Department of Education

CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language ....................................................................................................... M-1

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

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

Summary of Changes ............................................................................................................ M-4

Authorizing Legislation........................................................................................................... M-5

Appropriations History............................................................................................................ M-6

Significant Items in FY 2017 Appropriations Reports.............................................................. M-8

Summary of Request ............................................................................................................. M-9

Activities:

Career and technical education:

Career and technical education: State grants ..............................................................M-11

Career and technical education: National programs ....................................................M-21

Adult education:

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants .................................M-24

Adult education: National leadership activities.............................................................M-32

State tables1

.

 

1 State tables reflecting final 2016 allocations and 2017 and 2018 estimates are posted on the 

Department’s webpage at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

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Appropriations Language

For carrying out, to the extent not otherwise provided, the Adult Education and Family 

Literacy Act ("AEFLA"), $499,535,000, which shall become available on July 1, 2018, and shall 

remain available through September 30, 2019:

1 Provided, That, of the amount made available 

for AEFLA, $13,686,000 shall be for national leadership activities under section 242:

2

NOTES

A full-year 2017 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the budget was prepared; therefore, 

the budget assumes this account is operating under the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 114-254). 

The amounts included for 2017 reflect the annualized level provided by the continuing resolution.

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, appropriations language 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.
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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1 For carrying out, to the extent not otherwise 

provided, the Adult Education and Family 

Literacy Act ("AEFLA"), $499,535,000, which 

shall become available on July 1, 2018, and 

shall remain available through September 30, 

2019

This language provides funds appropriated 

on a forward-funded basis for Adult 

Education programs. 

2 Provided, That, of the amount made 

available for AEFLA, $13,686,000 shall be for 

national leadership activities under section 

242.

This language provides a specific amount for 

National Leadership Activities authorized 

under section 242 of the Adult Education and 

Family Literacy Act, overriding the statutory 

set-aside of 2 percent of the Adult Education 

appropriation (not to exceed $15 million).
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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2016

2017

Annualized CR 2018

Discretionary:

Discretionar yAppropriation.............................................. $1,720,686 $1,717,415 $1,476,441

Advance:

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

Advance from prior year......................... 791,000 789,496 791,000

Total, budget authority ....................... 1,720,686 1,715,911 1,476,411
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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2017 Annualized CR ........................................................................ $1,717,415

2018................................................................................................. 1,476,411

Net change ............................................................... -240,974

Increases: 2017 Annualized 

CR base

Change

from base

Program:

Increase for Career and Technical Education National 

Programs to support a competition to promote innovation 

and reform in CTE. 7,407 +20,000

Subtotal, increases +20,000

Decreases:

2017 Annualized

CR base

Change

from base

Program:

Decrease funding for Career and Technical Education 

State Grants to support the President’s goal of 

increasing support for national security and public safety 

without adding to the Federal budget deficit. $1,115,473 -$165,974

Decrease funding for Adult Basic and Literacy Education 

State Grants to provide funding for other Administration 

priorities. 580,849 -95,000

Subtotal, decreases -260,974

Net change -240,974
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M-5

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2017

Authorized

Footnote

2017

Annualized CR

Footnote

2018

Authorized

Footnote

2018

Request

Footnote

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

CTAE State grants (CTEA Title I) 01 $1,115,473 To be determined1 $949,499

CTAE National programs (CTEA Section 114) 01 7,407 To be determined 1 27,407

Adult education (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 

(AEFLA)):

AEF LA Adult basic and literacy education State grants (AEFLA) $635,1982,3 580,849 $649,2872,3 485,849

AEF LA National leadership activities (AEFLA section 242) (2,3) 13,686 (2,3) 13,686

Unfunded authorizations(UA)

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 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 635,198 649,287

Total annual appropriation 1,717,415 1,808,686

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2013; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2018. 2 A total of $635,198 thousand is authorized for both Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants and National Leadership Activities in 

FY 2017 and $649,287 thousand for FY 2018. 3 Section 211(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act requires that, of the funds appropriated for Adult Education, the Department

reserve 2 percent, not to exceed $15,000 thousand, for National Leadership Activities; and 12 percent of the remaining funds for Integrated 

English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE).
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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget

Estimate

to Congress

Footnote

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance FootnoteAppropriation Footnote

2009 $574,590 $1,951,6111$1,863,1621$1,944,348

(2009 Advance for 2010) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2010 2,018,447 2,016,447 2,018,44721,928,447

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

2011 1,942,707 1,991,44731,942,54121,737,4514

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

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

2012 1,683,392 1,738,94651,738,94651,737,154

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

2013 1,737,154 1,737,15461,737,15461,646,533

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

2014 1,750,154 N/A71,737,949 1,702,686

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

2015 1,722,686 N/A71,720,93981,707,686

(2015 Advance for 2016) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

2016 1,915,686 1,700,60991,669,73191,720,686

(2016 Advance for 2017) (791,000) (791,000)

9 (791,000)9 (791,000)

2017 1,808,686 1,720,68610 1,720,68610 1,720,68610

(2017 Advance for 2018) (791,000) (791,000)

10 (791,000)10 (791,000)10

2018 1,476,441

(2018 Advance for 2019) (791,000)

1 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.

2

 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Committee action only. 3

 The level for the House allowance reflects the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 4

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

Act, 2011 (P.L. 112-10). 5

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

reflects Senate Committee action only. 

6

 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. 

7

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

8

 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Appropriations History—continued

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9 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2016 

appropriations bill, which proceeded in the 114th Congress only through the House Committee and 

Senate Committee.

10 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2017 

appropriation bill; the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017.
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Significant Items in FY 2017 Appropriations Reports

Reports on Performance Partnership Pilots

Senate: The Committee directs the administration to continue to provide annual reports 

providing the following information: detailed summary of all involved pilot 

programs, overview of how pilots were selected, summary of findings from the 

various pilots, and recommendations for Congress on how to apply any best 

practices learned more broadly. 

Response: The Department plans to issue an annual report in late spring 2017 and will 

continue to provide annual reports to the Committees. 
ACCOUNT

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Click here for accessible version Summary of R equest

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2018 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET 


(in thousands of dollars)

Amount Percent Amount Percent

Career, Technical, and Adult Education

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

(a) State grants (Title I)

Annual appropriation D 326,598 324,473 326,598 158,499 (165,974) -51.15% (168,099) -51.47%

Advance for succeeding fiscal year 1 D 791,000 791,000 791,000 791,000 0 0.00% 0 0.00%

Subtotal 1,117,598 1,115,473 1,117,598 949,499 (165,974) -14.88% (168,099) -15.04%

(b) National programs (section 114) D 7,421 7,407 7,421 27,407 20,000 270.02% 19,986 269.32%

Subtotal, Career and technical education 1,125,019 1,122,880 1,125,019 976,906 (145,974) -13.00% (148,113) -13.17%

2. Adult education:

(a) Adult basic and literacy education State grants (AEFLA) D 581,955 580,849 581,955 485,849 (95,000) -16.36% (96,106) -16.51%

(b) National leadership activities (AEFLA section 242) D 13,712 13,686 13,712 13,686 0 0.00% (26) -0.19%

Subtotal, Adult education 595,667 594,535 595,667 499,535 (95,000) -15.98% (96,132) -16.14%

Total, Appropriation 1,720,686 1,717,415 1,720,686 1,476,441 (240,974) -14.03% (244,245) -14.19%

Total, Budget authority 1,720,686 1,715,911 1,720,686 1,476,441 (239,470) -13.96% (244,245) -14.19%

Current 929,686 926,415 929,686 685,441 (240,974) -26.01% (244,245) -26.27%

Prior year's advance 1 791,000 789,496 791,000 791,000 1,504 0.19% 0 0.00%

NOTES: D = discretionary program; M = mandatory program

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding. 

1

 The Advance for succeeding fiscal year shown in the 2016 Appropriation column and the Prior year’s advance shown in the 2017 Appropriation column reflect the final 2016 appropriation level. The Prior year’s advance 

shown in the 2017 Annualized CR column reflects the 0.1901 percent across-the-board reduction applied to the 2016 Advance for succeeding fiscal year that was part of the 2017 Annualized CR that expired April 28, 2017.

2018 President's Budget 

Compared to 2017 Appropriation

Account, Program and Activity

Category 

Code

2016

Appropriation

2018 President's Budget 

2017 Annualized Compared to 2017 Annualized CR

CR 

2018 

President's 

Budget 

2017 

Appropriation 
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Summary of Request

Programs in Career, Technical, and Adult Education support State and local efforts 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: (1) promoting the integration of academic, career, and technical

instruction, and (2) 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 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. A full-year 2017 appropriation was not enacted at the time the FY 2018 

Budget was prepared; therefore, the Budget assumes the Department is operating under the 

Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L 114–254). The amounts included for 2017 

reflect the annualized level provided by the continuing resolution. The Department of Education 

Appropriations Act, 2017, provided $1.7 billion, the same as the 2016 level for programs in this 

account.

The Administration requests a total of $1.5 billion for this account. This request includes 

$949.4 million for Career and Technical Education State Grants, $27.4 million for Career and 

Technical Education National Programs, $486.0 million for Adult Education State Grants, 

and $13.7 million for Adult Education National Leadership Activities.

The request for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Grants program, while a 

reduction of $166 million, or 15 percent, from the fiscal year 2017 annualized Continuing 

Resolution level (CR level), would provide significant resources to support CTE programs while 

also maintaining the fiscal discipline necessary to support the President’s goal of increasing 

support for national security and public safety without adding to the Federal budget deficit. CTE 

is an important component of the President’s job creation agenda, as employers who develop or 

expand operations in the United States will require qualified workers to fill those new jobs. The 

request includes a $20 million increase for Career and Technical Education National 

Programs to promote the development, enhancement, implementation, or expansion of 

innovative CTE programs in science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) and engineering 

fields.

The $486 million request for Adult Education State Grants, a reduction of $95 million or 

16 percent, would support State and local efforts to promote adult literacy, employment and selfsufficiency; help parents gain the skills needed to become a full partner in their children’s 

educations; and, assist adults in the completion of a secondary education. The request includes 

funding for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants to support the unmet 

needs of immigrants learning English. This program helps States 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 would 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.
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Activities:

Career and technical education:

Career and technical education: State grants 

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2018 Authorization: Indefinite1

Budget Authority: Acti vity and period of fund availability

2017

Annualized CR

2017

Appropriation 2018

Change from

Annualized CR

Annual appropriation $324,473 326,598 $158,499 -$167,478

Advance for succeeding 

fiscal year 791,000 791,000 791,000

 

+1,504

Total 1,115,473 1,117,598 949,499 -165,974

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2013; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2018.

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 appropriation, 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 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

M-12

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.

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 State-determined levels of 

achievement on the academic assessments required by 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 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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

education in correctional institutions, and providing services for special populations 

designated in the statute.

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 year of 

appropriation and remain available for 12 months, expiring at the same time as the forwardfunded portion. 

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

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

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

2015 ........................................................ 1,117,598

2016 ........................................................ 1,117,598

2017 ........................................................ 1,117,598

FY 2018 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2018, the Administration requests $949.5 million for the Career and Technical 

Education (CTE) State Grants program, a decrease of approximately $166 million from fiscal 

year 2017 annualized Continuing Resolution level (CR level). The Department of Education 

Appropriations Act, 2017, provided $1.1 billion for this program. The request would provide 

significant resources to support CTE programs while also maintaining the fiscal discipline 

necessary to support the President’s goal of increasing support for national security and public 

safety without adding to the Federal budget deficit.

CTE is an important component of the President’s job creation agenda, as employers who 

develop or expand operations in the United States will require qualified workers to fill those new 

jobs. However, business executives and others have reported a gap between the skills 

prospective employees have and the skills they should have. For example, the skills gap was 

discussed during the President’s February 23, 2017 meeting with manufacturing executives, 

and has been highlighted in a series of surveys sponsored by The Manufacturing Institute over 

many years. According to the most recent report, “The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing: 2015 

and Beyond,” 2 million of out of the nearly 3.5 million jobs that manufacturing executives said 

would need to be filled over the next decade will go unfilled due to the skills gap.2

 This skills 

gap is also affecting American productivity. Eighty-two percent of survey respondents indicated 

that they believe the skills gap will impact their ability to meet customer demand, and 78 percent 

 

2 The Manufacturing Institute. 2015. The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing: 2015 and Beyond. 

Washington, DC: The Manufacturing Institute.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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indicated that they expect the skills gap to negatively affect their ability to implement new 

technologies and increase productivity. Moreover, the demand for skilled workers is not likely to 

decrease. The report points out that, with manufacturing becoming increasingly technical, there 

is increasing demand for more skilled workers. The trend of increased demand for higherskilled workers exists in many other sectors of the economy as well, expanding the need for 

high quality CTE.

Findings from the Final Report to Congress on the National Assessment of Career and 

Technical Education (NACTE), published in September 2014, show that CTE plays an important 

role in both secondary and postsecondary students’ educational experiences.3

 The majority of 

high school students participate in CTE, but the intensity of their experience in CTE programs 

varies. While CTE programs are widely available to students and many students take at least 

one CTE course during high school, only about one-fifth of students earned at least three high 

school credits in the same CTE field (thus meeting the definition of “CTE concentrators”). In 

addition, the report indicated that postsecondary students who earned a CTE certificate or 

associate’s degree were more likely to be employed than those who did not earn a subbaccalaureate credential, and students who earned an undergraduate certificate or associate’s 

degree had higher earnings than high school graduates with no postsecondary education. 

The request continues to provide significant flexible formula grant funds that support State and 

local efforts to implement high quality CTE programs, such as programs of study that 

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

secondary to the postsecondary level, dual enrollment programs, and career pathways, that 

help students attain the credentials or certificates they need to gain employment in high-skill and 

high-demand occupations. Further, the Department plans to reform and improve this program 

in the upcoming Perkins reauthorization. 

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2016

2017

Appropriation 2018

Formula funds:

 ds: State grants $1,097,092 $1,097,901 $934,022

Formul a funds: Range of awards to States $4,215–$118,114 $4,215–$114,432 $3,898–$100,062

 ds: Territories allocation $1,451 $1,451 $1,234

 ds: Indian set-aside $13,951 $13,951 $11,869

Formul a funds: Indi an set-aside: Number of grants 30 30 30

 ds: Native Hawaiian grant $2,790 $2,790 $2,374

Formul a funds: N ati ve Hawaiian grant: Number of grants 7 7 7

 3 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Policy and 

Program Studies Service. 2014. National Assessment of Career and Technical Education: Final Report to 

Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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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 results is based on the 

cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in FY 2018 

and future years, and 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

2013 76% 77.1%

2014 77 77.8

2015 77 72.6

2016 77

2017 78

2018 78

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

State mathematics assessments.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 72% 71.9%

2014 72 70.8

2015 72 65.2

2016 72

2017 72

2018 72
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 91% 92.5%

2014 91 92.7

2015 93 93.4

2016 93

2017 93

2018 94

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 who took State 

assessments and who attained a level of proficient or advanced on those assessments. 

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 based on the share of

CTE concentrators who were included in the State’s computation of the graduation rate as 

required by the ESEA. In recent years, this rate has been higher than the average graduation 

rate for all students. NACTE analyses indicate that the higher graduation rate for CTE 

concentrators is likely due to some states calculating the graduation rate for CTE concentrators 

as the percentage of 12th-grade concentrators who graduated in the same year, rather than as 

the percentage of beginning high school students who earned a diploma in the standard number 

of years. Part of the reason for this challenge may be that the definition of CTE concentrator, by 

its nature, implies a student who has reached 11th or 12th grade. Data for 2016 will be 

available in May 2017. 

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 82% 81.7%

2014 78 82.3

2015 80 80.0

2016 80

2017 81

2018 81
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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

2013 94% 94.0%

2014 94 94.5

2015 95 95.3

2016 95

2017 95

2018 96

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators placed in postsecondary 

education, advanced training, military service, or employment.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 81% 82.5%

2014 82 83.4

2015 85 83.8

2016 85

2017 85

2018 85

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

nontraditional fields.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 31% 36.8%

2014 32 36.3

2015 38 37.0

2016 38

2017 38

2018 38

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

nontraditional fields.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 30% 38.0%

2014 32 34.5

2015 38 35.3

2016 38

2017 38

2018 38
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Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators attaining technical skills. 

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 82% 80.7%

2014 83 79.7

2015 84 79.9

2016 84

2017 81

2018 81

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 56% 50.0%

2014 58 53.0

2015 58 54.0

2016 58

2017 54

2018 55

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators remaining in postsecondary 

education or transferring to a baccalaureate degree program.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 60% 68.6%

2014 73 67.8

2015 73 69.4

2016 73

2017 69

2018 70

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

employment, or apprenticeships. 

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 74% 74.1%

2014 75 72.1

2015 75 73.2

2016 75

2017 73

2018 74
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Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators participating in nontraditional 

programs.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 23% 24.3%

2014 24 23.9

2015 25 23.6

2016 25

2017 24

2018 24

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators completing nontraditional 

programs.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2013 19% 20.5%

2014 21 20.3

2015 22 21.1

2016 22

2017 21

2018 22

Additional information: Performance targets are based on the performance targets the 

Department negotiates with each State. In order to encourage consistency in how States define 

outcomes and concentrators, 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, limiting 

the comparability and validity of State-reported postsecondary performance data. 

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. Data for 2016 will be 

available in May 2017.

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.
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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. 

Data for fiscal year 2016 will be available in late 2017.

Measure: Federal cost per student.

Year Cost per secondary student

2010 $74

2011 80

2012 79

2013 76

2014 77

2015 80

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

2010 $107

2011 119

2012 115

2013 114

2014 126

2015 127
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Career and technical education: National programs

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2018 Authorization: Indefinite1

Budget Authority: 

2017

Annualized CR

2017

Appropriation 2018

Change from

Annualized CR

$7,407 $7,421 $27,407 +$20,000

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2013. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2017.

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). Perkins IV also requires the Department 

to fund a national center to carry out scientifically based research in career and technical 

education and 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 and submitted a final report on the National 

Assessment of Career and Technical Education to Congress in September 2014.

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.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were: 

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

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

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

2015...............................................................7,421

2016...............................................................7,421

2017...............................................................7,421
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FY 2018 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2018, the Administration requests $27.4 million for Career and Technical 

Education National Programs, a $20 million increase over the fiscal year 2017 annualized 

Continuing Resolution level (CR level). The Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2017, 

provided $7.4 million for this program. The increase would support a competition to promote 

innovation and reform in CTE, while remaining funds would continue to support more effective 

State and local implementation of CTE programs under the Act. 

The $20 million increase would be used to fund a competition to promote the development, 

enhancement, implementation, or expansion of innovative CTE programs in science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Because STEM careers require 

strong technical skills that are critical for driving innovation in today’s economy, there is growing 

employer demand for workers with these skills. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 

STEM occupations will grow faster over 10 years than the average for all occupations. Wages 

in STEM occupations are also higher than the median for all occupations, and they pay more at 

all levels of education compared with other occupations.4 For example, adults in STEM 

occupations who have a high school diploma or less earn approximately $500,000 more in 

lifetime earnings than adults in other occupations with the same level of education.

5

In order to ensure that programs are aligned and articulated between the secondary and 

postsecondary levels, grantees would be limited to consortia of secondary and postsecondary 

recipients of CTE State Grant formula funds. Although both types of entities receive funding 

under the formula program, funding for each type of recipient is distributed through separate 

streams. Limiting eligibility to consortia would provide significant incentives for both types of 

entities to work together. In addition, grantees under the new competition would be required to 

work with employers and local workforce agencies to ensure that the CTE programs they 

develop are aligned with regional workforce and labor market needs. Grantees would also be 

required to track and rigorously evaluate program outcomes.

In addition, funds for fiscal year 2018 would support a new research center for CTE, technical 

assistance to States, and data collection efforts, along with other activities to improve the quality 

of CTE programs.

 4 Vilorio, D. 2014. "STEM 101: Intro to Tomorrow's Jobs." Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Spring. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

5 Carnivale, A., N. Smith, and M. Melton. 2011. STEM. Washington, DC: Georgetown University, Center 

on Education and the Workforce.
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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2016

2017

Annualized CR 2018

CTE research center 0 $2,500 $2,500

National reporting system $1,173 1,189 1,214

Professional development 500 500 500

Other program improvement activities 3,732 1,201 1,175

Innovation competition:

Innovati on competiti on: Funding for new awards 0 0 19,800

Innovati on competiti on: Number of new awards 0 0 5

Innovati on competiti on: Average award amount 0 0 3,960

Innovati on competiti on: Peer review of applications 0 0 200
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Adult education:

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

(Adult Education and Family Literacy Act)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2018 Authorization: $649,2871

Budget Authority:

2017

Annualized CR

2017

Appropriation 2018

Change from

Annualized CR

$580,849 $581,955 $485,849 -$95,000

1 A total of $649,287 thousand is authorized for both Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants and 

National Leadership Activities.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

States and Outlying Areas support programs that help adults become literate, obtain the 

knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, obtain a secondary school 

diploma, and transition to postsecondary education and training. The program also helps 

individuals who are English language learners improve their English proficiency and assists

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

the educational development of their children. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 

(WIOA), which reauthorized AEFLA in 2014, promotes the integration of adult education with 

occupational education and training and with the development of career pathways systems,

explicitly authorizes the use of program funds for integrated education and training and 

workforce preparation activities, emphasizes that adult education providers should assist 

participants in transitioning to postsecondary education, and encourages States to align their 

content standards for adult education with State-established academic standards for elementary 

and secondary education. The law also codified the Integrated English Literacy and Civics 

Education program (IELCE), eliminated Incentive Grants, increased the cap on State spending 

on correctional education, and required that State performance levels be adjusted using an 

"objective statistical model" to reflect differences in State economic conditions. WIOA also 

aligns Adult Education State Grants more closely with Department of Labor (DOL) workforce 

development, job-training, and employment programs, including through provisions requiring 

common performance measures and inclusion of AEFLA in unified or combined State plans and 

as a required partner in the one-stop delivery system.

Adult Education Basic State Grants

The statute requires the Department to make an initial allotment of $250,000 to 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 
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“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 $85,000 (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 20 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 subgrants to eligible providers that provide adult education and literacy activities, 

including adult education, literacy, workplace adult education, family literacy English language 

acquisition, integrated English literacy and civics education, workplace preparation, and 

integrated education and training. Eligible providers are any organizations of demonstrated 

effectiveness and include local educational agencies (LEAs), community colleges, libraries, and 

community- and faith-based organizations. In distributing funds, States must give equitable 

access to all types of eligible entities, taking into account the extent to which such entities meet 

a variety of criteria including: responsiveness to the regional needs identified in the local 

workforce plan, the ability to serve individuals in the community identified in that workforce plan, 

past effectiveness in improving the literacy skills of adults and families, programs built on a 

strong foundation of research about effective practices, and coordination with other available 

resources in the community. 

State leadership funds must be used to align adult education to the State Unified Plan submitted 

under WIOA, to establish and operate high-quality professional development to improve 

instruction, to provide technical assistance to eligible providers, and to monitor and evaluate the 

quality and improvement of adult education services in the State. Funds may also be used for a 

variety of other activities to improve adult education and literacy services. 

AEFLA shares a common performance accountability system with the core workforce programs 

under WIOA that are administered by DOL and the Department, including six primary indicators 

of performance: (1) the percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized 

employment during the second quarter after exit from the program; (2) the percentage of 

program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit 

from the program; (3) the median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized 

employment during the second quarter after exit from the program; (4) the percentage of 

program participants who obtain a recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school 

diploma or its recognized equivalent, during participation in or within 1 year after exit from the 

program, if such participants have also obtained or retained employment or are in an education 

or training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential within 1 year of exit;

(5) the percentage of program participants who, during a program year, are in an education or 

training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and who

are achieving measurable skill gains toward such a credential or employment; and (6) an 

indicator to measure the effectiveness of programs in serving employers.
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Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants

The Department also awards grants to States for a separately authorized IELCE program. 

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 number of immigrants in the 3 most recent years. No State 

receives an award of less than $60,000. 

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)

2013.........................................................$563,955

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

2015...........................................................568,955

2016...........................................................581,955

2017...........................................................581,955

FY 2018 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $485.8 million for Adult Education State Grants for fiscal year 2018, 

$95.0 million below the fiscal year 2017 annualized Continuing Resolution level. The 

Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2017, provided $582.0 million for this program. 

The request would provide significant resources to support adult education while also 

maintaining the fiscal discipline necessary to support the President’s goal of increasing support 

for national security and public safety without adding to the Federal budget deficit. While the 

Department’s Adult Education State Grants program has performed relatively well on its 

performance measures, there has not been a rigorous evaluation of the program recently. 

WIOA requires the Department to carry out an independent evaluation of its adult education 

program at least once every four years, and the Department is currently in the process of 

awarding the evaluation contract. Furthermore, States and providers across the country are still 

working to implement changes in adult education requirements made by WIOA. The 

Administration’s request reflects a marginal scaling back of the adult education program, with 

future decisions regarding the program being informed by the evaluation and by performance 

data based on the full implementation of WIOA. 

At the same time, the Department is working to address these challenges through ongoing 

WIOA implementation, and there continues to be a need for Federal investment in adult 

education programs, in part because the United States is increasingly losing ground in 

employment-related skills to many of its economic competitors. Released in 2013, the 

International Survey of Adult Skills (ISAS) indicates that the average performance in literacy and 
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numeracy of American adults was significantly lower than the international average. The U.S. 

has a higher percentage of working-age adults with low literacy skills than seven other 

industrialized nations. In numeracy, the share of working age adults in the U.S. with weak 

numeracy skills surpasses that of 10 other industrialized nations.6 Based on ISAS data, Hoover 

Institution economist Eric Hanushek and co-authors found that, across 22 nations, an increase 

in numeracy skills roughly equivalent to advancing one out of the 5 ISAS proficiency levels is 

associated with an average increase in hourly wages of 18 percent. The analysis also found 

that the wage impact of skills varies significantly across countries, with the wage premium for 

skills being the highest in the U.S., where advancing approximately one level in numeracy was 

associated with a 28 percent average increase in hourly wages.7

 Finally, an analysis of data 

from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning found that participating in adult education for 

100 or more hours was associated with an average annual income increase of $6,635 (in 2007 

dollars).8

 These data show that, in addition to national economic competitiveness, improving 

adult literacy and numeracy can have a significant positive impact on the prosperity and wellbeing of individuals and their families.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands) 

Output Measures 2016

2017

Appropriation 2018

Adult basic and literacy State grants (ABL) $512,120 $512,120 $427,547

Range of awards to States $771–$78,282 $827–$79,809 $690–$66,626 

English literacy and civics education 

State grants (ELC) $69,835 $69,835 $58,302

Range of awards to States $60–$13,960 $60–$14,000 $60–$11,680

Number of participants (estimated) 1,598,756 1,598,756 1,425,000

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information and results based on GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets. Achievement of program results is 

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

 6 OECD (2013), Time for the U.S. to Reskill?: What the Survey of Adult Skills Says, OECD Skills Studies, OECD 

Publishing.

7 Hanushek, E., Schwerdt, G. et al. (2013) Returns to Skills around the World: Evidence from PIAAC.

National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 19762. 8 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, The Impact of ABS 

Program Participation on Long-Term Economic Outcomes, Washington, DC, 2014.
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in fiscal year 2018 and future years, and the resources and efforts invested by those served by 

this program.

As prescribed in the performance accountability provisions of WIOA, the Department has 

revised the performance measures for Adult Education State Grants. The new performance 

accountability system became effective on July 1, 2016, with baselines and targets for the 

measures being established in 2019 and 2020. Baseline data and targets for these measures 

will be phased into Congressional budget justifications beginning with the fiscal year 2021

President’s Budget. 

The Department has continued to report on the existing measures for grants made prior to 

enactment of WIOA. These State-level performance indicators include: (1) demonstrated 

improvements in skill levels in reading, writing, and speaking English; numeracy and problemsolving; and English language acquisition; (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. These indicators are 

reflected in the first four measures below. 

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

2013 54% 43%

2014 44 42

2015 45 41

2016 46 41

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

2013 52% 46%

2014 47 46

2015 48 45

2016 49 46

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 two measures above will be 

replaced by “the percentage of program participants who, during a program year, are in an 
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education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or 

employment and who are achieving measurable skill gains toward such a credential or 

employment;” the Department will report baseline data and targets in the fiscal year 2021 

President’s Budget. 

Measure: The percentage of adults who earn a high school diploma or recognized equivalent.

Year Target Actual

2013 58% 71%

2014 64 73

2015 68 66

2016 73 75

Additional information: In 2011, the Department clarified the definition for this measure and 

the other outcome-based measures below, and began collecting information using this more 

specific definition in 2013. 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 LEAs or the State educational agency, and HSE credentials are 

confirmed through a data match with the State’s administrative database. Reflecting the shared 

performance accountability system under WIOA, this measure will be replaced by “the 

percentage of program participants who obtain a recognized postsecondary credential, or a 

secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, during participation in or within 1 year 

after exit from the program;” the Department will report baseline data and targets in the fiscal 

year 2022 President’s Budget. 

Measure: The percentage of adults who enroll in a postsecondary education or training 

program.

Year Target Actual

2013 49% 29%

2014 32 30

2015 35 28

2016 38 29

Additional information: The lowering of the targets starting in 2014 is due to a change in the 

definition of the measure, which now captures a broader segment of individuals receiving 

services under the program. This measure will no longer be a standalone measure under 

WIOA’s performance accountability measures. Rather, a modified version will be one of the 

ways in which grantees can meet the measurable skill gains measure mentioned above. 
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Measure: The percentage of adults who obtain a job by the end of the first quarter after their 

program exit quarter.

Year Target Actual

2013 44% 47%

2014 47 41

2015 42 45

2016 43 44

Additional information: The precise definition for this measure is: 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. 

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

Year Target Actual

2013 70% 56%

2014 57 61

2015 62 64

2016 63 69

Additional information: The precise definition for this measure is “the percentage of adults 

who were employed in the first quarter after exit quarter who are employed in the third quarter 

after the program exit quarter.” As required by WIOA, the Department will begin to collect data 

on “the percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the 

second quarter after exit from the program” and “the percentage of program participants who 

are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from the program.” The 

Department will report baseline data and targets in the fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2022

President’s Budgets, respectively.

Two additional outcome measures under WIOA are “the median earnings of program 

participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the 

program” and a measure evaluating effectiveness in serving employers. The Department will 

report baseline data and targets in the fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2022 President’s Budget, 

respectively.

Efficiency Measures

Prior to the passage of WIOA, the Department had two efficiency measures for the Adult 

Education State Grants program. 

Measure: The annual Federal cost per participant.

Year Target Actual

2013 $290 $298

2014 280 310
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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, there 

is a substantial data lag for this measure and the measure below. The Department is reporting 

on this measure and the one below under the previous authorization of the program only 

through 2014, as it is the last fiscal year for which funds were appropriated under the previous 

authorization of the program. 

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

attainment.

Year Target Actual

2013 $580 $594

2014 570 684

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 HSE certificate. The two measures above will be replaced by “the annual federal 

cost per measurable skill gain” and “the annual federal cost per secondary school credential.” 

The Department will report baseline data and targets in the fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2022 

President’s Budget, respectively.
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Adult education: National leadership activities

(Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Section 242)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2018 Authorization: $649,2871

Budget Authority:

2017

Annualized CR

2017

Appropriation 2018

Change from

Annualized CR

$13,686 $13,712 $13,686 0

1 A total of $649,287 thousand is authorized for both National Leadership Activities and Adult Basic and 

Literacy Education State Grants.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Adult Education National Leadership 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 training institutes, training on research-based reading and math instruction, 

national and international adult literacy surveys, and technical assistance on using technology to 

improve instruction.

In addition, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which reauthorized AEFLA in 

2014, requires the Department to carry out certain national leadership activities, including 

assistance to States in meeting the requirements of the performance accountability provisions of 

WIOA, assistance to local providers of adult education services upon request from one or more 

States, and carrying out research and evaluation on effective adult education and literacy 

services. 

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 for 15 months through 

September 30 of the following year.
M-33

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

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

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

2015.............................................................13,712

2016.............................................................13,712

2017.............................................................13,712

FY 2018 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2018, the Administration requests $13.7 million for Adult Education National 

Leadership Activities, the same as the fiscal year 2017 annualized Continuing Resolution level. 

The Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2017, provided $13.7 million for this program. 

The request includes appropriations language that overrides the funding level provided in 

WIOA, which is established as 2 percent of the amount appropriated for AEFLA, or $9,990,700. 

Funds would continue to support State efforts to implement the provisions of AEFLA. The 

request would also continue support for activities designed to enhance the quality and outcomes 

of adult education and literacy programs. Currently, these activities include:

• Adult Education Research and Evaluation Network, which enables the Department to carry 

out rigorous research and evaluation on effective adult education and literacy activities in 

addition to an independent evaluation of the programs and activities under AEFLA at least 

every four years in order to improve services and outcomes for adult education program 

participants. 

• The Literacy Information and Communications System, which includes an online resource 

collection of instructional and professional development materials; a professional 

development center to assist States with training and technical assistance services intended 

to meet statutory requirements; and the technology infrastructure needed to support the 

collection, maintenance, and dissemination of adult education resources.

• The National Reporting System, which receives, stores, and generates reports on the 

outcome, participation, and student descriptive data for AEFLA programs submitted by

States. It also specifies the methodologies by which local providers and States are to collect 

and report the data on and has resources that provide technical assistance to increase the 

knowledge of State staff and the capacity of State data systems. Investments in this area 

will help to ensure that local providers and States collect and report high quality data and 

become skilled in using this information in program management and decisionmaking.

• Evidence-based Reading Instruction, which assists States in meeting their statutory 

requirement to establish or operate high quality professional development programs focused 

on the essential components of reading instruction for adults.

• Career Pathways for English Language Learners, which assists States and eligible 

providers in carrying out English Literacy and Civics Education activities, including

instruction in literacy, English language acquisition, and the rights and responsibilities of 

citizenship and civic participation; services in combination with integrated education and 
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training; preparation and placement of participants in unsubsidized employment that leads to 

economic self-sufficiency; and program services integrated with local workforce 

development systems.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2016

2017

Annualized CR 2018

Adult Education Research and Evaluation 

Network $3,481 $3,500 $3,500

Literacy Information and Communications 

System 2,529 2,500 2,500

National Reporting System 1,521 1,500 1,500

Evidence-based Reading Instruction 600 600 600

Career Pathways for English Language 

Learners 739 850 850

Other technical assistance, logistical 

support, and evaluation 4,842 4,736 4,736

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information and results based on GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets. Achievement of program results is 

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

in FY 2018 and future years, and 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. 
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Measure: The percentage of States submitting high-quality learner assessment data through 

the National Reporting System (NRS).

Year Target Actual

2013 100% 91%

2014 100 91

2015 100 89

2016 100 89

2017 100

2018 100

Additional information: 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 adult learner

assessment data. In 2016, 51 of 57 “States” (the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 

Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands) submitted high-quality learner assessment data. 

Other Performance Information

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

and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, supported a study of adult and 

adolescent literacy instruction through the National Academies of Sciences. 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 enhanced coordination of program 

improvement, evaluation, and research.

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

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

work in September 2012. The primary goals of this center, 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. Since 2012, CSAL has 

tested approximately 600 adult literacy students on a full battery of assessments to help 

determine this population’s underlying skill profiles and has worked with approximately 

150 additional students on the pilot and supplemental studies. The Center has developed 

materials to help teach fundamental reading skills (e.g., fluency and comprehension) and has 

tested its feasibility in several programs. These materials contain 30 lessons on reading 

comprehension, 31 lessons on more basic skills (e.g., sounding out words), and 35 interactive 

computer-based lessons. The Center has also created an online reading repository that 
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contains links to free texts, organized by reading level and content.9

 Since its launch, the 

student portal that connects to the reading repository has been accessed over 9,000 times, the 

research portal over 1,100 times, and the teacher portal over 2,000 times. In its 2014 annual 

performance report, CSAL reported that it had collaborated with over 30 education 

organizations (e.g., school boards, education community-based organizations). The 

researchers of CSAL have met with staff from the Departments of Education and Labor to 

discuss research activities and findings and possibilities for further coordination.

In 2016, the Department awarded a contract to assist with the planning of the independent 

evaluation required under section 242 of WIOA. Based on the findings and recommendations 

resulting from the initial contract, the Department plans to award an evaluation contract in 

summer 2017 and shortly thereafter determine a timeline for report releases.

 9 http://csal.gsu.edu/content/library-resources