U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Investing in America’s Future

A Blueprint for Transforming

Career and Technical Education
Investing in America’s Future

A Blueprint for Transforming

Career and Technical Education

United States Department of Education

Office of Vocational and Adult Education

April 2012
U.S. Department of Education

Arne Duncan

Secretary

Office of Vocational and Adult Education

Brenda Dann-Messier

Assistant Secretary

April 2012 

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Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Investing in America’s Future: 

A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education, Washington, D.C., 2012.

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Dear Colleagues,

I

n his 2012 State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out a blueprint for an 

economy that is built to last. The President’s plan affirms that the strength of the 

American economy is inextricably linked to the strength of America’s education system. 

Particularly in times of economic challenge, American employers need a workforce that is 

skilled, adaptable, creative, and equipped for success in the global marketplace. And our 

students need a more rigorous, better tailored education to acquire the skills they need to 

compete, to follow a clear pathway into the middle class and to continue to prosper. 

To educate our way to a better economy, educators, public officials, and policymakers must 

ensure that every student in our country graduates from high school prepared for college 

and a successful career. Yet that is not enough. If America is to once again have the highest 

proportion of college graduates in the world by the end of the decade, every American should 

have access to at least one year of higher education or postsecondary training at an affordable 

cost. A world-class education system that provides high-quality job-training opportunities 

will reduce skills shortages, spur business growth, encourage new investment and hiring, spark 

innovation, and promote continued economic growth. 

These educational goals are central to rebuilding our economy and securing a brighter future 

for our nation, and our career and technical education (CTE) system plays a critical part in 

accomplishing them. With $1.14 billion in funding for Fiscal Year 2012, the Carl D. Perkins 

Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act or Act) represents a considerable 

investment in career readiness. Perkins Act programs leverage other components of a broader 

education and career pathways system that includes K–12 and postsecondary education, 

workforce investment and job training, adult education, and health and human services. They 

help create an American economy built to last. 

At present, however, the Perkins Act is in need of reform and updating. The 2006 Act took 

modest yet important steps to improve the quality of CTE programs. But it did not go far 

enough to address the overarching educational and economic needs of youths and adults 

preparing to participate in the knowledge-based, global marketplace of the 21st century. 

Our federal investment in CTE must be dramatically reshaped to fulfill its potential to prepare 

all students, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances, for further education and 

cutting-edge careers. The need to strengthen and elevate CTE is urgent. This is a not a time 

to tinker with CTE—it is a time to transform it. To help accomplish this transformation, 

this blueprint sets forth the elements of a rigorous, relevant, and results-driven CTE program 

through reauthorization of the Perkins Act.

 U.S. Secretary of Education

THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION 

WASHINGTON, DC 20202
1

Perkins Reauthorization

Introduction

President Obama has laid out a blueprint for an economy that is built to last—an economy built on 

American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American 

values. The President believes that education is a cornerstone of building such an economy. 

Today, postsecondary education and training are prerequisites for jobs of the new economy. Of the 30 

fastest-growing occupations, about two-thirds require postsecondary education or training. With the 

average earnings of college graduates at a level that is about twice as high as that of workers with only 

a high school diploma, postsecondary education and training are now the clearest pathways into the 

middle class and future prosperity, and central to rebuilding our economy and securing a brighter future 

for all.

To that end, President Obama set a new goal for the country, that by 2020, America would once again 

have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. The President also has challenged every 

American to commit to at least one year of higher education or postsecondary training.

To achieve the President’s goals, we must ensure that every student in our country graduates from high 

school or its equivalent prepared for both college and a successful career. And we must ensure that more 

of our nation’s young people and adults can afford, access, and complete postsecondary education and 

training to earn an industry certification or licensure and a postsecondary certificate or a degree. 

Unfortunately, our education and training systems have failed too many of our students and businesses. 

In higher education, the U.S. is being outpaced by other countries. While the U.S. ranks 9th in the 

world in the proportion of young adults enrolled in college, we have fallen to 16th in the world in our 

share of certificates and degrees awarded to adults ages 25–34—lagging behind South Korea, Canada, 

Japan, and others. We also suffer from a college attainment gap, as high school graduates from the 

wealthiest families in our nation are almost certain to continue on to higher education, while just over 

half of our high school graduates in the poorest quarter of families attend college. And while more than 

half of college students graduate within six years, the completion rate for students from low-income 

families is approximately 25 percent. This inequity only fuels the growing income divide in this nation. 

Too many of our businesses report that they are having trouble finding workers for skilled jobs in 

fields such as healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing, even in times like today when 

unemployment is declining but still high. Strengthening all aspects of our education system and creating 

high-quality job-training opportunities are necessary to further our economic prosperity as a nation and 

to keep the American promise alive for all of our students.

Transforming career and technical education (CTE) is essential to this process. CTE represents a 

critical investment in our future. It offers students opportunities for career awareness and preparation 

by providing them with the academic and technical knowledge and work-related skills necessary to 

be successful in postsecondary education, training, and employment. Employers turn to CTE as an 

important source of talent that they need to fill skilled positions within their companies. 
2

Effective, high-quality CTE programs are aligned not only with college- and career-readiness 

standards, but also with the needs of employers, industry, and labor. They provide students with a 

curriculum based on integrated academic and technical content and strong employability skills. And 

they provide work-based learning opportunities that enable students to connect what they are learning 

to real-life career scenarios and choices. 

The students participating in effective CTE programs graduate with industry certifications or licenses 

and postsecondary certificates or degrees that employers use to make hiring and promotion decisions. 

These students are positioned to become the country’s next leaders and entrepreneurs. And they are 

empowered to pursue future schooling and training as their educational and career needs evolve. 

However, students, parents, teachers, and employers know that there are too few high-quality CTE 

programs in existence today. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins 

Act, Perkins, or Act) introduced important changes in federal support for CTE, such as in programs 

of study. These changes helped to improve the learning experiences of students but did not go far 

enough to systemically create better outcomes for students and employers competing in a 21st-century 

global economy.

The Administration’s blueprint for a reauthorized Perkins Act would transform CTE and usher in a 

new era of rigorous, relevant, and results-driven CTE shaped by four core principles:

(1) Alignment. Effective alignment between high-quality CTE programs and labor market 

needs to equip students with 21st-century skills and prepare them for in-demand occupations 

in high-growth industry sectors; 

(2) Collaboration. Strong collaborations among secondary and postsecondary institutions, 

employers, and industry partners to improve the quality of CTE programs;

(3) Accountability. Meaningful accountability for improving academic outcomes and building 

technical and employability skills in CTE programs for all students, based upon common 

definitions and clear metrics for performance; and

(4) Innovation. Increased emphasis on innovation supported by systemic reform of state policies 

and practices to support CTE implementation of effective practices at the local level. 

The Administration’s proposal reflects a commitment to promoting equity and quality across these 

alignment, collaboration, accountability, and innovation efforts in order to ensure that more students 

have access to high-quality CTE programs. This commitment stems from the fact that the everyday 

educational experiences of women, students of color, students from low-income families, and students 

with disabilities, both in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs, violate the belief in equity 

at the heart of the American promise. The nation cannot lead the world in college graduates unless 

we extend educational opportunity to everyone—fairly and equitably. The Administration’s proposal 

would use a combination of technical assistance, competition, and a system of structured rewards to 

ensure that more students, regardless of backgrounds or circumstances, have access to high-quality 

CTE programs. 
3

Below is an overview of the Administration’s proposed reforms, organized by principle, with a brief 

description of the current Act’s shortcomings.

The Current Act Principle of Reform Proposed Reforms

Limited provisions to encourage 

high-quality CTE programs

No requirements for states 

to work with workforce and 

economic development agencies 

to identify areas of focus for 

CTE program

Effective ALIGNMENT between 

CTE and labor market needs 

to equip students with 21stcentury skills and prepare them 

for in-demand occupations in 

high-growth industry sectors

• Clear Expectations for 

High-quality Programming:

Provide states better guidance 

on establishing high-quality 

programs 

• A More Active Role for 

States: Empower states 

to identify the in-demand 

occupations in high-growth 

industry sectors on which 

CTE programs should focus

Separate funding for secondary 

and postsecondary institutions

No clear ways for employers, 

industry, and labor to engage in 

program and curriculum design 

and implementation

No leveraging of private inkind and cash resources to share 

program expenses

Strong COLLABORATION

among secondary and 

postsecondary institutions, 

employers, and industry 

partners to improve the quality 

of CTE programs

• Consortia Funding:

Establish consortia to 

ensure collaboration among 

secondary and postsecondary 

institutions

• Private-sector Match: Use 

a match contribution to 

strengthen the participation 

of employers, industry, and 

labor partners in program 

design and execution

Funds distributed by states to 

local recipients by formula

States define participation 

and accountability measures 

differently

No mechanism to reward highperforming local recipients for 

success

Meaningful ACCOUNTABILITY 

for improving academic 

outcomes and building technical 

and employability skills in CTE 

programs, based upon common 

definitions and clear metrics for 

performance

• Within-state Competitions 

to Distribute Funds to 

Consortia: Provide states 

increased autonomy to 

select and fund high-quality 

programs responsive to 

regional labor-market needs

Overview of the Existing Perkins Act and Proposed Reforms
4

The Current Act Principle of Reform Proposed Reforms

Funds distributed by states to 

local recipients by formula

States define participation 

and accountability measures 

differently

No mechanism to reward highperforming local recipients for 

success

Meaningful ACCOUNTABILITY 

for improving academic 

outcomes and building technical 

and employability skills in CTE 

programs, based upon common 

definitions and clear metrics for 

performance

• Common Definitions to 

Strengthen Data Systems 

and Close Equity Gaps for 

Participation: Use uniform 

definitions for participation 

and performance indicators 

to create high-quality 

data systems that enable 

meaningful comparisons and 

identification of equity gaps

• Incentives for High 

Performance: Incentivize and 

reward local recipients that 

exceed performance targets

No clear identification of the 

state’s role in creating the 

conditions for high-quality 

CTE programs to thrive

Formula funding that supports 

too many purposes and limited 

reserve funding to create 

performance and innovation 

incentives

Increased emphasis on 

INNOVATION supported by 

systemic reform of state policies 

and practices to support CTE 

implementation of effective 

practices at the local level

• State Conditions for Success 

and Innovation: Ensure states 

have in place the policies and 

systems to support programs 

at the local level

• A Competitive CTE 

Innovation and 

Transformation Fund:

Develop and implement 

new practices and models at 

the local level and support 

systemic reforms at the state 

level
5

Effective Alignment Between CTE 

and Labor Market Needs

Effective alignment is needed between what is taught in CTE programs and the skills the labor 

market needs. To form high-quality CTE programs, state and local leaders must work closely 

together, and with employers, to ensure that CTE programs are responsive to labor market demands. 

The Administration’s proposal defines clearly the elements of a rigorous, relevant, and results-driven 

CTE program. States would be asked to collaborate with workforce and economic development 

agencies to identify the in-demand occupations and high-growth industry sectors on which local CTE 

programs will focus. 

Characteristics of Rigorous, Relevant, and Results-Driven CTE Programs

High-quality CTE programs consistently offer rigorous, blended college-preparatory and careeroriented instruction to produce strong results in their students. The Administration’s proposal specifies 

that CTE programs must offer a streamlined and structured sequence of courses that span secondary 

and postsecondary education, lead to an industry certification or license and a postsecondary certificate 

or degree, and enable graduates to gain employment in a high-growth industry upon program 

completion.

While CTE programs would be designed differently across the country, the Administration’s proposal 

anticipates that these programs would share certain essential features. Secondary school teachers and 

college faculty would work together to teach integrated academic, career, and technical content that 

enables students to better grasp the material and that demonstrates connections to real-life career 

scenarios and choices. 

Local education agencies (LEAs), postsecondary institutions, and employers would collaborate to offer 

students opportunities to participate in work-based learning and to accelerate completion of their 

studies through dual or concurrent credits. 

Programs would use technology to increase access to high-quality learning opportunities, particularly 

for students in rural or remote areas. These core program features would set a higher bar for the 

expectations and outcomes of CTE programs. Rather than promote one particular educational or 

training model, they would provide state and local administrators with sufficient flexibility to design 

programs that fit their labor-market needs and that lead students to successful outcomes. These 

features also would encourage state and local leaders to build on recent work on programs of study, 

expand career academies, or pursue other promising or proven approaches and models of service 

delivery. 
6

A More Active Role for States

America’s CTE system cannot be transformed without strong leadership at the state level, but the 

current Act does not require states to systemically identify the economic needs and priorities of the 

state, regional, or local economies when making decisions on which CTE programs should be funded 

using Perkins dollars. As a result, local program administrators, business and industry, students and 

their parents, and other key stakeholders cannot make informed decisions on which programs to 

support or enter. 

The Administration’s proposal seeks to change this reality by creating a new role for states in 

determining which types of CTE programs should be funded. In collaboration with its workforce 

and economic development agencies, each state would identify in-demand occupations in highgrowth industry sectors on which CTE programs in their region would focus. States then would 

disseminate this information to local CTE administrators to ensure that programs are responsive to 

labor-market needs and aligned with regional priorities for economic growth. States also would share 

this information with students and parents so that they are well-informed about programs and career 

options. 
7

Increasing Secondary School Teacher and College Faculty Effectiveness

Successful CTE programs have great teachers and faculty who enhance student learning outcomes and 

achievement. Under the Administration’s reauthorization proposal, states would be encouraged to enhance 

their recruitment, professional development, and evaluation systems for CTE educators, for example, by 

developing talented teachers and faculty through alternative licensing policies that support mid-career 

professionals in becoming CTE teachers. In collaboration with industry associations, states also could 

innovate to ensure that CTE teachers and faculty have opportunities to refresh their knowledge of industry 

and of effective instructional practices for students of diverse backgrounds and needs, including English 

learners and students with disabilities. Finally, states would be encouraged to integrate CTE teachers and 

faculty into existing evaluation and support systems that assess their effectiveness and continually improve 

instruction using standards that are appropriate for the subjects that they teach.

Accelerated Completion Through Articulation Agreements

Articulation agreements between LEAs and postsecondary institutions make it possible for students to 

earn college credit while still finishing high school and avoid repeating course work when they enroll in 

college. These agreements are crucial to reducing the time and cost to complete a postsecondary certificate or 

degree. The Administration’s proposal fundamentally would alter the current Act, which merely encourages 

articulation agreements, to require all consortia applying for state subgrants to establish or adopt secondarypostsecondary articulation agreements for each funded CTE program. State leaders would be expected to 

create statewide articulation agreements and encouraged to support policies that maximize the award of 

college credit to students who complete registered apprenticeship programs and industry-based training. 

When successfully implemented, articulation agreements provide opportunities for students to earn dual 

or concurrent credit, putting them on a fast track to an industry-recognized certification or licensure and 

postsecondary certificate or degree. By accelerating the pace at which they complete their studies, students 

can reach high-quality career goals with significantly less debt.

Not Just Skills for a Single Job but Skills for a Lifetime of Career and Community Success

CTE must lead students to develop the knowledge and skills required for success in college, career, and 

civic life. This includes mastery of the core academic content required of all students, as well as specialized 

knowledge that is specific to particular careers. It also includes learning and practicing a set of employability 

skills, such as the ability to work collaboratively in diverse teams, communicate effectively, think critically, 

solve problems, find and analyze information, ask challenging questions, and adapt to change, that make 

individuals more employable across specialty areas. These employability skills, or 21st-century skills, are 

the transferable skills that empower a person to seamlessly transition from one job or field to another for a 

lifetime of career success. These skills are also important in civic life because they empower individuals to 

understand and tackle pressing public problems in their communities. The Administration’s proposal expects 

CTE programs to create opportunities for students to develop or strengthen these 21st-century skills, which 

would prepare students for postsecondary education and training, thriving careers, and active citizenship. 
8

Strong Collaborations and Partnerships

S

trong collaborations between secondary and postsecondary education institutions, employers, 

industry, and other partners are essential to creating high-quality CTE programs, and they result in 

numerous benefits. Academic, career, and technical content can be made more relevant, rigorous, and 

better aligned with the skills demanded by the labor market. Students can obtain college credit for course 

work completed in high school, apprenticeships, or industry-based training. Students also can obtain a 

clearer understanding of the requirements for entry into college programs, positioning them for seamless 

transitions into postsecondary education. Strong collaborations also enable resources, such as equipment 

and facility space, to be purchased and used more efficiently. And, finally, these collaborations support 

the creation of challenging, work-based learning opportunities that prepare students to graduate with an 

industry-recognized certification or licensure and a postsecondary certificate or degree and to be ready for 

employment in an in-demand occupation within a high-growth industry sector. 

The Administration’s proposal recognizes these benefits and fosters collaboration in two important 

ways. First, the proposal would permit only consortia of LEAs and postsecondary institutions and their 

partners to apply to states for Perkins funding. Second, the proposal would require states to meet a match 

requirement using private-sector resources in order to receive Perkins funding. 

Collaboration Through Consortia 

The current Act provides separate funding streams for LEAs and postsecondary institutions. Siloed funding 

discourages collaboration, makes alignment challenging, and weakens a student’s ability to transition 

between secondary and postsecondary systems. The Administration’s proposal would discontinue this 

approach by funding only consortia of LEAs, postsecondary institutions, and their partners. 

A consortium could be based on geography, a sector, or other considerations, but at a minimum it must 

include LEAs—at least one of which serves a high concentration of students from low-income families—

and postsecondary institutions that offer a two-year degree. Other partners in a consortium could be 

employers, industry associations, labor organizations, public and private workforce entities, entrepreneurial 

organizations, and other institutions, including research universities that play a critical role in economic 

development, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other Minority-Serving Institutions. 

A Match Requirement to Solidify Collaboration Among Employers, Industry, and Labor

In CTE today, employers, industry, and labor partners—who have the best understanding of current, nearterm, and future labor market needs—do not have adequate opportunities to participate in the design and 

implementation of CTE programs. This issue is in large part a result of the current Act, which does not set 

parameters for meaningful private-sector participation. It has led to inconsistent levels of involvement and 

a proliferation of CTE programs that are not aligned with existing and emerging in-demand occupations 

in high-growth industry sectors. 

The Administration’s proposal would address this issue by establishing a match requirement that states 

must meet to receive Perkins funds. The match requirement could be met with cash or in-kind resources, 

such as equipment, training facilities, entrepreneurial start-up capital, and technical assessments, to 

encourage collaboration between key stakeholders within a consortium. 
9

Meaningful Accountability and Rewards Based Upon Clear Metrics

Effectively transforming CTE involves distributing Perkins funding to programs that produce desired 

outcomes for students. It also involves strengthening the accountability systems used by states to 

track progress so that performance data are collected, analyzed, and used to identify and address 

student results as well as equity gaps in educational attainment and employment between different groups 

of students. Finally, it involves rewarding local programs that produce exceptional results for their success. 

In a bold departure from the current Act, the Administration’s proposal would require states to distribute 

their Perkins funding to local consortia through within-state competitions, use uniformly defined 

participation and performance indicators to measure performance, and award performance-based 

funding to local programs that produce exceptional results, including success in closing participation and 

performance gaps between student subgroups. 

Within-state Competitions to Ensure That All Students Can Access Rigorous, Relevant, 

and Results-driven CTE Programs

The current Act requires states to distribute their Perkins funding to local recipients by formula. By 

comparison, the Administration’s proposal introduces competition as the basis for awarding funds within 

states to consortia. This approach would give states greater autonomy and flexibility to fund those CTE 

programs that are rigorous and responsive to their labor-market needs and regional priorities for economic 

growth. 

Under this new approach, the members of a local consortium would apply for funding to develop CTE 

programs aligned with the high-growth industry sectors and in-demand occupations identified by the state. 

States then would award funding to the consortia that best demonstrate the ability to provide high-quality 

CTE programs for all students, regardless of backgrounds. 

The switch from formula funding to within-state competitions marks a significant change in how Perkins

funding is distributed. To ensure a smooth transition, the Administration’s proposal would require states 

to provide appropriate up-front technical assistance to consortia to ensure equitable opportunities to access 

Perkins funds.

Common Definitions to Improve Student Outcomes and Close Equity Gaps 

The current Act allows states to create their own definitions for participation and performance indicators. 

The inconsistencies and incompatibilities of these indicators hinder the objective, valid, and externally 

verifiable analysis of student and program outcomes. Under the Administration’s proposal, states would 

use common definitions for participation and performance indicators. The definitions used for the 

performance indicators would be aligned with those under other federal laws, such as the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), and the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (HEA). Further, the proposal would require that states incorporate CTE data into 

their state longitudinal data systems.
10

Rural Students. The Administration’s proposal 

would help to ensure that students in rural 

communities across the country have access to 

high-quality CTE programs. Rural students 

would be connected to postsecondary institutions 

through consortia, even if there are no postsecondary 

institutions near their rural communities. This would 

occur through increased use of distance learning 

technology, resources, and services that would foster 

success and improve the quality of CTE programs 

available to those students. New state requirements 

also would ensure that rural economic needs are 

considered in the creation of CTE programs. 

Low-income Students. All too often, lowincome students do not have access to high-quality 

CTE programs. The Administration’s proposal 

would address this issue by requiring that local 

consortia receiving subgrants from states include 

school districts that have high concentrations of 

students from low-income families, ensuring that 

these students have access to quality programs and 

are equally positioned for further education and 

successful career opportunities. 

English Learners. Language should not be a 

barrier that prevents students from accessing highquality programs. The Administration’s proposal 

requires states to provide supports, such as academic 

and wrap-around services, to these students so that 

they are prepared to succeed in CTE programs and 

challenging careers after graduation. 

Individuals With Disabilities. The Administration’s 

proposal would ensure equity in access and 

participation for individuals with disabilities. Each 

state’s plan and each local consortium’s application 

would be expected to include descriptions of the 

actions that would be taken to ensure that there 

are no access, participation, quality, or performance 

barriers for the participation of students with 

disabilities in CTE programs. 

Continued Support for American Indian, 

Alaska Native, and Hawaiian Students. The 

Administration’s proposal includes continued support 

for programs under the current Act that focus on 

American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native 

students, Tribally Controlled Postsecondary CTE 

Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and 

Universities. It commits the U.S. Department of 

Education to consult with tribal nations and native 

communities on how to strengthen their programs 

in a way that is respectful of tribal sovereignty and 

mindful of the key issues that many communities face, 

such as high rates of unemployment and social and 

economic distress. 

Local consortia and states would be required to disaggregate program data to identify student 

participation and performance gaps by sex, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability, and 

English proficiency at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. Local consortia and states also 

would be required to focus on closing identified gaps by developing improvement plans to bridge 

participation and outcome disparities where they exist. 

Common participation and performance definitions would enable CTE educators, researchers, and 

other key stakeholders to compare and analyze national outcome data for CTE students for the 

first time ever. Disaggregated longitudinal data that are objective, valid, and externally verifiable 

would provide critical information for monitoring and analyzing student outcomes and closing gaps 

in participation, educational attainment, and employment between different groups of students. 

Federal and state leaders, armed with this improved data, would be better positioned to support CTE 

programs, teachers, and administrators at the local level.
11

Equity: Access to High-quality Programs for ALL Students

The Administration’s proposal is grounded in a commitment to equal educational opportunities. 

It protects the American promise that all youths and adult students can achieve to their maximum potential. 

Key elements include:

• More Targeted and Effective Plans to 

Aggressively Close Equity Gaps for All 

Groups. The Administration’s proposal would 

require states to improve their data collection 

systems by using commonly defined participation 

and performance indicators, which would lead 

to increased transparency and accountability for 

equity gaps. Such data would be collected on the 

local and state levels and will be disaggregated 

by race, ethnicity, sex, disability, socio-economic 

status, and English proficiency. Improved state 

data would be reported to the U.S. secretary 

of education and the public, and would allow 

states to identify equity gaps in participation 

and performance on the local and state levels, 

including where students of a particular 

background are disproportionately enrolled in or 

absent from certain programs. 

• Provisions to Ensure Equity in Access, 

Participation, and Outcomes. In the statewide 

competition, states would fund programs that 

ensure access to all students, including those 

living in rural, remote, or economically distressed 

urban communities. Under the Administration’s 

proposal, new expectations for states would 

ensure that the needs of low-income students, 

English learners, and students with disabilities 

living in those areas would be considered in 

the creation of CTE programs. In addition, 

states would be required to track data on the 

local consortia to ensure that CTE programs 

are serving diverse student populations and 

communities statewide. 

• Technology to Bridge Access. New and 

emerging technologies are viable ways to solve 

problems of limited access, and uneven quality 

and rigor of academic and technical curricula. The 

proposal encourages the use of technology-enabled 

learning solutions that are accessible to, and 

usable by, students with disabilities and English 

learners, to create access to high-quality learning 

opportunities, including to technical courses and 

virtual work experiences. By promoting the use 

of technology, the proposal would connect those 

students who are served by consortia but who are 

disconnected due to geography to postsecondary 

institutions as well as to business and industry, 

even if those partners are not in close proximity. 

And students who are disconnected due to socioeconomic status, disability, or language barriers 

would be connected as well. 

• Wrap-Around and Support Services for 

Students Who Need Them. Local consortia and 

states must commit to the success of all youths and 

adults, including those who need to strengthen or 

refresh their basic academic skills in order to fully 

benefit from integrated technical and academic 

instruction. The CTE programs that we envision 

would not create separate tracks for certain 

students; instead, they would provide academic 

supports and support services that students need 

to succeed, such as tutoring and counseling. Such 

wrap-around supports would help to ensure 

that there are no equity gaps in participation or 

performance in CTE programs. Local consortia 

and states would be able to use a portion of their 

Perkins funding to ensure that necessary supports 

are in place.
12

Rewarding High-performing Programs

Improved participation and performance data would enable states to reward high-performing 

programs, assist low-performing ones in need of additional technical assistance and support, and 

ensure that all students receive an equitable opportunity to participate in CTE programs. Once 

program data systems have been updated to reflect the new, common definitions for participation and 

performance metrics, the Administration’s proposal would ask states to reward effective programs 

using within-state performance-based funding. To qualify for the rewards, local consortia would 

have to meet criteria established by the state, which would include improving student outcomes and 

success in closing participation and performance gaps between student subgroups. 

This structured system of rewards and targeted interventions would allow states to develop and 

implement their vision for CTE transformation in a way that meets their economic priorities and 

community needs. And local leaders would have financial incentives to create programming that 

produces better and more equitable student outcomes, marking a shift to a results-based culture that 

propels systemwide improvement in CTE. 
13

America’s ability to build a competitive workforce hinges on whether—and to what extent—

educators and leaders can find innovative solutions for preparing all students for college 

and careers. The changing nature of skills required for existing jobs, the ongoing emergence 

of new jobs, and the rapid pace of technological advances all demand new, more responsive 

program models, curricular strategies, and instructional approaches. But new models, strategies, and 

approaches developed at the local level will not suffice to support the type of transformation that the 

Administration envisions for CTE unless they are validated and taken to scale. State-level reforms also 

must accompany advancements made at the local level to ensure that the necessary conditions to foster 

and sustain innovations that result in positive student outcomes are in place.

As the linchpin to its strategy for transforming CTE, the Administration proposes new conditions that 

states would meet to receive a formula grant. The Administration also proposes a competitive CTE 

Innovation and Transformation Fund—administered by the U.S. Department of Education—to incentivize 

innovation at the local level and supportive system reform at the state level. The fund would comprise 

approximately 10 percent of the total Perkins funding. 

State Conditions for Success and Innovation

The Administration’s proposal underscores the important role that states play in supporting rigorous 

programs and systemic reform. While the current Act sets minimum expectations for states, our proposal 

would raise expectations by requiring states to meet certain conditions in order to receive state formula 

grants. Meeting these conditions would signal that a state or outlying area is ready to transform its CTE 

system, or has transformed it, to ensure that all students are prepared for further education and a successful 

career. The conditions for success and innovation would cover such areas as connecting CTE data to state 

longitudinal data systems, allowing rigorous CTE courses to be counted for academic credit, improving 

career counseling systems, and reducing state policy barriers to the transformation of CTE. Before states 

receive any federal funding, the Administration’s proposal would ensure that they first commit to instituting 

the important reforms that are critical to improving CTE for all students.

Competitive Resources for Local Innovations

CTE has long been characterized as having “islands of excellence” where innovation exists in isolation. 

However, federal, state, and local leaders have made little concerted effort to systematically identify and 

rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of innovative solutions, much less widely disseminate and scale them 

to meet the needs of our nation’s youths and adults. By creating the infrastructure to seed innovations 

at the local level and expanding the evidence base for which interventions work best for whom, the 

Administration’s proposal would enable CTE programs to continuously adapt and improve over time.

Because the current Act does not provide a mechanism for federal leaders to encourage local innovation, 

the Administration proposes to use the new CTE Innovation and Transformation Fund to infuse new 

evidence-based practices and tested approaches into current programs and pathways. With a strong 

emphasis on identifying and developing new practices, the fund would help test promising CTE practices, 

programs, and strategies and also support the expansion of proven approaches.

Increased Support for Local Program Implementation and Innovation
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Applicants would be asked to propose projects that develop or expand innovations critical to CTE 

and build a competitive, high-performing, knowledgeable workforce able to solve the most pressing 

problems facing our nation—in both the local and global arenas. The U.S. secretary of education 

could give priority to applicants that will develop or expand innovations focused on specific pressing 

needs and that build on existing assets and capacities, such as projects that better prepare students 

to enter and succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, support 

innovations targeted at disconnected youths and low-skilled adults, and serve students in rural areas. 

Additionally, the fund could support Pay-for-Success projects* that make awards to private non-profit 

or for-profit entities to undertake activities that achieve cost-effective outcomes in CTE and receive 

payment based on the extent to which they achieve those outcomes.

Competitive Resources to Drive Systemic State Reforms

To further incentivize high performance, the Administration’s proposal would allow the U.S. secretary 

of education to award a portion of the CTE Innovation and Transformation Fund to implement 

policy and programmatic changes designed to considerably increase CTE access, expand state 

investments in CTE, and take actions to boost performance and outcome levels significantly. For 

example, states could apply for funding to enhance the technical skills of adults by training them on 

equipment housed at regional CTE centers. Or states could apply for funding to use technology 

and Web-based distance training to increase CTE access for rural or remote communities. Another 

example of how states could use the funding would be to link existing career guidance and counseling 

services for CTE students to those services provided by the workforce development system. Funding 

would be available only for states proposing reforms that either enhance or build on the state 

conditions for success and innovation. 

*

 See http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/24/pay-success-new-results-oriented-federal-commitment-underservedamericans/.
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Conclusion

Four core principles—alignment, collaboration, accountability, and innovation—are the 

foundation for the Administration’s proposed reforms to strengthen the nation’s career and 

technical education system. Collectively, they would usher in a new era of rigorous, relevant, 

and results-driven CTE programs that are equitable and accessible to all students regardless 

of their backgrounds or circumstances. These high-quality CTE programs would give students the 

skills they need to be successful and businesses the skilled workforce they need to thrive.

Students in these CTE programs would be motivated to learn because they are challenged by the 

rigor and engaged by the relevance. They would be prepared to complete their studies with industry 

certifications or licensures and postsecondary certificates or degrees that employers use to make hiring 

and promotion decisions. They would start careers that lead to increased employment and earning 

prospects over time, positioning them to become the country’s next leaders and entrepreneurs. 

At the same time, employers and industry would have a strong voice in developing the very programs 

they need to fill positions within their companies. They would have access to a highly-skilled pool of 

workers ready to make immediate contributions. 

Educated citizens. Skilled workers. Competitive businesses. Thriving industries. These are the 

ingredients for an economy built to last.
The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation 

for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

www.ed.gov