State Education Department Proposes Perkins V State Plan to Strengthen Career and Technical Education

The New York State Education Department today proposed a draft four-year plan in accordance with the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act (Perkins V), Interim Commissioner Beth Berlin announced. The plan is aligned with New York’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan and addresses New York’s priorities to increase access to high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, support at-risk students and improve career development for all secondary and postsecondary students. The Department will hold three public forums and accept public comment in December and January.  

“CTE studies have taken their rightful place alongside traditional academic areas as part of a well-rounded education,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “With this plan in place, our schools will be better able to address issues of equity and access to CTE programs and provide students with the tools they need to learn the academic and technical skills necessary for future success in adapting to constantly evolving labor markets.”

“This updated Perkins V plan is an opportunity to further build New York’s CTE programs for all types of learners and to help address the critical need for recruiting and educating a new generation of skilled workers,” Interim Commissioner Berlin said. “Through our work with education and business representatives, parents and students, and state workforce representatives, among other stakeholders, I’m confident that we have a new vision for CTE that will help meet the needs of students, educators and employers.”

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act

The federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) was signed into law on July 31, 2018. This bipartisan measure reauthorized the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) and continued nearly $1.3 billion in federal funding annually for CTE programs for our nation’s youth and adults.

Perkins V represents an important opportunity to expand opportunities for every student to explore, choose, and follow career and technical education programs of study and career pathways. 

New York’s 2019-20 federal Perkins V funding is nearly $57 million, which is being administered through a one-year transition plan that was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in April 2019. The purpose of funding under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century (Perkins V) Act is to more fully develop the academic knowledge and technical and employability skills of secondary education students and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs by:

• Increasing employment opportunities for subgroups and special populations;
• Including preparation in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations;
• Integrating rigorous and challenging academic and CTE instruction that link secondary and postsecondary education;
• Providing technical assistance that improves the quality of CTE faculty, teachers, counselors, and administrators;
• Supporting partnerships between secondary, postsecondary, local workforce boards, business, and industry; and
• Providing individuals with opportunities and skills to keep the U.S. competitive.

The draft plan includes changes for Perkins applicants including the requirement that a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) must be conducted prior to application, more detailed accountability using program-level data, and a new program quality performance indicator that will track the percentage of CTE students in NYSED-approved programs participating in work-based learning experiences. The Department has developed a CLNA template and guidance for applicants.

Plan Development

The NYSED secondary and postsecondary career and technical education teams developed the Perkins V state plan with feedback from a variety of stakeholders around the state including P-12 academic and CTE teachers and administrators; Higher Education faculty and administration; career guidance and academic counselors; eligible Perkins recipients; parents and students; representatives of students with disabilities and English language learners; representatives of business and industry (including representatives of small business); representatives of agencies serving out-of-school youth, homeless children and youth, and at-risk youth, including the State Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youths; representatives of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations located in, or providing services in, the state.

Several surveys were deployed to the field with approximately 1,800 responses compiled and analyzed by Department staff. Feedback was considered in the development of each plan component.

The Department will continue to seek feedback from stakeholders throughout the final stages of plan development as well as ongoing consultation throughout the next four years of implementation.  

Opportunities for Feedback

The Department will host three public forums to collect feedback on the draft plan:

• December 10, 2019 Syracuse: OCM BOCES
• December 12, 2019 Albany: Capital Region BOCES
• January 7, 2020 New York City: UFT Headquarters

(At least one event will be live streamed so that those who are unable to attend one of the forums can submit their feedback electronically.) 

Additionally, the draft Perkins V State Plan will be posted to the Department’s dedicated website for review and comment, as well as shared via listserv. Comments on the proposed plan can be submitted by email to CTEPerkinsPlan@nysed.gov.

Timetable for Implementation

Following the public comment period, it is anticipated that the proposed plan will be presented to the Board of Regents for adoption at its February meeting. The plan will be submitted to the Governor’s office for review in March and the Perkins V State Plan must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education no later than April 15, 2020.