On Friday, the Department of Education released additional guidance on questions it had received in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The document answered three main questions.
First, the Department clarified that it was using its transition authority to allow states to extend the time of local recipients' one-year local applications by three months. The extension allowance is intended to provide local recipients with additional time to finalize their plans given the unexpected upheaval that the coronavirus has caused education systems nationwide.
Second, the guidance noted that the stakeholder engagement required under Perkins V need not be in-person. While the Department reaffirm that in-personal consultation can be valuable, it encouraged programs to consult with stakeholders through electronic/online means due to the pandemic.
Lastly, the guidance served as a reminder that state and local recipients need not submit performance data on core indicators for this school year, as the 2019-20 transition year was to be used to gather baseline data to establish performance levels. Instead, recipients need only provide narrative information and CTE participant/concentrator enrollment data. The Department also used the guidance to call attention to section 113(b)(3)(A)(iii) of Perkins V, which allows eligible agencies to revise its performance levels if unanticipated circumstances arise.
You can read the full guidance document here. You can also find the latest coronavirus-related CTE news on ACTE's running thread here.
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