Congress has mandated a National Assessment of Vocational Education to gauge the effect of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act Amendments of 1998 (Perkins III) on U.S. secondary education. As part of the assessment, using case studies from seven states and a national teacher survey, the authors analyzed the impact of Perkins III in improving vocational education. After acknowledging the limited time and sample size, the authors conclude that Perkins III has a positive affect within the framework of the greater influence of states' policies.