Career Education Act

Career Education Act - Establishes a career education program to assist States and local educational agencies in increasing the emphasis they place in elementary and secondary school education on job awareness, exploration, decision-making, and planning.

Authorizes appropriations of specified amounts to carry out this Act through fiscal year 1982.

States that for any fiscal year for which funds are appropriated, such funds shall be made available to the States in the same proportions that each State's population, aged five to seventeen, bears to the total population, aged five to seventeen, of the United States.

Requires any State receiving funds for fiscal year 1978 to use them for employing a State coordinator of career education, preparing or updating extant career education plans, and planning in local educational agencies to implement such State plans.

Requires every State wishing to receive funds in subsequent fiscal years to submit a plan which sets out explicitly the objectives the State will seek to achieve by December 30, 1982, in implementing its goals for providing career education.

Lists the permissable uses of funds received by States after September 30, 1978, including: (1) developing and implementing career guidance and counseling programs; (2) training local career education coordinators and conducting in-service institutes for teachers and counselors; and (3) purchase of instructional materials for career education activities.

Designates the Office of Career Education to be the administering agency within the Office of Education for the review of State plans, applications, and reports submitted.

Directs the National Institute of Education to continue its complementary efforts in career education and calls for coordination between the Institute and the Office of Education. States that goals of this coordinated effort shall include: (1) identifying research and development priorities; and (2) disseminating the products and findings of research and development undertaken by the Institute.