Programs of Study: A Cross-Study Examination of Programs in Three States

Publication November 2011

In 2006, Congress enacted the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Act (also known as Perkins IV), which changed the name and broadened the scope and purpose of career and technical education (CTE). The initial charge of vocational education, established under the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, was to separate vocational education from academic learning and focus it primarily on preparation for jobs and employment. Perkins IV expanded that purpose to prepare individuals for both college and career, connecting academic learning with job skills and knowledge and connecting secondary and postsecondary education. The goal of Perkins IV was to develop a seamless system allowing all students the opportunity to prepare for work, college, and life.

Shumer, R., Stringfield, S., Stipanovic, N., & Murphy, N. (2011, November). Programs of study: A cross-study examination of programs in three states. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Louisville.

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