Department of Education

INDIAN EDUCATION

Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Appropriations Language.............................................................................................................F-1

Appropriation, Adjustment and Transfers....................................................................................F-2

Authorizing Legislation.................................................................................................................F-3

Appropriations History..................................................................................................................F-4

Account Summary Table..............................................................................................................F-5

Summary of Request ...................................................................................................................F-6

Activities:

Grants to local educational agencies ......................................................................................F-8

Special programs for Indian children.....................................................................................F-17

National activities...................................................................................................................F-22

State Table*

*State tables reflecting 2015 allocations and 2016 estimates are posted on the Department’s Web page at: 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html
INDIAN EDUCATION

Appropriations Language 

[For expenses necessary to carry out, to the extent not otherwise provided, title VII, part A of 

the ESEA, $123,939,000.] (Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2015.)

NOTES

No new language is included for this account. All programs are authorized under the expired Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act; when new authorizing legislation for the Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act is enacted, a budget request for these programs will be proposed.

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

Provisions and Changes document which follows the appropriation language.

F-1
INDIAN EDUCATION

Appropriation, Adjustment and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2014 2015 2016

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation ............................................................. $123,939 $123,939 $173,939

F-2
INDIAN EDUCATION

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2015

Authorized

footnote

2015

Estimate

footnote

2016

Authorized

footnote

2016

Request

Grants to local educational agencies (ESEA VII-A-1) 01 $100,381 To be 

determined

1 $100,381

Special programs for Indian children

(ESEA VII-A-2-7121 & 7122)

01 17,993 To be 

determined

1 67,993

National activities (ESEA VII-A-3-7131) 01 5,565 To be 

determined

1 5,565

Unfunded authorizations:

In-service training for teachers (ESEA VII-A-3-7132) Unfunded 02 0 02 0

Indian fellowships program (ESEA VII-A-3-7133) Unfunded02 0 02 0

Unfunded Gifted and talented program (ESEA VII-A-3-7134) 02 0 02 0

Unfunded Grants to tribes for education administrative 

planning and development (ESEA VII-A-3-7135)

02 0 To be 

determined

1 0

Unfunded Improvement of educational opportunities 

for adult Indians (ESEA VII-A-3-7136)

 02 0 02 0

Total definite authorization 0 0

Total appropriation 123,939 173,939

Portion of request subject to reauthorization 173,939

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008; reauthorizing language is sought for FY 2015. 2 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008. No appropriations language or reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2015.

. 

F-3
INDIAN EDUCATION

Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Foot

-

note

Senate 

Allowance Footnote AppropriationFoot

-

note

2007 $118,690 N/A1 N/A1 $118,6901

2008 118,683 $124,000 $118,690 119,564

2009 119,564 125,0002 119,5642 122,282

2010 122,282 132,282 122,2823 127,282

2011 127,282 127,2824 129,2823 127,0275

2012 127,282 132,0276 128,0273 130,779

2013 130,779 130,9977 130,7797 123,939

2014 130,779 N/A8 130,3813 123,939

2015 123,939 N/A8 123,9399 123,939

2016 173,939

1 This account operated under a full-year continuing resolution (P.L. 110-5). House and Senate Allowance 

amounts are shown as N/A (Not Available) because neither body passed a separate appropriations bill.

2 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2009 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 110th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 3

 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Committee action only. 4

 The level for the House allowance reflects the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 5

 The level for appropriation reflects the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 

2011 (P.L. 112-10). 6

 The level for the House allowance reflects an introduced bill. 7

 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2013 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 112th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 8

 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action. 9

 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only.

F-4
Account Summary Table

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2016 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET 

Click here for accessible version 

(in thousands of dollars) 2016

Category 2014 2015 President's 

Account, Program and Activity Code Appropriation Appropriation Budget Amount Percent

Indian Education (ESEA VII)

1. Grants to local educational agencies (Part A-1) D 100,381 100,381 100,381 0 0.000%

2. Special programs for Indian children (Part A-2) D 17,993 17,993 67,993 50,000 277.886%

3. National activities (Part A-3) D 5,565 5,565 5,565 0 0.000%

Total D 123,939 123,939 173,939 50,000 40.342%

NOTES: D = discretionary program; M = mandatory program; FY = fiscal year 

Accounts are shown under the administering office that has primary responsibility for most programs in that account; however, there may be some programs that are administered by another office.

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding. 

2016 President's Budget 

Compared to 2015 Appropriation

F-5
INDIAN EDUCATION

Summary of Request

The Indian Education programs in this account are authorized by Title VII, Part A of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). These activities support a comprehensive 

approach to educational improvement and reform for Indian students, helping to ensure that they 

benefit from national education reforms and receive every opportunity to achieve to high 

standards. The activities include: (1) direct assistance to local educational agencies and 

Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Education schools for the education of Indian 

children, (2) special programs, including demonstrations and the training of Indian individuals as 

educators, and (3) research, evaluation, data collection, technical assistance, and other national 

activities. The programs promote the efforts of schools, local educational agencies, and Indian 

tribes and organizations to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of

their American Indian and Alaska Native students. 

The Indian Education programs are authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965 (ESEA) and, therefore, are subject to reauthorization this year. The budget request 

assumes that the program will be implemented in fiscal year 2015 under reauthorized legislation.

The Administration requests $173.9 million for fiscal year 2016, $50 million more than the 2015 

appropriation. For the programs in this account, the request supports the primary goals of the 

ESEA: ensuring that all schools are held accountable for helping all children to achieve to high 

standards, improving teacher and school leader effectiveness through high-quality professional 

development and innovative teacher recruitment and retention practices, and using high-quality 

data to inform teaching and school reform activities. The request for Indian Education will help 

ensure that the reforms carried out under other ESEA programs benefit Indian students by 

providing funding to enable school districts to implement viable Indian education programs; 

continuing the special programs for Indian children and teacher preparation; and providing 

resources to address research, data, and technical assistance needs and objectives. The 

request would provide:

• $100.4 million for Grants to Local Educational Agencies to help them address the particular 

needs of Indian children enrolled in urban and rural schools.

• $68.0 million for Special Programs for Indian Children to make new Native Youth Community 

Project awards under Demonstration Grants and continuation awards under the American 

Indian Teacher Corps and Administrator Corps initiatives.

• $5.6 million for National Activities to support research that will provide information on the 

educational needs and status of the Indian population and to provide technical assistance 

and support to educators serving that population. The National Activities request would also 

continue the grants made in fiscal year 2015 to tribal education agencies in support of their 

efforts to undertake ESEA administrative responsibilities pursuant to agreements they enter 

into with State educational agencies.

Although American Indian students’ educational outcomes have improved in recent years, they 

still lag behind in a number of key areas. Indian students are making progress and scoring 

higher than some of their peers from other ethnic groups on the National Assessment of 

Educational Progress, but an achievement gap remains between their performance and that of 

students in general. Although the number of Indian students enrolling in colleges and 

universities has more than doubled in the last three decades, the dropout rate for Indian high 

school students is above the overall national average. In addition, Indian students continue to 

F-6
INDIAN EDUCATION

Summary of Request

be subject to significant risk factors that threaten their ability to improve their academic 

achievement and their general well-being. This population continues to need support from 

Federal programs that address their specific educational needs. 

F-7
INDIAN EDUCATION

Activities:

Grants to local educational agencies

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title VII, Part A, Subpart 1) 

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2016 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority: 

2015 2016 Change 

$100,381 $100,381 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2016. 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Title VII, Part A, Subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) authorizes 

formula grants that provide assistance to elementary and secondary schools for programs 

serving Indian students, including preschool children. Local educational agencies (LEAs), 

Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-operated schools, and other BIEsupported schools are eligible for grants to address the unique educational and culturally related 

academic needs of Indian students so that those students can achieve to the same State 

academic content standards and student academic achievement standards expected of all 

students. The program also makes awards to Indian tribes whose members are 50 percent or 

more of the children in the schools of an LEA that does not apply for funding. In fiscal year 

2013, 25 tribes received grants because the LEA did not apply.

Each applicant must develop a comprehensive plan for meeting the needs of Indian children. 

This plan must be developed with a local committee comprised primarily of parents of Indian 

children and must include student performance goals, a description of professional development 

activities that the applicant will carry out, and an explanation of how it will assess students’ 

progress toward meeting its goals and will provide the results of this assessment to the parent 

committee and community. 

The program makes formula allocations only to LEAs or BIE schools in which the number of 

Indian children is at least 10 or constitutes at least 25 percent of total enrollment. (LEAs in 

California, Alaska, and Oklahoma, and those located on or near reservations, are exempt from 

this requirement.) The grant amount is determined by multiplying the number of Indian children 

in an LEA by the average per-pupil expenditure in the LEA’s State or 80 percent of the average 

per-pupil expenditure in the U.S., whichever is greater. Grants are then ratably reduced to fit 

within the available appropriation. In addition, the statute requires that each participating LEA 

receive at least $3,000. The statute also includes an “Integration of Services Demonstration” 

authorization, under which LEAs receiving formula grants may consolidate funds they receive 

F-8
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

from Federal programs that provide education and related services specifically serving Indians. 

An LEA that intends to use this authority is required to submit to the Secretary for approval a 

plan to integrate program services into a coordinated, comprehensive program. To date, no 

LEA and only one BIE school has used this authority. 

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Year (dollars in thousands)

2011 ........................................................... $104,122

2012 ............................................................. 105,921

2013 ............................................................. 100,381

2014 ............................................................. 100,381

2015 ............................................................. 100,381

FY 2016 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2016, the Administration requests $100.4 million for the Indian Education Grants 

to Local Educational Agencies program, the same amount as the 2015 level. This funding would 

provide services to a disadvantaged population that is heavily affected by poverty and low 

educational attainment. The Request would provide an estimated per-pupil payment of $211, 

based on the 2014 and estimated 2015 count of 475,000 eligible American Indian and Alaska 

Native (AI/AN) elementary and secondary students nationwide. 

This program is the Department's principal vehicle for addressing the particular needs of AI/AN

children in public schools. Grants supplement the regular school program, helping AI/AN

children sharpen their academic skills and participate in enrichment programs that would 

otherwise be unavailable. Funds support such activities as after-school programs, tutoring, and 

dropout prevention. Approximately three-quarters of American Indian/Alaska Native students 

enrolled in public schools attend schools that receive funds from the program. In accordance 

with Executive Order 13592, the Department is participating in the Interagency Working Group 

on American Indian and Alaska Native Education with the Department of the Interior Bureau of 

Indian Education. The Working Group is in the process of developing goals, benchmarks, and 

key activities for improving educational outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native 

students.

The AI/AN student population continues to be subject to significant risk factors that threaten 

students’ ability to improve their academic achievement and their general well-being. AI/AN 

students are more likely to receive special education services under the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) than students from any other racial/ethnic group. While IDEA 

served 9 percent of all U.S. children ages 3 to 21 in 2006, it served 14 percent of AI/ANs of the 

same age. Further, more AI/AN students have high rates of absenteeism from school than 

students of any other race/ethnicity. In 2007, while 55 percent of all students reported having at 

least one absence in the preceding month, the figure was 66 percent for AI/AN students. 

Absenteeism translates into less time for classroom instruction and learning. Another obstacle 

to learning time is suspension. In 2004, AI/AN students had the second highest rate of students 

who were suspended during the year, at 7 percent.

F-9
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

These risk factors help explain why data from the 2013 National Assessment of Education 

Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments consistently show that across subjects 

and grade levels, the achievement of AI/AN students has not improved since 2005, while the 

achievement of all other racial/ethnic groups has improved in all subjects and grade levels. For 

example, the average “scale score” for AI/AN students in 4th-grade reading was 204 in 2005 and 

202 in 2011, reflecting a statistically insignificant change over a period in which all other groups 

had increases. Similarly, AI/AN students’ average mathematics scale scores did not change 

significantly between the 2005 and 2011 assessments, moving from 226 in 2005 to 225 in 2011 

for 4th-graders and from 264 to 265 for 8th-graders. All other racial/ethnic groups showed gains 

during the same period. 

At the same time, more detailed State-level NAEP data (made available through oversampling of 

AI/AN students paid for by the National Indian Education Study) show that some States have 

done better than the Nation as a whole in narrowing achievement gaps between AI/AN students 

and other students. For example, in 2011, Oklahoma had a smaller gap than the national 

average in 4th- and 8th-grade reading and math NAEP scores. Oregon had a smaller 

achievement gap than the national average in 4th-grade reading.

Additionally, for a number of States, the percentage of AI/AN students scoring at or above the 

Basic level on NAEP is larger than the percentage of all students nationally who are at that level. 

In Oklahoma, the percentage of AI/AN students at or above Basic was, on average, 

10 percentage points higher than the national percentage for all students in all NAEP-tested 

grades and subjects (4th-grade reading, 4th-grade math, 8th-grade reading, and 8th-grade math). 

In addition to Oklahoma, Oregon and North Dakota had a higher percentage of AI/AN students 

at or above Basic in 4th-grade reading than the national percentage (60 percent for Oregon, and 

48 percent for North Dakota, compared to 47 percent for the Nation). 

AI/AN students also are less likely than those in other racial or ethnic groups to take advanced 

courses in high school or to attend schools offering advanced academic coursework. According 

to the latest available NCES report, “Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians 

and Alaska Natives: 2008,” 21 percent of AI/AN students graduating in 2004 had taken 

advanced English courses (compared to a national average of 33 percent), 22 percent had 

taken advanced mathematics courses (compared to 50 percent), and 48 percent had taken 

advanced science courses (compared to 68 percent). 

In addition, high school graduation rate and dropout rate data demonstrate the challenges facing 

AI/AN students. The “status” dropout rate (which represents the proportion of noninstitutionalized young people ages 16 through 24 who are out of school and who have not 

earned a high school credential) for AI/AN high school students was 15 percent in 2006, 

compared to the overall national average of 10 percent. That same year, 75 percent of AI/ANs

who were sophomores in spring 2002 had received a regular high school diploma, the lowest 

rate among all races/ethnicities. In addition, AI/AN high school seniors had the lowest proportion 

of those expecting to go to college (79 percent) in 2004, well below the national average 

(87 percent). And while the long-term trend in AI/AN student enrollment in postsecondary 

education is positive, it dropped from 2009 to 2012 and remains well below the rate for all 

students.

F-10
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2014 2015 2016

Number of awards

Number to LEAs 1,118 1,118 1,118

Number to Tribes 25 25 25

Number to BIE- grant/contract schools 91 91 91

Number to BIE- operated schools 51 51 51

Total Number of awards 1,285 1,285 1,285

Distribution of funds

Distribution LEAs $91,691 $91,691 $91,691

Distribution Tribes 1,048 1,048 1,048

Distribution BIE- grant/contract schools 5,079 5,079 5,079

Distribution BIE- operated schools 2,563 2,563 2,563

Distribution Total 100,381 100,381 100,381

Number of eligible students

Students in LEAs 430,161 430,161 430,161

Students in Tribes 4,966 4,966 4,966

Students in BIE- grant/contract schools 25,947 25,947 25,947

Students in BIE- operated schools 13,779 13,779 13,779

Total number of students 474,853 474,853 474,853

Range of awards (whole dollars)

Highest award $2,990,899 $2,990,899 $2,990,899

Lowest award 4,000 4,000 4,000

Average allocation 78,118 78,118 78,118

Average payment per eligible 

student 211 211 211

_________________

NOTE: The fiscal year 2014 appropriations act authorized the Department to pool evaluation funds reserved

under section 9601 of the ESEA and use those pooled funds to evaluate any ESEA program. The fiscal year 2015 

appropriations act provided the same authority and the Administration’s fiscal year 2016 budget would continue this 

authority. While the Department did not reserve funds from the Grants to Local Educational Agencies program 

under this authority in fiscal year 2014, it may do so in fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION 

Performance Measures

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

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

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal 

year 2016 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program. 

F-11
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

The current performance indicators for this program use data from the National Assessment of 

Education Progress (NAEP) and State assessments to track Indian students’ educational status. 

Since the 2005 NAEP, the Department has oversampled AI/AN students in the NAEP 4th-grade 

and 8th-grade reading and math assessments in order to generate reliable, national-level data on 

AI/AN students’ performance. After the 2011 assessment, the Department will oversample 

AI/AN students on NAEP only every other cycle, the next being the 2015 assessment. However, 

the increase in overall NAEP sampling now allows a sufficient sample of AI/AN students for the 

Department to report on AI/AN NAEP performance with statistical reliability. 

Goal: To help American Indian and Alaska Native children achieve to the same challenging 

standards expected of all students by supporting access to programs that meet their unique 

educational and culturally related academic needs.

Objective: American Indian and Alaska Native students served by LEAs receiving Indian 

education formula grants will progress at rates similar to those for all students in achievement to 

standards, promotion, and graduation.

Measure: The percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native students in grade 4 who score 

at or above the basic level in reading on NAEP.

Year Target Actual – AI/AN Actual – All Students

2007 50% 49% 67%

2009 52 52 67

2011 54 49 67

2013 56 51 68

2015 58

Measure: The percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native students in grade 8 who score 

at or above the basic level in reading on NAEP.

Year Target Actual – AI/AN Actual – All Students

2007 61% 56% 74%

2009 63 63 75

2011 65 64 76

2013 67 62 78

2015 69

F-12
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

Measure: The percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native students in grade 4 who score 

at or above the basic level in math on NAEP.

Year Target Actual – AI/AN Actual – All Students

2007 69% 70% 82%

2009 72 68 82

2011 74 68 82

2013 76 68 83

2015 78

Measure: The percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native students in grade 8 who score 

at or above the basic level in math on NAEP.

Year Target Actual – AI/AN Actual – All Students

2007 55% 53% 71%

2009 57 57 73

2011 59 55 73

2013 61 59 74

2015 63

Additional information: 

The percentage of AI/AN students meeting or exceeding performance standards established by 

the National Assessment of Educational Progress is an indicator of the success of efforts 

(including those funded by this program) to raise the population’s educational achievement. In 

2013, the percentage of AI/AN 4th-grade students scoring at or above the basic level increased 

in reading and showed no change in math when compared to 2011. Over the same period, 

4th-grade scores for all students in reading and math increased slightly. From 2011 to 2013, 

there were slight increases for AI/AN 8th-graders and all students in 8th-grade in reading. Over 

the same period, math scores for AI/AN 8th-graders decreased slightly and math scores for all 

students increased slightly.

After the 2011 assessment, the Department will oversample AI/AN students on NAEP only every 

other cycle, the next being the 2015 assessment. However, the increase in overall NAEP 

sampling now allows a sufficient sample of AI/AN students for the Department to report on AI/AN 

NAEP performance with statistical reliability. Therefore, while much of the State-level data for 

2013 will not be available, national-level data for the 2013 NAEP assessment is available for 

these measures.

F-13
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

Measure: The percentage of Indian students in grades 3-8 meeting State performance 

standards by scoring at the proficient or the advanced levels in reading on State assessments.

Year Target Actual – AI/AN Actual – All Students

2011 84% 52.0% 71.9%

2012 89 58.4 70.3

2013 95 58.1 65.7

2014 100

2015 100

2016 100

Measure: The percentage of Indian students in grades 3-8 meeting State performance 

standards by scoring at the proficient or the advanced levels in mathematics on State 

assessments.

Year Target Actual – AI/AN Actual – All Students

2011 83% 49.0% 71.1%

2012 89 53.2 68.2

2013 95 52.1 62.9

2014 100

2015 100

2016 100

Additional information: In 2006, the Department added performance indicators that focus on 

proficiency on State assessments aligned to the State academic standards used to guide 

instruction in schools. One advantage of these performance measures (over the biennial NAEP) 

is the ability to report annually. In addition, the State assessments provide the basis for school 

and LEA accountability under ESEA Title I. The Department established a baseline in 2004 and 

targets for reaching 100 percent proficiency by 2014, the ESEA objective. From 2008 through 

2012, reading and mathematics proficiency among AI/AN students were both below the 

respective targets. Data for 2014 will be available in summer 2015. 

F-14
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

Measure: The difference between the percentage of Indian students in grades 3-8 scoring at the 

proficient or advanced levels in reading on State assessments and the percentage of all students 

scoring at those levels.

Year Target Actual

2011 4.0% 7.3%

2012 2.7 5.0

2013 1.3 11.6

2014 0.0

2015 0.0

2016 0.0

Measure: The difference between the percentage of Indian students in grades 3-8 scoring at the 

proficient or advanced levels in mathematics on State assessments and the percentage of all 

students scoring at those levels.

Year Target Actual

2011 4.3% 11.4%

2012 2.9 11.0

2013 1.4 12.9

2014 0.0

2015 0.0

2016 0.0

Additional information: The Department has established indicators to measure the 

achievement gap between AI/AN students’ performance and all students’ performance on State 

assessments in reading and math. The targets reflect the ESEA goal of eliminating the 

achievement gap between AI/AN students and all students by 2014. 

Measure: Percentage of Indian students who graduate from high school.

Year Target Actual

2011 84.4% 71.0%

2012 86.2 66.9

2013 86.2 69.0

2014 86.2

2015 86.2

2016 86.2

Additional information: The final effectiveness measure the Department has established for 

this program is the percentage of Indian students who graduate from high school. This measure 

is calculated as the simple average among the States, by dividing the sum of the State AI/AN 

graduation rates reported on their Consolidated State Performance Reports (CSPR) by the 

number of States reporting AI/AN graduation rates. Each State’s rate should be reported on the 

F-15
INDIAN EDUCATION

Grants to local educational agencies

CSPR as the number of students who graduate from public high school with a regular diploma 

(not including a GED or any other diploma not fully aligned with the State's academic standards) 

in the standard number of years divided by the number of students who began high school that 

number of years ago, or by an alternative method developed by the State and approved by the 

Secretary that avoids counting dropouts as transfers. However, since States report percentages 

rather than the number of students graduating and the size of the cohort, the Department’s 

calculation as a simple average of the State percentages is not an accurate measure of the 

actual Indian graduation rate. Data for 2014 will be available in fall 2016.

Efficiency Measure

The Department’s initial efficiency measure for this program tracked the number of eligible 

applicants not funded on a timely basis due to administrative error. After the Department 

determined that this did not provide useful information (as almost all grants are made on a timely 

basis), it was replaced in 2007 with a measure of the percentage of funds used by grantees prior 

to award close-out.

Measure: The percentage of funds used by grantees prior to award close-out.

Year Target Actual

2011 100.0 92.5%

2012 100.0 100.0

2013 100.0 100.0

2014 100.0

2015 100.0

2016 100.0

Additional information: The proportion of program funds used by grantees has fluctuated in 

recent years. However, grantees have met the target in 2012 and 2013. Since the timing of 

close-out can vary even among a single fiscal year’s grantees, this measure is calculated as the 

proportion of the program appropriation that has been paid to grantees just prior to the 

cancellation of the appropriation. Therefore, data for 2008 correspond to fiscal year 2003 

grants. Data for 2014, corresponding to fiscal year 2009 grants, will be available later in 2015.

F-16
INDIAN EDUCATION

Special programs for Indian children

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title VII, Part A, Subpart 2) 

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2016 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority: 

 

2015 2016 Change 

$17,993 $67,993 +$50,000

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008 reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2016.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) authorizes 

discretionary programs designed to improve the quality of education for Indian students and to 

prepare and train Indians to serve as teachers and school administrators. Funds are awarded 

competitively and support the following programs:

• Improvement of Educational Opportunities for Indian Children (Section 7121) 

(Demonstration Grants). Under this program, the Department makes discretionary 

4-year grants to State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), 

Indian tribes and organizations, federally supported elementary or secondary schools for 

Indian students, and Indian institutions (including Indian institutions of higher education), 

or a consortium of such institutions, to improve Indian student achievement. The statute 

authorizes demonstration grants in such areas as innovative programs, remedial 

instruction, bilingual and bicultural programs, guidance and counseling, early childhood 

and kindergarten programs, secondary-to-postsecondary education transition programs, 

school-to-work programs, and family literacy services. Since 2009, the Department has 

funded projects in the areas of early childhood and secondary-to-postsecondaryeducation transition. 

• Professional Development (Section 7122). Under this program, the Department makes 

discretionary 4-year grants to (1) institutions of higher education, or (2) SEAs, LEAs, 

Indian tribes and organizations, and Department of the Interior-funded schools, in 

consortium with institutions of higher education, to increase the number of Indian 

individuals qualified in teaching, school administration, and other education professions, 

and to improve the skills of those individuals. Individuals receiving training under this 

program are required to secure employment in a field related to their education and 

benefiting Indians, or to pay back the amount of the assistance. Awards focus on 

pre-service teacher and pre-service administrator training.

F-17
INDIAN EDUCATION

Special programs for Indian children

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Year (dollars in thousands)

2011 .............................................................$19,022

2012 ...............................................................18,986

2013 ...............................................................17,993

2014 ...............................................................17,993

2015 ...............................................................17,993

FY 2016 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration’s 2016 Budget Request includes $68.0 million for Special Programs for 

Indian Children, $50 million more than the 2015 level. The increase would support a significant 

expansion of the Native Youth Community Projects (NYCP) that will be funded for the first time 

under the Demonstration Grants program in fiscal year 2015. NYCP is a centerpiece of 

investments in the 2016 Request that support a new an integrated approach to addressing 

barriers to success for Native youth. The President’s “Generation Indigenous” initiative takes a 

comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for 

native youth. Through new and increased investments at multiple agencies, the Request would 

support Federal agencies’ collaborative work with tribes to implement education reforms and 

address issues facing Native youth. NYCP is designed to support community-driven strategies 

to improve college- and career-readiness of Native youth by focusing on the unique educational 

needs of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children.

For fiscal year 2016, the Department would use about $52.9 million for new and continuing 

NYCP awards under the Demonstration Grants authority. The program makes grants to eligible 

entities to improve Indian student achievement by supporting projects that develop, test, and 

demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs in improving educational opportunities 

and achievement of Indian children. Successful projects would serve as models for the wider 

community and as case studies for those building the research base on best practices in the 

education of Indian students. For several years, the absolute funding priorities for the program 

have limited project services to (1) school readiness projects, and (2) college preparatory 

programs for secondary school students. However, in fiscal year 2015, the Department plans to 

make approximately five new NYCP awards to eligible entities to support culturally relevant 

coordinated strategies that are informed by evidence and data and address the greatest in- and 

out-of-school barriers to student college- and career-readiness. The Administration’s 2016 

Request would significantly expand this initiative, both by increasing the number of communities 

receiving grants and by funding projects undertaking a broader continuum of services. The 

Department would use funds from the National Activities program in the Indian Education 

account to support technical assistance activities for NYCP grantees. The Department would 

also use about $8.0 million for new and continuing Demonstration grant awards to support 

projects in the areas of early childhood and secondary-to-postsecondary-education transition.

For the Professional Development program, the Department would use about $6.4 million for

new and continuation awards. The American Indian Teacher Corps (AITC) combines several 

program elements in a manner designed to effectively train Indian college students as teachers 

to work in schools with concentrations of Indian children and youth. First, it supports the efforts 

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Special programs for Indian children

of tribal colleges and postsecondary institutions that offer teacher training to develop and 

operate programs. Second, it recruits heavily among Indian paraprofessionals who are already 

working in Indian communities, are able to connect with the students in Indian schools, and are 

more likely than other teachers to remain in those schools. Third, the program is 

comprehensive, providing tuition and living expenses for the students as well as program 

development and operational costs for the institutions.

The American Indian Administrator Corps (AIAC) recruits and trains American Indians to 

become effective school administrators in schools with high concentrations of Indian students. 

Similar to the Teacher Corps, it operates programs at tribal colleges and postsecondary 

institutions that offer education administration programs and recruits heavily among Indian 

teachers and professionals already working in Indian schools, as they are more likely than other 

individuals to remain in those schools. In addition, the grantees receive funding to provide 

induction services to new school administrators who are working in Indian schools, in order to 

enhance their knowledge of effective education reforms and practices.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2014 2015 2016

Demonstration Grants

NYCP Grants

Funding for new awards 0 $3,015 $49,875

Funding for continuation 

awards

 0 0 3,015

Total 0 3,015 52,890

Number of new awards 0 5 41

Number of continuation 

awards 0 0 5

Other Demonstration Grants

Funding for new awards $3,579 0 $3,000

Funding for continuing 

awards 7,968 $10,076 $5,004

Total: Demonstration 11,547 13,091 8,004

Number of new awards 13 0 10

Number of continuing 

awards 28 25 23

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Special programs for Indian children

Measures 2014 2015 2016

Professional Development

New awards: Professional Development $1,358 0 $3,000

Continuation awards: Professional Development 5,088 $4,722 3,419

Total: Professional Development 6,446 4,722 6,419

Number of new awards: Professional Development 5 0 10

Number of continuation 

awards: Professional Development 22 12 12

Peer Review 0 $180 $680

_________________

NOTE: The fiscal year 2014 appropriations act authorized the Department to pool evaluation funds reserved 

under section 9601 of the ESEA and use those pooled funds to evaluate any ESEA program. The fiscal year 2015 

appropriations act provided the same authority and the Administration’s fiscal year 2016 budget would continue this 

authority. While the Department did not reserve funds from the Special Programs for Indian Children program under 

this authority in fiscal year 2014, it may do so in fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION 

Performance Measures

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

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

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal 

year 2016 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program.

In 2007, the Department established new performance measures that more accurately and 

reliably gauge the effectiveness of these programs than did the previous measures. The 

Department has been using these measures beginning with the fiscal year 2008 new grantees. 

For the Demonstration Grants, the indicators for early childhood projects measure the 

percentage of preschool students who gain school readiness skills as evidenced by pre- and 

post-test scores on an approved assessment. Indicators for the secondary-to-postsecondaryeducation transition projects measure the percentage of participating AI/AN students 

successfully completing at least 3 years of challenging core courses (English, mathematics, 

science, and social studies) by the end of their fourth year in high school, and the percentage of 

students who graduate with their incoming 9th-grade class. For the 2009 cohort of grantees, 

71 percent of 3- and 4-year-old AI/AN children made language and communication development 

gains, 62 percent made gains on assessments of cognitive skills and conceptual knowledge, 

and 55 percent made gains on assessments of social development. On the secondary-topostsecondary indicators, 61 percent of participating AI/AN students successfully completed at 

least 3 years of challenging core courses and 77 percent graduated with their incoming 9th-grade 

class. The Department will have final data for the 2010 cohort in fall 2015. This is due to the 

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Special programs for Indian children

fact that, each year, the Department provides many grantees in year four of their awards, a 

1-year, no-cost extension to complete their projects.

The indicators for the Professional Development Grants will measure (1) the percentage of 

program participants who become school administrators and teachers, respectively, in local 

educational agencies (LEAs) with 5 percent or more Native American students, (2) the 

percentage of Teacher Corps participants who receive full State licensure, and (3) the 

percentage of program participants who complete their service requirement on schedule. New 

efficiency measures will track the cost per individual who successfully completes an 

administrator or teacher preparation program. Performance data for the Professional 

Development Grants program will be available later in 2015. This is due to the fact that, each 

year, the Department provides many grantees in year four of their awards a 1-year, no-cost 

extension to complete their projects.

The Department will develop new performance measures for the NYCP program and plans to 

announce the new measures in the final notice inviting applications. 

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National activities

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title VII, Part A, Subpart 3) 

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2016 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority: 

 

2015 2016 Change 

$5,565 $5,565 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2008; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2016.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) authorizes Indian Education 

National Activities that support research, evaluation, and data collection to provide information 

on the educational status of the Indian population and on the effectiveness of Indian Student 

Education programs. These activities help the Department to improve the national knowledge 

base on the educational status and needs of Indians and to identify and disseminate information 

on best practices for serving this population.

The Department has used program funds to augment broader research and statistical activities 

to ensure that they include significant coverage of the Indian population and provide data that 

can be used to track the educational progress of Indians over time and to compare the status of 

Indians with that of other groups. For example, the Department has gathered and disseminated

data on the academic achievement, enrollment, graduation rates, and English-speaking ability of 

Indian students; characteristics of teachers and principals serving those students; and other 

areas of concern and interest. This research program also responds to Executive Order 13592, 

on American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal 

Colleges and Universities, which requires the Secretary of Education to study and collect 

information on the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students. 

The 2012 Appropriations Act included funding for a pilot program for tribal education agencies 

(TEAs) to build their capacity. The Department made awards to four TEAs to work with SEAs to 

assume certain SEA responsibilities for the administration of ESEA programs and will make 

additional new awards in fiscal year 2015. 

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INDIAN EDUCATION

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Year (dollars in thousands)

2011 ...............................................................$3,883

2012 ................................................................. 5,872

2013 ................................................................. 5,565

2014 ................................................................. 5,565

2015 ................................................................. 5,565

FY 2016 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2016, the Administration requests $5.6 million for Indian Education National 

Activities, the same as the 2015 level. 

Generally, the Department uses National Activities funds to support efforts to improve American 

Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) student academic achievement in three areas, including: (1) 

research and data collection on the educational status of the Indian population and on the 

effectiveness of Indian student education programs, including the identification of promising 

interventions in the field; (2) technical assistance to entities implementing programs for Indian 

students; and (3) logistical support for Department-sponsored tribal consultations and meetings 

and for improved implementation of Indian student education programs.

The Department would use fiscal year 2016 funds for the following activities:

• The sixth National Indian Education Study (NIES), which has two components: 

(1) oversampling American Indian and Alaska Native students in the National 

Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and (2) a survey to collect information on 

the educational experiences of American Indian/Alaska Native students and the role of 

Indian culture in their education. As discussed under the Grants to Local Educational 

Agencies (LEAs) program, this oversampling provides the Department and the public 

with comprehensive and timely national and State-level information on American 

Indian/Alaska Native student achievement in reading and mathematics. The 2016

budget request would support the 2019 administration of the NAEP reading and 

mathematics assessments, as well as the educational experiences survey. Since 2011 

the Department has conducted the NIES, which includes the NAEP oversampling, every 

other biennial NAEP cycle (rather than for each cycle) in order to devote more Indian 

Education National Activities resources to other high-priority areas, such as research on 

promising practices and technical assistance. 

The Department released two reports as the culmination of the 2011 NIES in July 2012 

that are summarized in the Indian Education Grants to LEAs request; the full report is 

available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies/.

• Technical assistance for State educational agencies (SEAs), LEAs, other entities eligible 

for the Department’s programs, including tribal educational agencies. SEAs and LEAs 

do not always have the experience necessary to address the needs of AI/AN students or 

incorporate Indian culture into classroom instruction. According to the 2011 NIES, only 

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INDIAN EDUCATION

one third of AI/AN 8th-graders had reading or language arts teachers who reported that 

they integrated Indian culture into assignments once a month or more. Technical 

assistance activities might include helping SEAs and LEAs better understand the issues 

and challenges facing Indian students and integrate elements of native culture into 

curriculum, as well as assistance on identifying and incorporating promising practices 

into the education of Indian students. Funds will also be used to support technical 

assistance activities for NYCP grantees.

• Logistical support for the Department to continue tribal consultations and forums to help 

inform the Department’s policies and decision-making process. Previous experience 

suggests that these consultations can help improve education for AI/AN students, and 

the Administration is committed to continuing tribal consultation and strengthening the 

government-to-government relationship between the United States and Indian tribes.

• Grants to tribal educational agencies (TEAs). The fiscal year 2012 appropriations act 

included funding for a pilot program, known as the State-Tribal Education Partnership

(STEP) program, which makes grants to TEAs to build their capacity by entering into 

agreements to assume certain SEA responsibilities for the administration of ESEA 

programs. The Department would use fiscal year 2016 funds to continue a second round 

of STEP awards. 

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES (dollars in thousands)

Measures 2014 2015 2016

National Indian Education 

Study

$1,300 $1,300 $1,300

Other research 297 0 0

Technical assistance 1,086 1,274 1,393

Technical and logistical 

support 968 991 872

Grants to tribal education 

agencies

New awards 0 2,000 0

Continuation awards 1,914 0 2,000

_________________

NOTE: The fiscal year 2014 appropriations act authorized the Department to pool evaluation funds reserved 

under section 9601 of the ESEA and use those pooled funds to evaluate any ESEA program. The fiscal year 2015 

appropriations act provided the same authority and the Administration’s fiscal year 2016 budget would continue this 

authority. While the Department did not reserve funds from the Indian Education National Activities program under 

this authority in fiscal year 2014, it may do so in fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

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INDIAN EDUCATION

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION 

Performance Measures

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

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

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal 

year 2016 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program. 

The Department has established two performance measures for the STEP program to assess 

grantees’ progress in implementing collaborative agreements with SEAs: (1) the number of 

funded projects for which the TEA assumes State-level functions by the beginning of the second 

grant period; and (2) the number of funded projects that, at the end of the project period, report 

that the project has resulted in creation of an arrangement under which the TEA will continue to 

be responsible for the State-level functions delineated in its TEA-SEA agreement after Federal 

funding ends. At the beginning of the second grant period, all four STEP pilot grantees, the 

Chickasaw Nation (Oklahoma), the Navajo Nation (New Mexico), the Nez Perce Tribe (Idaho), 

and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Oregon) had assumed at least 

one State-level function, with two grantees assuming two functions, for a total of six State-level 

functions. Information on the second performance measure will be available after the project 

period has ended.

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