• Amended 1963 VE Act (and replaced 1968 and 1976 amendments)
• $950 million dollars
• 57% dedicated to special populations
• Allowed funding to be used for academic integration
• Referred to as Perkins I
• Creation of a State Council on Vocational Education

Details

Carl Perkins Vocational Education Act Reauthorized federal support of vocational education for four years and represented the first major modification of the program since l976. The bill amended the l963 Act, renaming it "Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act." The amount authorized was $950 million.  Replaced amendments of '68 and '76 act of the VEA '63 act.

Key components of act

• Each state will spend,  according to its state plan, 43% for vocational education program involvement, innovation, and expansion.
• One of the dominant themes of this Act is an emphasis on educating groups of traditional underrepresented in vocational programs.  From its basic state grant, each state must spend 57% for vocational education programs for special populations and activities as follows:
  • Handicapped Individuals 10.0%
  • Disadvantaged Individuals 22.0%
  • Adults in Need of Training and Retraining 12.0%
  • Single Parents and Homemakers 8.5%
  • Elimination of Sex Bias and Stereotyping 3.5%
  • Criminal Offenders in Correctional Institutions l.0%

Total 57.0%

• Strong focus on the adult learner.  Title III, Part C provides financial assistance for states to meet the urgent needs of adults for training, retraining, and employment development.  Titles II, III, and IV have direct references to "adult" and it is implied in the use of single parents, displaced homemakers, consumers, homemakers, workers 55 and older, apprentices, dislocated workers, and criminal offenders.
• Strengthening academic/vocational integration.  The Act contains references to specifically encourage strengthening the academic foundations of vocational education.  Title II allows funds from the Act to be used for "the conduct of special courses and teaching strategies designed to teach the fundamental principles of mathematics and science through practical applications which are an integral part of the student's occupational program."  This is significant, even though it only allows money to be used for integration instead of requiring it, as such a statement (or similar) is not found in any previous vocational education law.
• Continues to provide categorical funding for consumer and homemaking education.  Title II, Part B authorizes grants to assist states in conducting consumer and homemaking education programs that serve special populations.  Title II authorizes the use of basic state grants to fund programs that prepare students for paid employment, including occupations that require home economics knowledge and skills.
• Requires each state to spend 13% of its federal dollars on programs, services and activities for single parents and homemakers and for programs to promote sex equity.  There are two important difference between Perkins I and the 1976 Amendments:  each state is required to hire a full-time sex equity coordinator and the new law broadens considerably the scope of activities allowed and the funds available for those activities.  The role of the sex equity coordinator is to assist in eliminating sex bias and stereotyping in vocational education and to administer the funds for single parent and homemaker programs and sex equity activities.
• States are required to produce an annual progress report based on stated objectives and use the report as a diagnostic tools in planning and improving programs.  (Note:  This is not the performance standards that are introduced in a later Act.)
• States are required to create a State Council on Vocation Education.  Members are to include business and industry, labor organizations, secondary, and post-secondary institutions.