Introduction | Legislation & Policy Guidance | Programs & Funding | Meetings & Conferences | News | Accountability & Research | Related Links

Introduction

Career and technical education is a massive enterprise in the U.S. Thousands of comprehensive high schools, vocational and technical high schools, area vocational centers, and community colleges offer career and technical education programs. Virtually every high school student takes at least one career and technical education course, and one in four students takes three or more courses in a single program area. One-third of college students are involved in career and technical programs, and as many as 40 million adults engage in short-term postsecondary occupational training.

Eighty-five years after the passage of the first piece of federal vocational education legislation, career and technical education is evolving from its original and sole focus on preparing students for work immediately following high school. Today's career and technical education program increasingly incorporate rigorous and challenging academic content standards and provide a non-duplicative sequence of courses leading to an industry-recognized credential or certificate, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.

Legislation & Policy Guidance

• Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV)
• Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins III)

Programs & Funding

• Grant programs related to career and technical education.
• Program memoranda for state formula grants under the Perkins III and Perkins IV legislation.

Meetings & Conferences

• From High School to College: Strengthening Secondary-Postsecondary Transitions Using Programs of Study Organized Around the Career Clusters
  Troy Justesen, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education invites States to participate in one of two regional institutes. The institutes will be held in Chicago, IL, on May 1-3, 2007, and in Washington, D.C., on July 16-18, 2007.

• Presentation at the 2006 ACTE Annual Convention
  The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) presented at the 2006 Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Annual Convention and Career Expo on November 30, 2006, in Atlanta, GA. The presentation provided an overview of the major changes in the newly authorized Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) that would impact State and local implementation of career and technical education programs.
  
  MS Word (61 KB) | MS PowerPoint (108 KB)

• State Director's Meeting
  The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) held a State Director's Meeting to kick-off the implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 on October 6, 2006, in Washington, D.C.

• Regional Data Quality Institutes
  Agendas and materials from the June 2006 Regional Perkins Data Quality Institutes.

• CTE State Directors' Spring Meeting
  OVAE and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) held a jointly sponsored annual spring meeting for the state directors of career and technical education (CTE) in Washington, D.C., April 10-12, 2006.  Speakers included OVAE’s Acting Assistant Secretary, Congressional staff and experienced educators.

• Financial Management Institute
  View the materials and speaking points from the 2005 OVAE Financial Management Institute.

News

• Up-to-Date with DATE
  Important news and information from OVAE's Division of Academic and Technical Education (DATE).
  February-March 2008
  September 2007 | August 2007 | July 2007 | June 2007 | May 2007 | April 2007 | March 2007 | February 2007

Accountability & Research

• Perkins Accountability Data
  The Peer Collaborative Resource Network allows you to view data as reported by states. Use this searchable database to view data reported on the enrollment and performance of students who participate in career and technical education programs.

• Perkins Annual Reports to Congress
  Read the latest national summary reports on the enrollment and performance of students who participate in career and technical education.

• National Assessment of Vocational Education
  Read the latest summary reports and findings on vocational education.

• National Centers for Research and Dissemination in Career and Technical Education.
  Find information about research, development and evaluation activities as well as publications on practices and professional development in the field of CTE.

• Data on Vocational Education. Find the latest data on vocational education from the National Center for Education Statistics'.

• Clearinghouse of Adult, Career and Vocational Education
  Search for recent and archived publications on this former ERIC database.

Related Links

Peer Collaborative Resource Network
Peer network is the resource and information-sharing forum for state vocational and technical education professionals. A joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education and the states, this site provides a peer-to-peer forum for states to improve their capacity to collect quality data as it relates to the Perkins accountability requirements and to promote quality vocational and technical education programs. The focal point of this site is peer collaboration -- a participant-driven medium that fosters communication and the exchange of innovative ideas and approaches among states.

The related links page includes links to career and technical education organizations/centers, useful resources, and related journals and periodicals.