On July 31, 2018, President Trump signed the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act of 2006 – The Strengthening Career and Technical Education in the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), which aims to increase students’ academic knowledge and technical and employability skills development through career-connected learning. Career and technical education (CTE) provides ALL students with educational options in high school and college that align with labor market needs of the state and prepares students for their future career aspirations. All students benefit from opportunities to explore careers, which begins in middle school; to developing marketable skills, engaging in work-based learning opportunities, and earning industry-recognized credentials in high school.

Perkins V requires the state, school districts, and community colleges to engage with stakeholders in their communities and create plans supporting innovation in the future of CTE. Thus, Perkins V provides opportunities to recalibrate CTE in innovative, flexible, and aligned ways. Perkins V opportunities include:

• Increases alignment within and between education and workforce systems, such as Nevada’s Learn and Earn Advanced Career Pathways (LEAP)
• Calls for increased industry engagement by expanding students’ access to industry experts and work-based learning opportunities
• Requires curricular alignment between high schools and community colleges through programs of study: coordinated, non-duplicative sequences of academic and technical content
• Emphasizes equitable access and outcomes for students traditionally underserved in education and the workforce
• Supports innovative practices, such as competency-based education and distance learning
• Expands flexibility in the uses of funds, e.g., for career exploration programming in middle school, and for industry-recognized certification assessments
• Supports recruitment, preparation, and retention of CTE educators
• Supports access to CTE for adults without a high school diploma

Perkins V aligns with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act, and the Higher Education Act. New and increased emphases in Perkins V include:

• Systems Alignment
  • middle school-high school-higher education-employers
  • increased employer engagement
  • aligns and integrates school districts, higher education, and employers to prepare more young people for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand careers
  • Accountability
  • state-determined performance levels
  • new comprehensive local needs assessment required with local applications
  • high-skill, high-wage, in-demand sectors, industries, and occupations
• Flexible Funding Levers
  • funding for grades 5-8 participating in CTE programs
  • career exploration support in middle school
  • increased reserve funding (10 to 15%)
  • hold harmless (no less than FY18 funding levels)
  • flexible leadership funds (statewide partnerships, industry-recognized credentials, recognized postsecondary certificates, dual-enrollment/credit, work-based learning)
• Integrated and prioritized professional development for CTE teachers
• Increased emphasis on access and opportunities for special populations
• New/revised definitions
  • CTE concentrator
  • CTE participant
  • Qualified intermediary
  • Professional development
  • Program of study
  • Work-based learning

The Nevada Department of Education’s (NDE) Office of Career Readiness, Adult Learning, and Education Options (CRALEO) serves as the eligible state agency for Perkins grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). As such, NDE CRALEO is responsible for the development and submissions of the Perkins V consolidated four-year state plan.

• Perkins V State Plan Narrative
• Perkins V State Plan Exhibit A – Public Comment
• Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment Guide
• Strategies for Special Population Success (pdf)