Yesterday Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and OVAE Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier unveiled Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa. This Blueprint outlines the Obama Administration’s plan for reauthorizing the Perkins Act, and revolves around the following four themes:
- 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;
- Collaboration: Â Strong collaborations among secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, and industry partners to improve the quality of CTE programs;
- 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
- Innovation: Â Increased emphasis on innovation supported by systemic reform of state policies and practices to support CTE implementation of effective practices at the local level.
While we support the themes encompassed in the Blueprint, we worry that the details related to each of these areas could have an adverse affect on CTE programs. For example, the proposal to award funds to consortia on a competitive basis could result in decreased, inequitable student access to high-quality CTE programs. You can read our joint statement with ACTE here. We will provide more detailed analysis in the coming days.
For more information from the Department of Education, you can access a summary of the Blueprint, as well as their press release.
 Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager
Tags: accountability, business and industry partnerships, Equity, federal legislation, funding, Innovation, labor market, Legislation, OVAE, Perkins, Public Policy, Secondary, Secretary Duncan, technical skills