Department of Education

CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Fiscal Year 2014 Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations language............................................................................................................. O-1

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

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

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

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

Appropriations History................................................................................................................. O-7

Summary of Request .................................................................................................................. O-8

Activities:

Career and technical education: 

State grants ....................................................................................................................... O-11

National programs ............................................................................................................. O-23

Adult education:

Adult basic and literacy education State grants ................................................................ O-29

National leadership activities............................................................................................. O-37

State tables*

*State tables reflecting final 2013 allocations and 2014 estimates will be posted on the Department’s Web page at: 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html#update.
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 (referred to in this Act as the “AEFLA”), $609,295,000, which shall become available 

on July 1, 2014, and shall remain available through September 30, 2015:1 Provided, That of the

amount provided for Adult Education State Grants, $74,709,000 shall be made available for 

integrated English literacy and civics education services to immigrants and other limited-Englishproficient populations:2 Provided further, That of the amount reserved for integrated English 

literacy and civics education, notwithstanding section 211 of the AEFLA, 65 percent shall be 

allocated to States based on a State's absolute need as determined by calculating each State’s 

share of a 10-year average of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services data for 

immigrants admitted for legal permanent residence for the 10 most recent years, and 35 percent

allocated to States that experienced growth as measured by the average of the 3 most recent 

years for which United States Citizenship and Immigration Services data for immigrants admitted 

for legal permanent residence are available, except that no State shall be allocated an amount 

less than $60,000:3 Provided further, That, of the amounts made available for AEFLA, 

$14,302,000 shall be for national leadership activities under section 243.4

NOTES

A full-year 2013 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the budget was prepared; therefore, 

this account is operating under a continuing resolution (P.L. 112–175). The amounts included for 2013 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, a budget request for these 

programs will be proposed.

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

Provisions and Changes document, which follows the appropriation language.
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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1 ...$609,295,000, which shall become 

available on July 1, 2014, and shall remain 

available through September 30, 2015:...

This language provides for funds to be 

appropriated on a forward-funded basis for 

Adult Education programs.

2 Provided, That of the amount provided for 

Adult Education State Grants, $74,709,000 

shall be made available for integrated English 

literacy and civics education services to 

immigrants and other limited-Englishproficient populations:...

This language reserves funds from the Adult 

Education State Grants appropriation for 

English Literacy and Civics Education State 

Grants, which are not otherwise authorized 

under the Adult Education and Family 

Literacy Act.

3 Provided further, That of the amount 

reserved for integrated English literacy and 

civics education, notwithstanding section 211 

of the AEFLA, 65 percent shall be allocated 

to States based on a State’s absolute need 

as determined by calculating each State's 

share of a 10-year average of the United 

States Citizenship and Immigration Services 

data for immigrants admitted for legal 

permanent residence for the 10 most recent 

years, and 35 percent allocated to States that 

experienced growth as measured by the 

average of the 3 most recent years for which 

United States Citizenship and Immigration 

Services data for immigrants admitted for 

legal permanent residence are available, 

except that no State shall be allocated an 

amount less than $60,000:...

This language specifies an allocation formula 

for awarding State grants for English literacy 

and civics education.

4 Provided further, That, of the amounts 

made available for AEFLA, $14,302,000 shall 

be for national leadership activities under 

section 243.

This language provides a specific amount for 

National Leadership activities authorized 

under section 243 of the Adult Education and 

Family Literacy Act, overriding the statutory 

set-aside of 1.5 percent of the Adult 

Education appropriation (not to exceed 

$8 million).
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Appropriation Adjustments and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2012 2013 2014

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation............................................................ $1,738,946 $1,737,154 $1,750,154

Discretionary Across-the-board reduction (P.L. 112-74) ............... -1,792 0 0

Discretionary Across-the-board increase (P.L. 112-175) .............. 0 5,790 0

Total, adjusted discretionary appropriation ......... 1,737,154 1,742,944 1,750,154

Advance:

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

Advance from prior year........................................... 789,505 791,000 791,000

Total, budget authority......................................... 1,735,659 1,742,944 1,750,154
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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2012..................................................................................................... $1,735,659

2014 1,750,154

Net change .................................................................. +13,000

Increases: 2012 base

Change 

from base

Program:

Funding for Career and Technical Education National Programs, 

along with up to $32 million under the GPRA Data/HEA Program 

Evaluation program in the Higher Education account, to create a 

$42 million fund to help establish or expand dual-enrollment 

programs that target local workforce needs. 0 +$10,000

Funding for new awards under Adult Education National 

Leadership Activities to support reentry education models, building 

on the fiscal year 2013 Promoting Reentry Success through 

Continuity of Educational Opportunities (PRSCEO) competition. 0 +3,000

Subtotal, increases +13,000

Net change +13,000
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

2013 2013 2014 2014

Activity Authorized Estimate Authorized Request

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

CTAE State grants (CTEA Title I) Indefinite $1,123,030

To be 

determined $1,123,030

CTAE National programs (CTEA Section 114) Indefinite 7,829

To be 

determined 17,829

Adult education (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 

(AEFLA)):

AEFLA Adult basic and literacy education State grants (AEFLA and 

WIA section 503) 01,2 594,993 01,2 594,993

AEFLA National leadership activities (AEFLA section 243) 01,2 11,302 01,2 14,302

Unfunded authorizations

UA Grants to States for workplace and community transition 

training for incarcerated individuals (HE Amendments 

of 1998, Title VIII-D) Indefinite3 0 Indefinite3 0

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

UA Occupational and employment information (CTEA 

section 118) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 0

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

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

Total annual appropriation ............................................................ 1,737,154 1,750,154

Total appropriation including the 0.612 percent across-theboard increase............................................................................ 1,742,944
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Authorizing Legislation—continued 

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NOTE: The Administration is proposing to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. FY 2014 funds for affected programs are 

proposed for later transmittal and will be requested once the legislation is reauthorized.

1 Section 211(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act requires that, of the funds appropriated for Adult Education, the Secretary reserve 

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

1.72 percent for incentive grants (as authorized under section 503 of the Workforce Investment Act). 2 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2014. 3 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008. No appropriations language or reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2014.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Footnote Appropriation Footnote

2005 1,602,233 2,025,458 2,102,086 2,010,949

(2005 Advance for 2006) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000) (791,000)

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

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

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

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

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

(2008 Advance for 2009) (791,000)

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

(2009 Advance for 2010) (791,000)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2013 1,737,154 1,737,1547 1,737,1547 1,742,9448

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

2014 1,750,154

(2014 Advance for 2015) (791,000)

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

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

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

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

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

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

2011 (P.L. 112-10). 6

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

Senate Committee action only. 7

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

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

 The amount shown includes the 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided by P.L. 112-175, in effect 

through March 27, 2013.
ACCOUNT

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Summary of Request

Click here for accessible version 

(in thousands of dollars) 2014

Category 2012 2013 President's

Account, Program and Activity Code Appropriation Appropriation Budget Amount Percent

Career, Technical, and Adult Education

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

(a) State grants (Title I)

Annual appropriation D 332,030 332,030 332,030 0 0.000%

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

Subtotal 1,123,030 1,123,030 1,123,030 0 0.000%

(b) National programs (section 114) D 7,829 7,829 17,829 10,000 127.730%

Subtotal, Career and technical education 1,130,859 1,130,859 1,140,859 10,000 0.884%

 2. Adult education:

(a) Adult basic and literacy education State grants (AEFLA and WIA section 503) D 594,993 594,993 594,993 0 0.000%

(b) National leadership activities (AEFLA section 243) D 11,302 11,302 14,302 3,000 26.544%

Subtotal 606,295 606,295 609,295 3,000 0.495%

Subtotal, Appropriation D 1,737,154 1,737,154 1,750,154 13,000 0.748%

Total, Budget authority D 1,735,659 1,737,154 1,750,154 14,495 0.835%

Current 1 946,154 946,154 959,154 13,000 1.374%

Prior year's advance 789,505 791,000 791,000 1,495 0.189%

Across-the-board 0.612% increase applied to discretionary appropriation, provided in P.L. 112-175. 5,790

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

FY 2013 discretionary appropriation amounts are based on P.L. 112-175, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013, that provided appropriations through March 27, 2013. FY 2013 mandatory amounts are 

either specifically authorized levels, or are based on FY 2013 President's Budget Policy, updated for more recent estimates of mandatory costs, or FY 2014 President's Budget Policy, as applicable.

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

1 In fiscal years 2012 - 2014, excludes advance appropriations of $791,000 thousand that become available on October 1 of the following fiscal year. 

Compared to 2012 Appropriation

2014 President's Budget 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

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Summary of Request

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

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

and literacy systems. The objective of these programs is to develop the academic, career, and 

technical skills of students in high schools, community colleges, adult education programs, and 

correctional institutions by helping States develop challenging standards; promoting the 

integration of academic, career, and technical instruction; and supporting State and local 

program improvements. Adult education programs support local efforts to provide educational 

services to adults who lack the basic or English literacy skills needed for them to benefit fully 

from job training, obtain better jobs, complete secondary education, succeed in postsecondary 

education, and become full participants in their children’s education. The Career and Technical 

Education programs are authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 

Improvement Act of 2006, and the request would support implementation under a reauthorized

Perkins Act as outlined in the proposal the Department published in April 2012, Investing in 

America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education. Adult 

Education programs would be included in the pending Workforce Investment Act (WIA) 

reauthorization.

The Administration requests a total of $1.8 billion for this account. This request includes 

$1.1 billion for Career and Technical Education State Grants and $17.8 million for Career and 

Technical Education National Programs. The request also includes $595.0 million for Adult 

Education State Grants, and $14.3 million for Adult Education National Leadership Activities.

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

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

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

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

would increase the alignment between CTE and labor market needs; strengthen collaboration 

among secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and business and industry; create a better 

accountability system; and provide competitive funding modeled after the Investing in Innovation 

(i3) program to promote innovation and reform in CTE. The request for CTE State Grants 

includes up to $100 million to fund competitive grants under a CTE innovation fund, including 

$10 million for “Pay-for-Success” projects. The proposal would also support the Department’s 

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

The request for Career and Technical Education National Programs would support 

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

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

effectiveness of career and technical education. The request includes $10 million, along with up 

to $32 million that the Department is requesting under the GPRA Data/HEA Program Evaluation 

program in the Higher Education account, to create a $42 million fund to help establish or 

expand dual-enrollment programs that target local workforce needs.

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

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

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

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

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

also includes continuation of a set-aside for English Literacy/Civics Education State Grants to 
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support the unmet needs of immigrants learning English. The program helps States and 

communities provide limited English proficient adults 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. The $3 million increase proposed for 

2014 would support the expansion of the Department’s reentry education model demonstration 

initiative. This will help develop evidence of effectiveness in a variety of institutional contexts 

and build on the Department’s recent Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of 

Educational Opportunities competition.
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Activities:

Career and technical education: State grants 

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2014 Authorization: Indefinite1

Budget Authority: 

2012 2013 2014

Change

From 2012

Annual appropriation $332,030 $332,030 $332,030 0

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

Total 1,123,030 1,123,0302 1,123,030 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2013; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2014. 2 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

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

programs developed in accordance with its State plan. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Career and technical education: State grants

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Under the statute:

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

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

provide strong linkages between secondary and postsecondary education, and provide 

professional development for teachers, counselors, and administrators.

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

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

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

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

postsecondary level or to an associate or baccalaureate degree. 

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

number of “core indicators” specified in the law. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

dominated by one gender.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

percentages or high numbers of career and technical education students. 

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

such as professional development, activities to expand the use of technology, assessing 

career and technical education services, activities to further the integration of academic and 

career and technical education in order to improve student achievement, preparing students 

for employment in fields that are traditionally dominated by one gender, delivering career and 

technical education in correctional institutions, and providing services for special populations.

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 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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

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

remain available for 12 months, expiring at the same time as the forward-funded portion. 

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2009 ...................................................................................$1,160,911

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

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

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

2013 .....................................................................................1,123,0301

_________________

1 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

FY 2014 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2014, the Administration requests $1.1 billion for the Career and Technical 

Education (CTE) State Grants program, the same amount as the 2012 appropriation. The fiscal 

year 2014 appropriation would support implementation under a reauthorized Carl D. Perkins 

Career and Technical Education Act. The Department’s reauthorization proposal, Investing in 

America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education, was released 

in April 2012. Our proposal seeks to dramatically strengthen provisions of the current statute 

and provide States, LEAs, and postsecondary institutions with the support required to help 

ensure that all students exit their CTE programs well prepared for further education or 

employment in high-skill and high-demand occupations, including for the technical jobs that are 

currently going unfilled, even in a time of high unemployment. Our reauthorization proposal 

would also support the President’s goal that the United States again lead the world in college 

completion by 2020.

Under the current Perkins Act, it has been difficult to determine the program’s effectiveness and 

to hold States accountable for performance, in part because States can establish their own 

definitions, performance measures, and goals. The current structure of the CTE State Grants 

program—with funds allocated from States to local secondary and postsecondary recipients 

separately and by formula—lacks the adequate linkages between secondary schools, 

postsecondary institutions, and employers to promote effectiveness. However, we believe that 

high-quality CTE programs can have a significant, positive impact on student achievement, high 

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

outcomes. The Administration’s blueprint for reauthorization of the Perkins Act proposes 

statutory reforms that would achieve that vision and address the current program’s 

shortcomings. They include: 

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

requirements for States to work with workforce and economic development agencies, our 

reauthorization proposal would set clear expectations for States to establish high-quality 

programs in collaboration with such agencies. Our proposal would require States and local 

agencies to work with workforce and economic development agencies and other partners to 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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identify in-demand occupations in high-growth industry sectors to ensure that CTE programs 

are aligned with and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in these 

occupations.

• Strengthening collaboration among secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and 

business and industry. Under our reauthorization proposal, in place of separate within-State 

formula allocations to secondary and postsecondary programs, States would make 

competitive grants to consortia of secondary and postsecondary institutions. The change to 

consortia would strengthen the linkage between secondary and postsecondary education 

and direct funds to programs with the strongest and most proven strategies for delivering 

CTE, including strategies for serving all students. Because employer involvement is also key 

to ensuring that CTE programs are aligned with workforce needs and give students workbased learning opportunities, consortia would be required to include relevant employers 

within each career pathway; and through its grantees, each State would be required to obtain 

matching funds from the private sector. 

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

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

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

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

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

proposal would move States toward common definitions for performance measures including 

more targeted measures that would hold States accountable for providing students 

participating in CTE programs with access to postsecondary education, improving college 

completion rates, and increasing students’ attainment of a postsecondary credential, 

certificate, or degree. In addition, the reauthorized Perkins Act would create financial 

incentives for good performance as well as consequences for poor performance.

• Competitive funding to promote innovation and reform in CTE. A key to improving the 

effectiveness and impact of CTE programs is expanding the knowledge base of effective 

practices by promoting the development, evaluation, and scaling up of innovations in CTE. 

Building on the Department’s successful experience with the Investing in Innovation (i3) 

program, the reauthorization would support a discretionary fund aimed at promoting 

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

fund dedicated to CTE would be unique because it would allow for projects that focus on the 

alignment and articulation between secondary and postsecondary education. A particular 

emphasis of the fund would be to promote employer involvement and linkages to workforce 

needs as well as projects that focus on both labor market and educational outcomes. By 

providing incentives to partnerships between CTE programs and business and industry, this 

competitive fund would generate critical innovations that can help students acquire technical 

skills and obtain credentials or degrees that prepare them for high-wage, high-skill 

employment. Initial investments under a CTE innovation fund might include projects to 

develop programs or strategies to (1) provide services that help disconnected youth access 

career pathways in high-skill, high-wage jobs; (2) expand the capacity of rural and remote 

communities to provide access to articulated pathways to industry-recognized postsecondary 

credentials or degrees for in-demand industry sectors and occupations; or (3) use 

technology to improve service delivery and provide learning experiences to students through 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

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the use of virtual simulations of workplace equipment. Funding would also support activities 

to promote the development and adoption of State-level reforms in CTE and to carry out 

“pay-for-success” projects. 

A reauthorized CTE State Grants program, along with the proposed $300 million High School 

Redesign program in the Innovation and Improvement account, will help provide better 

opportunities for students to graduate from high school and postsecondary education with the 

skills to succeed in today’s economy. 

The programs will have the potential to contribute to the U.S. economy and its global 

competitiveness and increase the employment rate by addressing a persistent skills gap in the 

employment market. As early as 1991, respondents to a National Association of Manufacturers 

(NAM) survey reported a shortage of workers with necessary skills. A recent survey of 

manufacturing executives by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute entitled Boiling Point? The 

Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing found that these gaps still persist. In that 2011 survey, 

67 percent of respondents reported a moderate to severe shortage of available qualified workers 

and 80 percent anticipated that the shortage would grow worse in the next 3 to 5 years for skilled 

production occupations such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and 

technicians. This skills gap is affecting American productivity. Fifty-one percent of respondents 

said that they have experienced difficulty maintaining production levels consistent with customer 

demand because of workforce shortages or employee skill deficiencies. 

Moreover, the demand for skilled workers is not likely to decrease. Sixty-eight percent of the 

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

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

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

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

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

these technologies will require skilled workers to operate them. The Administration’s 

reauthorization proposal is designed not only to help meet long-term educational and economic 

needs but also to address more immediate labor force needs during periods of high 

unemployment. 

The Administration is also considering revisions to the State allocation formula as part of the 

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

and to ensure that the formula drives funds to States based on current data. For 2014, the 

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

$10 million for “pay-for-success” projects) and the remainder for the new formula program.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-16

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2012 2013 2014

Formula funds:

State grants $1,104,725 $1,104,725 $1,006,355

Range of awards to States $573-$123,514 $573-$123,514 $565-$107,811

Territories allocation $1,460 $1,460 $1,330

Indian set-aside $14,038 $14,038 $12,788

Number of grants 30 30 30

Native Hawaiian grant $2,807 $2,807 $2,557

Number of grants 10 10 10

Innovation fund:

Amount for innovation and 

reform grants

0 0 $89,000

Number of new awards 0 0 10-20

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

Peer review of applications 0 0 $1,000

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

_________________

NOTE: 2013 excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program information, including GPRA goals, objectives, 

measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the progress made toward 

achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on the cumulative effect of 

the resources provided in previous years and those requested in FY 2014 and future years, as 

well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this program.

In 2007, the Department adopted new performance measures in order to achieve alignment with 

the core indicators of performance specified in section 113 of the Perkins Act of 2006 (Perkins 

IV). As part of the transition to the requirements of Perkins IV, the Department immediately 

implemented the measures that were based on ESEA requirements (CTE student achievement 

on the statewide assessments of reading or language arts and in mathematics that States must 

administer under ESEA Title I, and the graduation rate for high school CTE students), and 

provided States with an additional year to implement the remaining measures (secondary 

education measures for technical skill attainment; secondary school completion; placement; and 

nontraditional participation and completion; and postsecondary education measures for technical 

skill attainment; attainment of credentials, certificates, or diplomas; student retention or transfer; 

student placement; and nontraditional participation and completion).

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

achievement, workforce preparation, and lifelong learning.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-17

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

2009 64 67

2010 69 75

2011 70 75

2012 71

2013 76

2014 77

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

State mathematics assessments.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 57 64

2010 63 71

2011 64 70

2012 65

2013 72

2014 72

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 78 90

2010 91 90

2011 91 90

2012 91

2013 91

2014 91

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 students (of those who took 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-18

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

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

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

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

many CTE students take the State assessments before they begin their coursework in CTE (i.e., 

in 9th or 10th grade).

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

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

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

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

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

changes in the reported rates both for CTE students and for students as a whole. Data for 2012 

will be available in May 2013. 

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 80 77

2010 80 80

2011 81 76

2012 82

2013 82

2014 78

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

2009 84 84

2010 84 94

2011 85 95

2012 86

2013 94

2014 94
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-19

Measure: The percentage of secondary CTE concentrators placed in postsecondary 

education, advanced training, military service, or employment.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 86 84

2010 86 81

2011 87 81

2012 88

2013 81

2014 82

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

nontraditional fields.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 30 30

2010 30 35

2011 31 35

2012 32

2013 31

2014 32

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

nontraditional fields.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 19 30

2010 19 32

2011 20 35

2012 21

2013 30

2014 32

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 68 81

2010 68 80

2011 69 82

2012 70

2013 82

2014 83
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-20

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

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 56 53

2010 56 53

2011 58 54

2012 60

2013 56

2014 58

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators remaining in postsecondary 

education or transferring to a baccalaureate program.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 58 67

2010 58 72

2011 60 71

2012 62

2013 60

2014 73

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

employment, or apprenticeships. 

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 74 77

2010 74 74

2011 75

2012 76

2013 74

2014 75

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators participating in nontraditional 

programs.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 20 21

2010 20 23

2011 21 23

2012 22

2013 23

2014 24
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-21

Measure: The percentage of postsecondary CTE concentrators completing nontraditional 

programs.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 16 20

2010 16 20

2011 17 20

2012 18

2013 19

2014 21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

that the States currently submit have limited validity. 

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

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

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

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

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

percentages of secondary and postsecondary concentrators placed in postsecondary education, 

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

CTE concentrators retained in postsecondary education or transferring to a baccalaureate 

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

for 2012 will be available in May 2013.

Efficiency measures

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

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

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

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

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

leaving postsecondary education.

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

validity, reliability, and comparability of the data used for these calculations are questionable. 

State definitions of participants vary, limiting the validity of comparisons across States. The 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: State grants

O-22

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

2012 will be available in late 2013.

Measure: Federal cost per student.

Year Cost per secondary student

2007 $77

2008 $62

2009 $75

2010 $74

2011 $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

2009 $107

2010 $107

2011 $119
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-23

Career and technical education: National programs

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2014 Authorization: Indefinite1

Budget Authority: 

2012 2013 2014

Change

from 2012

$7,829 $7,8292 $17,829 +$10,000

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2013. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2014. 2 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

years 2005 through 2008 to carry out this national assessment. An interim report on the current 

National Assessment of Career and Technical Education was due to Congress on January 1, 

2010, and a final report was due to Congress on July 1, 2011. 

National Programs funds currently support the National Career and Technical Education 

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

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

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

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

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

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

following year.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: National programs

O-24

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were: 

Year (dollars in thousands)

2009 ...............................................................$7,860

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

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

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

2013 ................................................................. 7,8291

_________________

1 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

FY 2014 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2014, the Department requests $17.8 million for Career and Technical Education 

National Programs, an increase of $10 million over the 2012 appropriation. This funding would 

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

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

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

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

The Administration’s reauthorization proposal calls for revising the current National Programs 

authority to make it a more effective vehicle for funding research and evaluation along with other 

activities that support implementation of new requirements within the reauthorized program. As 

one example, a broader research authority would help the Department pursue the research 

questions that are most relevant and important for the improvement of CTE. Further, the areas 

that the statute currently designates for evaluation have focused mainly on implementation 

issues, and a broader evaluation authority would assist the Department in carrying out an 

evaluation agenda that also examines the effectiveness of CTE programs.

The proposed $10 million increase would support an initiative to implement dual-enrollment 

programs that are aligned with career pathways in order to assist high school and adult students 

in pursuing postsecondary level coursework, and gaining postsecondary credit for that 

coursework, while still in high school or working to attain a high school equivalency credential. 

This initiative would support the Administration’s reauthorization goals of improving the quality of 

CTE programs and strengthening the alignment among secondary and postsecondary CTE 

programs and business and industry. The initiative would also support the President’s 2020 

college completion goal by increasing enrollment in postsecondary education among highschool students in CTE programs and nontraditional students in adult and developmental 

education programs. Research has shown that participation in dual-enrollment programs while 

in high school can lead to positive postsecondary outcomes. A number of studies sponsored by 

the Community College Research Center have found that participation in dual-enrollment 

programs is linked to increased high school graduation, higher rates of college enrollment and 

persistence to a second year of college, and higher college credit accrual. 

The $10 million requested under this program, along with up to $32 million that the Department 

is requesting under the GPRA Data/HEA Program Evaluation program in the Higher Education 

account, would create a $42 million fund to help establish or expand dual-enrollment programs 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: National programs

O-25

that target local workforce needs. The purpose of the CTE National Programs funds would be to 

provide support services to students enrolled in those programs. The Department would make 

competitive awards to partnerships among (1) institutions of higher education, (2) either local 

educational agencies (LEAs) that operate high-need public high schools or private or non-profit 

adult basic education providers, and (3) State and local agencies with responsibilities for 

secondary and adult education and workforce training. The partnerships would be eligible to 

apply for support services grants, and, on behalf of their students, for student grants that pay for 

required tuition, fees, books, and supplies for postsecondary coursework. Support services 

would include (1) tutoring, (2) advice and assistance in postsecondary course selection, 

(3) assistance in completing financial aid applications, (4) mentoring, (5) career counseling, 

(6) activities designed to assist students enrolled in 2-year institutions of higher education in 

applying for admission to, and obtaining financial assistance for enrollment in, a 4-year program 

of postsecondary education, and (7) programs and activities specially designed for students who 

are limited English proficient or from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in 

postsecondary education, individuals with disabilities, students who are homeless or in foster 

care, or other disconnected students. The Department would give priority to dual-enrollment 

programs that meet the cost-effectiveness target of $2,000 per student served, of which an 

estimated $500 would be for providing support services and $1,500 would be for costs allowable 

under student grants.

In addition, the Department would use $500,000 from the 2014 request to strengthen data 

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

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

reporting through the NCES CTE Statistics program.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2012 2013 2014

National Career and Technical 

Education Research Center $2,500 $3,393 $3,393

Improving program performance 1,612 1,214 1,231

Promoting rigorous programs of 

study 1,500 1,500 0

CTE statistics 0 0 500

Other program improvement 

activities 2,217 1,722 2,705
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: National programs

O-26

Measures 2012 2013 2014

Dual Enrollment Initiative:

Amount for projects serving 

secondary students 0 0 $5,000

Number of students to be served 0 0 10,000

Amount for projects serving adult 

students 0 0 $5,000

Number of students to be served 0 0 10,000

Average Federal contribution per 

student (whole dollars) 0 0 $500

_________________

NOTE: 2013 excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program information, including, GPRA goals, objectives, 

measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the progress made toward 

achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on the cumulative effect of 

the resources provided in previous years and those requested in FY 2014 and future years, as 

well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this program.

The National Research Center for Career and Technical Education will be managed as a 

contract starting in 2013; for that reason, no targets have been included beyond that year.

Goal: Increase access to and improve programs at the high school and community and 

technical college levels that raise academic achievement, strengthen workforce 

preparation, and promote economic development and lifelong learning.

Objective: The use of rigorous research findings to inform program direction and improve State 

and local practices through the identification of research-based education practices and 

communicating what works to practitioners, parents, and policymakers will increase.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: National programs

O-27

Measure: The percentage of scientifically based research studies conducted by the National 

Research Center for Career and Technical Education that are of high relevance to career and 

technical education practices as determined by expert panels.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 Baseline 67

2010 67 67

2011 69 Not available

2012 70

2013 71

2014 70

Additional information: All data are collected, analyzed, and reported by an independent thirdparty evaluator. The evaluator developed procedures for selecting external panel members, 

rubrics for reviewing and rating Center studies and products, and methods for examining interrater reliability. Data for 2011 are not available because there were flaws in the methodology 

used to evaluate the Center’s research students from 2011. Data for 2012 will be available in 

late 2013.

Measure: The percentage of products (e.g., instructional approaches, methods, and 

programs, models, and strategies) disseminated to practitioners by the Center that were judged 

by expert panels to be of high quality.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 Baseline 84

2010 92 90

2011 94 94

2012 95

2013 96

Measure: The percentage of technical assistance services provided by the Center that are 

judged to be of high usefulness to educational policy or practice by target audiences.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 Baseline 100

2010 88 100

2011 89 100

2012 90

2013 91
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Career and technical education: National programs

O-28

Measure: The percentage of professional development activities offered by the Center that are 

judged to be of high quality by participants.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2009 Baseline 100

2010 87 100

2011 88 100

2012 89

2013 100

Additional information: All data are collected, analyzed, and reported by an independent thirdparty evaluator. The evaluator selected external panel members and developed rubrics for 

reviewing and rating Center studies and products, and examined inter-rater reliability. Data for 

2012 will be available in late 2013.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

O-29

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2014 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2012 2013 2014

Change

from 2012

$594,9932 $594,9932 $594,9932 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2014. 2 FY 2013 Senate Committee appropriations language provides a $74.7 million set-aside for English Literacy 

and Civics Education grants. The request for FY 2014 would include a $74.7 million set-aside for English Literacy 

and Civics Education grants through reauthorizing language. Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase 

provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

and Outlying Areas support programs that assist adults in becoming literate and in obtaining the 

knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, assist adults who are 

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

development of their children, and assist adults in the completion of a secondary education. The 

Department also uses a portion of State grant funds to make formula grants to States for English 

literacy and civics education.

Adult Education State Grants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

agency to eligible entities, at least 95 percent must be used for instructional activities.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-30

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

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

include local educational agencies, community colleges, and community- and faith-based 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

local programs for high performance or exemplary program coordination.

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

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

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

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

equivalent.

The Secretary reserves 1.72 percent of the total Adult Education appropriation to award 

incentive grants to States that exceed the agreed-upon performance levels for the AEFLA and 

other employment programs. Funds are transferred to the Secretary of Labor and are awarded 

along with funds reserved from the other programs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

following year.
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-31

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2009 ...........................................................$554,122

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

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

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

2013 .............................................................594,9931

_________________

1 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

FY 2014 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $595.0 million for Adult Education State Grants in fiscal year 2014, 

the same as the fiscal year 2012 appropriation. The request includes a $74.7 million set-aside 

for English Literacy/Civics Education State Grants, also the same as the 2012 level.

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

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

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

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

with the least amount of schooling (less than a high school degree); 44 percent of adults who 

scored “Below Basic” in prose literacy on the NAAL lived in families with incomes below the 

poverty line. State enrollment data for the Adult Education State Grants program also indicate 

approximately 2 million adults were enrolled in adult education during the 2011-2012 program 

year and, of those, approximately 87 percent were enrolled in adult basic education programs or 

English literacy programs; only 13 percent were in adult secondary education programs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

continue to serve this population and to work to improve the effectiveness of the services 

provided.

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

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

Center on Education and the Workforce, Career and Technical Education: Five Ways that Pay, 

predicts that by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require some postsecondary education and 
CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Adult education: Adult basic and literacy education State grants

O-32

training. In 1973, only about 25 percent of jobs required applicants to have more than a high 

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

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

of participant data and has strong evidence that Adult Education is an effective program. Data 

collected through the program’s National Reporting System demonstrate that the program has 

achieved consistent improvements on measures of student performance and other program 

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

of research-based instructional materials for adult education teachers, and all States use 

standardized assessments to measure student-learning gains.

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

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

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

forthcoming reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of 

the WIA, provides the Administration and Congress with the opportunity to better align the Adult 

Education program with Federal job training programs and the postsecondary education system, 

helping to meet the President’s goal of all program graduates being college- and career-ready 

and the United States becoming the top Nation in college completion by 2020. The 

Administration believes that AEFLA reauthorization should streamline service delivery, ensure 

the engagement of workforce and adult education providers with employers within regions and 

workforce sectors, strengthen accountability requirements, and promote innovation while 

replicating best practices. Specifically, the Administration believes any reform of the current 

program should:

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

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

that covers job training and adult education programs.

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

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

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

hold States accountable for making progress.

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

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

• Enhance the development and implementation of career pathways programs.

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

incarcerated or have recently left correctional institutions.
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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands) 

Measures 2012 2013 2014

Adult basic and literacy State 

grants (ABL) $509,856 $509,856 $509,856

Range of awards to States $247-$74,427 $249-$75,2501 $249-$75,2501 

Number of participants 

(estimated) 1,818,806 1,818,806 1,818,806

English literacy and civics 

education State grants (ELC) $74,709 $74,709 $74,709

Range of awards to States $60-$16,506 $60-$16,0261 $60-$16,0261

Number of participants (estimated) 232,448 232,448 232,448

Incentive grants (maximum) $10,428 $10,428 $10,428

_________________

1 Grant estimates for 2013 and 2014 assume formulae under current law.

NOTE: 2013 excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including 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 fiscal year 2014 and 

future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this program.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

recent report, released in January 2012, provided State data on the performance of all adult 

education students on each of the indicators for school year 2008-2009. The next report will be 

available in summer 2013. In addition to the statutory indicators, the Department is collecting 

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

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

2009 46 40

2010 48 40

2011 50 42

2012 52

2013 54

2014 56

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

2009 44 41

2010 46 44

2011 48 44

2012 50

2013 52

2014 54

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

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

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

2012 data in spring 2013.

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

diploma or recognized equivalent.

Year Target Actual

2009 54 64

2010 55 52

2011 56 60

2012 57

2013 58

2014 59

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

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

diplomas issued are certified by local educational agencies or the State educational agency, and 
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General Educational Development (GED) credentials are confirmed through a data match with 

the State’s GED administrative database. The Department expects to receive 2012 data in 

spring 2013.

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

who enroll in a postsecondary education or training program.

Year Target Actual

2009 41 59

2010 43 60

2011 45 56

2012 47

2013 49

2014

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

first quarter after their program exit quarter.

Year Target Actual

2009 42 55

2010 42 48

2011 43 48

2012 43

2013 44

2014

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

Year Target Actual

2009 66 65

2010 68 59

2011 70 62

2012 70

2013 70

2014

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

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

Evaluating Program Performance Data.” The Department expects to receive 2012 data in 

spring 2013 and will use those to set targets for 2014.

Efficiency Measures

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

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

Government’s common performance measures initiative for job training programs, and the 

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

System. The second measure, cost per student learning gain, captures the average Federal 
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cost for a student to advance to at least the next educational level in an Adult Education program

or to earn a high school diploma or GED credential. 

Measure: The annual Federal cost per participant.

Year Target Actual

2009 $215 $312

2010 215

2011 215

2012 215

2013 250

2014

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

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

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

will report fiscal year 2010 costs by spring 2013. Given the increase in the cost of providing 

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

future years. The Department expects to receive additional performance data in spring 2013 

and will use those to set targets for 2014.

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

attainment.

Year Target Actual

2009 $407 $615

2010 407

2011 407

2012 407

2013 512

2014 512

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

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

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

year 2010 costs by spring 2013. Given the increase in the cost of providing services to adult 

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

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

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

decrease. 
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Adult education: National leadership activities

(Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, section 243)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2014 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2012 2013 2014

Change

from 2012

$11,302 $11,3022 $14,302 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2014. 2 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

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

including program improvement, accountability, professional development, and increasing 

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

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

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

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

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

technology to improve instruction.

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

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

following year.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2009 ...............................................................$6,878

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

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

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

2013 ...............................................................11,3021

_________________

1 Excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.
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FY 2014 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2014, the Administration requests $14.3 million for National Leadership Activities, 

an increase of $3 million over the fiscal year 2012 level. The proposed $3 million increase would 

be used for new awards to support reentry education models, building on the success of the 

fiscal year 2013 Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of Educational Opportunities 

(PRSCEO) competition.

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

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

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

high school diploma or equivalent, adults learning English, and adults with learning disabilities. 

Funds also would be used to help States implement the Adult Education State Grant program’s 

uniform data collection and accountability system, including assistance on using data for 

program improvement. Other new investments would include activities to support the 

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

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

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

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

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

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

education and literacy programs. Activities that the Department is carrying out include:

• The Literacy Information and Communications System (LINCS), which served as NIFL’s 

primary vehicle for collecting and disseminating resources to the adult literacy field. The 

Department has continued support for LINCS, which includes a resource collection, regional 

professional development centers, and the development of a technology infrastructure to 

support the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of resources previously undertaken 

by NIFL. A new 3-year cohort of grantees and contractors to implement LINCS was 

announced in September 2011. 

• A National Adult English Language Learning Professional Development Network, also known 

as English Language Learning University (ELLU), to help States address the challenges of 

improving the adult English language instructional workforce. The capacity of State 

agencies to support teacher quality in adult English language learning varies considerably 

across the States. ELLU identifies, enhances, and develops resources that support teacher 

development and, in so doing, helps upgrade the quality of English language instruction for 

adult learners. ELLU coordinates closely with LINCS to ensure the efficient dissemination of 

materials. In fiscal year 2013, the Department awarded a new contract designed to build on 

prior efforts to improve the knowledge and skills of educators working with adult English 

learners.

• Technical Assistance for States Developing Career Pathways Systems will build on previous 

investments that assisted State and local adult education providers in developing and 

delivering sector-specific integrated education and training classes to help low-skilled adults 

progress on a career pathway and transition to postsecondary education. This project will 
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provide technical assistance to a number of States to help them scale up career pathways in 

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

workforce and economic development systems.

• Promoting and Implementing College- and Career-Ready Standards in Adult Education 

involves two activities that expand on prior investments in standards-based educational 

reform in adult education by supporting State and local adult educators’ efforts to develop, 

adopt, and implement rigorous college- and career-ready standards that can both strengthen 

pathways to postsecondary education and promote work readiness. The first activity 

supports the development of processes for validating rigorous college- and career-ready 

standards for use in adult education. The second activity will use those standards to develop 

and deliver training to adult education administrators and educators. 

• Promoting Teacher Effectiveness in Adult Education will identify the research base, in both 

K-12 and adult education, and current practice in how States use teacher performance 

standards and teacher induction systems. The project will create model teacher 

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

support implementation of the standards. Additionally, the project will analyze data from 

several States and the Adult Education National Reporting System (NRS) to inform the 

understanding of the relationship between teacher and learner characteristics and student 

achievement in adult education.

• Investments to improve the quality of the adult education teaching force, including the 

Student Achievement in Reading (STAR), Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL), and 

Learning to Achieve (L2A) projects. STAR continues to help adult educators expand their 

capacity to provide high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction. TEAL is helping adult 

educators to better understand how to apply such evidence-based strategies as explicit 

strategy instruction, differentiated instruction, and self-regulated learning for writing 

instruction. L2A is helping adult educators to improve their ability to better serve adults with 

learning disabilities in both educational and workplace settings. Each of these projects, like 

ELLU, coordinates with LINCS in order to optimize dissemination of materials.

The $3 million increase proposed for 2014 would support the expansion of the Department’s 

reentry education model demonstration initiative. This will help develop evidence of 

effectiveness in a variety of institutional contexts and build on lessons learned from the 

Department’s recent PRSCEO competition, which funded three projects in 2013 with funds 

transferred from the Department of Justice under an interagency agreement. The 2013 

PRSCEO competition was designed to demonstrate the positive impact of implementing a 

reentry education model. The competition put a priority on funding applicants that proposed to 

focus on (1) supporting successful movement for individuals between correctional institutions 

and the community by strengthening and aligning educational services provided in those 

settings, especially for low-skilled adults; (2) establishing a strong program infrastructure to 

support and improve education services in correctional institutions; (3) ensuring education is 

well-integrated into the corrections system by making it a critical component of the intake and 

pre-release processes that closely links with support and employment services; and 

(4) encouraging individuals in the corrections system to identify and achieve education and 

career goals, recognizing that their education path is not linear or uniform. This framework 

aligns with the model described in A Reentry Education Model: Supporting Education and 
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Career Advancement for Low-Skill Individuals in Corrections, published by the Department in 

August 2012.1

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2012 2013 2014

National dissemination system (LINCS) $3,427 $3,275 $3,275

Adult English language learning 

professional development network 609 400 500

Support for career pathways 1,074 793 800

Support for standards-based education 734 1,534 700

Investments to improve teacher 

effectiveness 2,367 2,539 2,500

Additional technical assistance 3,112 2,761 3,527

Promoting Reentry Success through 

Continuity of Educational Opportunities 0 924 3,000

_________________

NOTES: 2012 and 2013 include carryover funds from the previous fiscal year.

Funds for Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of Educational Opportunities in 2013 were transferred 

from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Department of Education in August 2011. These funds were 

appropriated to DOJ for activities authorized under the Second Chance Act of 2007.

2013 excludes a 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including GPRA goals, 

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

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

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

fiscal year 2014 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served 

by this program. 

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

help States improve adult education and literacy programs.

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

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

 1 This publication is available online at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/reentrymodel.pdf. 
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Measure: The percentage of States submitting high-quality learner assessment data through 

the National Reporting System (NRS).

Year Target Actual

2009 100 88

2010 100 91

2011 100 91

2012 100

2013 100

2014 100

Additional information: Through National Leadership Activities, the Department offers 

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

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

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

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

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

Other Performance Information

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

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

National Academies of Science. The resulting 2012 report, Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: 

Options for Practice and Research, explores in depth the factors that affect literacy development 

in adolescence and adulthood and examines the implications for strengthening literacy 

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

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

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

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

coordination of program improvement, evaluation, and research. 

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

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

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

education and literacy field. Findings from an interagency panel that addressed Executive 

Order 13445, “Strengthening Adult Education,” along with a U.S. Government Accountability 

Office study on ESL students, focused on the importance of a coordinated research function 

across all Federal Agencies in order to maximize scarce resources. The Department’s Institute 

of Education Sciences held a competition in fiscal year 2011 for its first National Research and 

Development Center on Cognition and Adult Literacy, which began its work on September 1, 

2012. The primary goals of that center, named the Center for the Study of Adult Literacy, are to 

(1) build the understanding of the underlying cognitive and motivational processes that 

contribute to or impede struggling adult readers’ development, (2) examine the adequacy of 

measurement instruments and assessments for the population, and (3) develop and evaluate a 

multi-component reading intervention for this population. The Center will host a Web site with 

information and resources for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders 

interested in adult education and adult literacy. The Center will also conduct national webinars 

on its activities and provide training opportunities for current and future education researchers 
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through venues such as workshops at national conferences and through doctoral and 

postdoctoral training opportunities.
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State tables