Perkins Blueprint Release

Today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and OVAE Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier are in Iowa, at Des Moines Area Community College, unveiling the Department’s latest Blueprint, Investing in America’s Future: Transforming Career and Technical Education, for the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, last reauthorized in 2006.  This blueprint is based on four core principles:

(1) Alignment. Effective alignment between high-quality CTE programs and labor market needs to equip students with 21st-century skills and prepare them for in-demand occupations in high-growth industry sectors;

(2) Collaboration. Strong collaborations among secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, and industry partners to improve the quality of CTE programs;

 

(3) Accountability. Meaningful accountability for improving academic outcomes and building technical and employability skills in CTE programs for all students, based upon common definitions and clear metrics for performance; and

 

(4) Innovation. Increased emphasis on innovation supported by systemic reform of state policies and practices to support CTE implementation of effective practices at the local level.

To read a full version of the document click Blueprint and click here to view the summary .