In 2018, Congress updated the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act for the first time since 2006. The new law, commonly referred to as “Perkins V”, provides greater flexibility and opportunities to states, school districts, and community colleges that use federal resources to strengthen their career and technical education (CTE) systems.
Among other updates, Perkins V enables state and local leaders to use federal CTE resources for “making all forms of instructional content widely available, which may include use of open educational resources.” Other elements of Perkins V, such as the law’s new CTE innovation and modernization grants program, also offer opportunities for making open educational resources (OER) a more prominent component of state and local CTE systems and practices.
The next six months represent a critical initial period for states working to implement Perkins V, including for leaders interested in leveraging OER to strengthen their CTE systems and improve CTE student outcomes. No later than Spring 2020, states must submit a four-year Perkins V implementation plan to the U.S. Department of Education.
- Make OER part of the state planning process
- Focus needs assessment on materials and OER
- Dedicate state funding to OER and encourage local partners to invest in OER projects
- Apply for innovation grant funding to support additional OER projects
- Focus OER investments on “concentrators”
- Coordinate the use of Perkins V and ESSA resources
SPARC commissioned a paper that recommends actions and ideas that leaders should consider for making OER policy a more meaningful part of their CTE plans and implementation activities. SPARC would like to thank Foresight Law+Policy and our other partner organizations who helped write and disseminate this resource.
Click here to download Open Educational Resources Policy and State Perkins Career and Technical Education Plans