May 29-30, 2003

Perkins Report

This report outlines budgetary issues relating to the Carl D. Perkins federal grants and the potential impact of changes under discussion via Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. As the eligible Perkins agency for Montana, the Board of Regents receive the funding and regular reports on the program. Below is information on the FY 2003 allocation, the President's FY 2004 budget proposal and its implications for reauthorization, and current uses of Perkins funds in Montana.

FY 2003 PERKINS III BUDGET (Grant Beginning on July 1, 2003)

Title I Assistance to States

Local Formula Distribution (Not less than 85%)

Secondary Programs (65%) $2,800,699

Postsecondary Programs (35%) $1,508,069

Subtotal $4,308,768

Reserve (10%; if applicable)

Estimated Secondary Formula Setaside $ 60,000

Est. Secondary Level funding $ 2,000

Est. Reserve for Competitive Grants $416,752

Subtotal $478,752

Leadership (Up to 10%)

Nontraditional Training and Employment $80,000

(Between $60,000 and $150,000)

Corrections or Institutions (Up to 1% of Basic Grant) $28,162

Other Required Uses of Funds:

Secondary (55%) $250,292

Postsecondary (45%) $204,784

State Administration $281,619

State Match $281,619

Total: Basic Grant$5,632,376

Title II Tech Prep

Number of Consortia 5

Method of Distribution (check one):

Formula x

Tech Prep Administration $36,297

Total: Tech Prep Grant$518,529

President's FY 2004 Budget Proposal

The President's FY 2004 proposal (currently in conference committee) eliminates Vocational Education State Grants that are formula-based and replaces them with the new Secondary and Technical Education Excellence Program. If this were to occur, it would have a terrible effect on all secondary schools and colleges, especially those in rural areas that are hardest hit by declining enrollments and state funding.

The President's Secondary and Technical Education Excellence proposal would change the landscape for career and technical education radically and reduce current allocations to career and technical education by approximately $180 million. For Montana, the $4,723,173 allocation would be a decrease of $909,203 from a FY03 allocation and less than the FY1999 allocation of $4,912,159.

Grants would be distributed on a competitive basis to secondary schools and community/technical colleges. This type of distribution does not provide a stable source of funding to encourage ongoing innovative projects in career and technical education at either the secondary or postsecondary level.

The goal of this proposed program is to improve academic achievement through the No Child Left Behind legislation. States could transfer funds to support education-related activities under the Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies program (U.S. D. of Ed. Blueprint for Preparing America's Future, 2003). If this occurs in Montana, it will eliminate targeted federal funding for career and technical education, including Tech Prep.

The impact of the "new" program is clear: to diminish the presence of career and technical education to accommodate academics as the only means for improving student achievement and to move funds to support No Child Left Behind mandates.

This new program may become the prototype for reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins legislation.

Uses of Carl D. Perkins Funds in Montana

The Carl D. Perkins Basic Grant is distributed to local recipients (schools and colleges), state leadership, and administration based on the allocation provided by the legislation. The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Office of Public Instruction receive a percentage of the funds as determined at the state level. Tech Prep is a separate title within the Perkins legislation.

Local Funds:

The Perkins local funds are split between postsecondary institutions (two-year institutions including tribal colleges) and secondary schools. The funds represent a major contribution of dollars to support career and technical education in Montana. Local funds are provided for:

  • 12 postsecondary institutions (including tribal colleges) serving 5,610 students.
  • 144 secondary schools serving 11,394 students

Of the 85% of funds that must flow to the local level, up to 10% may be distributed to local eligible recipients in a manner determined by the eligible agency. This 10% Reserve must support rural areas with high percentages or high numbers of vocational and technical students and areas negatively impacted by changes to the in-state secondary formula (see attachment two). Most of these Reserve funds are distributed competitively and must include a seamless system of organized educational activities, partnerships, and services to special populations. These grants are distributed geographically.

State Leadership Funds:

State Leadership funds allow postsecondary state level staff to conduct a variety of activities as specified by the legislation and/or provide funds to eligible recipients to conduct programs having statewide impact such as:

  • Professional development to improve teaching and learning, expand cultural diversity, measure student outcomes, and improve classroom management
  • Nontraditional Grants to increase the number of individuals entering and completing a program of study considered nontraditional by gender
  • Institutions Grants to serve individuals with disabilities and incarcerated individuals
  • Special Populations Grants to provide services to the special populations specified in the Perkins legislation
  • Two-Year Institutions Conference focusing on issues such as faculty development, career clusters, retention, student outcomes and other issues as determined by a faculty committee
  • ACT Center for assessment of student aptitude, certification of skills, online skill acquisition, and profiling of jobs for industry
  • Technical assistance to the field

Tech Prep

Tech Prep in Montana has played a major part in providing students the opportunity to take courses at the secondary level that have been articulated with a postsecondary course. This allows the student to accumulate credit while in high school to reduce the time to degree when enrolling in a specific technical program in a two-year institution. There are five Tech Prep consortiums in Montana. Each consortium articulates with high schools within their specific area. As of December 2002 there were:

  • 176 secondary schools in Montana Tech Prep consortia.
  • 160 had signed articulation agreements with 11 postsecondary schools in Montana.
  • Three out of state postsecondary institutions (Northwest College, Powell, Wyoming; Northwest Wyoming Community College in Sheridan, and the Art Institute of Seattle have signed articulation agreements with Montana schools
  • Postsecondary institutions articulating with Montana Tech Prep currently generate 306 courses that in turn articulate to 2, 211 courses in Montana high schools