The "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV)" reinforces a longstanding federal commitment to supporting career and technical education (CTE). Although federal contributions account for only a fraction of total state and local spending on CTE, federal policy has had, and continues to have, a large influence on state and local programs and policies. Over time, as national attention has turned to globalization and its implications for a more highly skilled workforce, so too has "Perkins IV's" emphasis shifted, with current legislation aimed at raising the academic and technical rigor of secondary and postsecondary CTE instruction to prepare students for entry into high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations. Perkins IV attempts to strengthen CTE and improve its quality primarily by increasing the emphasis on accountability and introducing programs of study (POS) that, among other things, integrate and align secondary and postsecondary levels across challenging and rigorous academic and technical content. Under "Perkins IV," Congress mandated a National Assessment of Career and Technical Education (NACTE) to evaluate the implementation of the law and its outcomes. This interim report is the first of two reports. The purpose of this NACTE interim report is two-fold: (1) To describe the overall research approach to meeting the congressional mandate; and (2) To present interim findings to date from the national assessment focused on participation, outcomes and international comparisons of secondary school CTE.