performance indicators, the Department published non-regulatory guidance providing suggested 

measures, measurement approaches, and data definitions for each indicator. However, not 

every State has opted to adopt the Department’s suggested approaches. The Department has 

defined a postsecondary CTE concentrator in non-regulatory guidance as a postsecondary or 

adult student who: (1) completes at least 12 academic or CTE credits within a single program 

area sequence that is comprised of 12 or more academic and technical credits and terminates 

in the award of an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or a degree; or (2) completes a 

short-term CTE program sequence of less than 12 credit units that terminates in an industryrecognized credential, a certificate, or a degree. While the Department continues to work with 

States and provide technical assistance on improving the quality of performance data, the data 

that the States currently submit have limited validity. 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-20O-20

The Perkins Act defines nontraditional fields as occupations or fields of work, including careers 

in computer science, technology, and other current and emerging high-skill occupations, for 

which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals employed in 

each such occupation or field of work. Performance targets are averages of the performance 

targets the Department negotiated with individual State agencies. The targets for the 

percentages of secondary and postsecondary concentrators placed in postsecondary education, 

advanced training, military service, or employment, and for the percentage of postsecondary 

CTE concentrators retained in postsecondary education or transferring to a baccalaureate 

degree program have been adjusted downward due to economic conditions in the States. Data 

for 2013 will be available in May 2014.

Efficiency measures

The Department has adopted Federal cost per participant as the efficiency measure for 

secondary participants in the program. This is also the efficiency measure included in the job 

training common measures adopted by the Department and other Agencies. The efficiency 

measure for postsecondary students is the Federal cost per postsecondary CTE concentrator 

placed or retained in employment, placed in military service, or entering apprenticeships after 

leaving postsecondary education.

Although the Department is able to calculate this measure at the national and State levels, State 

definitions of participants vary, limiting the validity and reliability of comparisons across States. 

The Department started calculating the postsecondary cost measure in 2009. Data for fiscal 

year 2013 will be available in late 2014.

Measure: Federal cost per student.

Year Cost per secondary student

2009 $75

2010 $74

2011 $80

2012 $79

Measure: Federal cost per postsecondary CTE concentrator placed or retained in 

employment, placed in military service, or entering apprenticeships after leaving postsecondary 

education.

Year Cost per postsecondary student

2009 $107

2010 $107

2011 $119

2012 $115
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-21

Career and technical education: National programs

(Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, Section 114)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: Indefinite1

Budget Authority: 

PP2014 2015 Change

$7,421 $7,421 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2013. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) includes an 

authority for National Programs to support research, development, demonstration, 

dissemination, evaluation, and assessment activities aimed at improving the quality and

effectiveness of career and technical education (CTE). Within this authority, Perkins IV 

specifically calls for the operation of a national center to carry out scientifically based research 

in career and technical education and for a national assessment of career and technical 

education programs operated under the Act. The Department used National Programs funds 

from fiscal years 2005 through 2008 to carry out this national assessment. An interim report on 

the current National Assessment of Career and Technical Education was sent to Congress in 

May of 2013. A final report to Congress is forthcoming. 

National Programs funds currently support the National Career and Technical Education 

Research Center and activities to assist States in implementing key provisions of the Perkins 

Act, such as the requirement that States implement at least one “program of study” that 

provides a coherent sequence of courses that links secondary and postsecondary education, 

provides rigorous and challenging content, and leads to a degree or an industry-recognized 

credential. 

This is a forward-funded program. Funds become available for obligation from July 1 of the 

fiscal year in which they are appropriated and remain available through September 30 of the 

following year.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: National programs

O-22O-22

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were: 

Year (dollars in thousands)

2010.............................................................$7,860

2011...............................................................7,844

2012...............................................................7,829

2013...............................................................7,421

2014...............................................................7,421

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2015, the Administration requests $7.4 million for Career and Technical 

Education National Programs, the same amount as the 2014 appropriation. This funding would 

support implementation of the reauthorized Perkins Act (as described in the Administration’s 

Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education, announced in April 2012) through 

research, evaluation, data collection, technical assistance, and other national leadership 

activities aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of career and technical education. 

The reauthorization proposal calls for revising the current National Programs authority to make it 

a more effective vehicle for funding research and evaluation along with other activities that 

support implementation of new requirements within the reauthorized program. As one example, 

a broader research authority would help the Department pursue the research questions that are 

most relevant and important for the improvement of career and technical education (CTE). 

Further, the areas that the statute currently designates for evaluation have focused mainly on 

implementation issues, and a broader evaluation authority would assist the Department in 

carrying out an evaluation agenda that also examines the effectiveness of CTE programs.

In addition, the Department would use $500,000 from the 2015 request to strengthen data 

collection efforts related to career and technical education conducted by the National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES). This would ensure continued data collection and expanded 

reporting through the NCES CTE Statistics program.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2013 2014 2015

National Career and Technical 

Education Research Center $3,393 $3,162 $3,000

Improving program performance 1,304 1,688 1,265

Professional development 300 300 300

CTE statistics 0 500 500

Other program improvement 

activities 2,424 1,771 2,356
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-23

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

(Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and Workforce Investment Act, Section 503)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: To be determined1, 2

Budget Authority:

2014 2015 Change

$563,955 $563,955 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2004; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015. 2 The FY 2014 appropriation act included a $70.8 million set-aside for English Literacy and Civics Education 

grants through appropriations language. The request for FY 2015 would include the same set-aside.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), adult education grants to the 

States and Outlying Areas support programs that assist adults in becoming literate and in 

obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, assist adults 

who are parents in obtaining the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the 

educational development of their children, and assist adults in the completion of a secondary 

education. The Department also uses a portion of State grant funds to make formula grants to 

States for English literacy and civics education.

Adult Education State Grants

The statute requires the Department to make an initial allotment of $250,000 for each State and 

$100,000 to each Outlying Area and to distribute remaining funds on the basis of each State’s 

share of qualifying adults. Qualifying adults are defined in AEFLA as individuals aged 16 and 

older who lack a high school diploma or the equivalent, who are beyond the age of compulsory 

education in their States, and who are not currently enrolled in school. AEFLA also includes a 

“hold-harmless” provision that ensures that each State receives at least 90 percent of its 

previous year’s allocation. If funding is insufficient to satisfy the hold-harmless provision, each 

State receives the same proportion of available funding as in the previous year.

A State may use up to 12.5 percent of its grant for State leadership activities and an additional 

5 percent or $65,000 (whichever is greater) for State administration. At least 82.5 percent of a 

State’s grant must be used for local awards; of this amount, up to 10 percent may be used to 

educate incarcerated and other institutionalized individuals. Of the funds provided by the State 

agency to eligible entities, at least 95 percent must be used for instructional activities.

States make grants to local entities that provide adult basic education, English literacy, adult 

secondary education, workplace literacy, and family literacy services. Local service providers 

include local educational agencies, community colleges, and community- and faith-based 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-24O-24

organizations. In distributing funds, States must give equitable access to all types of eligible 

agencies and institutions that have the ability to operate adult education programs. States, in 

awarding funds to local providers, must consider the extent to which these providers offer 

programs that, among other things, have measurable goals for client outcomes, can 

demonstrate past effectiveness in improving the literacy skills of adults and families, serve 

individuals who are most in need of literacy services, are built on a strong foundation of 

research about effective practices, and coordinate with other available resources in the 

community.

State leadership funds are used for State activities to improve adult education and literacy 

services, including professional development to improve the quality of instruction, technology 

assistance for local providers, and monitoring and evaluating the quality of local programs. 

States may also use a portion of their State leadership funds for financial incentives to reward 

local programs for high performance or exemplary program coordination.

To promote continuous program improvement, the Secretary and each State must reach 

agreement on annual performance targets for a number of core indicators in the areas of 

literacy skill improvement, placement in postsecondary education or training, entry into and 

retention in unsubsidized employment, and attainment of a secondary school diploma or its 

recognized equivalent.

The statute requires the Secretary to reserve 1.72 percent of the total Adult Education 

appropriation to award incentive grants to States that exceed the agreed-upon performance 

levels for the AEFLA and other employment programs. Funds are transferred to the Secretary 

of Labor and are awarded along with funds reserved from the other programs.

English Literacy and Civics Education (EL/Civics) State Grants

The Department also awards formula grants to States for English literacy and civics education 

from funds set aside from the Adult Education appropriation. Using data from the Department of 

Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics on the number of legal immigrants, the 

Department allocates 65 percent of funds based on each State’s share of a 10-year average of 

immigrants admitted for legal permanent residence. The remaining 35 percent is allocated to 

States that have experienced recent growth in immigration, as measured by the average of the 

number of immigrants in the 3 most recent years. No State receives an award of less than 

$60,000. States have received EL/Civics formula grants each year since fiscal year 2000.

This is a forward-funded program. Funds become available for obligation from July 1 of the 

fiscal year in which they are appropriated and remain available through September 30 of the 

following year.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2010.........................................................$628,221

2011...........................................................596,120

2012...........................................................594,993

2013...........................................................563,955
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-25O-25

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2014...........................................................563,955

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $564.0 million for Adult Education State Grants in fiscal year 2015, 

the same as the 2014 level. The request includes a $70.8 million set-aside for English 

Literacy/Civics Education State Grants, also the same as the 2014 level.

There is a persistent need for adult education services in the U.S. Findings from a 

supplemental study of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), “Basic Reading Skills 

and the Literacy of America’s Least Literate Adults,” published in 2009, found that of the adults 

who scored “Below Basic” in prose literacy on the NAAL, 55 percent (the largest share) were 

those with the least amount of schooling (less than a high school degree) and 44 percent lived 

in families with incomes below the poverty line. State enrollment data for the Adult Education 

State Grants program also indicate approximately 1.7 million adults were enrolled in adult 

education during the 2012-2013 program year, with approximately 88 percent in adult basic 

education programs or English literacy programs and only 12 percent in adult secondary 

education programs.

Another group with a strong need for adult education services is high school dropouts. Some of 

these students may be immigrants without the English language skills or formal education 

background to succeed in a traditional secondary school. The Census Bureau reports a “status 

dropout rate,” which represents the proportion of young people, ages 16 through 24, who are 

out of school and who have not earned a high school diploma or equivalent. In October 2000, 

nearly 11 percent of individuals in that age group were not enrolled in high school and had not 

received a high school diploma or equivalent. In October 2010, the status dropout rate for the 

same age group had declined to less than 8 percent, but higher rates persist for some minority 

groups. For example, the 2010 dropout rates were 16.3 percent for Hispanics as a whole, and 

almost 31 percent for Hispanics born outside of the United States. While there are indications 

that this rate has improved in recent years, these data underscore the need both to continue to 

serve this population and to work to improve the effectiveness of the services provided.

Further, there has been an evolution of the requisite levels of educational attainment for jobs 

that pay wages sufficient to support a family. A 2012 report released by Georgetown 

University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, “Career and Technical Education: Five 

Ways that Pay,” predicts that by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require some postsecondary 

education and training. In 1973, only about 25 percent of jobs required applicants to have more 

than a high school education; by 2007, that percentage had risen to about 60 percent. 

The Department has made significant improvements in program management and in the quality 

of participant data, and has strong evidence that Adult Education State Grants is an effective 

program. Data collected through the program’s National Reporting System demonstrate that 

the program has achieved consistent improvements on measures of student performance and 

other program goals, such as job attainment and retention. Also, the Department has increased 

the availability of research-based instructional materials for adult education teachers, and all 

States use standardized assessments to measure student-learning gains.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-26O-26

Still, the needs of adult learners have shifted since the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was 

enacted in 1998, and additional opportunities are needed for adult learners to reenter the 

education system and exit prepared for college or a high-demand 21st-century career that pays 

a middle-class wage. The forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family 

Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the WIA, provides the Administration and Congress with the 

opportunity to better align the Adult Education program with Federal job training programs and 

the postsecondary education system, helping to meet the President’s goal of all program 

graduates being college- and career-ready and the United States again becoming first in the 

world in college completion by 2020. The Administration believes that AEFLA reauthorization 

should streamline service delivery, ensure the engagement of workforce and adult education 

providers with employers within regions and workforce sectors, strengthen accountability 

requirements, and promote innovation while replicating best practices. Specifically, the 

Administration believes any reform of the current program should:

• Improve the coordination and integration of WIA programs administered by the Departments 

of Labor and Education and work toward implementing a shared accountability system that 

covers job training and adult education programs.

• Require the development of rigorous content standards and aligned assessments for adult 

education programs that reflect accepted standards for college- and career-readiness.

• Enhance the current accountability system and provide the Department with the authority to 

hold States accountable for making progress.

• Assess the quality of the adult education teaching workforce and support actions to improve 

that quality by setting higher standards for individuals teaching in adult education. 

• Enhance the development and implementation of career pathways programs.

• Encourage States to invest in educational services to individuals who have been 

incarcerated or have recently left correctional institutions.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands) 

Measures 2013 2014 2015

Adult basic and literacy State grants (ABL) $483,260 $483,208 $482,865

ABL Range of awards to States $719-$71,231 $742-$71,979 $742-$71,9261 

ABL Number of participants (estimated) 1,708,105 1,708,105 1,708,105

English literacy and civics education 

State grants (ELC) $70,811 $70,811 $70,811

ELC Range of awards to States $60-$14,718 $60-$14,718 $60-$14,7181

ELC Number of participants (estimated) 232,448 232,448 232,448
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-27O-27

Measures 2013 2014 2015

Incentive grants (maximum) $9,884 $9,936 $10,279

_________________

1 Grant estimates for 2015 assume formulae under current law.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in 

fiscal year 2015 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served 

by this program.

The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act identifies three core indicators that must be used 

to assess State performance. These are: (1) demonstrated improvements in skill levels in 

reading, writing, and speaking English; numeracy and problem-solving; English language 

acquisition; and other literacy skills; (2) placement in, retention in, or completion of 

postsecondary education, training, unsubsidized employment, or career advancement; and 

(3) receipt of a secondary school diploma or a recognized equivalent. The statute requires that 

the Department report annually to Congress on State performance. The Department’s most 

recent report, released in May 2013, provided State data on the performance of all adult 

education students on each of the indicators for school year 2010-2011. The next report will be 

available in summer 2014. In addition to the statutory indicators, the Department is collecting 

data for two other measures, described below. The Department is reviewing the existing 

measures and targets and will consider making revisions, as appropriate.

Goal: To support adult education systems that result in increased adult learner 

achievement in order to prepare adults for family, work, citizenship, and future learning. 

Objective: Provide adult learners with opportunities to acquire basic foundation skills (including 

English language acquisition), complete secondary education, and transition to further 

education and training and to work.

Measure: The percentage of adults in Adult Basic Education programs who acquire the level of 

basic skills needed to complete the level of instruction in which they enrolled.

Year Target Actual

2010 48% 40%

2011 50 42

2012 52 43

2013 54

2014 56

2015 58
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-28O-28

Measure: The percentage of adults enrolled in English literacy programs who acquire the level 

of English language skills needed to complete the levels of instruction in which they enrolled.

Year Target Actual

2010 46% 44%

2011 48 44

2012 50 45

2013 52

2014 54

2015 56

Additional information: The Department has developed a data-quality review process for 

States based on its “Standards for Evaluating Program Performance Data.” Educational gain is 

demonstrated by Department-approved standardized tests. The Department expects to receive 

2013 data in summer 2014.

Measure: The percentage of adults with a high school completion goal who earn a high school 

diploma or recognized equivalent.

Year Target Actual

2010 55% 52%

2011 56 60

2012 57 61

2013 58

2014 59

2015 60

Additional information: The Department has developed a data-quality review process for 

States based on its “Standards for Evaluating Program Performance Data.” High school 

diplomas issued are certified by local educational agencies or the State educational agency, 

and General Educational Development (GED) credentials are confirmed through a data match 

with the State’s GED administrative database. The Department expects to receive 2013 data in 

summer 2014.

Measure: The percentage of adults with a goal to enter postsecondary education or training 

who enroll in a postsecondary education or training program.

Year Target Actual

2010 43% 60%

2011 45 56

2012 47 58

2013 49

2014

2015
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-29O-29

Measure: The percentage of adults with an employment goal who obtain a job by the end of

the first quarter after their program exit quarter.

Year Target Actual

2010 42% 48%

2011 43 48

2012 43 48

2013 44

2014

2015

Measure: The percentage of adults who retain employment in the third quarter after exit.

Year Target Actual

2010 68% 59%

2011 70 62

2012 70 66

2013 70

2014

2015

Additional information: States report annually these common job training measures. The 

Department has developed a data-quality review process for States based on its “Standards for 

Evaluating Program Performance Data.” The Department is reviewing additional performance 

data received in fall 2013 and will use those data to set targets.

The Department proposed changes to the definitions for several of these measures in 2011, and 

began collecting information on the following revised measures in 2013: (1) the percentage of 

adults who took all GED tests, or who were enrolled in adult high school at the high Adult 

Secondary Education level, or who were enrolled in the assessment phase of the External 

Diploma Program who obtain certification of attaining passing scores on GED tests, or who 

obtain a high school diploma or State-recognized equivalent, documenting satisfactory 

completion of secondary studies (high school or adult high school diploma); (2) the percentage 

of adults who passed the GED tests or earned a secondary credential while enrolled in adult 

education, or who had a secondary credential at entry, or who were enrolled in a class 

specifically designed for transitioning to postsecondary education who enroll in a postsecondary 

educational, occupational skills training program or an apprenticeship training program; (3) the 

percentage of adults who were unemployed and in the labor force at entry who obtain a job by 

the end of the first quarter after the program exit quarter; and (4) the percentage of adults who 

were unemployed and in the labor force at entry who were employed in the first quarter after exit 

quarter, as well as adults who were employed at entry, who are employed in the third quarter 

after the program exit quarter.

Efficiency Measures

The Department developed two efficiency measures for the Adult Education State Grants 

program. The first measure, annual cost per participant, was established under the Federal 

Government’s common performance measures initiative for job training programs, and the 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-30O-30

Department has collected sufficient data to report this measure through the National Reporting 

System. The second measure, cost per student learning gain, captures the average Federal 

cost for a student to advance to at least the next educational level in an Adult Education 

program or to earn a high school diploma or GED credential. 

Measure: The annual Federal cost per participant.

Year Target Actual

2010 $215 $278

2011 215

2012 215

2013 250

2014

2015

Additional information: This measure reflects the average annual Federal cost per participant 

for Adult Education programs. Data do not include State and local resources, which account for 

a large proportion of Adult Education funds. Because funds are available for 27 months, States 

reported fiscal year 2010 costs in spring 2013. Given the increase in the cost of providing 

services to adult learners over the past 10 years, the Department has adjusted the targets for 

future years. The Department is reviewing additional performance data received in fall 2013 

and will use those data to set targets.

Measure: The annual Federal cost per student learning gain or high school diploma/GED 

attainment.

Year Target Actual

2010 $407 $572

2011 407

2012 407

2013 512

2014 512

2015

Additional information: This measure examines the annual Federal cost for Adult Education 

students who advance to at least the next higher educational level or who attain a high school 

diploma or GED certificate. Because funds are available for 27 months, States will report fiscal 

year 2011 costs by summer 2014. Given the increase in the cost of providing services to adult 

learners over the past 10 years, the Department has adjusted the targets for future years. 

However, as improved assessment and scientifically based curricula are implemented in more 

Adult Education programs, the cost per learning gain or high school diploma/GED attainment 

may decrease. The Department is reviewing additional performance data received in fall 2013 

and will use those data to set targets. 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-31

Adult education: National leadership activities

(Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, section 243)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2014 2015 Change

$13,712 $33,712 +$20,000

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2004; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Adult Education national leadership and evaluation activities, as authorized under the Adult 

Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), address major policy priorities in adult education, 

including program improvement, accountability, professional development, and increasing 

access to learning opportunities for adults. Under this authority, the Department supports 

applied research, development, dissemination, evaluation, and program improvement activities 

to assist States in their efforts to improve the quality of adult education programs. Examples of 

these activities include: evaluations of the effectiveness of adult education programs, training 

institutes, national and international adult literacy surveys, and technical assistance on using 

technology to improve instruction.

This is a forward-funded program. Funds become available for obligation from July 1 of the 

fiscal year in which they are appropriated and remain available through September 30 of the 

following year.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2010...........................................................$11,346

2011.............................................................11,323

2012.............................................................11,302

2013.............................................................10,712

2014.............................................................13,712

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2015, the Administration requests $33.7 million for National Leadership 

Activities. The Department would use the $20.0 million increase from the 2014 level for a new 

Skills Challenge Grants initiative.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: National leadership activities

O-32O-32

The overall request for National Leadership Activities would continue support for activities 

designed to upgrade the skills and effectiveness of adult educators in teaching English 

language content and skills to adult learners, with particular emphasis on adults working to 

complete a high school diploma or equivalent, adults learning English, and adults with learning 

disabilities. Funds also would be used to help States implement the Adult Education State 

Grant program’s uniform data collection and accountability system, including assistance on 

using data for program improvement. Other investments include activities to support the 

implementation of consistent State-level college- and career-ready standards for adult education 

programs, as well as assistance to those States in need of support to create career pathways. 

With the elimination in 2010 of the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), the Department has 

taken over a few of NIFL’s priority activities and consolidated them, as appropriate, with Adult 

Education National Leadership Activities. The Department recognizes the need for a strong, 

centralized effort to improve research, dissemination, and technical assistance for adult 

education and literacy programs. Activities include:

• The Literacy Information and Communications System, which includes a resource collection, 

regional professional development centers, and the development of a technology 

infrastructure to support the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of resources 

previously undertaken by NIFL. 

• Technical Assistance for States Developing Career Pathways Systems provides technical 

assistance to a number of States to help them scale up career pathways in adult education 

through support of State and local efforts involving industry, education, and workforce and 

economic development systems.

• Implementing College- and Career-Ready Standards in Adult Education supports State and 

local adult educators’ efforts to develop, adopt, and implement rigorous college- and careerready standards that can both strengthen pathways to postsecondary education and 

promote work readiness.

• Promoting Teacher Effectiveness in Adult Education will create model teacher performance 

standards and a teacher induction model as well as a toolkit of resources to support 

implementation of the standards. Other investments to improve the quality of the adult 

education teaching force, including the Student Achievement in Reading, Teaching 

Excellence in Adult Literacy, and Learning to Achieve projects, help adult educators to 

improve their ability to better serve adults with learning disabilities in both educational and 

workplace settings.

Promoting Reentry Success

Up to $3 million of 2014 and 2015 funds will support the expansion of the Department’s reentry 

education model demonstration initiative. This will help develop evidence of effectiveness in a 

variety of institutional contexts and build on lessons learned from the Department’s recent 

Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of Educational Opportunities (PRSCEO) 

competition, which funded three projects in 2013 with funds transferred from the Department of 

Justice under an interagency agreement. The 2013 PRSCEO competition was designed to 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: National leadership activities

O-33O-33

demonstrate the positive impact of implementing a reentry education model. The competition 

put a priority on funding applicants that proposed to focus on (1) supporting successful transition 

of individuals in correctional institutions to the community by strengthening and aligning 

educational services provided in those settings, especially for low-skilled adults; (2) establishing 

a strong program infrastructure to support and improve education services in correctional 

institutions; (3) ensuring education is well-integrated into the corrections system by making it a 

critical component of the intake and pre-release processes that closely link with support and 

employment services; and (4) encouraging individuals in the corrections system to identify and 

achieve education and career goals, recognizing that their education path is not linear or 

uniform. This framework aligns with the model described in “A Reentry Education Model: 

Supporting Education and Career Advancement for Low-Skill Individuals in Corrections,” 

published by the Department in August 2012.1

Skills Challenge Grants

The $20.0 million increase requested for 2015 would support new competitive Skills Challenge 

Grants to support partnerships—among States, adult education providers, institutions of higher 

education, and private organizations, including industry representatives with identified regional 

or local workforce needs—that build an evidence base in support of adult education practices 

and programs, including efforts to test, demonstrate, and refine innovative models for 

transforming our adult education system. These partnerships would scale up promising and 

evidence-based models that combine basic skills education with training and improve alignment 

of services across sectors and with postsecondary education and training, so that participants 

have access to high-quality programs that equip them with the skills necessary to find jobs in 

high-demand fields or transition into credit-bearing postsecondary education and training. 

Grantees would also build evidence of effective practices through rigorous evaluations. 

A growing body of research already provides an evidence base for guiding adult education 

program improvements. For example, a recent study of adults returning to college found that a 

more job-driven GED bridge program that combined education and training for GED and health 

care content, and connected adult learners to the available support services, resulted in greater 

rates of course completion, GED credential attainment, and college enrollment.2

 Similarly, a 

report published in 2012 by the National Academies of Science, “Improving Adult Literacy 

Instruction: Options for Practice and Research,” reviewed factors that may affect literacy 

development in adulthood and the implications for strengthening literacy instruction. Several 

promising models also indicate that digital literacy tools, for example, can lead to improvements 

in the learning and instruction of basic skills and could be scaled up.

Several States are leading the way in this area by building partnerships to create new career 

pathways and devoting significant non-Federal resources to their adult education programs. 

 1 This publication is available online at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/reentrymodel.pdf. 2 Martin & Broadus, “Enhancing GED Instruction to Prepare Students for College and Careers,” 2013 

(available at http://www.mdrc.org/publication/enhancing-ged-instruction-prepare-students-college-andcareers). 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: National leadership activities

O-34O-34

The Department of Education can do more to accelerate and learn from this work through a new 

Skills Challenge Grant competition. 

In a time of intense global economic competition and increasing income inequality, this request 

will help low-skilled individuals gain the education and credentials they need to participate fully 

in the economy. The results of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 

Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) released in fall 2013

highlight the importance of strong foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving 

to global competitiveness and family self-sufficiency. They also offer an opportunity to learn 

from other developed nations about which policy supports are effective in disrupting the vicious 

cycle of low skills and socioeconomic stagnation. On the PIAAC literacy scale for adults ages 

16 to 65, average scores in 12 countries were higher than the U.S. average score, in 5 countries 

they were lower, and in 5 countries they were not significantly different.

The Department will competitively award two to five 3-year grants, ranging from $4 million to 

$10 million. The Department will establish goals and performance indicators to assess the 

impact of the Skills Challenge Grants. Each grantee will be required to report annually on key 

measures concerning access and educational outcomes.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2013 2014 2015

National dissemination system (LINCS) $4,223 $4,200 $4,200

Adult English language learning 

professional development network 400 500 500

Support for career pathways 842 805 800

Support for standards-based education 876 960 960

Investments to improve teacher 

effectiveness 1,400 1,400 1,400

Additional technical assistance 2,971 2,847 2,852

Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of 

Educational Opportunities

PRSC EO Amount for new awards $924 $3,000 $3,000

PRSC EO Range of awards 272-360 300-600 300-600

Skills Challenge Grants

SCG Amount for new awards 0 0 $20,000

SCG Range of awards 0 0 4,000-10,000

_________________

NOTE: 2013 includes $924 thousand transferred from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Department of 

Education for Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of Educational Opportunities. These funds were 

appropriated to DOJ for activities authorized under the Second Chance Act of 2007.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: National leadership activities

O-35O-35

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in 

fiscal year 2015 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served 

by this program. 

Goal: To support research, evaluation, information dissemination, and other activities to 

help States improve adult education and literacy programs.

Objective: To support adult education systems that result in increased adult learner 

achievement in order to prepare adults for family, work, citizenship, and future learning. 

Measure: The percentage of States submitting high-quality learner assessment data through 

the National Reporting System (NRS).

Year Target Actual

2010 100% 92%

2011 100 92

2012 100

2013 100

2014 100

2015 100

Additional information: Through National Leadership Activities, the Department offers 

technical assistance and guidance designed to help all States, including DC, Puerto Rico, and 

the Outlying Areas, meet high standards for the collection and reporting of these data. The 

program office has developed a data-quality review process for States based on the 

Department’s “Standards for Evaluating Program Performance Data.” This process leads to a 

determination of whether each State has submitted high-quality learner assessment data. Data 

for 2012 are expected in summer 2014.

Other Performance Information

Beginning in 2008, the Department, in collaboration with the National Institute of Child Health 

and Human Development, supported a study of adult and adolescent literacy instruction through 

the National Academies of Science. The resulting 2012 report, “Improving Adult Literacy 

Instruction: Options for Practice and Research,” explores in depth the factors that affect literacy 

development in adolescence and adulthood and examines the implications for strengthening 

literacy instruction for those populations. The report covers such topics as technologies that 

can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment, and accommodations for learning; use 

of evidence-based practices and professional development; improving learner persistence 

through the use of educational technologies, social service support, and incentives; and, 

improved coordination of program improvement, evaluation, and research. 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: National leadership activities

O-36O-36

The Department is continuing discussions, both internally and with other Agencies, on the 

development of an adult education research agenda that would enhance systemic capacity at 

the Federal, State, and local levels so as to expand the body of knowledge available for the 

adult education and literacy field. Findings in a 2008 report by an interagency panel that 

addressed Executive Order 13445, “Strengthening Adult Education,” along with a 2009 U.S. 

Government Accountability Office study on ESL students, focused on the importance of a 

coordinated research function across all Federal Agencies in order to maximize scarce 

resources. 

The Department’s Institute of Education Sciences held a competition in fiscal year 2011 for its 

first national research and development center on cognition and adult literacy, which began 

work on September 1, 2012. The primary goals of that center, named the Center for the Study 

of Adult Literacy, are to: (1) build the understanding of the underlying cognitive and motivational 

processes that contribute to or impede struggling adult readers’ development, (2) examine the 

adequacy of measurement instruments and assessments for the population, and (3) develop 

and evaluate a multi-component reading intervention for this population. The Center hosts a 

Web site, http://csal.gsu.edu/, with information and resources for researchers, practitioners, 

policymakers, and other stakeholders interested in adult education and adult literacy. The 

Center also conducts national webinars on its activities and provides training opportunities for 

current and future education researchers through venues such as workshops at national 

conferences and through doctoral and postdoctoral training opportunities.
O-37O-37

State tables