In the summer of 2018, The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) was reauthorized, continuing the investment in secondary and postsecondary Career Technical Education (CTE) programs across the nation. Last Fall, Advance CTE provided an analysis of all 50 states and Washington D.C.’s Perkins V plans, identifying common aspects that are indicative of a comprehensive and cohesive state plan, a number of which go beyond the law’s requirements and expectations to achieve a CTE without limits. This resource builds on the knowledge from Advance CTE’s review of state Perkins V plans to share promising practices and strategies for state CTE leaders to leverage when implementing their state plans so that a learner’s CTE experience can begin in the middle grades.
States are now able to use Perkins V funds to support the expansion of CTE and career exposure opportunities as early as the fifth grade. This expansion of funding eligibility to the middle grades has the potential to broaden and diversify the pipeline of prospective learners that enter secondary CTE programs. This resource discusses the new mechanisms in Perkins V to broaden and diversify the pipeline of prospective learners that enter secondary CTE programs by expanding CTE in the middle grades, as well as examples of how states have successfully approach offering CTE in the middle grades.
