Quick answer: Under Perkins V, each state chooses at least one secondary program quality indicator. One option, 5S3, measures the percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school who participated in work-based learning (ACTE; U.S. Department of Education). Your state defines what counts as qualifying WBL and how districts submit data, so local programs need student-level records that show participation and completion.
This guide is written for the local side: district CTE directors, data staff, and WBL coordinators who have to produce the records the state counts.
Last reviewed: October 9, 2026. Perkins V rules and state plans change. Check your state's current guidance before relying on any detail here.
What Perkins V says about work-based learning
Perkins V is the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, the 2018 amendments to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (ACTE; PCRN). Section 3(55) of the law defines work-based learning:
"sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction."
Three phrases do most of the work:
- "Sustained interactions." A one-time event isn't what the definition describes. The experience involves ongoing engagement with industry or community professionals.
- "Real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution." A real worksite comes first, but a simulated environment at school can qualify.
- "Aligned to curriculum and instruction." The experience has to connect to what the student is learning in their CTE program. This is why learning objectives on a training agreement matter.
For a broader primer, see what counts as work-based learning.
The 5S3 indicator, explained
Perkins V introduced program quality indicators at the secondary level. At the start of Perkins V, each state selected at least one of these three to report each year, and states may report on others (ACTE):
| Indicator | What it measures |
|---|---|
| 5S1 | The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having attained a recognized postsecondary credential |
| 5S2 | The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having attained postsecondary credits in the relevant CTE program through dual or concurrent enrollment or another credit transfer agreement |
| 5S3 | The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having participated in work-based learning |
Who's in the denominator
CTE concentrators who graduate from high school. At the secondary level, a concentrator is a student who has completed at least two courses in a single CTE program or program of study. States decide how courses are defined and how concentrator status is assigned (ACTE).
Who counts in the numerator
Concentrators who participated in WBL. The Department of Education's 2022 report gives an example construction for the numerator: CTE concentrators graduating with a regular diploma or certificate of completion who participated in and successfully completed a qualifying WBL experience connected to their CTE program or program of study (ED/OCTAE, Dec. 2022, p. 13). That is an example, not a federal rule. Your state defines its own numerator, but note three ideas in it: completed, qualifying, and connected to their CTE program. Each one is something your records need to show.
How 5S3 fits with 5S1 and 5S2
The three indicators reward different things, and a single placement can support more than one. An internship that ends with an industry credential, for example, can matter for both 5S3 and 5S1. For the credential side, see moving your 5S1 credential numbers.
Which states use 5S3
As of the Department of Education's December 2022 report, 26 states plus the District of Columbia, Palau, and Puerto Rico had selected 5S3, making it the most commonly selected quality indicator (ED/OCTAE, Table B). The states listed for 5S3 in that table are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
That list is from 2022. Check your state's current Perkins plan to confirm which indicators it reports now.
Who defines "qualifying" WBL? Your state
Perkins V sets the definition and the indicator. States decide the details: which activity types count, whether there is an hour threshold, what evidence of completion is needed, and how districts submit the data. Supporting states with those decisions is the subject of a federal technical assistance module (PCRN, 2020).
ED's December 2024 Perkins V FAQ says states can set their own WBL threshold. It notes that three of the 31 states using the WBL indicator set thresholds, the highest at 250 hours. It also suggests a state 'might consider... a threshold that goes beyond the research provided for summer youth employment programs, or more than 180 hours.'
Start with your state's own documents. These are examples of where states publish definitions and reporting rules:
| State | Where to look | 5S3 in ED's 2022 table? | What to confirm | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Career-technical planning district federal performance indicators | Yes | Ohio's WBL hour requirement (reported as 250 hours) and how it is measured | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | DPI WISEdata CTE help | Yes | How districts submit WBL data through WISEdata | Oct 9, 2026 |
| North Dakota | Perkins indicator definitions | Yes | The state's 5S3 definition | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Education, Perkins V | Yes | The state's WBL definition and reporting guidance | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Arizona | Perkins definitions | No (listed under 5S1 and 5S4) | Restates the federal Perkins V WBL definition; this page does not add an Arizona-specific definition or hour threshold | Oct 9, 2026 |
Our coordinator playbook makes the same point for new coordinators: almost every state has an official rubric for what counts as WBL versus career exploration, so find it, print it, and highlight the hour thresholds. See mapping Perkins V and state compliance gaps. If you're in New York, read about New York's competency-based diploma and WBL.
What data a district should capture for each WBL experience
The checklist below is our recommendation, not a federal requirement. Adjust it to your state's definitions. Each item maps to a document you probably already use.
| Data point | Why it matters | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Student identifier | Links the experience to the student's enrollment record and concentrator status | District student records |
| CTE program or pathway and Career Cluster | Shows the experience is connected to the student's program | District student records and training agreement |
| WBL activity type | States may count only certain types | Training agreement |
| Employer or host | Shows the experience involved industry or community professionals | Training agreement |
| Start and end dates | Places the experience in the right reporting year | Training agreement and timesheet |
| Hours (if the state uses thresholds) | Shows the student met the threshold | Timesheet or hours log |
| Alignment to curriculum | Supports "aligned to curriculum and instruction" | Learning objectives in the training agreement |
| Completion status and evidence | Supports "successfully completed," if your state requires it | Employer evaluation |
| Special-population and demographic fields | Needed for disaggregation | District student records (don't collect these on the WBL form) |
All three templates are free in our free WBL templates kit. For more on data quality, see collecting accurate WBL data.
Disaggregation and equity
Perkins V performance data must be disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, migrant status (secondary level only), the nine special populations laid out in the law, and Career Cluster. Funding recipients are held accountable for overall student performance, but states must publish disaggregated data publicly, and local recipients must publish their local data in similar ways (ACTE).
That makes WBL access gaps visible. If students with IEPs, English learners, or students who can't afford unpaid placements are underrepresented in your WBL roster, it will show up in the disaggregated numbers. Pull the special-population fields from your district's student records rather than collecting them on WBL forms, and review participation by group before the year ends, not after. Our post on New York's competency-based diploma makes a similar point about disaggregating WBL data by special population.
A year-round Perkins WBL reporting workflow
Reporting goes better when it isn't a once-a-year project. Our WBL reporting and compliance guide describes a three-phase workflow (collection, aggregation and validation, then report generation and submission). In practice:
- Collect as experiences happen: signed agreements before the start date, verified timesheets every week or two, evaluations at midpoint and final.
- Validate monthly or each term: look for missing timesheets, unsigned agreements, experiences without a completion record, and inconsistent activity-type coding.
- Reconcile with student records: match each WBL record to a student ID, program of study, and concentrator status.
- Submit to the state on your state's schedule and in its format. States set local deadlines; statewide data goes to the Department of Education by January 31 through the Consolidated Annual Report (ACTE).
- Review targets: compare results to your local performance levels. A recipient that doesn't reach at least 90% of a target must develop an improvement plan, and continued failure to improve can lead to sanctions, including withholding of funds (ACTE).
The CTE Research Network's report on building district WBL data collection systems (March 2024) describes district practices along these lines, including dedicated coordinators, user-friendly technology, and data-quality checks. For using local labor-market data in your Perkins planning, see using labor market information for Perkins V. For tracking results over time, see measuring WBL program success.
Common reporting mistakes
- Counting participants instead of concentrators. 5S3's denominator is CTE concentrators graduating from high school, not every student who did WBL.
- Experiences that aren't tied to the student's program. A placement unrelated to the student's CTE program may not count if your state requires the experience to be connected to it.
- Missing completion evidence. If your state counts completed experiences, a timesheet alone may not prove completion. A final evaluation does.
- Inconsistent activity-type coding across schools. One school's "internship" is another's "job shadow." Agree on definitions district-wide; the CTE Research Network report flags consistency as a data-quality issue.
- End-of-year data entry. Reconstructing a year of experiences in May is where errors come from. Enter records as they happen.
How WBL software can help
Spreadsheets can work for a small program. As the number of placements grows, a system built for WBL keeps the records in one place. WBL reporting software like WBL Tracker helps you collect and report the data your state asks for. Our site describes exports to Excel and PDF, along with real-time and district-level dashboards (home). No software can guarantee Perkins compliance; your state defines the requirements. If internships are your main WBL type, see internship tracking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Perkins V work-based learning indicator?
It is 5S3, one of three secondary program quality indicators in Perkins V. It measures the percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having participated in work-based learning (ACTE, Perkins 101: Accountability, Feb. 2025).
How does Perkins V define work-based learning?
Section 3(55) of the law defines it as "sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction" (Public Law 115-224).
Does every state report on 5S3?
No. Each state selected at least one of the three secondary program quality indicators (5S1, 5S2, or 5S3) and may add others. As of the U.S. Department of Education's December 2022 report, 26 states plus the District of Columbia, Palau, and Puerto Rico had selected 5S3. Check your current state Perkins plan, because selections can change.
How many WBL hours count for Perkins V?
Perkins V doesn't set a single federal hour number in the definition; states set thresholds. Check your state CTE office's definition of qualifying work-based learning.
Who is a CTE concentrator?
At the secondary level, a student who has completed at least two courses in a single CTE program or program of study. States decide the details, such as how courses are counted and how concentrator status is assigned (ACTE).
When is Perkins data due?
States submit statewide data to the U.S. Department of Education by January 31 of the following year through the Consolidated Annual Report (CAR). Each state sets its own deadlines and methods for collecting data from local recipients, so check with your state CTE office (ACTE).
What happens if we miss our Perkins targets?
If a state or local recipient does not achieve at least 90% of a performance target in a given year, it must develop an improvement plan. If it fails to improve in the two years after developing that plan, it could face sanctions, including withholding of funds (ACTE).
What records should we keep for WBL?
Keep student-level records that show participation in and completion of each experience, following your state's rules: who the student is, which CTE program the experience connects to, what the experience was, when it happened, hours if your state uses thresholds, and evidence of completion such as a supervisor evaluation. Follow your state and district record-retention policy for how long to keep them.
Sources
All sources accessed October 9, 2026.
- Public Law 115-224 (Perkins V), Sec. 3(55): https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ224/PLAW-115publ224.pdf
- Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN), Perkins V: https://cte.ed.gov/legislation/perkins-v
- PCRN, Technical Assistance for States Module: Implementing the Perkins V Work-Based Learning Program Quality Indicator (2020): https://cte.ed.gov/resources/technical-assistance-states-module-implementing-perkins-v-work-based-learning-program
- U.S. Department of Education, OCTAE, Collecting and Analyzing Data for the Secondary Program Quality Indicators (December 2022): https://www.acteonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PerkinsV_Quality_Indicators_20221201_508.pdf
- ACTE, Perkins 101: Accountability (February 2025): https://www.acteonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ACTE-Perkins101-Accountability-Feb2025.pdf
- ACTE, CTE 101: Perkins Data and Reporting: https://www.acteonline.org/cte-101/perkins-data-and-reporting/
- CTE Research Network, Building Robust District Work-Based Learning Data Collection Systems (March 2024): https://cteresearchnetwork.org/resources/district-work-based-learning-data-collection
- Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, CTPD Federal Performance Indicators Technical Documentation (2025-2026): https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Data/Report-Card-Resources/Career-Technical-Planning-District-Report-Cards/CTPD-Federal-Performance-Indicators.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US
- Wisconsin DPI, WISEdata CTE help: https://dpi.state.wi.us/wisedata/help/cte
- North Dakota CTE, Perkins V Secondary Measure Indicator Definitions (2020): https://www.cte.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/Perkins/IndicatorDefinitions.pdf
- Iowa Department of Education, Perkins V: https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/cte/perkins-v; Work-Based Learning Course Naming and Coding (Rev. Sept 2025): https://educate.iowa.gov/media/5732/download?inline
- Arizona Department of Education, Perkins Definition: https://www.azed.gov/cte/perkins-definition
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