Perkins Core Indicators

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) looks to grantees to collect, report, and analyze student outcome data to inform program improvements to benefit students. With Perkins V there continues to be an opportunity to use performance outcomes to promote access to high-quality career and technical education (CTE) courses and programs of study for all students, and to close gaps across all students and population groups using the Core Indicators below.

Definitions

• Concentrator: A student who earned at least 12 credits withing a CTE program or program of study.
• Positively placed: Postsecondary education or advanced training including registered apprenticeships, in the military service or a service program (as described), or are volunteers (as described), or employment, in the second quarter (3-6 months) after program completion (unduplicated placement status).

Postsecondary

1P1 Postsecondary Retention & Placement
Number and percentage of CTE concentrators who, in the second quarter after program completion, remain enrolled in postsecondary education, are in advanced training, military service, or a service program¹, or are placed or retained in employment, including in high skill, high wage, or in-demand sectors or occupations.

2P1 Postsecondary Credential, Certificate or Diploma
Number and percentage of CTE Concentrators who receive a recognized postsecondary credential during participation, or within 1 year of program completion.

3S1 Nontraditional Program Enrollment
Number and percentage of CTE Concentrators in CTE programs that lead to Nontraditional Fields.

The term nontraditional field is defined as a career for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals employed in the career. Under Perkins V, Massachusetts will use lists of nontraditional careers produced by the National Alliance for Partnerships Equity (NAPE) and the Massachusetts Supplement to the NAPE Nontraditional by Gender Lists. The lists and supplement are available on the Massachusetts DESE - CTE website

How Postsecondary Core Indicators are Calculated

1P1 Postsecondary Retention & Placement = # of concentrators who completed program and are positively placed ÷ # of concentrators who completed program

2P1 Postsecondary Credential, Certificate or Diploma² = # of concentrators who received a recognized postsecondary credential during participation in or within 1 year of program completion ÷ # of concentrators

3P1 Nontraditional Enrollment = # of concentrators in a program nontraditional for their gender ÷ # of concentrators in nontraditional programs

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¹ Member of a service program that receives funding under title 1 of the National and Community Service Act of Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.) or volunteers as described in section 5(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)).

² Four years prior to reporting year. See Definitions for details.

Last Updated: August 11, 2025