The secondary school experience and post-high school outcomes are poor for youth with disabilities compared to youth without disabilities. The Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) provides new opportunities for states to serve learners with disabilities in CTE.
The Act specifies that learners with special population status, including learners with disabilities, need to be prepared for high-wage, high-skill, in-demand employment opportunities or post-secondary education. Perkins V requires state and local leaders to describe how CTE will be made available to learners with special population status and provides flexible funding and policy levers to achieve that goal. This brief outlines what states are doing to implement CTE, how they are doing so far, and the challenges and obstacles they face.
