English Language Acquisition State Grants

To help ensure that English learners (ELs), including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency and meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet.

This program is designed to improve the education of English Learner (EL) children and youth by helping them learn English and meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards. The program also provides enhanced instructional opportunities for immigrant children and youth. Funds are distributed to states based on a formula that takes into account the number of immigrant and EL students in each state.

States with approved State plans and outlying areas are eligible to receive funds.

English learners and immigrant children and youth benefit.

The Department makes awards to States and outlying areas using a formula based on their share of ELs and immigrant children and youth. State educational agencies (SEAs) must use at least 95 percent of their allocations to award subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to assist ELs in learning English and meeting challenging State academic standards, and for subgrants to LEAs that have experienced a significant increase in the number of immigrant children and youth. The immigrant subgrants cannot exceed 15 percent of the SEA's total allocation. SEAs may reserve up to 5 percent of their allocations for the establishment and implementation of statewide entrance and exit procedures for ELs, planning, evaluation, professional development activities, technical assistance and recognition. From the amount it reserves for those State activities, SEAs may reserve 50 percent of that amount or $175,000, whichever is greater, for direct administrative costs. Subgrantees must use funds to increase the English proficiency of ELs by providing effective language instruction educational programs that will increase ELs, English proficiency and achievement in the core academic subjects. Subgrantees must also provide effective professional development to teachers and other educational personnel that is designed to improve instruction and assessment of ELs designed to enhance teachers' ability to understand and use curricula, assessment measures, and instructional strategies for ELs, designed to increase ELs English proficiency or substantially increase teachers' subject matter content knowledge and skills; and is of sufficient intensity and duration to have a positive and lasting impact on teachers' performance in the classroom. Funds may also be used for a variety of allowable activities aimed at increasing the English proficiency of ELs and helping ELs meet the challenging State academic standards, including identifying, acquiring, and upgrading curricula, instructional materials, educational software, and assessment procedures, providing tutorials and academic or career and technical education and intensified instruction providing community participation programs, family literacy services and parent outreach and training activities improving instruction for ELs with disabilities; and offering early college high school or dual or concurrent enrollment programs. Subgrantees awarded funds based on a significant increase in the number of immigrant children and youth must use the funds to provide activities that provide enhanced instructional opportunities, which may include providing family literacy and outreach activities; recruiting staff with expertise in serving immigrant children and youth; providing tutorials, mentoring, and career counseling; and identifying, developing, and acquiring curricular materials, educational software, and technologies for the purpose of supporting immigrant children and youth. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements (with respect to State, local, and other Federal funds) and grantees must use a restricted indirect cost rate, which is referenced under 34 CFR 76.564-76.569. For assistance, call the Office of Chief Financial Officer/Indirect Cost Group on (202) 708-7770.

Generally, awards to SEAs are made on July 1. In addition, funds remain available to SEAs and LEAs for an additional fiscal year for obligation and expenditure under section 421(b) of GEPA.

The Department allocates funds to any SEA with an approved plan. SEAs must expend at least 95 percent of their Title III allotments to award subgrants to LEAs and other eligible entities to meet the educational needs of ELs and immigrant children and youth.

Approximately 120 days.

Section 432 of the General Education Provisions Act provides local educational agencies with a right of appeal in disagreements between State and local educational agencies, including disagreements over funding decisions. Where a local educational agency alleges that a denial of funding is "a violation of State or Federal law, rules, regulations, or guidelines governing the applicable program," it may, within 30 days, request a hearing from the State educational agency. Once the hearing is held and the State educational agency issues its written ruling, the local educational agency may appeal a negative ruling to the Secretary.