Postsecondary Career Technical Education

This page provides information and resources about Postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) Office for College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) administers federal Perkins CTE programming to all fifteen Massachusetts community colleges, two independent colleges, and secondary schools that offer postsecondary CTE programs. These CTE programs aim to meet the Commonwealth's labor market needs by providing opportunities for adults to train for and earn credentials towards skilled occupations.

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Resources

During the 2024-25 school year, DESE facilitated a Postsecondary Working Group of CTE professionals across the Commonwealth. Charged with reviewing, revising, and proposing postsecondary systems and supports, the working group proposed updates aligned to the needs of our institutions, programs, students, and communities. The following proposed resources are available below and are pending approval.

• Perkins Core Indicators
• Size, Scope, and Quality — This document has been updated as part of the 2025 Postsecondary CTE Working Group. Updates are being piloted in the 2025-2026 grant cycle.
• Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment — Use the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment to measure program accountability every two years. This document has been updated as part of the 2025 Postsecondary CTE working group. Updates are being piloted in the 2025-2026 grant cycle.
• Statewide articulation agreements — DESE's CCTE is in the process of conducting a landscape analysis for statewide articulation agreements; these agreements create opportunities for students to receive college credits for coursework completed while in high school. For more information regarding these agreements, please visit the Statewide Agreements .

Perkins calls out the importance of on-ramps and off-ramps for postsecondary education and identifies secondary to postsecondary linkages as an important element of these ramps. For a definition and samples of Secondary-Postsecondary Linkages, please visit our frequently asked questions.

Resources for Postsecondary Program Improvement

• CTE Enrollment (Postsecondary)

• CTE Perkins V Core Indicator Visuals (Postsecondary)

Postsecondary Student-Level Collections and Reporting

Postsecondary institutions and DESE must evaluate the effectiveness of CTE programs through the collection of student enrollment and performance data. The data is disaggregated by student population and programs and can be used to reflect on and improve the CTE student experience. This collection and analysis have the potential to foster improvement at the program, institution, and statewide levels.

All reports are to be submitted using the Education Security Portal through the Postsecondary CTE Reporting application. For districts, access to these applications is managed locally using the Postsecondary CTE Reporting User role. Contacts at colleges who need access may contact PSPerkins@mass.gov .

Perkins V Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Data Collection

• Who should submit the report? Perkins Fund Code 0401 and Fund Code 0459 recipients
• When is the current report cycle due? August 29, 2025
• Template for Data Collection
• Report File Specification

Pell Report

• Who should submit the report? Perkins 0401 and 0459 recipients with postsecondary Perkins students receiving Pell grants
• When is it due? It may be submitted on or after October 15; it must be submitted by the last Friday of December.

Career Technical Education Postsecondary and Postgraduate Report

• Who should submit the report? Secondary schools with State-Designated CTE Postsecondary programs and Secondary schools with Postgraduate students in State-designated Secondary programs
• When is it due? The end of October
• Template for Data Collection
• Instructions for Chapter 74 Postsecondary and Postgraduate Report

Last Updated: August 11, 2025