Perkins Supplemental Enhancement Grant

Career and Technical Education
Preparing Students for College and Careers in High Skill, High Wage, and/or High Demand
Occupations
Carl D. Perkins
Secondary Supplemental
Enhancement Grant
2026
RFP 818
Connecticut State
Department of Education
Due: April 10, 2026

Equal Opportunity Statement
Connecticut State Department of Education
Charlene M. Russell-Tucker
Commissioner of Education
The Connecticut State Department of Education is committed to a policy of equal opportunity/
affirmative action for all qualified persons. The Connecticut Department of Education does not
discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of:
race; color; religious creed; age; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; workplace hazards to reproductive
systems; gender identity or expression; marital status; national origin; ancestry; retaliation for
previously opposed discrimination or coercion; intellectual disability; genetic information; learning
disability; physical disability (including, but not limited to, blindness); mental disability (past/present
history thereof); military or veteran status; status as a victim of domestic violence; or criminal record in
state employment, unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification excluding persons in any of the
aforementioned protected classes. Inquiries regarding the Connecticut State Department of Education's
nondiscrimination policies should be directed to: Attorney Louis Todisco, Connecticut State Department
of Education, by mail (450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 605, Hartford, CT 06103-1841; or by telephone
860-713-6594; or by email Louis.Todisco@ct.gov).
The Connecticut State Department of Education is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
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Contents
Equal Opportunity Statement ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Career and Technical Education Supplemental Enhancement Grant Application ...................................................... 4
I. Overview.............................................................................................................................................................4
II. Purpose of Perkins V .........................................................................................................................................4
III. Purpose of the Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant .....................4
IV. Grant Eligible Participants ...............................................................................................................................5
V. Available Competitive Funding .........................................................................................................................5
VI. Eligibility Requirements ..................................................................................................................................5
VII. Management Control of the Program and Grant Consultation Role of the State ...........................................6
VIII. Grant Awards .................................................................................................................................................7
IX. Grant Period.....................................................................................................................................................7
X. Technical Assistance by RESC ..........................................................................................................................7
XI. Obligation of Grant Recipients ........................................................................................................................7
XII. End-of-Year Reports .......................................................................................................................................7
XIII. Application Submission Requirements .........................................................................................................7
Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant 2026 Application Packet ...............8
Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant 2026 Overview ..............................9
Program Title: ........................................................................................................................................................9
Program Area: ........................................................................................................................................................9
Funding Available: ............................................................................................................................................... 10
Purpose:................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant Application Checklist ..................11
Carl D. Perkins - Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant Application ......................................................... 12
Local Plan Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 13
Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment Goal/Strategy ..................................................................................... 16
Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant Sustainability Plan ...................................................................... 18
Instructions for ED114 Budget Form ................................................................................................................... 20
ED114..................................................................................................................................................................21
Budget Narrative Instructions .............................................................................................................................. 22
Budget Narrative .................................................................................................................................................. 23
Standard Statement of Assurances for Grant Programs ............................................................................................ 36
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion - Lower Tier Covered
Transactions .............................................................................................................................................................. 41
Appendix A ............................................................................................................................................................... 42
[3]

Career and Technical Education Supplemental Enhancement Grant
Application
I. Overview
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, 20 U.S.C. 2322
(Perkins V) was signed into law on July 31, 2018. Perkins V promotes reform, innovation, and
continuous improvement in career and technical education (CTE) to ensure that students acquire the
skills and knowledge they need to meet challenging state academic standards and industry-recognized
skill standards. It prepares students for postsecondary education, further learning, and a wide range
of opportunities in high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand industries and occupations.
II. Purpose of Perkins V
The purpose of Perkins V is to develop more fully the academic, technical, and employability skills of
secondary and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in CTE programs and programs of
study. Perkins V:
* builds on the efforts of states and localities to develop challenging academic and technical
standards and to assist students in meeting such standards, including preparation for high skill,
high wage, or in-demand occupations in current or emerging professions;
* promotes the development of services and activities that integrate rigorous and challenging
academic and career and technical instruction, and that link secondary education
and postsecondary education for participating career and technical education students;
* increases state and local flexibility in providing services and activities designed to develop,
implement, and improve career and technical education;
* conducts and disseminates national research and information on best practices that improve career
and technical education programs and programs of study, services, and activities;
* provides technical assistance that promotes leadership, initial preparation, and professional
development at the state and local levels and improves the quality of career and technical
education teachers, faculty, administrators, and counselors;
* supports partnerships among secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, baccalaureate degree
granting institutions, area career and technical education schools, local workforce investment
boards, business and industry, and intermediaries;
* provides individuals with opportunities throughout their lifetimes to develop, in conjunction with
other education and training programs, the knowledge and skills needed to keep the
United States competitive; and
* increases the employment opportunities for populations who are chronically unemployed or
underemployed, including individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically
disadvantaged families, out-of-workforce individuals, youth who are in, or have aged out of, the
foster care system, and homeless individuals.
III. Purpose of the Career and Technical Education Secondary
Supplemental Enhancement Grant
Perkins V legislation allows states to distribute a portion of the local funds to foster innovation through
the identification and promotion of promising and proven CTE programs, practices, and strategies. The
supplemental enhancement concept was created to assist Perkins V secondary recipients in offering
programs, practices, and strategies that prepare individuals for nontraditional fields and/or promote the
development, implementation, and adoption of programs of study or career pathways aligned with
State-identified high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations or industries.
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IV. Grant Eligible Participants
Only those districts having received Perkins V funds during the 2025-2026 school year may apply
for the Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant.
Eligible participants must reside in a rural area (see table below) or have a high percentage and high
number of career and technical students (at least 40 percent, unduplicated CTE enrollment for the
2025-2026 school year). This funding source should assist in the advancement of goals established
by the Connecticut State Board of Education and Perkins V legislation.
Table of Rural Towns in Connecticut*
Andover East Granby Middlebury Sherman
Ashford East Haddam Middlefield Sprague
Barkhamsted Eastford Morris Stafford
Bethany Easton New Hartford Sterling
Bethlehem Franklin Norfolk Suffield
Bolton Goshen North Canaan Thompson
Bozrah Haddam North Stonington Torrington
Bridgewater Hampton Old Lyme Union
Brooklyn Hartland Plainfield Voluntown
Burlington Harwinton Pomfret Warren
Canaan Hebron Portland Washington
Canterbury Kent Preston Westbrook
Chaplin Killingly Putnam Willington
Chester Killingworth Redding Winchester
Colebrook Lebanon Roxbury Windham
Columbia Lisbon Salem Windsor Locks
Cornwall Litchfield Salisbury Woodbridge
Coventry Lyme Scotland Woodbury
Deep River Mansfield Sharon Woodstock
Durham Marlborough
*(February 2025). Retrieved October 22, 2025, from http://www.ruralhealthct.org/towns.htm.
V. Available Competitive Funding
Selected districts will be awarded a minimum of $25,000 up to a maximum of $50,000 to be
encumbered by September 30, 2026. See obligation and liquidation dates on page 7, Section IX. This
funding will be made available contingent upon the availability of Perkins V grant funding from the
U.S. Department of Education. A sustainability plan must be developed and submitted with the grant
application showing how grant initiatives will continue with local funding. Also, please note that
funding can be used for students participating in CTE courses in Grades 6-12 only.
VI. Eligibility Requirements
This is a competitive grant and is not an entitlement. The following must be met in order for a district
to be eligible to apply for funding:
* size, scope and quality consistent with the approved local five-year Perkins Secondary Plan must be
adhered to and administered under all projects funded by the Supplemental Enhancement Grant;
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* programs are taught by certified CTE teachers or are interdisciplinary/team curriculum projects
involving both CTE and academic certified staff; and
* career pathway(s) must be established or improved in one or more of the following career
clusters:
2025/2026 Career Clusters
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources;
o
Architecture and Construction;
o
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications
o
Business Management and Administration;
o
Education and Training;
o
Finance;
o
Health Science;
o
Hospitality and Tourism;
o
Information Technology;
o
Manufacturing;
o
Marketing;
o
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); and
o
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.
o
2026/2027 Career Clusters
Advanced Manufacturing
o
Agriculture
o
Arts, Entertainment and Design
o
Construction
o
Digital Technology
o
Education
o
Energy and Natural Resources
o
Financial Services
o
Healthcare and Human Services
o
Hospitality, Events, and Tourism
o
Management and Entrepreneurship
o
Marketing and Sales
o
Public Service and Safety
o
Supply Chain and Transportation
o
VII. Management Control of the Program and Grant Consultation Role of the
State
The grantee has overall management control of the Grant. While CSDE staff may be consulted for
their expertise, they will not be directly responsible for the selection of subgrantees or vendors, nor
will they be directly involved in the expenditure and payment of funds obligated by the grantee or
sub-grantee.
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VIII. Grant Awards
The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) reserves the right to make grant and contract
awards under this program without discussion with the applicants; therefore, proposals should
represent the applicant's best effort to ensure a quality proposal from both a technical and cost
standpoint. All awards are subject to the availability of federal funds. Grants are not final until the
award letter is executed. The manager of the CTE unit will issue notification of the grant award. The
level of funding and effective dates of the project will be set forth in the notification of the grant
award.
IX. Grant Period
Grants will be awarded on or after April 13, 2026. All funds must be expended or obligated by
September 30, 2026, and liquidated by November 30, 2026. There are no exceptions or waivers to
this requirement.
X. Technical Assistance by RESC
For content-specific information on career pathways and the application to the specific project area,
contact the CSDE contact below.
Kyllie Freeman Sean McKeown
Education Consultant Associate Education Consultant
860-713-6592 860-713-6884
* CREC * CES
* EdAdvance * LEARN
* ACES (Split) * EASTCONN
* ACES (Split)
XI. Obligation of Grant Recipients
Recipients of this competitive grant will be required to provide technical assistance and/or participate
in statewide workshops or conferences for other local school districts requesting help in developing
replicable programs.
XII. End-of-Year Reports
Grant recipients will be required to complete an end-of-year report. An evaluation of progress may
include on-site reviews.
XIII. Application Submission Requirements
Proposals must be received via email by Friday, April 10, 2026. Only one application per school
district may be submitted. No additional pages may be added to this RFP. The application is available
on the CSDE Web site under Quick Links "Request for Proposals." Submitted proposals become the
property of the CSDE and a part of the public domain. The grant application with original signatures
of all sections of the grant, including the ED114 and budget narrative, must be e-mailed to Sean
McKeown at Sean.McKeown@ct.gov.
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Career and Technical Education Secondary
Supplemental Enhancement Grant
2026
Grant Application Packet
[8]

Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement
Grant 2026 Overview
Program Title:
Career and Technical Education Secondary Supplemental Enhancement Grant
Program Area:
The following Career Clusters:
2025/2026 Career Clusters:
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
o
Architecture and Construction
o
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications
o
Business Management and Administration
o
Education and Training
o
Finance
o
Health Science
o
Hospitality and Tourism
o
Information Technology
o
Manufacturing
o
Marketing
o
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
o
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
o
2026/2027 Career Clusters:
Advanced Manufacturing
o
Agriculture
o
Arts, Entertainment and Design
o
Construction
o
Digital Technology
o
Education
o
Energy and Natural Resources
o
Financial Services
o
Healthcare and Human Services
o
Hospitality and Events
o
Management and Entrepreneurship
o
Marketing and Sales
o
Public Service and Safety
o
Supply Chain and Transportation
o
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Funding Available:
Grant awards are a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $50,000
Purpose:
The purpose of the Career and Technical Supplemental Enhancement Grant is to further develop the
academic, career and technical skills of secondary students who elect to enroll in CTE programs.
All grant expenditures must meet the criteria set forth in the Perkins V statutes.
Examples of fundable Supplemental Enhancement options are listed below. This list is not meant to be
exhaustive nor is it meant to limit funding options.
Examples:
* identify and eliminate barriers to accessing CTE programming;
* create or improve dual concurrent enrollment programming;
* embed competencies toward industry recognized credential attainment in curricula;
* provide professional learning for teachers to become certified to train students to earn
industry-recognized credentials;
* improve technology across the career clusters;
* create or expand partnerships between high schools and businesses or not-for-profit
organizations, to provide students access to internships, pre-apprenticeships, Cooperative
Work Education experiences, or other Work-Based Learning experiences;
* establish or expand a school-based enterprise such as an online or brick and mortar school
store or banking institution;
* launch a Simulated Workplace Environment that fosters in-depth, first-hand engagement
with the tasks required in a given career field;
* establish a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO);
* provide professional learning for CTSO advisor;
* purchase CTSO instructional supplies and materials (e.g., chapter handbooks, leadership
development materials, and official recordkeeping handbooks);
* purchase equipment that is appropriate to the CTSO program and benefits all students in a
program;
* develop new courses in alignment with Perkins V;
* assist with transition to an innovative pilot to adopt the new career clusters; and
* improve the CTE programming through contextualized projects.
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