The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, commonly referred to as Perkins V, was signed into law on July 31, 2018. This federal law reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, which provides almost $1.43 billion in federal support for career and technical education (CTE) programs in all 50 states and U.S. territories, including support for integrated career pathway programs for students. Iowa receives nearly $13.9 million annually in federal funds, divided between secondary and postsecondary CTE programs delivered through public school districts and community colleges.

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State Plan

Iowa’s state plan for meeting requirements of Perkins V, and the related secondary and postsecondary accountability performance targets, may be viewed below.

Iowa 4-year Perkins State Plan

Iowa Perkins State Plan Approval Letter

Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment

Perkins V introduced the concept of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA). The needs assessment is to be used by each eligible recipient as a guidepost, informing the development of the local application and, in particular, how the eligible recipient uses its federal Perkins funds. Learn more about Iowa's CLNA process.

Accountability

"Congress made accountability for results a central focus of Perkins V, setting out new performance requirements for States and local programs. These requirements were established to assess the effectiveness of the State in achieving statewide progress in career and technical education and to optimize the return on investment of Federal funds in career and technical education." Perkins Collaborative Resource Network

Under Perkins V, states are required to report annually on core indicators of performance for both secondary and postsecondary. States are also required to report disaggregated data on the performance of students by race, ethnicity, gender, and special population categories. Grant recipients should analyze their performance results, which can be utilized in budget and program evaluation.

Secondary Perkins V Performance Indicator Reference

IndicatorIndicator Description

2020-2021

State Target

2021-2022

State Target

2022-2023

State Target

2023-2024

State Target

1S1Four-Year Graduation Rate93.00%93.25%93.50%93.75%
2S1Academic Proficiency in English Language Arts66.00%66.25%66.50%66.75%
2S2Academic Proficiency in Mathematics62.00%62.25%62.50%62.75%
2S3Academic Proficiency in Science58.25%58.50%58.75%59.00%
3S1Post-Program Placement89.50%90.00%90.50%91.00%
4S1Nontraditional Program Concentration14.60%15.00%15.25%15.50%
5S3Participated in Work-Based Learning7.00%8.00%9.00%10.00%

Postsecondary Perkins V Performance Indicators Reference

IndicatorIndicator Description

2020-2021

State Target

2021-2022

State Target

2022-2023

State Target

2023-2024

State Target

1P1Postsecondary Placement70.00%70.25%70.50%70.75%
2P1Earned Recognized Postsecondary Credential50.32%50.50%50.75%51.00%
3P1Nontraditional Program Concentration9.75%10.00%10.25%10.00%

References:

Perkins Collaborative Resource Network

Iowa 4-year Perkins State Plan

Secondary Performance Indicator: Work-Based Learning

Perkins V Work-Based Learning Defined from Sec. 3 [20 U.S.C. 2302] 55: Sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction.

Reserve Funding Project: College & Career Transition Counselors

The Iowa Perkins State Plan provides the opportunity to use reserve funds to help establish new College and Career Transition Counselor (CCTC) positions across Iowa. Through a competitive application process, the CCTC Partnership steering committee will award small grants across the state to community colleges that partner with school districts in their service area. Learn more about these positions and grant funding opportunities. 

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Local Application

The FY25 Perkins V Secondary and Postsecondary applications are posted in funding opportunities in the IowaGrants.gov system. The application deadline is June 30, 2024. The guidance, memos and webinar recording provide more information and assistance for completing the application.

Guidance

FY25 Perkins Grant Application: General Guidance for Submission

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) Student Competition Funding

Perkins Consortium FAQs

Memos

Consortium Requirements for Distribution of Perkins Funds to Secondary Education

Webinar Recording

FY25 IowaGrants Perkins Application Webinar

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Accounting for Perkins Funds

Accounting for Perkins Funds: Consortia

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Pell Audit Guidance

Annual Iowa Pell Audit Verification Guidance

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Claims

Perkins V Allowable and Unallowable Costs - FY25

Templates

Perkins Claim Template - FY25

Equipment Inventory Template

Equipment and Supply Checkout Template

Prior Approval Forms

Advertising for Special Populations

Middle School Prior Approval Form

Claims Webinar Recordings

Nov. 13, 2024: Perkins Inventory Requirements

Oct. 16, 2024: Perkins Claim Timelines and FAQs

Oct. 2, 2024: Claim Submission Instructions 2025

Dec. 11, 2024: Perkins Monitoring

Memos

CTSO Memberships

CIS Platform Perkins Eligibility

CTSO Student Competition Funding

Supplanting and Reimbursement Memo 10-25-2017

Prior Approval Forms

Advertising for Special Populations

Middle School Prior Approval Form

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Perkins Bill

Perkins V

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Post-Secondary Information

Post-Secondary Perkins Certified Annual Report Documentation

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Perkins V Secondary and Post Secondary Monitoring

Community College Perkins Desk Audit Form

Secondary Perkins Desk Audit Form

Perkins Monitoring Presentation

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Resources

Perkins V Plan Timeline

Perkins 101 Presentation

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