Editor: Ellen Kelly-Holland
Correspondents: Barbara Gilbert, Nancy Essey, and Clara Lawson-Holmes

What's inside…

• Message from the Director
• Perkins IV State Plan Guide Released
• Non-regulatory guidance on Perkins Accountability Issued
• States for FY 2007 Monitoring Visits Approved
• Review of State's FY 2005-06 Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) Submission Completed
• OVAE's Session at NASDCTEc Spring Leadership Meeting
• America's Career Resource Network (ACRN) National Strategic Planning Meeting
• OVAE's Secondary-Postsecondary Transitions Institutes
• Discretionary Grants Update
• Spotlight on OVAE's College and Careers Transition Initiative (CCTI)
• Looking Ahead: Meetings and Conferences

Message from the Director

The months ahead promise to be busy—yet exciting—for all of us in the career and technical education (CTE) field. New Perkins IV State plans will be written and reviewed, Perkins IV student definitions and measurement approaches will be identified, Perkins IV discretionary grant programs will be competed, and a host of conferences (listed at the end of this e-mail) will be held. In the midst of all this activity, I will be heading out on maternity leave. I plan to be away from the office from Monday, March 19 through Monday, May 7. In my absence, Dale King, Director of OVAE’s Policy, Research, and Evaluation Service (PRES), will serve as acting DATE Director, working closely with DATE’s Branch Chiefs Sylvia Lyles (Program and Administration Branch), John Haigh (Accountability and Performance Branch), and Scott Hess (College and Career Transitions Branch). Below is the contact information for DATE’s leadership:

Dale King: dale.king2@ed.gov or 202-245-7405
Sylvia Lyles: sylvia.lyles@ed.gov or 202-245-7746
John Haigh: john.haigh@ed.gov or 202-245-7735
Scott Hess: scott.hess@ed.gov or 202-245-7772

I wish you all the best for productive months ahead.

Sharon Lee Miller
Director, DATE

Perkins IV State Plan Guide Released

OVAE issued the final OMB-approved Perkins IV State Plan Guide on March 12. The deadline for submission of new Perkins IV State plans is Monday, May 7. To assist States in developing and submitting their plans, DATE staff has developed an electronic Web site (similar to that used for the Consolidated Annual Report (CAR)). Further information on the electronic submission process, as well as training sessions for State CTE Directors and their staffs will be sent to State Directors on March 19. The Perkins IV State plan guide is available at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/memoperkinsiv.html.

Non-regulatory Guidance on Perkins Accountability Issued

On March 13, OVAE issued a non-regulatory guidance memorandum to offer guidance to State CTE Directors and their accountability staffs on “valid and reliable” student definitions and measurement approaches for the core indicators of performance under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV). These definitions and measures must be identified in new Perkins IV State plans. A State may choose to propose other student definitions and measurement approaches for the core indicators of performance in its new State plan, but would have to describe how its proposed definitions and measures would be valid and reliable. The memorandum is available will be posted shortly to: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/memoperkinsiv.html

States for FY 2007 Monitoring Visits Approved

Eight States and two territories have been approved by OVAE’s Assistant Secretary Troy Justesen for full (week long) Perkins monitoring visits in FY 2007: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Virginia. In addition, five discretionary grantees (one located in North Carolina and four in New Mexico) also have been approved for full monitoring visits. The District of Columbia and Rhode Island have been approved
for targeted (two day) reviews. Monitoring visits will begin at the end of June.

The purpose of DATE’s Perkins monitoring effort is three-fold: to uphold the department’s fiduciary responsibility to ensure grantees’ compliance with the law; to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse; and to provide technical assistance to help States and local grantees improve their Perkins administration, implementation, and accountability systems.

Review of State’s FY 2005-06 Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) Submission Completed

From February to March 2007, DATE staff reviewed each State’s FY 2005-06 Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) submission. Beginning the week of March 19, State CTE Directors will receive e-mail from DATE Director Sharon Miller summarizing the outcome of their State’s review. This e-mail will indicate whether the State’s submission is approved or whether the State’s submission contains deficiencies (i.e., the State did not meet its overall performance levels or did not submit required disaggregated data) that may lead to a special condition on their upcoming July 1, 2007, Perkins IV grant award and require further corrective action by the State.

OVAE’s Session at NASDCTEc Spring Leadership Meeting

The National Association for State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) Spring Leadership Meeting is scheduled in Washington, DC, from March 20-24. The overall goals of the meeting are to inform members on current and relevant policy and legislative information, research, and trends; to facilitate sharing of best practices among State leaders; and to recognize excellence in career and technical education through the annual Stars of Education awards ceremony. On Saturday, March 24, DATE staff members John Haigh, Len Lintner, and Andy Johnson will conduct a half-day session on Perkins administration, financial, and accountability provisions. For more information on the meeting, visit NASDCTEc’s Web site at: http://www.careertech.org/meeting/spring/2007

America’s Career Resource Network (ACRN) National Strategic Planning Meeting

Making Connections: Education and Career Development is the theme of the joint meeting of ACRN Directors, State guidance supervisors, and State CTE Directors to be held at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel in Arlington, VA, on March 19-20, 2007. The purpose of the meeting is to build strong linkages and partnerships to maximize the use of career resources in supporting various provisions in the Perkins IV legislation. State teams will discuss how they can collaborate on States’ products, resources, and trainings, and how they can partner in supporting career development and Perkins IV in their States. Participants also will have the opportunity to attend two professional development and networking sessions.

OVAE’s Secondary-Postsecondary Transitions Institutes

The registration site has opened for OVAE’s upcoming institutes, From High School to College and Career: Strengthening Secondary-Postsecondary Transition Using Programs of Study Organized around the Career Clusters. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact Eve Robins at erobins@aed.org or (202) 884-8056.

Discretionary Grants Update

The grant review for the Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) will occur during May 2007.

Spotlight on OVAE’s College and Careers Transition Initiative (CCTI)

Pathways to Student Success, a new publication from the League for Innovation in the Community College is now available. It describes the OVAE-funded College and Careers Transition Initiative (CCTI) and contains 15 case studies from noteworthy community college programs from the following pathways:

• Education and Training (Anne Arundel Community College, Lorain County Community College, and Maricopa Community Colleges)
• Information Technology (Central Piedmont Community College, Corning Community College, and Southwestern Oregon Community College)
• Law, Public Safety, and Security (Fox Valley Technical College, Prince George’s Community College, and San Diego Miramar College)
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Lehigh Carbon Community College, Sinclair Community College, and St. Louis Community College)
• Health Science (Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Miami Dade College, and Northern Virginia Community College)

Each case study discusses the project partners, a description of the model, the curriculum, special features, implementation strategies, plans for the future, and lessons learned. Copies of Pathways to Student Success are available through the League Web site www.league.org. or by calling (480) 705-8200.

Looking Ahead: Meetings and Conferences Over the Next Few Months