SC Perkins/Tech Ed
Carl Perkins/Career & Technical Education (CTE)
Signed into law in 1998, the Carl Perkins Act defines career and technical education as organized educational programs offering sequences of courses directly related to preparing individuals for employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Programs include competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual’s academic knowledge, higher order reasoning, problem solving skills, and the occupational-specific skills necessary for economic independence as a productive and contributing member of society.
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) directs how Perkins funds are used for secondary, postsecondary, and adult career and technical education (CTE). Perkins IV replaces the 1998 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Perkins III).
Minnesota Perkins State Plan
The Minnesota Perkins Five–Year Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Plan requires secondary and post-secondary educational institutions to come together, identify their local/regional consortium members and design a unified plan that addresses four primary goals in addition to sustaining the new consortium structure. Those four primary goals are:
1) Building Programs of Study
2) Effectively utilizing employer, community and education partnerships
3) Improving service to special populations
4) Providing a continuum of service provision for enabling student transitions from school to school and school to employment.
South Central Perkins Unified Plan
The South Central Perkins Unified Plan (PDF)
Within Perkins legislation are provisions for Career & Technical Education Preparation which encourages planning a sequence of courses from secondary through post-secondary education to give students valuable technical and academic training.
Perkins Promotes Learning with a Purpose and Integrates Education. By planning and implementing a career pathway, students begin planning for education and careers after high school. By integrating academic and technical courses, students get a mix of book learning and hands-on experience that allows real world application of learning. By utilizing a variety of teaching methods, Perkins efforts help learning occur in context.
Perkins Gives Students Skills that are Needed in the Workplace. All students eventually work, whether during high school, while attending college or upon graduation from college. Teaching students workplace readiness skills is one of the goals and benefits of Perkins legislation.
Perkins Involves Employers in Education. Examples: Community businesses provide students and teachers with internship opportunities, business people talk with students about job requirements, skills needed on the job and provide pointers on interviewing skills, some businesses provide an opportunity to “shadow” an employee to learn more specific information about what a job is really about.
Perkins Allows Students to Earn College Credit while in High School. Students taking classes that have been articulated between a high school and a college and that earn a “B” or better as a final grade are awarded a Minnesota College Credit Certificate and can take the certificate with them when registering for college classes. For example: A junior in high school takes a computer applications class that is articulated through this Minnesota College Credit process. The student earns a final grade of a “B” and is awarded a certificate by the high school teacher. When the student registers for classes as a college freshman, he/she gives the registrar his/her Minnesota College Credit Certificate and is awarded advanced placement standing on their college transcript.