Department of Education

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language..............................................................................................................1

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes............................................................................2

Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers...................................................................................3

Summary of Changes ...................................................................................................................4

Authorizing Legislation..................................................................................................................5

Appropriations History...................................................................................................................6

Activity:..........................................................................................................................................7

English language acquisition....................................................................................................7

State Tables*

*State tables reflecting final 2021 allocations and 2022 and 2023 estimates are posted on the 

Department’s webpage at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriations Language

For carrying out part A of title III of the ESEA, $1,075,000,000, which shall become available 

on July 1, 2023, and shall remain available through September 30, 2024,1 except that 

6.5 percent of such amount shall be available on October 1, 2022, and shall remain available 

through September 30, 2024, to carry out activities under section 3111(c)(1)(C):2 Provided, That 

the Secretary may reserve up to 2 percent of such amount for technical assistance and capacity 

building: 3 Provided further, That $50,000,000 of the funds made available under this heading 

shall become available on October 1, 2022, and shall remain available through September 30, 

2024 for supplemental awards to State educational agencies in States with local educational 

agencies that have enrolled at least 100 immigrant children and youth since January 1, 2021, 

and in States with at least one county where 50 or more unaccompanied children have been 

released to sponsors since January 1, 2021, from the Department of Health and Human 

Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement: 4 Provided further, That the Secretary may establish 

requirements for determining the allocation of such funds.5

NOTES

A full-year 2022 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the budget was prepared; therefore, the 

budget assumes this account is operating under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022 (Division A of P.L. 117-43, 

as amended). The amounts included for 2022 reflect the annualized level provided by the continuing resolution.

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language Provisions 

and Changes document, which follows the appropriations language.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1...which shall become available on July 1, 

2023, and shall remain available through 

September 30, 2024,

This language provides for a portion of the 

funds for English Language Acquisition to be 

available on a forward-funded basis. The 

forward-funded portion includes the amount 

of funds that are distributed to the States 

under the State grants formula and the 

Native American discretionary grants.

2...except that 6.5 percent of such amount 

shall be available on October 1, 2022, and 

shall remain available through September 30, 

2024, to carry out activities under section 

3111(c)(1)(C):

This language provides for 6.5 percent of the 

funds for English Language Acquisition to be 

available for 2 years. The 6.5 percent 

represents funds that are used for national 

activities (National Professional Development 

grants and National Clearinghouse for 

English Language Acquisition).

3 Provided, that the Secretary may reserve 

up to 2 percent of such amount for technical 

assistance and capacity building:

This language allows the Secretary to 

reserve up to 2 percent of English Language 

Acquisition funds to provide technical 

assistance and build State and local capacity 

to implement their formula grant funds.

4Provided further, that $50,000,000 of the 

funds made available under this heading 

shall become available on October 1, 2022, 

and shall remain available through 

September 30, 2024 for supplemental 

awards to State educational agencies in 

States with local educational agencies that 

have enrolled at least 100 immigrant children 

and youth since January 1, 2021, and in 

States with at least one county where 50 or 

more unaccompanied children have been 

released to sponsors since January 1, 2021, 

from the Department of Health and Human 

Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement:

This language provides supplemental funding 

to States that have experienced a recent 

influx of immigrant children and youth or a 

recent influx of unaccompanied children and 

makes the funds available starting on 

October 1, 2022 and available for two years.

5Provided further, that the Secretary may 

establish requirements for determining the 

allocation of such funds.

This language allows the Secretary to 

establish the requirements for determining 

the allocation of supplemental funding 

described in the previous proviso. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2021 2022 2023

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation

$797,400 $797,400

 

$1,075,000

Discretionary Total, discretionary appropriation 797,400 797,400 $1,075,000
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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2022 $797,400

2023 1,075,000

Net change +277,600

Increases: 2022 base

Change

from base

Program:

Increase in Federal support for State and local 

efforts to help the significant number of English 

learners (ELs) in U.S. schools attain English 

language proficiency (ELP) and meet challenging, 

State-determined college- and career-ready 

academic standards, while also assisting States and 

Local educational agencies (LEAs) that have 

experienced rapid growth in their EL populations.

Includes $50 million for States with districts 

experiencing influxes of recently arrived immigrant 

children and youth and States with counties 

experiencing influxes of unaccompanied children. $797,400 +$277,600

Net change +277,600
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2022

Authorized footnote

2022

Estimatefootnote

2023

Authorizedfootnote

2023

Request

English language acquisition

Language Acquisition: State grants (ESEA-III-A) 0 $797,400 To be determined1 $1,075,000

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2021; reauthorization for FY 2023 is expected through appropriations action.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Footnote Appropriation Footnote

20141 $732,144 N/A $730,680 $723,400

20152 732,400 N/A 723,400 737,400

20163 773,400 $737,400 712,021 737,400

20174 800,400 737,400 712,021 737,400

20185 735,998 737,400 737,400 737,400

20196 737,400 737,400 737,400 737,400

20207 737,400 980,000 737,400 787,400

20218 0 797,400 787,400 797,400

20229 917,400 1,000,000 917,400 797,400

2023 1,075,000

1 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action. The level for the Senate 

allowance reflects Committee action only. 2 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action. The level for the Senate 

allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only

3 The levels for House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2016 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 114th Congress only through the House Committee and Senate Committee.

4 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2017 

appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017. 5 The level for the House allowance reflects floor action on the Omnibus appropriations bill; the Senate allowance 

reflects Committee action on the regular annual 2018 appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141). 6 The levels for the House and Senate allowance reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2019 appropriations 

bill; the Appropriation reflects enactment of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and 

Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 115-245). 7 The Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). 8 The level for the House allowance reflects subcommittee action. The level for the Senate Allowance reflects the 

Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects Division H of the FY 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-

260).

9 The House allowance reflects floor action on the FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act; the Senate Allowance 

reflects the Chairman’s mark; and the Appropriation reflects the annualized continuing resolution.
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Activity:

English language acquisition 

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title III, Part A)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2023 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2022 Estimate 2023 Request Change

$797,400 $1,075,000 +$227,600

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The English Language Acquisition program (ELA) supports formula grants to States to serve 

English learners (ELs) as well as competitive awards for the National Professional Development 

Program (NPD) and funding for the National Clearinghouse for English Language 

Acquisition (NCELA).

The Department uses 92.5 percent of program funds to make formula grants to States based on 

each State’s share of the Nation’s ELs and recent immigrant student populations, with 80 

percent of allocations based on State shares of ELs and 20 percent based on State shares of

students who are recent immigrants. The Department may use American Community Survey 

(ACS) data provided by the Census Bureau, State-provided data, or a combination data from

these two sources, to determine the counts of EL and students who are immigrants. In fiscal 

year 2019, for the EL portion of the formula, the Department began using weights of 75 percent 

for ACS data and 25 percent for State-reported data, consistent with the recommendation from 

a 2011 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study. The Department continues to follow the 

NAS recommendation to use ACS data only in determining the State counts for students who 

are immigrants.

States must use at least 95 percent of their formula funds for subgrants to eligible entities (local 

educational agencies (LEAs) or consortia of LEAs), based primarily on each subgrantee’s share 

of the State’s ELs and a plan submitted by the subgrantee to the State on how it will assist ELs 

in achieving English language proficiency (ELP) consistent with the long-term goals included in 

the State’s accountability system (Title I, Part A, Section 1111). States must provide additional 

funding to subgrantees that have experienced a significant increase in the percentage or 

number of recent students who are immigrants over the preceding 2 years and may use up to 

15 percent of their awards for this purpose. States may also use up to 5 percent of their 

allocations for State-level activities, such as professional development, planning, evaluation, 

and the provision of technical assistance. State-level planning and direct administrative costs 

may not exceed 50 percent of the State set-aside, or $175,000, whichever is greater.

LEAs receiving subgrants must provide effective language instruction educational programs

(LIEPs) to improve the education of ELs and youth who are immigrants by helping them to learn 

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2021; reauthorization for FY 2023 is expected through 

appropriations action.
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English and meet the same challenging State academic standards as other students. LEAs 

must use funds to develop and implement new language and academic content programs for 

ELs and students who are immigrants; carry out innovative, locally designed activities that 

improve or expand existing programs for ELs and students who are immigrants; or implement 

school- or LEA-wide reforms to language and academic content programs. Further, LEAs must 

demonstrate success in increasing ELP and academic achievement for ELs and students who 

are immigrants; provide effective professional development to educators that is designed to 

improve instruction and assessment for ELs; provide and implement other effective strategies to 

support language instruction of ELs; engage parents and families; and coordinate, where 

appropriate, with other programs that are aligned with the LEA’s efforts to improve the education 

of ELs and students who are immigrants. LEAs that are awarded funds based on a substantial 

increase in the number of children and youth who are immigrants must use funds for activities 

that provide enhanced instructional opportunities, which may include parent training, tutorials, 

mentoring, and career counseling.

States must develop, in consultation with geographically-diverse LEAs, statewide entrance and 

exit procedures for EL status, including an assurance that students who may be ELs will be 

assessed within 30 days of enrolling in school. States must also ensure that their subgrantees 

annually assess the English proficiency of the ELs they serve.

States receiving Title III funds must also design plans that incorporate accountability provisions

described in Title I, Part A. Specifically, States must set ambitious long-term goals and timelines 

for students to become proficient in English and measure student progress toward these goals 

annually based on interim indicators. States must assist LEAs in meeting these goals and 

targets, monitor progress, and respond appropriately if an LEA’s strategy proves ineffective in 

helping ELs achieve content and language proficiency.

The Department must reserve 0.5 percent of the appropriation, or $5.0 million, whichever is 

greater, for schools operated predominately for Native American and Alaska Native children. 

This set-aside supports the Native American and Alaska Native Children in Schools program 

(NAM), which makes competitive awards to tribes, schools funded by the Bureau of Indian 

Education, and other qualifying entities to support the teaching, learning, and studying of Native 

American languages while also increasing the English language proficiency of participating 

students. The Department must also set aside 0.5 percent of the appropriation for grants to the 

Outlying Areas.

The statute further requires the Department to reserve 6.5 percent of the appropriation for 

national activities, which consist of the NPD and NCELA. Under the NPD, the Department 

makes 5-year awards to institutions of higher education or public or private entities with relevant 

experience and capacity (in partnership with SEAs or LEAs) to provide professional 

development that will improve teaching and learning for ELs, increase the pool of teachers fully

certified and licensed to serve ELs, and enhance the skills of teachers already serving them, 

including their additional certification. NCELA collects, analyzes, synthesizes, and disseminates 

research-based information about instructional methods, strategies, and programs for ELs.

State formula grants, funds for the Outlying Areas, and NAM grants are forward-funded, with 

funds becoming available on July 1 of the fiscal year in which they are appropriated and 

remaining available for 15 months through September 30 of the following year. National 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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activities funds are available for 24 months, from October 1 of the fiscal year in which they are 

appropriated through September 30 of the following fiscal year.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were as follows:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2018 $737,400

2019 737,400

2020 787,400

2021 797,400

2022 Estimate 797,400

FY 2023 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2023, the Administration requests $1.08 billion for ELA, $277.6 million more than 

a fiscal year 2022 annualized CR based on the fiscal year 2021 appropriation. The proposed 

increase includes $50 million for States with districts experiencing increases of recently arrived 

immigrant children and youth and States with counties experiencing an increase in children who 

are unaccompanied. The request also includes appropriations language that allows the 

Department to reserve up to 2 percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance and 

capacity building to support SEAs and LEAs in implementing evidenced-based practices that 

improve outcomes for English learners. The request reflects the Administration’s commitment to 

significantly expanding Federal support for State and local efforts to help the growing number of 

ELs in U.S. schools attain ELP and meet challenging, State academic standards, while also 

assisting States and LEAs that have experienced rapid growth in their EL populations. ELA’s 

appropriations over the last decade have not kept up with the rate of the growing EL population. 

As such, the increased request for ELA along with the request for capacity building would 

provide the initial foundation for the Department to prioritize and elevate multilingualism as an 

asset in Title III funded programs and activities.

According to the most recent Biennial Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Title III 

State Formula Grant Program, virtually all public-school students who are identified as ELs 

receive services in Title III-supported LIEPs.1 Yet recent results from the National Assessment 

of Educational Progress (NAEP) continue to show significant achievement gaps remain 

between ELs and their peers. For example, in 2019, only 16 percent of ELs scored proficient or 

better in fourth grade math, compared to 44 percent of non-ELs. In eighth grade mathematics, 

just 5 percent of ELs scored proficient or better, compared to 36 percent of non-ELs. NAEP data 

show similar gaps in fourth and eighth grade reading. Research also indicates that

misperceptions by educators about EL’s readiness for rigor further impedes ELs from attaining 

achievement at the same level of their non-EL peers.2

A closer look at NAEP scores also highlights large variations within the EL subgroup when 

disaggregated by race and ethnicity. In fourth grade math, for example, the gap in scale scores 

between Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander EL students is over 30 points. Similar 

1 https://ncela.ed.gov/files/biannual-reports/OELA-BiReport16-18.508.pdf 2 Audrey Figueroa Murphy & Bruce Torff (2019) Teachers’ Beliefs About Rigor of Curriculum for English 

Language Learners, The Educational Forum, 83:1, 90-101, DOI: 10.1080/00131725.2018.1505991
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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trends are apparent in other disaggregated NAEP results for fourth grade reading as well as 

eight grade math and reading. 

Addressing EL opportunity and achievement gaps over the past decade may have become 

especially strenuous in school districts with little experience in and fewer resources to serve 

such students and which are also experiencing new growth of school-aged ELs in States and. 

ACS data from 2019 show that California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas enroll 59

percent of the Nation’s ELs (excluding Puerto Rico), but the growth rate in the EL student 

population in other States has exceeded that of these five. For example, from 2018 to 2019,1

the EL population increased by 9 percent in Louisiana, 10 percent in Vermont, and more than 6 

percent in South Carolina. In contrast, during that same timeframe, the EL population stayed 

relatively stable or slightly decreased in California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois. Since 

the States with the greatest recent growth in the EL population are not the traditional immigrant 

gateway States, they often lack the infrastructure and service capacity compared to States with 

a longer history of high EL and immigrant student enrollment.

Two-year trend data show that from 2017 to 2019, 21 States experienced increases of more 

than 10 percent in their immigrant population, while the population of students who are 

immigrants grew by nearly 7 percent across the Nation. These trends underscore the need for 

continuing Federal support, particularly in preparing and supporting educators to meet the 

unique and diverse needs of ELs and to generate information on effective instructional practices 

to ensure that ELs have access to a high-quality education.

States and school districts also have been hampered in meeting the needs of ELs with limited 

Federal funding for the English Language Acquisition State Grants authorized by Title III, Part A 

of the ESEA, which declined slightly from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2020 when accounting 

for inflation. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the challenges ELs face 

toward making progress toward language attainment. ELs were more likely to be disconnected 

from high-speed broadband while also facing additional language barriers without in-person 

connections with their teachers.2 Some researchers estimated ELs were part of a group of 

students that missed the most instructional time in 2020 and 2021.3 Making up for the lost time 

will require intensive tutoring and accelerated learning strategies that are tailored for ELs. Thus, 

the 2023 request for ELA State Grants recognizes the urgent need for significantly greater 

supports for EL students, their teachers, and their schools.

In particular, while research over that same decade has strengthened our understanding of both 

effective pedagogical practices for language acquisition and the educational benefits of 

multilingualism (students being fluent in more than one language), Federal policy has been slow 

to reflect the shift in the field to embracing students’ native and home languages as a strength 

they bring to their school communities. The increased investment proposed for fiscal year 2023, 

1 ACS data for 2018 and 2019 are estimates from a 5-year period, meaning that the 2018 data include 

information from 2014-2018 and the 2019 data include information from 2015-2019. 2 United States Government Accountability Office (Nov. 2020), “Distance Learning: Challenges Providing 

Services to K-12 English Learners and Students with Disabilities During Covid-19”. Retrieved from: 

https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-43.pdf 3 Bellwether Education Partners (October 2021) “Missing in the Margins: Estimating the Scale of the Covid-19 

Attendance Crisis”. Retrieved from: https://bellwethereducation.org/publication/missing-margins-estimating-scalecovid-19-attendance-crisis#2021
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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including additional funding for technical assistance and capacity building, would greatly 

strengthen the Department’s ability to work with its State and local partners to elevate meeting 

the needs of English learners in the context of encouraging multilingualism as a necessary skill 

for success in our globally competitive economy. Technical assistance from the Department 

would focus on assisting school communities with implementing evidenced-based instructional 

practices for language development. Taking an asset-based approach to language instruction, 

for example by encouraging students and families to maintain their heritage languages while 

also learning English or incorporating culturally-relevant texts, has been shown to increase 

students’ academic identity, achievement, and feelings of belonging in school.1 2 Moreover, this 

new approach is fully consistent with the Administration’s broader commitment to foster 

inclusive learning environments that recognize the needs of the whole child.

Native American and Alaska Native Children in Schools (NAM) 

The $5 million set aside for NAM Grants would support nine continuation awards in fiscal year 

2023 for grants to schools operated predominantly for Native American and Alaska Native 

children. These grants support the development of proficiency in English and Native American 

languages for these children while also promoting mastery of the same challenging State 

academic content and achievement standards for all students. The 2018 cohort of these grants 

will receive their final awards in 2022. The Department plans to hold a competition for new 

awards for NAM grants in 2023.

National Activities

The Request would support an estimated 90 continuations for NPD grants in fiscal year 2023. 

The Department awarded 50 NPD grants in 2021 and anticipates awarding approximately 40

NPD grants in 2022. Fiscal year 2023 funds would support continuation awards for both cohorts, 

which will receive their final awards in 2025 and 2026 respectively. Should there be remaining 

funds after funding down the fiscal year 2022 slate, the Department may consider a smaller 

additional competition to advance the previously described priorities. In addition, the 

Department would use up to $2 million for NCELA to analyze and disseminate information on 

best practices for teachers of ELs.

Evaluation

In fiscal year 2023, the Department would use up to 0.5 percent of the request for Title III, 

Part A funds to support new and ongoing evaluation activities. 

1 Steven Amendum (Oct. 2019) “Read to kids in Spanish; it’ll help their English”. Child Development Journal. 

University of Delaware. Retrieved from: https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.13288 2 Yvonne Freeman and David Freeman, “Connecting Students to Culturally Relevant Texts”. Personalizing 

Literacy. Retrieved from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/819/personalizing_literacyculturallyrelevantreadings.pdf
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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2021 2022 2023

State formula grants

 English language acquisition State grants $736,841 $736,841 $923,359

 Number of States 56 56 56

 Range of Awards $99-149,265 $99-149,265 $133-187,021

Supplemental Grants to States to 

Support Recently Arrived Els

0 0 $50,000

Technical Assistance and Capacity 

Building

0 0 $21,392

NAM Grants

Grant award funds (new) $2,876 0 $2,472

 Grant award funds (continuations) 2,100 $5,000 2,876

Peer review 24 0 24

Total 5,000 5,000 5,372

Number of new awards 9 0 8

 Number of continuation awards 7 16 9

National Activities

NPD grant funds (new) $28,535 $21,098 $17,954

 NPD grant funds (continuation) 20,807 28,244 49,342

Peer review 230 230 230

 Clearinghouse 2,000 2,000 2,000

National Activities Total 51,572 51,572 69,526

Number of NPD grant awards (new) 50 40 31

 Number of NPD grant awards 

(continuations) 42 50 90

Evaluation $3,987 $3,987 $5,375

NOTE:

The Department is authorized to reserve up to 0.5 percent of funds appropriated for most ESEA programs, including 

English Language Acquisition, and to pool such funds for use in evaluating any ESEA program. The Department did 

not pool funds from English Language Acquisition grants in fiscal year 2021 but may do so in fiscal years 2022 or 

2023.
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PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, 

program goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of 

the progress made towards achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based 

on the cumulative effect of the Federal resources provided for the program as well as the 

resources and efforts invested by those served by this program.

State Grant Program

States report performance data for the English Language Acquisition State grants program 

annually through the ESEA Consolidated State Performance Reports (CSPRs). Over the years 

the Department has worked to respond to States’ questions about the data collection 

requirements as well as to clear up data discrepancies. In 2018, the Department revised the 

performance measures for this program in response to the changes made to the ESEA by the 

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). However, flexibility within the previous law around the 

definitions of “making progress” and “attaining proficiency” continue to affect the targets set for

some measures. 

Objective: To improve the English proficiency and academic achievement of students served 

by the English Language Acquisition State Grants program.

Measure: The number of States increasing the percentage of ELs making progress in achieving 

ELP in LEAs that receive Title III funds.

Year Target Actual

2018 Baseline year 31

2019 33 11

2020 34

2021 35

2022

2023

Additional information: Of the 45 States for which reliable data were available, five States 

reported no meaningful change in the percentage of ELs making progress as compared to 2018

(i.e., the change reported was less than 1 percentage point), and 29 States reported lower 

performance. Data for 2020 are not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 

waiver of Statewide assessments in the 2019-2020 school year, and the Department is waiting 

for 2021 data (expected later in calendar year 2022) before setting performance targets for 2022

or 2023.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Measure: The percentage of ELs attaining proficiency on the annual ELP assessment in LEAs 

that receive Title III funds.

Year Target Actual

2018 Baseline year 35%

2019 36% 19

2020 37

2021 38

2022

2023

Additional information: Of the 49 States for which reliable data were available, 13 States 

reported no meaningful change in the percentage of ELs attaining proficiency and 17 States 

reported lower performance as compared to 2018. Data for 2020 are not available due to the 

COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent waiver of Statewide assessments in the 2019-2020 

school year, and the Department is waiting for 2021 data (expected later in calendar year 2022) 

before setting performance targets for 2022 or 2023.

The Department also established two performance measures for which data are not yet 

available, and which are likely to be delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic:

• The number of States decreasing the percentage of ELs who have not attained ELP within 

5 years of initial classification as an EL in LEAs that receive Title III funds.

• The number of States increasing the percentage of ELs who, having exited English LIEPs in 

LEAs that receive Title III funds, score proficient or above on State reading/language arts 

assessments in the fourth year after exiting.

NPD Grant Program

The Department established the following measures for NPD Grants for the 2016 and 2017 

cohorts. The 2016 cohort received technical assistance on data collection and reporting in 2017 

and did not report initial implementation data until fiscal year 2018. The 2017 cohort reported 

the first year of baseline data in 2018. However, the Department is not reporting performance 

data for most measures for either the 2016 or 2017 NPD cohorts due to reporting and quality 

concerns; the Department intends to develop a plan to address these issues to enable future 

reporting. 

2016 NPD Cohort

Measure: The percentage of program participants who complete the preservice program.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 92%

2019 95%

2020 95

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Measure: The percentage of program participants who complete the in-service program.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 108%

2019 95% N/A

2020 95 113

Additional information: Performance targets were based on the original grant proposal, and

actual participation in the program has been higher than anticipated. In the 2018 and 2020

reporting years, a few grantees far exceeded their targets, thereby skewing the average for the 

cohort. The Department is not reporting performance data for the 2019 reporting year due to 

data reporting and quality concerns.

Measure: The percentage of program completers, as defined by the applicant under the first 

two measures above, who are State-certified, licensed, or endorsed in EL instruction.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 57%

2019 60% N/A

2020 60 86

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year.

Measure: The percentage of program completers who rate the program as effective in 

preparing them to serve EL students.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 80%

2019 85%

2020 85

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.

Measure: The percentage of school leaders, other educators, and employers of program 

completers who rate the program as effective in preparing their teachers, or other educators, to 

serve ELs or improve their abilities to serve ELs effectively.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 53%

2019 60%

2020 60

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Measure: For projects that will focus on improving parent, family, and community engagement, 

the percentage of program completers who rated the program as effective, as defined by the 

grantees, in increasing their knowledge and skills related to parent, family, and 

community engagement.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 71%

2019 75%

2020 75

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year.

2017 NPD Cohort

Measure: The percentage of program participants who complete the preservice program.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 15%

2019 25% N/A

2020 35 92

2021 45 89

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year.

Measure: The percentage of program participants who complete the in-service program.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 43%

2019 45%

2020 50

2021 50

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.

Measure: The percentage of program completers, as defined by the applicant under the first 

two measures above, who are State-certified, licensed, or endorsed in EL instruction.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 17%

2019 20%

2020 25

2021 30

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.
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Measure: The percentage of program completers who rate the program as effective in 

preparing them to serve EL students.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 27%

2019 35%

2020 40

2021 45

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.

Measure: The percentage of school leaders, other educators, and employers of program

completers who rate the program as effective in preparing their teachers, or other educators, to 

serve ELs or improve their abilities to serve ELs effectively.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 32%

2019 35%

2020 40

2021 45

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.

Measure: For projects that will focus on improving parent, family, and community engagement, 

the percentage of program completers who rated the program as effective, as defined by the 

grantees, in increasing their knowledge and skills related to parent, family, and 

community engagement.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline 29%

2019 30%

2020 35

2021 40

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 or 2020 reporting years.

NAM Program

The Department established the following performance measures for the NAM program.

However, data for the 2019 reporting year is not available for most measures for the 2019 due 

to data quality issues. 
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Measure: The percentage of EL students served by the NAM program who score proficient or 

above on the State reading assessment.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual 2018 Cohort Actual

2018 40% 32% 12%

2019 40 139 N/A

2020 40 43

2021 40 29

2022 40

Additional information: Five out of 10 2016 grantees reported data for this measure in 2019, 

and one grantee far exceeded its target. Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the 

Department is not reporting performance data for the 2018 cohort for the 2019 reporting year.

Trend data for this measure should be interpreted with caution; NAM grantees are often working 

with different groups of students each year.

Measure: The percentage of EL students served by the NAM program who are making 

progress in English as measured by the State ELP assessment.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 73% 58%

2019 73 N/A

2020 73 35

2021 73

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year. The Department 

discontinued this measure for the 2018 and future cohorts.

Measure: The percentage of EL students served by the NAM program who are attaining 

proficiency in English as measured by the State ELP assessment.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual 2018 Cohort Actual

2018 25% 30% 11%

2019 25 N/A N/A

2020 25 63 88

2021 25 29

2022 25

Additional information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year.
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Measure: The percentage of students served by the program who are enrolled in Native 

American language instruction programs.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 45% 42%

2019 45

2020 45

2021 45

Additional Information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year. The Department 

discontinued this measure for the 2018 and future cohorts.

Measure: The percentage of students making progress in learning a Native American language, 

as determined by each grantee, including through measures such as performance tasks, 

portfolios, and pre- and post-tests.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual 2018 Cohort Actual

2018 55% 27% 77%

2019 75 N/A N/A

2020 80 19 53

2021 80 72

2022 80

Additional Information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year. 

Measure: The percentage of students who are attaining proficiency in a Native American 

language, as determined by each grantee, including through measures such as performance 

tasks, portfolios, and pre- and post-tests.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 20% 19%

2019 20

2020 20

2021 20

Additional Information: The Department continues to provide technical assistance to NAM 

grantees to improve data collection processes. This performance measure was discontinued for 

the 2018 cohort due to the high level of variation in Native language assessment practices 

across States. 
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Measure: For programs that received competitive preference points, the percentage of 

preschool children ages three and four enrolled in the program.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 90% 89%

2019 90 N/A

2020 90 102

2021 90

Additional Information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year. In 2020, three of the 

grantees reporting data for this measure exceeded their targets. 

Measure: For programs that received competitive preference points, the percentage of 

preschool children ages three and four who are screened for developmental or cognitive delays.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 95% 94%

2019 95 N/A

2020 95 135

2021 95

Additional Information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year. In 2020, one grantee 

was not able to report data for this measure because screenings were cancelled because of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. In general, grantees far exceeded their targets in 2020. 

Measure: For programs that received competitive preference points, the percentage of 

coordination contacts between elementary schools and early learning programs to improve 

coordination and transition of children from preschool to kindergarten.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 95% 91%

2019 95 N/A

2020 95 115

2021 95

Additional Information: Due to data reporting and quality concerns, the Department is not 

reporting performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year. In 2020, one grantee 

reporting data for this measure far exceeded its target. 

Other Performance-Related Information

Over the past several years, Title III funds have contributed to research and evaluation efforts 

focused on such issues as EL and dual language learner instructional practices, parenting 

support for young ELs, identification of ELs with disabilities, exiting ELs with disabilities from 

LIEPs, and EL students’ academic success. Completed work on a range of topics related to 

supporting EL students is available on the Office of English Language Acquisition’s website at 

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/resources.html.