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Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862
Federal support of CTE begins with the passage of the Morrill Act which authorized land grants for the establishment of educational institutions that included programs for agriculture and mechanical arts. -
U.S. Department of Education is Established
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Smith-Hughes Vocational Act of 1917
Vocational Act that allowed for vocational programs to be established within the educational institutions -
Smith-Sears (Vocational Rehabilitation) Act of 1918
Authorized funding for the establishment of vocational rehabilitation programs for returning disabled veterans. -
George-Deen Act of 1936
Gave $14 million/yr in federal funds to CTE and expanded teacher training to marketing. -
Vocational Education for National Defense
From 1940 to 1946 vocational skills were needed to strengthen the war effort. This program provided the funding to support this need. -
Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944
Also known as the GI Bill of Rights. It was developed to assist returning veterans in the transition back to civilian life. GI's were required to declare a vocational objective in order to receive financial support for their education. -
National Defense Education Act of 1958
Developed to address U.S. shortcomings in science, mathematics, foreign language and technical competencies to keep up with the Russians in space exploration. -
Vocational Education Act of 1963
Also known as the Perkins-Morse Bill, was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. This began the modern era of funding CTE -
Vocational Education Amendments of 1968
Replaced all previous legislation in regard to vocational education, with the exception of the Smith-Hughes Act. This act was a rewrite of the VEA of 1963. -
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984
Also known as the Perkins Act. The federal government had a vested interest in the vocational education of Americans. This act focused on improvement of the labor force and the provision of educational opportunities for all adults in vocational education. -
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990
Focused on supporting technological skills within educational institutions -
School to Work Opportunities Act
Expired in 2001. It linked school and industry with partnerships. -
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998
Replaced the 1990 Perkins Act. The act allowed for more flexibility in the development of vocational education programs while making schools accountable for student performance. -
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006
This act is the reauthorization of the 1998 Perkins Act. The goal of this legislation was to develop improvements in academic achievement for CTE students, connections between secondary and post-secondary CTE education, and state and local accountability. We see the change of title from Vocational Education to Career and Technical Education. -
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act
This updated Perkins Act commits between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion for CTE programs until 2024.
