Perkins V

Perkins is a federal education program that invests in secondary, postsecondary and adult Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories. Perkins is dedicated to increasing learner access to high-quality CTE programs of study and is critical to ensuring that programs are prepared to meet the ever-changing needs of learners and employers.

History of the Act 

The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 was the first authorization for the Federal funding of vocational education (now termed career and technical education). Subsequent legislation for vocational education  included the following:

• Vocational Act of 1973

• Carl D. Perkins Act of 1984 Perkins

• Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act (Perkins II)

• Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins III)

• Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV)

• Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V)

Perkins V

On July 31, 2018, the President signed into law the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), reauthorizing the existing Perkins IV law. Perkins V took affect on July 01, 2019.

Perkins V reflects the 100-year federal commitment to Career Technical Education (CTE) and is largely based on the structure and content of Perkins IV; it remains the most important piece of legislation affecting CTE in the country. Perkins V focuses on improving the academic and technical achievement of CTE students, strengthening the connections between secondary and postsecondary education, and improving accountability. Perkins V affords states and local communities the opportunity to implement a vision for CTE that uniquely supports the range of educational needs of students — exploration through career preparation — and balances those student needs with the current and emerging needs of the economy. The Act places additional emphasis on-

• local flexibility

• comprehensive stakeholder engagement and collaborative planning

• innovation

• equity

• alignment with other education and workforce programs

Eligibility

Public Illinois Community College districts are eligible recipients of the Perkins V grant.

For FY2025, the Postsecondary Application materials can be found on the AmpliFund Grant Management website. The website is linked here.

FY2025 – FY2028 Postsecondary Perkins Guidelines and Resources:

• FY2025 Postsecondary Perkins Guidelines

• CTE Program of Study Approval Form

• Out of State Travel Request Form (FY25)

• Perkins V – Measure and Subgroup Source Information 

Spring FY2024 PAC Meeting Materials:

FY2025 Guidelines Spring Cohort Presentation

What is the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment?

Required by Perkins V, the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) is a data-informed, continuous improvement process for community colleges to assess the extent to which their CTE programs and programs of study are aligned with local workforce and economic needs in six key areas:

1. student performance data
2. size, scope, and quality as defined by the state plan
3. labor market alignment
4. progress towards implementing CTE programs of study
5. recruitment, retention, and training of faculty and staff
6. progress toward improving access and equity

Using an equity lens, the CLNA requires disaggregation of data to highlight, analyze, and work toward closing equity gaps for underserved populations. The CLNA process also crosswalks Perkins V and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requirements for standards and examination of equity and access for specific student subpopulations (Perkins V). Community colleges are required under Perkins V to engage a diverse body of stakeholders in the CLNA process. The summation of findings from the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment process are to inform school districts’ and community colleges’ development of their Perkins V local application for funding.

The CLNA is due biennially along with the local application. The next CLNA submission is due May 15, 2026.

Documents & Resources

• CLNA Word Version

• CLNA fillable template

• CLNA Guidance Document

• OCCRL CLNA webpage

• Informing Perkins V-Student Input Report

• Informing Perkins V-Employer Input Report

• 2020 OCCRL Academy Resources

• 2020 Equity Academy Centralia Slides

• Appendix P- Secondary Local Application
• Secondary Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment

Allocations

Budgets and Allocations

Federal Perkins

• FY2025 Postsecondary Perkins Allocations

• FY2024 Postsecondary Perkins Allocations

• FY2023 Postsecondary Perkins Allocations

• FY2022 Postsecondary Perkins Allocations

• FY2021 Postsecondary Perkins Allocations

• FY2020 Perkins Allocations

• FY2019 Perkins Allocations

State CTE

• FY2020 State CTE Allocations

• FY2019 State CTE Allocation

Funding

Federal funds shall be disbursed to the grantee on a reimbursement basis. Payment requests should be made using the specific payment request form provided to you by ICCB fiscal staff. Please contact ICCB at ICCB.grantpayments@illinois.gov for assistance.

Deadlines

Both fiscal and programmatic administrators should be conscious of the funding deadlines provided in order to ensure reimbursement. These deadlines are specific to the Perkins grant and may vary for other grant opportunities made available by the ICCB.

For more information on specific state and federal regulations and guidelines, visit the websites below:

• Code of Federal Regulations

• GATA- Office of Management and Budget

Data

Postsecondary Perkins accountability data is comprised of three performance indicators. These indicators do not differ greatly from those of Perkins IV, rather, they have been condensed into three indicators as opposed to six. The indicators and accompanying definitions are included below.

1P1: Postsecondary Retention and Placement

The percentage of CTE concentrators who, during the second quarter after program completion, remain enrolled in postsecondary education, are in advanced training, military service, or a service program that receives assistance under title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.), are volunteers as described in section 5(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), or are placed or retained in employment.

• Numerator: Number of individuals in the denominator who in the second quarter after program completion are in a postsecondary education or advanced training, military service or a service program, that receives assistance under Title I of the National Community Service Act or are employed.

• Denominator: Number of individuals earning 12 Credits in CTE via course level 
  submission to ICCB (AC) OR who completed a CTE Degree or Certificate but earned less than 12 CTE credits in a cohort year.

2P1: Credential, Certificate or Degree

The percentage of CTE concentrators who receive a recognized postsecondary credential during participation in or within 1 year of program completion.

• Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators from the denominator who have received a degree, certificate, or industry credential approved for a specific CTE program in the prior reporting year or within one year of program completion

• Denominator: Number of individuals earning 12 Credits in CTE via course level 
  submission to ICCB (AC) OR who completed a CTE Degree or Certificate but earned less than 12 CTE credits in a cohort year.

3P1: Non-traditional Program Enrollment

The percentage of CTE concentrators in career and technical education programs and programs of study that lead to non-traditional fields.

• Numerator: Number of under-represented CTE concentrators in non-traditional CTE programs during the reporting year.

• Denominator: Number of individuals earning 12 Credits in CTE via course level submission to ICCB (AC) OR who completed a CTE Degree or Certificate but earned less than 12 CTE credits in a cohort year.

Accountability

Perkins V Specifics: Accountability and continuous improvement remain key tenets in Perkins V. While the performance indicators for postsecondary CTE did not significantly change, there is an increased focus on transparency and equity. Perkins V also outlines new guidelines for states, which are as follows:

• States no longer negotiate performance levels with U.S. Department of Education (although the Secretary of Education still has the authority to approve or disapprove performance levels as part of the State Plan review/approval process)

• Eligible agencies consult with stakeholders to develop “State Determined Levels of Performance”

• All four years of targets must be included in State Plan (reinforces strategic, long-term planning)

• States must continually make progress toward improving the performance of all CTE students, including special populations and other sub-populations

Following are the State Determined Levels of Performance (SDLPs) for fiscal years 2025-28, which were developed in consultation with stakeholders. The following factors were used to determine the targets:

• Historical Performance and Trend Analysis:

• An analysis of the historical performance data for each measure (1P1, 2P1, and 3P1). This included analyzing past targets versus the actual performance achieved. Post-COVID Illinois has seen a significant amount of hiring and job openings as businesses reopened and normal operations resumed. However, this will not continue indefinitely, and the labor market often goes through downturns after periods of growth and expansion. We believe it best to take a conservative- yet continuous improvement- approach to target setting as we move forward.
• An examination of the trend in actual performance relative to the targets over the three years  (fiscal years 2020-23).

• Gradual Improvement and a Balanced Approach:

• A consideration of the organization’s ability to improve over time, and then utilizing this logic to set targets that reflect a gradual improvement from historical performance, balancing ambition with achievability. This included avoiding setting targets unrealistically high to prevent demotivation or unrealistic expectations.

Additional factors of significance:

• CTE continues to be crucial to the revitalization of our economy.

• Community colleges experienced an increase in headcount and FTE for the 2nd year in a row, in which CTE increased by 10.4 percent in headcount.

• Statewide initiatives like PATH (our healthcare grant) and the new EV initiative will get more students interested in nontraditional careers, especially in healthcare which has seen probably the largest shift away from being dominated by a single sex.

Resources

• Perkins Data Dashboard: https://www2.iccb.org/pods2/ This dashboard houses Perkins performance data for all Illinois community colleges. 

• Username: ICCBPerkinsV

• Password: perkvbeta_202104#

• FY2022 Perkins Data Dashboard Training Resources:

• Training slideshow

• Training Recording

• Perkins V Measure Flowchart

• CTE Concentrator definition: [Postsecondary] A student who earns 12 credits in a single CTE program or program of study or completes a CTE program if that program encompasses fewer than 12 credits.

Perkins sub-recipients are subject to fiscal and programmatic monitoring.

To meet the requirements of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200.332), Requirements for Pass-Through Entities, the ICCB has established a risk-based system for the monitoring of grantees.

The Selection Process

Programmatic monitoring is driven by an annual risk assessment. Risk is assessed using a quantitative system for rating and ranking grantees and their ICCB-funded programs. Grantees are assessed using factors and weights derived from multiple sources. Each grantee is allocated points based on the criteria below (not an all-inclusive list) and is assigned a risk level of elevated, moderate, or low based on the total number of points allocated relative to other grantees. Criteria used in the risk assessment will be evaluated and updated annually. Monitoring activities are dependent on the grantee’s risk designation and will include either an on-site review (elevated risk), a desk review (moderate risk), or fiscal and programmatic technical assistance (low risk).

• Unspent grant funds

• Completion of grant deliverables

• Number of material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the grantee’s most recent audit

• Number of conditions assessed in the most recent Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ)

• Timeliness of required submissions (performance, programmatic, financial, and final reports)

• Number of findings in previous grant monitoring review

• Amount of grant funding

• Years since last monitoring visit

Experience of Perkins Administrator

Quarterly Reporting Schedule

• Quarterly programmatic reporting: This has been integrated into your Annual Work Plan template to reduce duplication of effort. That template can be found here.
• Quarterly financial reporting: This must be completed in a separate reporting document.is separate. That template can be accessed here: FY2021 Financial Reporting Template

Perkins grant recipients must meet the needs of Special Populations students by ensuring program

accessibility and assisting them in overcoming barriers that may limit opportunities for success.

Although colleges may target specific subpopulations on their campus, it is important to note that gender, race, ethnicity, and military status are not Special Populations as defined by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. Perkins funds may be used to support these students if enrolled in CTE courses. However, colleges must demonstrate how they are meeting the needs of each Special Populations group. Support and wrap around services are the most common strategies used in serving Special Population students. Below is each Special Population as defined by Perkins:

1. individuals with disabilities
2. individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including low-income youth and adults
3. individuals preparing for non-traditional fields
4. single parents, including single pregnant women
5. out-of-workforce individuals
6. English learners
7. homeless individuals described in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.11434a)
8. youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system
9. youth with a parent who—

(i) is a member of the armed forces (as such term is defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code); and

(ii) is on active duty (as such term is defined in section 101(d)(1) of such title).