The Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) was an exciting and innovative change under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). The CLNA was identified to support data-driven decisionmaking and more closely align planning, spending and accountability activities under Perkins V. After the reauthorization of Perkins V, Advance CTE released a guide to help states identify the major decision points that will impact the design, development and implementation of their CLNA and related local needs application.
As states near the end of the first and ramp up their second CLNA process, Advance CTE and The Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) interviewed state and local Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders to identify what worked and what can be improved. Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation: The Impact and Promise of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment shares findings on:
- State approaches to the CLNA process
- State perspectives on CLNA successes; and
- State perspectives on areas for improvement.
The new resource also provides a set of six recommendations for state leaders to consider as they support the CLNA going forward to ensure they continue to build on early CLNA success and drive quality and equity within their CTE systems and programs of study.
