Perkins FY 2026 Grant is Open!!

School districts are reminded that the DUE date for applications is JUNE 30, 2025. Please reach out to Shannon Boswell if you feel this is going to be an issue.

  • If your district completed a 2025 application, you will just need Advisory Minutes to upload into the application.  Those minutes should be from the July 1,  2024- June 30, 2025, timeline. 
  • If your district did not complete an application, you should have received an email notifying you of the CLNA requirement for this year’s application.  The CTE Specialists will work with you to ensure you are able to complete this in the timeframe given. 

A reminder that Perkins Allocations are formula funded- this formula uses the census data for your district. 

  • Allocations are based on the number of school age (5-17) children in the district; this comprises of 25% of the funding allocation and the Poverty rate among those school age children makes up the remaining 75% of the allocation. 
  • Montana received equal funding for FY 26 Perkins as we did in FY 25, so many schools allocations are similar to last years.  Variations are due to the increased number of schools requesting allocations and the population and poverty rate for the district.

Performance Measures and SDPL are now loaded into the FY 26 Perkins Grant. 

  • I do want to remind you that if your district is showing a zero or an NA- that does not mean that you are exempt from those or that you met those measures.  In the case of an NA in most cases it means that your district did not identify CTE Concentrators in the previous year’s reporting (23-24) by the June deadline.  This data is taken from a snapshot of the reporting, not live data. 
  • If you have a zero or NA you MUST mark NO on the met standards and provide an explanation of why there were no measures or why it was a zero.  

Resources for Perkins can be found on the CTE Perkins page.

Our CTAE Unit has updated the High School District Liaisons who will be reviewing Perkins applications for your district.  These can be found on our Google Map or on our CTE Page .

 

 

Montana Career and Technical Education

Guidance Documents 

Below you can find information related to CTE Funding, Montana Career Pathways, Carl Perkins Grant and Data, State CTE Data, Work Based Learning and related topics. If you would like all of this information in one document you can reference that here. The below documents are broken into three different categories; CTE Funding Guidance, CTE Montana Career Pathways, Montana Work Based Learning.

 

LinkClick.aspx

LinkClick.aspx

LinkClick.aspx

 

 

Montana Career & Technical Education Programs

CTE Updates & Professional Learning

Financial Literacy

The Office of Public Instruction has developed this webpage to support local school districts concerning financial literacy instruction for K-12 schools.

 

Funding

Data Collections

Career Pathways

Standards & Guidelines

 

High School District Liaisons for CTE 

If you have any questions or need assistance, our team of specialists is available to support you.

 

 

 

 

Montana has been selected as one of eight states in the early adopter cohort for the new Career Clusters initiative. Our team is collaborating with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) to establish and develop updated pathways that align with the new Career Clusters created by Advanced CTE.

We aim to utilize these clusters to provide meaningful opportunities and resources for schools to engage in Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways.

All learners deserve to participate in meaningful career exploration and preparation experiences through Career Technical Education (CTE) that prepare them for the changing and interconnected world of work.

This requires systems and structures that are accessible, responsive to evolving industry needs, and flexible for the needs of each state and community. Since 2002, The National Career Clusters® Framework has provided a shared structure and language for CTE program design across the United States. Advance CTE serves as the steward of the Framework.

Check out the new Career Clusters here! 

 

2024 Work Based Learning Manual

Work-Based Learning is an important part of education:

It can provide the relevancy of information learned as well as assist with the knowledge and skills necessary in selecting a career. 

Many businesses, agencies, and institutions offer work-based learning experiences, be they from the hosting site, being part of planning teams within state agencies, preparing the workforce through post-secondary institutions or offering foundational education and training through high school career and technical education programs.

The outcome is the same—provide work related experiences which will promote the selection of a career that fits their aptitudes and interests, along with meeting the workforce needs of Montana.

This manual was developed to indicate how to combine efforts, focusing on the student experience at the secondary level. Note, after the forward section, there are two sections:

  • Section I--Focuses on a general understanding of work-based learning.
  • Section II-- Focuses on additional information when work-based learning is part of an approved CTE program.

A Work-Based Learning Google Folder accompanies this manual for sample forms and documents. The file is fluid and ever changing as  best practices and resources are shared for inclusion. With that in mind, continually revisit to assist with your work-based learning efforts.

 

 

Quality CTE Program of Study Framework

 

The ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework® (2018 version) and companion self-evaluation instrument is an evidence-based framework defining high-quality CTE. With more than 90 criteria organized under 12 elements, the Framework captures the full range of activities across a CTE program of study.

 

Meet the Team

Career and Technical Education

Career and Technical Education (CTE) prepares Montana K-12 students for a wide range of careers and post secondary education programs.  CTE courses are found in Montana's middle schools, high schools and career centers. 

CTE courses provide students with life and employment skills to make them highly desirable employees in today's modern workforce.  Skills learned in K-12 Career and Technical Education courses prepare students to go directly into the workforce or to continue their education with a much higher degree of focus and direction for their career goals.

Montana has approved CTE programs and certified teachers in Agriculture, Business, Marketing, Family and Consumer Sciences, Industrial Technology, and Health Science.  Many Montana high schools participate in the federal Carl D.  Perkins and state Career and Technical Education grant programs to support and improve their Career and Technical Education programs.

 

Career and Technical Student Organization State Directors

Lisa Parker, BPA State Director (406) 579-3697

John Stiles, DECA State Director (406) 209-4490

Tracey Eatherton, FCCLA State Director (406) 229-2017

Jim Rose, FFA State Director (406) 994-7050

Katie Meier, HOSA State Director (406) 868-9445

Roberta Tilleman, SkillsUSA State Director (406) 868-3489

Jesse Gray, TSA State Directors (406) 676-3390 ext. 7553