Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act
Published: April 1, 2006
At issue: The President’s proposal to eliminate funding for the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act and instead spend $1.5 billion to expand the No Child Left Behind Act to high schools through expanded testing and programs for low-achieving students. California receives about $140 million in Perkins funding, money that supports services to 3.2 million students in 663 local and state educational agencies and 109 community colleges. California has made considerable progress integrating high academic standards into career and technical education courses. In fact, more than 8,225 career technical education courses are qualified for academic graduation credit and 3,340 meet entrance requirements for the University of California.
CSBA’s position:
- Career and technical education programs are helping boost student performance. Perkins is a valuable program; and
- Congress should reauthorize the program and reject the President’s proposals to impose a raft of new untested mandates on high schools.
What California needs:
- Flexibility to direct federal funds where they are needed most;
- Stronger links between secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs; and
- Continued Perkins funding.
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