Performance Indicators
Perkins and Core Performance Indicator Definitions
Perkins V provides a list of secondary and postsecondary core performance indicators. As part of the state plan development process, states were directed to establish how these indicators would be measured and how the populations measured (CTE participants and concentrators) would be defined. Below are the operational secondary and postsecondary definitions for CTE students and the core indicators that will be used to report data for accountability purposes.
Participant: Any 9th-12th grade student who successfully completes one or more courses which are part of a state- approved secondary CTE program.
Concentrator: Any 9th-12th-grade student who successfully completes 150+ course hours (or more), which are part of a state-approved secondary CTE program, within one career field.
1S1: FOUR-YEAR COHORT GRADUATION RATES
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators who graduate high school, as measured by the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators who, in the reporting year were included as graduated in the state’s computation of its four-year cohort graduation rate.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators who, in the reporting year, were included in the state’s four-year computation of its four-year cohort graduation rate. Includes: 1) graduates, 2) dropouts, 3) continuing, and 4) unknown.
2S1: ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY: READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
Statute Definition: CTE concentrator proficiency in the challenging state academic standards adopted by the state under section 1111(b)(1) of ESEA, as measured by the academic assessments in reading/language arts as described in section 1111(b)(2) of such Act.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of 10th grade CTE concentrators who met or exceeded the proficiency level on the statewide high school reading assessments, either the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) or Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS).
- Denominator: Number of students who were CTE concentrators by the end of their 10th-grade year who took the MCA or MTAS and whose high school reading assessment scores were included in the state’s ESSA computation.
Statute Definition: CTE concentrator proficiency in the challenging state academic standards adopted by the state under section 1111(b)(1) of ESEA as measured by the academic assessments in mathematics as described in section 1111(b)(2) of such Act.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of 11th grade CTE concentrators who met or exceeded the proficiency level on the statewide high school mathematics assessments, either the MCA or MTAS.
- Denominator: Number of students who were CTE concentrators by the end of their 11th grade year, who took the MCA or MTAS and whose high school mathematics assessment scores were included in the state’s ESSA computation.
3S1: POST-PROGRAM PLACEMENT
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators who, in the second quarter after exiting from secondary education, are in postsecondary education or advanced training, military service or a service program that receives assistance under title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.), are volunteers as described in section 5(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), or are employed.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators who, in the second quarter after graduating high school, are in postsecondary education or advanced training, military service or a service program that receives assistance under title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.), are volunteers as described in section 5(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), or are employed.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators who graduated high school.
4S1: NONTRADITIONAL PROGRAM CONCENTRATION
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators in career and technical education programs and programs of study that lead to non-traditional fields.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators from underrepresented gender groups who completed a program that leads to employment in nontraditional fields.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators who completed a program that leads to employment in nontraditional fields.
5S3: PROGRAM QUALITY: WORK-BASED LEARNING
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having participated in work-based learning.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators who successfully completed one or more work-based learning courses prior to graduation.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators who graduated high school.
Participant: A student enrolled in a Minnesota State two-year college who belongs to a particular CTE entering cohort and who:
- Earned more than zero college-level credits (cumulative) AND, within the cohort timeframe, was enrolled in a CTE program/award level or,
- Earned more than zero college level credits in CTE course(s)
Concentrator: A student enrolled in a Minnesota State two- year college who belongs to a particular CTE entering cohort and who:
- Is enrolled in a long-term (12 or more credits) CTE program/award level AND earned 12 or more college level credits (cumulative), or
- Completed a CTE award in a short-term (less than 12 credit) CTE program within the cohort timeframe.
(Students enrolled in a short-term program who have not yet received that award are counted as participants. In addition, students who meet concentrator criteria but then receive only a non- CTE award within the cohort timeframe are counted as participants.)
1P1: POSTSECONDARY RETENTION AND PLACEMENT
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators who, during the second quarter after program completion, remain enrolled in postsecondary education, are in advanced training, military service, or a service program that receives assistance under title I of the National And Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.), are volunteers as described in section 5(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)), or are placed or retained in employment.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators in the cohort who, during the second quarter following program completion, are one or more of the following: enrolled in postsecondary education; in advanced training; in military service; in national or community service or the Peace Corps; or employed.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators who complete a CTE program/award (i.e., certificate, diploma, AAS or AS) within the cohort timeframe.
2P1: EARNED RECOGNIZED POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators who receive a recognized postsecondary credential during participation in or within 1 Year of program completion.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators who complete a CTE program/award (i.e., receive a CTE certificate, diploma, AAS or AS) within cohort timeframe.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators in the cohort.
3P1: NONTRADITIONAL PROGRAM ENROLLMENT
Statute Definition: The percentage of CTE concentrators in career and technical education programs and programs of study that lead to non-traditional fields.
Operational Definition
- Numerator: Number of CTE concentrators in the cohort who are enrolled in a CTE program classified as nontraditional for their gender.
- Denominator: Number of CTE concentrators in the cohort enrolled in a CTE program classified as nontraditional.
While CTE “completers” are not defined in the Perkins V legislation, core indicators 1P1 and 2P1 both include that population of students. Minnesota defines CTE completers as students enrolled in a Minnesota State two-year college who belong to a particular CTE entering cohort and who receive a CTE award in a long- or short-term Perkins-eligible program within the cohort timeframe. In addition, Minnesota defines a CTE award as an AAS, AS, certificate or diploma.
State-Determined and Local Levels of Performance
Perkins V legislation required eligible agencies (i.e., the state) to establish state-determined performance levels (SDPL) for all four grant years and include them in the state plan submitted to the OCTAE in the spring of 2020. The state is annually evaluated on core indicator performance against the appropriate state-determined performance level for each indicator.
State performance levels were determined using a process which involved eligible recipient and stakeholder input. As mandated in the Perkins V legislation, the state is required to demonstrate continuous improvement in the performance of CTE concentrators across the life of the grant; state determined performance levels were subject to a 60-day public comment process prior to being submitted and accepted within the state plan.
There is no negotiation process regarding levels of performance between the state and OCTAE. The state-determined performance levels, along with the methodology and process used to set them, were submitted in the state plan and were accepted by OCTAE. At certain key points during the implementation of the grant, the state may revise indicator performance levels depending upon unanticipated circumstances. The requirements for adjusting the state determined performance levels includes an evaluation of the data, input from vested partners, and gathering public comment prior to making those adjustments.
The state’s original method for establishing both state and local performance levels involved using a factor of the standard deviation based on modeled historical data which served to establish ever increasing "meaningful progress" for each individual performance indicator across the four years of the grant. However, in 2021, due to unanticipated circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, secondary determined that adjustments to performance levels were necessary. Therefore, the secondary partners gathered advice and feedback from their community partners, as well as additional public comment. Ultimately, the state secondary partners proposed revisions to five of the six secondary core indicators for the remaining years of the grant (1S1: 4year Graduation Rate, 2S1: Academic Achievement in Reading/Language Arts, 2S2: Academic Achievement in Mathematics, 4S1: Non-Traditional Program Concentration, and 5S3: Program Quality: Work-Based Learning). In spring 2022, the state went through a similar process of engaging stakeholders and the public to provide comments on proposed adjustments to the state performance levels for the three postsecondary core indicators for years two through four of the grant, also citing the unanticipated circumstance of the COVID 19 pandemic. Both sets of revisions were submitted as part of state grant plan revisions and accepted by OCTAE.
Similar to the state-determined levels of performance, local levels of performance were initially established across all four grant years.
Local consortium annual levels of performance were determined by looking at the opportunity for improvement at the state level and seeing what portion of that improvement is held by each consortium. The amount of improvement was apportioned to consortia, using the same rate of annual growth that was used to establish the state annual levels of performance for that indicator.
Unlike under Perkins IV, there is no annual negotiation process to determine local consortium performance indicator levels. Instead, consortia may request changes to their levels of performance via a process communicated to consortia leaders each fall. However, if the consortium or the state is on an improvement plan for an indicator, performance levels for that indicator cannot be adjusted. The annual process does not ask consortia to identify a specific numeric change to their performance level, but does require consortia to provide sufficient rationale to justify deviation from the standard methodology. Consortia may request changes to performance levels for any indicator for any grant year(s). Once received, state staff consider the rationale provided and determine whether or how much to adjust the consortium performance level. If the revised consortium level of performance impacts the overall state level of performance for an indicator, the adjusted state performance level also must undergo 60 days of public comment. Please see the Guide to Adjusting Performance Levels document for additional details.
Consequent to the adjustments made to state performance levels mentioned above for both secondary and postsecondary indicators the state also adjusted local consortium annual levels of performance, for those same indicators/timeframes for each consortium.
Consortia are evaluated on their core indicator performance for the previous reporting year each winter directly following the submission of the state CAR. For example, consortia would be evaluated on reporting year 2022 in early 2023.
Each January, Perkins V requires the state to submit the CAR to OCTAE. The CAR includes the state’s progress on meeting state-determined performance levels from the most recently completed reporting year. Data regarding performance for each core indicator, and for each of the subgroups of students, special populations, and CTE Career Clusters must be reported for each indicator.
CTE participant and concentrator counts disaggregated by subgroups of students and special populations by CTE Cluster must also be reported. The disaggregation of the data is not required if the number of students would be considered private data or potentially reveal personally identifiable data about a student.
If the state does not meet at least 90 percent of the state- determined performance level for any of the core indicators of performance for all CTE concentrators, the state will be required to implement an improvement plan during the subsequent year. The improvement plan must include an analysis of the gaps in performance among the special population and other disaggregated groups.
Whether or not the state meets their state-determined performance level on a core indicator, the state is also required to identify and quantify gaps in performance on the core indicators between any subgroups or special populations of students and CTE concentrators overall, including “a quantifiable description of the progress each such subgroup or special population of students” has made in meeting determined performance levels.
Perkins V requires the state to publish actual levels of performance, including performance of special population and other disaggregated groups, publicly, in a variety of formats, including online. This includes enrollment and performance data for the state and the local consortia level, unless the number of students being reported on in a category is too small to provide reliable data or violates data privacy standards set to protect student privacy.
Annual reports showing basic overall performance rates, established performance levels, notification of whether a consortium or the state is on an improvement plan (due to having an actual performance rate that is less than 90% of the set performance level), and overall counts of CTE Participants and Concentrators are available on the Minnesota State CTE website for all consortium and the state. To see consortia reports, navigate to the Perkins Consortia section of the website, locate the consortium of interest, and find the “Consortium Name Performance Report” document. For the state report, navigate to the Strengthening CTE (Perkins V) section of the website, then to the “Minnesota 4-Year State Plan and Performance Reports” section and review the “Perkins V: State Performance Report” document.
The Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) website also has data tools available to explore state level enrollment and performance, including at disaggregated demographic, special population and career cluster level. The data available in this site does not include data at a local consortium level, but does include data for all states, so can provides an opportunity to explore and compare data across similar states/regions.
Work continues at the state level to develop public reporting of consortium level enrollment and performance data that includes demographic, special population, and career cluster breakouts.
The Perkins V legislation specifies that local recipients are also expected to meet at least 90 percent of their determined local levels of performance on the core performance indicators. If a local recipient falls below 90 percent of the determined local performance level, they will need to develop an improvement plan and implement it during the following year.
Like the requirement for states, a local improvement plan must include an analysis of the gaps in performance among the special population and other disaggregated groups.
Regardless of whether the eligible recipient meets 90 percent of the performance level for a core indicator, Perkins V requires disaggregate data to be reviewed annually for each indicator to identify and evaluate where there are disparities in performance between the subgroups or special populations of students and all CTE concentrators being included in the accountability measure. Data reports to assist consortia leaders with this evaluation are available for both secondary and postsecondary consortia leaders in their respective secure reporting sites.