Planning, Funding and Accountability

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) represents an important opportunity to expand opportunities for every student to explore, choose and follow career-technical education programs of study and career pathways. The federal legislation also provides state funding for implementation of career-technical education programming. To assess the effectiveness in achieving statewide progress in career-technical education and to optimize the return on investment of public funds in career-technical education, accountability for results is a central focus of Perkins V, setting out new performance requirements for state and local programs. 

Expanding Career-Technical Education in Ohio White Paper

Statewide CTE Equity Report

Planning and Funding

Career-technical education (CTE) options are being expanded by creating career pathways that are defined, mapped and promoted. Analysis of these career pathways is needed to ensure the state is using funding and accountability as levers to drive equitable outcomes for students as outlined in Ohio's Perkins V State Plan.

  • Bridging Ohio's Skills Gap with Career-Technical Education - The American Institute for Research (AIR) developed this data story for the state of Ohio. The data story was intended to create demand for expanding career-technical education options regionally by sharing comprehensive data to communicate how improved attainment impacts the lives of individuals. The data story emphasizes the importance of access to CTE in order to bridge the skills gap in Ohio by preparing students for the workforce. 
  • Perkins V State Plan - Perkins V requires each eligible agency desiring assistance for any fiscal year under the Act to prepare and submit a state plan to the U.S. Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education developed its state plan in consultation with key stakeholders, the Governor and other state agencies.
  • Planning and Funding - To support the education community, the Department has developed tools and resources for planning, funding and monitoring related to secondary career-technical education.
  • Size, Scope and Quality of Career-Technical Education Delivery - Both Perkins V and the Ohio Administrative Code outline requirements for the size, scope, and quality of Career-Technical Education delivery. 
  • Map of Career Technical Planning Districts - A Career Technical Planning District (CTPD) is a local education agency configuration (comprehensive district, compact/contract district, or joint vocational school district) that meets the minimum requirements of law and subsequent standards to offer state-sanctioned career-technical programming.
  • CTE-26 Application and Resources - The CTE-26 is an application for primary approval for a new career-technical education program or a renewal application for an existing program. A CTE-26 is required for a school or district to qualify for funding. 
  • Innovative Pathway - The Career-Technical Education Innovative Pathway Program is an opportunity to prepare students for employment in emerging careers that cross multiple career field pathways. The pathways must be supported by in-demand or critical occupation business and industry partnerships that result in direct employment, preferential training or earning a postsecondary credential.
  • Program and Assessment Matrix - The Program and Assessment Matrix is designed to provide school districts with information needed for designing programs, submitting program approval applications and for Education Management Information System (EMIS) data reporting.  It assists educators in identifying the tests that are required for their career-technical pathway programs.
  • Secondary CTE in Ohio Technical Centers - Secondary Career-Technical Education and Ohio Technical Centers can collaborate to provide access to high-quality CTE that meets the needs of Ohio’s workforce. This program delivery model is intended to provide the flexibility schools need in preparing students for their future when students cannot enroll locally due to course capacity, scheduling conflicts, lack of course offering, lack of qualified instructor or lack of facilities.

Accountability

The Department maintains an accountability system of policies and practices that is used to measure and hold schools and districts responsible for raising student achievement, and to prompt and support improvement where necessary. While standards and assessments tell us whether students are gaining the skills and knowledge they need, the accountability system says that if they are not, schools and districts must take steps to improve.
 

  • Data and Accountability - Perkins V requires Ohio to set state performance measures for a required set of indicators of performance for career-technical education concentrators.  The data reported by schools and districts provides standards to evaluate whether learners are on track for and progressing through their career pathways.
  • Secure Data Center Reports -  These reports contain detailed data for the measures and components of the Career-Technical Education Report Card and should be used to monitor EMIS reporting and performance on career-technical accountability measures.
  • Quality Program Review - Ohio legislation requires the Department and the lead district of each secondary Career-Technical Planning District to conduct an annual review of each career-technical education program within the planning district. The intent of the Quality Program Review is to maximize the use of resources and continuously improve career-technical education.
  • Civil Rights and Methods of Administration Program - The Ohio Department of Education, as the state agency responsible for the administration of career and technical education, is required to adopt a compliance program to prevent, identify and remedy discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender/sex, disability or age by institutions that receive any federal financial assistance through a state agency and is delivering career-technical education.

Last Modified: 8/29/2023 7:58:30 AM