Bush signs renewal of Perkins Act

In late July, Congress overwhelmingly approved legislation reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 and provided $1.3 billion for the program. President Bush signed the legislation Aug. 12.

The new law changes all references of “vocational education” to “career and technical education,” a reflection of the field’s growing emphasis on academics and career development, not one-track industrial jobs. About 15 million high school and college students take vocational education courses.

“It’s much more rigorous, much more high tech,” said Alisha Hyslop, assistant director of public policy for the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). “It’s no longer for students who don’t want to go to post-secondary education.”

Today, educators and students view career education more as a “pathway” to various levels of employment in a student’s chosen field, rather than a fixed destination, Hyslop said. For example, a medical technology class might include students interested in becoming everything from emergency medical technicians to doctors or nurses.

Studies also show that vocational education can improve student achievement when academics are embedded in the curriculum, Hyslop said. She said a well-designed construction trades course can help students get a better grasp of geometry, and training in the health fields can improve students’ understanding of science.

The programs are also critically important in places like Gooding, Idaho, a rural area where many students don’t go to four-year colleges.

“A majority of our students would be better served by our vo-tech programs,” said Eric Raine, principal of the 412-student Gooding High School. “It’s our bread and butter, in a sense.”

In Gooding, technology classes are among the most popular among students -- there is a Dell computer plant nearby -- as well as agriculture. In fact, when Raine says that students from Future Farmers of American “can get a job across the street,” he means it literally: that’s where his own farm is located.

“I would say that roughly 75 percent of our students are enrolled in a vo-tech class during the day,” Raine said.

Raine said he would like to see more money for vocational education, but not at the expense of traditional academic subjects, which have been squeezed by tight budgets and the testing and accountability demands of No Child Left Behind.

The Bush Administration had proposed eliminating the Perkins program, saying it was not rigorous enough academically. Supporters of the program, such as Reginald Felton, NSBA’s director of federal relations, said the administration’s stance was “a means to justify its reduced support for education.”

Yet the Perkins program has received broad support in Congress and in communities across the country. And, although the reauthorization was held up for more than a year because of Congress’ other duties, its backers say eventual passage was never in serious jeopardy.

“We still see it as a major resource for high schools to work with kids on career development,” Felton said. “NSBA is pleased with the final bill, which recognizes the role and authority of local school districts.”

The legislation was approved in late July by unanimous consent in the Senate and by a vote of 399-1 in the House.

“To me, this is one of the most important pieces of legislation that will come out of this session,” said Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) in a speech on the House floor. He is chair of a House appropriations subcommittee that considers education spending.  

Though Bush initially opposed reauthorization, the act included a change the administration supported: a requirement that state and local school districts report the state test scores of vocational high school students under NCLB. The bill also includes new provisions on local accountability requiring districts to set specific program targets and develop improvement plans if those targets are not met.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said, “Congress deserves credit for making some needed reforms” in the act.

“For the first time, Career and Technical Education [CTE] programs will be held accountable for continuous improvement in performance, measured by the academic proficiency of CTE students,” Spelling said in prepared statement.

“Success,” she added,” will be determined through valid and reliable tests, including No Child Left Behind assessments in reading, math, and science. These changes will help ensure that students graduate with the academic skills valued by employers and colleges alike.”

The bill also maintains the Tech Prep program as a separate entity, with a separate funding stream, within the Perkins bill. States can combine all or part of their Tech Prep funding with other funds under the basic state grant.

ACTE had asked Congress to appropriate $1.675 billion for the Perkins act, but Hyslop said she was generally pleased with the reauthorization and expected support for career and technical education to grow as the nation faces increased economic competition from abroad and continuing demands for a more educated workforce.