Education Amendment Act of 1998

PUBLIC LAW 105 332 OCT. 31, 1998 CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1998 112 STAT. 3076 PUBLIC LAW 105 332 OCT. 31, 1998 Public Law 105 332 105th Congress 

Highlights

• Amended the 1990 Perkins Act
• Referred to as Perkins III
• Provides a new, much more detailed definition of vocational education
• Continues a separate funding stream for Tech-Prep and sets forth a detailed definition of such programs
• Authorized funding for four years but did not actually authorize a specific dollar amount (funding for the most recent FY is $1.122 billion)
• The "core indicators" for performance standards are mandated in this Act

Details

Signed into law on October 31, 1998, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins III) sets out a new vision of vocational and technical education for the 21st century.The central goals of this new vision are improving student achievement and preparing students for postsecondary education, further learning, and careers.

Perkins III promotes reform, innovation, and continuous improvement in vocational and technical education to ensure that students acquire the skills and knowledge they need to meet challenging State academic standards and industry-recognized skill standards, and to prepare for postsecondary education, further learning, and a wide range of opportunities in high-skill, high-wage careers.

Funding:  Perkins III authorized "...such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003."  This left the actual appropriation amount to be determined each year by Congress in the regular budget process.  The Act outlines both mandatory and permissive local uses of funds (see Perkins III Local Uses of funds).  Make sure you review these uses.

Education Reform:Perkins III supports the alignment of vocational and technical education with State and local efforts to reform secondary schools and improve postsecondary education. The implementation of the new law promises to make vocational and technical education programs an integral part of these efforts.

Seamless Education and Workforce Development Systems:Together with the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which restructures employment training, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation programs, Perkins III promotes the development of integrated, "one-stop" education and workforce development systems at the State and local level.

Focus on Quality: Perkins III focuses the Federal investment in vocational and technical education on high-quality programs that:

• integrate academic and vocational education
• promote student attainment of challenging academic and vocational and technical standards
• provide students with strong experience in, and understanding of all aspects of an industry
• address the needs of individuals who are members of special populations
• involve parents and employers
• provide strong linkages between secondary and postsecondary education
• develop, improve and expand the use of technology
• provide professional development for teachers, counselors, and administrators

Flexibility:A number of prescriptive administrative requirements and restrictions have been eliminated to give States, school districts, and postsecondary institutions greater flexibility to design services and activities that meet the needs of their students and communities.

Accountability:To promote continuous program improvement, Perkins III creates a State performance accountability system. The Secretary and States reach agreement on annual levels of performance for a number of "core indicators" specified in the law:

• Student attainment of challenging State established academic, and vocational and technical, skill proficiencies
• Student attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, a proficiency credential in conjunction with a secondary school diploma, or a postsecondary degree or credential
• Placement in, retention, and completion of, postsecondary education or advanced training, placement in military service, or placement or retention in employment
• Student participation in and completion of vocational and technical education programs that lead to nontraditional training and employment

Incentive grants will be awarded to States that exceed agreed-upon performance levels for Perkins III, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, and employment training services authorized under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act. Grants may be reduced to States that do not meet agreed-upon performance levels.

Tech-Prep:Perkins III reauthorizes Tech-Prep, an important catalyst for secondary school reform and postsecondary education improvement efforts. Perkins III promotes the use of work-based learning and new technologies in tech-prep programs and encourages partnerships with business, labor organizations, and institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees.  Perkins III also provides a very prescriptive definition of Tech Prep:

The term Tech Prep program means a program of study that combines a minimum of 2 years of secondary education with a minimum of 2 years of postsecondary education in a non duplicative sequential course of study; integrates academic and vocational and technical instruction and utilizes work based and worksite learning where appropriate and available; provides technical preparation in a career field; builds student competence in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, economics, and workplaces skills, through applied, contextual academics and integrated instruction in a coherent sequence of courses; leads to an associate or baccalaureate degree or postsecondary certificate in a specific career field; and leads to placement in appropriate employment or to further education.

New Definition of Vocational and Technical Education

The term vocational and technical education means organized educational activities that offer a sequence of courses that provide individuals with the academic and technical knowledge and skills the individuals need to prepare for further education and for careers (other than careers requiring a baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree) in current or emerging employment sections and include competency-based applied learning that contributed to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, of an individual.

Revised Definition of Special Populations:

Individuals with disabilities, economically disadvantaged individuals (including foster children), individuals preparing for nontraditional employment, single parents (including single pregnant women), displaced homemakers, and individuals with other barriers to educational achievement, including individuals with limited English proficiency.

The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) will give State and local recipients of funds the flexibility, guidance, and technical assistance they need to take full advantage of the new opportunities created by Perkins III. OVAE will collaborate with other offices of the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and other Federal agencies to promote the development of quality education and workforce systems.

Perkins III took effect in program year 2000, which began July 1, 1999.   It is in effect until program year 2004 which is the coming year (SY 2003-2004).  It is currently up for reauthorization. 

Additional Information

• Overview of Act(Skim this document)
• PDF file of the entire legislative document (Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Amendments of 1998)  For your reference only - you do not HAVE to read
• Document that compares Perkins II and Perkins III (Comparison of Carl D. Perkins Acts)