Reauthorization of the Perkins Act in the 115th Congress: Comparison of Current Law and H.R. 2353

Since 1984, a number of acts named after former Congressman Carl D. Perkins have been the main federal laws authorized to support the development of career and technical education (CTE) programs aimed at students in secondary and postsecondary education. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act; P.L. 109-270), the most recent reauthorization of the federal CTE law, was passed in 2006 and authorized appropriations through FY2012. The authorization of appropriations was extended through FY2013 under the General Education Provisions Act, and the Perkins Act has continued to receive appropriations through annual appropriations acts through FY2017.

During the 114th Congress, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up and unanimously reported the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587), which would have provided for a comprehensive reauthorization of the Perkins Act. H.R. 5587 was subsequently passed by the House of Representatives on September 13, 2016, by a vote of 405-5. No further action was taken on the bill.

In the 115th Congress, a new act, also named the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353), was introduced and marked up by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. H.R. 2353 is similar to H.R. 5587 from the 114th Congress but contains several modified provisions. The committee reported the bill unanimously on May 17, 2017. H.R. 2353 was passed by the House under suspension of the rules on June 22, 2017.

H.R. 2353 would make a number of major changes to current law. Some of these include

repealing the Tech Prep program, which provided funds to consortia of secondary and postsecondary CTE providers but has not been funded since FY2010;

gradually raising total authorized appropriation levels for CTE, reaching a total of $1.21 billion in FY2023, compared to the FY2017 actual appropriations of $1.12 billion;

introducing a change to the state allocation formula that would require that states receive an allocation of no less than 90% of their previous year’s allocation starting in FY2021;

permitting states to reserve up to 15% of their Basic State Grants funds for innovative CTE activities in rural areas or areas with higher numbers or concentrations of CTE students;

allowing states to set their own annual targets on the core indicators of performance at both the secondary and postsecondary education levels without approval from the Secretary of Education;

replacing the local plan required from CTE providers with a comprehensive needs assessment meant to align the CTE programs being offered with local workforce needs;

removing the ability of the Secretary of Education to withhold state funds due to a lack of improved performance; and

revising and introducing a number of new definitions, including common definitions for terms already defined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

This report highlights the key provisions in H.R. 2353 and explains the major differences between it and current law.

Reauthorization of the Perkins Act in the 115th Congress: Comparison of Current Law and H.R. 2353

June 28, 2017 (R44861)
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Summary

Since 1984, a number of acts named after former Congressman Carl D. Perkins have been the main federal laws authorized to support the development of career and technical education (CTE) programs aimed at students in secondary and postsecondary education. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act; P.L. 109-270), the most recent reauthorization of the federal CTE law, was passed in 2006 and authorized appropriations through FY2012. The authorization of appropriations was extended through FY2013 under the General Education Provisions Act, and the Perkins Act has continued to receive appropriations through annual appropriations acts through FY2017.

During the 114th Congress, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up and unanimously reported the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587), which would have provided for a comprehensive reauthorization of the Perkins Act. H.R. 5587 was subsequently passed by the House of Representatives on September 13, 2016, by a vote of 405-5. No further action was taken on the bill.

In the 115th Congress, a new act, also named the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353), was introduced and marked up by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. H.R. 2353 is similar to H.R. 5587 from the 114th Congress but contains several modified provisions. The committee reported the bill unanimously on May 17, 2017. H.R. 2353 was passed by the House under suspension of the rules on June 22, 2017.

H.R. 2353 would make a number of major changes to current law. Some of these include

  • repealing the Tech Prep program, which provided funds to consortia of secondary and postsecondary CTE providers but has not been funded since FY2010;
  • gradually raising total authorized appropriation levels for CTE, reaching a total of $1.21 billion in FY2023, compared to the FY2017 actual appropriations of $1.12 billion;
  • introducing a change to the state allocation formula that would require that states receive an allocation of no less than 90% of their previous year's allocation starting in FY2021;
  • permitting states to reserve up to 15% of their Basic State Grants funds for innovative CTE activities in rural areas or areas with higher numbers or concentrations of CTE students;
  • allowing states to set their own annual targets on the core indicators of performance at both the secondary and postsecondary education levels without approval from the Secretary of Education;
  • replacing the local plan required from CTE providers with a comprehensive needs assessment meant to align the CTE programs being offered with local workforce needs;
  • removing the ability of the Secretary of Education to withhold state funds due to a lack of improved performance; and
  • revising and introducing a number of new definitions, including common definitions for terms already defined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

This report highlights the key provisions in H.R. 2353 and explains the major differences between it and current law.


Reauthorization of the Perkins Act in the 115th Congress: Comparison of Current Law and H.R. 2353

Introduction

Since 1984, a number of acts named after former Congressman Carl D. Perkins have been the main federal laws authorized to support the development of career and technical education (CTE) programs aimed at students in secondary and postsecondary education. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act; P.L. 109-270), the most recent reauthorization of the federal CTE law, was passed in 2006 and authorized appropriations through FY2012. The authorization of appropriations was extended through FY2013 under the General Education Provisions Act, and the Perkins Act has continued to receive appropriations through annual appropriations acts through FY2017.

During the 114th Congress, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up and unanimously reported the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587), which would have provided for a comprehensive six-year reauthorization of the Perkins Act. H.R. 5587 was subsequently passed by the House of Representatives on September 13, 2016, by a vote of 405-5. No further action was taken on the bill.

In the 115th Congress, a new act, also named the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353), was introduced and marked up by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. H.R. 2353 is similar to H.R. 5587 from the 114th Congress but contains several modified provisions. The committee reported the bill unanimously on May 17, 2017. H.R. 2353 was passed by the House under suspension of the rules on June 22, 2017. H.R. 2353 would authorize appropriations through FY2023.

This report does not attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of H.R. 2353. Rather, it provides an overview of the primary changes that would be made by H.R. 2353. Table 1 compares provisions in current law side-by-side with new or revised provisions in H.R. 2353. It also contains a section that highlights selected definitions that would be significantly revised or are introduced in H.R. 2353. Table A-1 depicts the authorizations of appropriations for CTE programs authorized under H.R. 2353.

Highlights of H.R. 2353

Table 1 highlights the differences between current law and H.R. 2353, as passed by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in May 2017. The table is organized topically, focusing on the areas of current law that would see the most significant changes under H.R. 2353. These areas include the following:

  • overall structure and funding levels,
  • state and local funding formula provisions,
  • state and local plan provisions,
  • accountability and improvement provisions,
  • state and local use of funds provisions,
  • national activities,
  • prohibitions,
  • general provisions,
  • selected revised definitions, and
  • selected new definitions.

Table 1. Comparison of Provisions in H.R. 2353 to Current Law

Provision

Current Law

H.R. 2353

Overall Structure and Funding Levels

General structure

The Perkins Act has three titles:

Title I: Career and Technical Education Assistance to the States

Title II: Tech Prep Education

Title III: General Provisions

H.R. 2353 has two titles:

Title I: Career and Technical Education Assistance to the States

Title II: General Provisions

Program repeals

Not applicable.

H.R. 2353 would repeal two programs: Tech Prepa and Occupational and Employment Information (OEI).b Tech Prep has not been funded since FY2010, and OEI has not been funded under the Perkins Act.

Authorization levels

The Perkins Act contains authorizations of appropriations for five separate programs:

  • Basic State Grants (BSG);
  • National Programs;
  • Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Institutions;
  • OEI; and
  • Tech Prep.

Each of these programs was authorized at "such sums as may be necessary" for FY2007-FY2012. All of these programs were automatically extended through FY2013 by the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA).

H.R. 2353 would include authorizations of appropriations for FY2018-FY2023 for each of the three programs that it does not repeal:

  • Basic State Grants;
  • National Programs; and
  • Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Institutions.

The levels of authorized funding would increase each year for each of the programs, reaching a total of $1.23 billion in FY2023. The detailed authorizations of appropriations for each of the programs are shown in Table A-1.

State and Local Funding Formula Provisions

Basic State Grants (BSG) state allocation formula

After a series of reservations for outlying areas and Native American and Native Hawaiian programs, BSG funds are awarded to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (hereinafter referred to as states) according to a formula that awards proportionally larger grants to states with larger populations in the age range traditionally enrolled in high school and within two years of high school graduation (15-19 years old) and to states with lower per capita incomes.

Incorporated in the formula are certain features that guarantee minimum funding levels. The first is a FY1998 hold harmless provision, which ensures that states receive at least the amount they were awarded in FY1998. Another is that each state grant must be no less than a minimum equal to 0.5% of the total amount available for state grants, subject to a special rule adjustment.

A different minimum state grant provision goes into effect if total funds available to the states for the BSG program exceed corresponding FY2006 levels. In that case, states with initial allocations under 0.5% of the total available to all states are allocated a portion of the "new money" above FY2006 levels. The FY1998 hold harmless provision would still apply in this case.

H.R. 2353 would alter the BSG state allocation formula by making one change from current law: It would remove the FY1998 hold harmless provision and replace it with a provision that would guarantee each state a minimum grant equal to 90% of its prior-year allocation. This change would take effect starting in FY2021.

Within-state allocations

Under the Perkins Act, each state is allowed to reserve up to 10% of its BSG allocation for CTE activities in rural areas or areas with high numbers of CTE participants.

H.R. 2353 would allow states to reserve up to 15% of their BSG funds for the same uses as in current law. In addition, the reserved funds would have to be spent to foster innovation or promote the development of CTE programs of study aligned with in-demand occupations.

Funds for correctional institutions and institutions serving individuals with disabilities

The Perkins Act permits states to allocate up to 1% of their BSG funds for the purpose of serving individuals in state correctional institutions and for institutions serving individuals with disabilities.

H.R. 2353 would raise the maximum amount that states can reserve for these purposes to 2% of their BSG allocations.

State and Local Plan Provisions

State plan

In order to receive funds under the Perkins Act, each eligible agencyc must submit a six-year plan to the Secretary of Education. The plan must be developed through public hearings with stakeholders and contain information regarding the state's planned and supported CTE activities.

H.R. 2353 would require each state's eligible agency to submit a four-year plan to the Secretary. In addition to containing information regarding the state's planned and supported CTE activities, the state plan would have to contain the state's strategic vision and set of goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce in order to coordinate CTE activities with workforce demands.

State plan approval

Under the Perkins Act, the Secretary of Education may disapprove a state plan if it does not meet the requirements of the act or if the state's performance goals on the core indicators of performance are not sufficiently rigorous. The Secretary has 90 days to review a state plan under current law.

H.R. 2353 would allow the Secretary to disapprove a state plan only if it does not meet the requirements of the act and only after giving the state agency notice and an opportunity for a hearing. The Secretary would have 120 days to review a state plan under H.R. 2353.

Local plan

Under the Perkins Act, a local provider of CTE must submit a local plan to the state's eligible agency. The local plan contents must include descriptions of a number of aspects of the CTE activities that the local provider plans to carry out using its Perkins funds.

H.R. 2353 would replace the local plan with a local application that would include information on the programs of study that the local CTE provider plans to support, a description of career guidance and exploration activities that the local CTE provider plans to offer, and a description of planned activities to prepare special populations for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations.

Additionally, each local provider would be required to conduct a needs assessment that would evaluate the progress being made by the recipient's CTE programs toward reaching its goals. The aim of the needs assessment would be to better align the CTE programs of study that are offered by the local provider with the needs of local employers, especially those offering in-demand occupations.

Accountability and Improvement Provisions

Core indicators of performance at the secondary level

Under the Perkins Act, state eligible agencies and local CTE providers must meet goals or targets on a set of core indicators of performance. There are six core indicators of performance at the secondary education level:

  • student attainment of state academic performance standards on the mathematics, language arts, and science assessments, as determined by the state in accordance with Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA);
  • student attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies;
  • rates of student attainment of secondary school diplomas; GED credentials or other state-recognized equivalents; and proficiency credentials, certificates, or degrees in conjunction with secondary school diplomas;
  • student graduation rates, as described in Title I of ESEA;
  • student placement in postsecondary education or advanced training, military service, or employment; and
  • student participation in, and completion of, CTE programs that lead to nontraditional fields.d

H. R. 2353 would change the core indicators at the secondary education level to the following:

  • student attainment of state academic performance standards on the mathematics, language arts, and science assessments, as determined by the state in accordance with Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA);
  • student placement in postsecondary education or advanced training, military service, or employment;
  • percentage of CTE concentrators who graduate high school;
  • student participation in CTE programs that lead to nontraditional fieldsd; and
  • at least one of the followinge:
  • the percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having attained recognized postsecondary credentials,
  • the percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having attained postsecondary credits through dual and concurrent enrollment or another credit transfer agreement, or
  • the percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having participated in work-based learning.

Core indicators of performance at the postsecondary level

Under the Perkins Act, the core indicators of performance at the postsecondary education level are:

  • student attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies;
  • student attainment of an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or a degree;
  • student retention in postsecondary education or transfer to a baccalaureate degree program;
  • student placement in military service, apprenticeship programs, or employment; and
  • student participation in, and completion of, CTE programs that lead to nontraditional fields.d

H.R. 2353 would adopt the following set of core indicators of performance at the postsecondary education level:

  • student placement in education or training activities, advanced training, or unsubsidized employment;
  • the median earnings of CTE concentrators in unsubsidized employment two quarters after program completionf;
  • the percentage of CTE concentrators who receive a recognized postsecondary credential during participation in a program or within one year of program completion; and
  • the percentage of CTE concentrators in CTE programs that lead to nontraditional fields.d

Adjusted levels of performance

Under the Perkins Act, states have to establish annual targets for each of the core indicators of performance. These targets are called adjusted levels of performance and are established through negotiations between the state and the Secretary of Education with input from local providers.

H.R. 2353 would allow states to establish their own goals for each of the core indicators of performance without input from the Secretary but with input from local CTE providers. These goals would have to be "sufficiently ambitious to allow for meaningful evaluation of program quality." Each state would have to establish its performance goals using procedures outlined in its state plan.

State improvement plans

Under the Perkins Act, states that do not meet 90% of a state adjusted level of performance for any of the core indicators of performance in a given year are required to develop and implement a program improvement plan during the following year.

If a state fails to implement the plan or fails to show improvement after the plan has been implemented, the Secretary may withhold all or some of the state's leadership or administrative funds. The withheld funds must then be used to provide technical assistance to the state.

H.R. 2353 would keep the current law requirement for developing and implementing a program improvement plan when a state does not meet 90% of its state levels of performance on at least one core indicator of performance, but the consequences of failing to make improvements would be different.

If a state fails to make any improvement following the implementation of the improvement plan, it would then be required to revise the plan and continue to implement it until the 90% threshold on the core indicator of performance is met. The Secretary would be required to provide the state with technical assistance and oversight during the implementation of the revised improvement plan. The Secretary would not have any authority to withhold funds from the state for failing to show improvement.

Local improvement plans

Similar to state improvement plan provisions, a local provider that does not meet at least 90% of its adjusted performance levels on at least one core indicator of performance must also develop a program improvement plan. If no improvement occurs, the state may take away some or all of the local provider's funding and use it to provide CTE services for the affected students through alternative means.

Under H.R. 2353, a local provider would still be required to implement an improvement plan when not meeting at least 90% of its level of performance for any of the core indicators of performance, but the consequences for not making subsequent improvements would differ.

If the local provider fails to make any improvement following the implementation of the improvement plan, it would then be required to revise the plan and continue to implement it until the 90% threshold on the core indicator of performance is met. The state would not have any authority to withhold funds from the local recipient.

State and Local Uses of Funds

State leadership funds

The Perkins Act contains a list of nine required uses of state leadership funds, including assessment of CTE programs, integration of academics with CTE, professional development for CTE teachers and administrators, support for partnerships with employers, support for special populations and individuals in state institutions, and technical assistance to eligible recipients.

There is also a long list of permissible state leadership activities in current law.

H.R. 2353 would have a list of eight required state leadership activities. These would include support for the development and adoption of statewide programs of study and establishment of statewide articulation agreements in addition to a number of the state leadership activities required in current law, including support for partnerships with employers and professional development for CTE teachers and administrators.

H.R. 2353 also contains a long list of permissible state leadership activities, which has a large overlap with current law.

Local uses of funds

The Perkins Act contains a list of eight required activities for Perkins recipients at the local level. These include strengthening the academic skills of CTE students, linking CTE at the secondary and postsecondary levels, providing students with industry experience, expanding the role of technology in CTE, providing professional development activities for CTE teachers, program evaluation, and providing CTE activities for special populations.

In addition to these, current law contains a long list of permissible activities at the local level.

H.R. 2353 would require local recipients of funds to provide career exploration activities for CTE students; professional development activities for CTE teachers and administrators; opportunities for CTE students to develop skills necessary to pursue high-skill, high-wage occupations; integration of academic skills into CTE programs of study; and any other activities to improve CTE programs and support the implementation of programs of study. No additional permissible activities are specified in H.R. 2353.

Additionally, under H.R. 2353 local providers of CTE would be able to pool their funds with other local providers to carry out professional development activities.

National Activities

Single plan for research and evaluation at the federal level

Current law allows the Secretary of Education to carry out research, development, dissemination, evaluation, and assessment of CTE programs. The Secretary is required to develop a single plan for these activities.

Under H.R. 2353, the Secretary would be required to carry out (directly through grants) research, development, evaluation, and other activities and would be required to create a single plan for these activities in consultation with, or acting through, the director of the Institute for Education Sciences (IES).

Evaluation

The Perkins Act directs the Secretary of Education to carry out an independent evaluation and assessment of CTE activities offered under the act.

H.R. 2353 would direct the Secretary, acting through the director of the IES, to carry out and disseminate annual research and evaluation initiatives aligned with the plan for research and evaluation. These initiatives would have to include evaluations of topics such as preparation of students for employment in high-skill, high-wage occupations; implementation of programs of study; the impact made by changes to the Perkins Act programs introduced in this act, including local needs assessments, coordination with other laws, and accountability provisions; and changes in student enrollment patterns.

Innovation grant program

Not applicable.

H.R. 2353 would introduce a grant program aimed at identifying and supporting innovative strategies and activities to improve CTE and align workforce skills with labor market needs. Grant funds would go to consortia of at least two CTE providers.

Prohibitions

Local control

Section 8 of the Perkins Act contains prohibitions that preclude the federal government from mandating or controlling state, local, or school curricula.

H.R. 2353 would continue to include such prohibitions and would add new prohibitions related to instructional content, academic standards and assessments, and the Common Core State Standards.

General Provisions

Maintenance of Effort (MOE)

The MOE provision in the Perkins Act states that in order to receive funds, a state's CTE expenditures per student or aggregate CTE expenditures for the preceding fiscal year must be equal to or greater than the corresponding expenditures from the fiscal year before that. However, if total appropriations for the Perkins Act decrease by a certain percentage, states may decrease their CTE expenditures by the same percentage. The Secretary of Education may reduce the MOE requirement by at most 5% for one fiscal year in case of exceptional circumstances.

H.R. 2353 also contains a MOE requirement and definition, but it would allow states to establish a new baseline for measuring their efforts based on a state's fiscal effort per student or aggregate CTE expenditures for the first full fiscal year following its enactment. This baseline would have to be equal to at least 90% of the state's fiscal effort per student or aggregate CTE expenditures for the prior fiscal year.

Under H.R. 2353, a state's allotment of Perkins funds would be reduced by the same proportion by which the state failed to meet its MOE requirement. This would occur if the state fell below 90% of both its fiscal effort per student and its aggregate CTE expenditures for one or more of the five most recent fiscal years. The Secretary would be able to waive this provision under exceptional circumstances.

Evaluation of programs of study

No related provision exists.

H.R. 2353 would require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness of programs funded by Perkins in successfully helping students to pursue and complete programs of study aligned to high-skill, high-wage occupations. Upon completion of the study, the Comptroller General would be required to submit the results to the committees of jurisdiction in the House and the Senate.

Selected Revised Definitions

Area career and technical education school

The Perkins Act requires an area CTE school to provide CTE courses in at least five different occupational fields.

H.R. 2353 would lower that requirement to at least three different occupational fields, especially in in-demand sectors or occupations.

Career and technical education

In the Perkins Act, the term career and technical education refers to organized educational activities that offer a sequence of courses that

  • provide individuals with technical skills and knowledge needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions;
  • are aligned with challenging academic standards;
  • provide technical skill proficiency, an industry recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate's degree;
  • may include prerequisite courses; and
  • include competency-based applied learning that helps students develop technical and occupation-specific skills and knowledge of all aspects of an industry.

H.R. 2353 would revise and expand this definition. It would require that the sequence of courses comprising a CTE program at the secondary education level be aligned with state-adopted academic standards under Section 1111(b)(1) of the ESEA. Such a sequence of courses would have to provide students with technical skill proficiency or "a recognized postsecondary credential which may include an industry-recognized credential."

The section on competency-based applied learning would also include "work-based learning," which is defined later in the bill.

The definition of CTE in H.R. 2353 contains two additional clauses. Under H.R. 2353, CTE activities

  • would require coordination between secondary and postsecondary education programs, which may include early college programs with articulation agreements, dual or concurrent enrollment programs, or programs of study; and
  • may include career exploration at the middle and high school levels.

Career guidance and academic counseling

Under the Perkins Act, the definition of career guidance and academic counseling includes providing students and parents with information regarding career options, financial aid, and postsecondary options.

H.R. 2353 would expand this definition to include providing students, parents, and out-of-school youth with information regarding career options, financial aid, job training, secondary and postsecondary options, work-based learning opportunities, and support services.

Special populations

Under the Perkins Act, the definition of special populations includes the following groups:

  • individuals with disabilities;
  • individuals from economically disadvantaged families;
  • foster children;
  • individuals preparing for non-traditional fields;
  • single parents, including single pregnant women;
  • displaced homemakers; and
  • individuals with limited English proficiency.

H.R. 2353 would add the following groups to the definition:

  • youth who have aged out of the foster care system,
  • homeless individuals, and
  • youth with parents who are active-duty members of the armed forces.
  • It would also replace individuals with limited English proficiency with English learners, reflecting a corresponding change in terminology used in the ESEA.

Selected New Definitions

Career pathways

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term career pathways would have the meaning given that term in Section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).g

CTE concentrator

The Perkins Act did not define the term CTE concentrator, but it did issue non-regulatory guidanceh containing a suggested definition that was very similar to the definition proposed in H.R. 2353.

H.R. 2353 would define CTE concentrator as

"(A) at the secondary school level, a student served by an eligible recipient who has—

(i) completed 3 or more career and technical education courses; or

(ii) completed at least 2 courses in a single career and technical education program or program of study; or

(B) at the postsecondary level, a student enrolled in an eligible recipient who has—

(i) earned at least 12 cumulative credits within a career and technical education program or program of study; or

(ii) completed such a program if the program encompasses fewer than 12 credits or the equivalent in total."

CTE participant

The Perkins Act did not define the term CTE participant, but it did issue non-regulatory guidanceh containing a suggested definition that was very similar to the definition proposed in H.R. 2353.

H.R. 2353 would define CTE participant as "an individual who completes not less than one course or earns not less than one credit in a career and technical education program or program of study of an eligible recipient."

Dual or concurrent enrollment

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term dual or concurrent enrollment has the meaning given this term in Section 8101 of the ESEA.

Early college high school

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term early college high school has the meaning given this term in Section 8101 of the ESEA.

Eligible entity

Not defined.

H.R. 2353 would define the term eligible entity as a consortium that

"(A) Shall include at least two of the following:

(i) a local educational agency;

(ii) an educational service agency;

(iii) an eligible institution;

(iv) an area career and technical education school;

(v) a State educational agency; or

(vi) the Bureau of Indian Education; and

(B) may include regional, State, or local public or private organizations, including a community-based organization, one or more employers, or a qualified intermediary; and

(C) is led by an entity or partnership of entities described in subparagraph (A)."

In-demand industry sector or occupation

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term in-demand industry sector or occupation would have the meaning given this term in Section 3 of the WIOA.

Industry or sector partnership

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term industry or sector partnership would have the meaning given this term in Section 3 of the WIOA.

Local workforce development board

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term local workforce development board would have the meaning given this term in Section 107 of the WIOA.

Out-of-school youth

Not defined.

Under H.R. 2353, the term out-of-school youth would have the meaning given this term in Section 3 of the WIOA.

Program of study

While the Perkins Act did not contain a full definition of a "program of study," it did include a description of what a program of study must include. Under the act, a program of study must incorporate secondary and postsecondary education elements; include rigorous CTE content aligned with challenging academic standards; and lead to an industry-recognized credential, an associate's or baccalaureate degree, or a certificate at the postsecondary level. It may also include opportunities for students to participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs.

Under H.R. 2353, a program of study would be a "coordinated, non-duplicative sequence of secondary and postsecondary academic and technical content." It would have to

  • incorporate state academic standards, including those adopted by the state under the ESEA;
  • be aligned with state workforce needs;
  • address both academic and technical skills;
  • have multiple entry and exit points that incorporate credentialing; and
  • culminate in the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential.

Work-based learning

Not defined.

H.R. 2353 would define work-based learning as sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, first-hand engagement with the tasks required of a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction.

Source: Prepared by the CRS based on analysis of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act; P.L. 109-270) and the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353).

a. Title II of the Perkins Act.

b. Section 118 of the Perkins Act.

c. An eligible agency is defined in the Perkins Act as a state board that is the sole state agency responsible for the administration of CTE in the state. In most states, the state board of education currently acts as the eligible agency for Perkins Act purposes.

d. The term nontraditional fields is defined in the Perkins Act as occupations for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25% of practitioners.

e. For the purposes of this core indicator of performance, H.R. 2353 defines CTE concentrators as students who have completed at least two courses in a single CTE program or program of study.

f. This core indicator is intended to mirror a similar core indicator of performance under the WIOA.

g. For more information on the WIOA, see CRS Report R44252, The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the One-Stop Delivery System, by [author name scrubbed].

h. The guidance language is available at https://s3.amazonaws.com/PCRN/uploads/studentdef.pdf.

i. Under both the Perkins Act and H.R. 2353, the term eligible agency refers to the state board administering a state's CTE programs; eligible recipient refers to a local CTE provider; and eligible institution refers to a provider of CTE at the postsecondary level. The term eligible entity is introduced in H.R. 2353 for the purposes of the new innovation grant program that would be introduced in Section 114.

Appendix. Authorization Levels in H.R. 2353

Table A-1. Actual Appropriations for the Perkins Act: FY2017; and Authorizations of Appropriations for Programs Authorized by H.R. 2353: FY2018-FY2023

($ in thousands)

Fiscal Year

Basic State Grants
(Title I)

National Programs (Section 114)

Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Institutions
(Section 117)

Total

2017 (actual appropriations)

1,117,598

7,421

8,286

1,133,305

2018

1,133,002

7,523

8,400

1,148,925

2019

1,148,618

7,627

8,516

1,164,761

2020

1,164,450

7,732

8,633

1,180,815

2021

1,180,500

7,839

8,752

1,197,091

2022

1,196,771

7,947

8,873

1,213,591

2023

1,213,266

8,056

8,995

1,230,317

Source: U.S. Department of Education Budget Tables, http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/tables.html?src=ct (FY2017); and H.R. 2353 (FY2018-FY2023).

Notes: Totals may not add due to rounding.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Analyst in Education Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])