Department of Education

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Fiscal Year 2025 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

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

State Tables*

*State tables reflecting actual fiscal year 2023 allocations and fiscal years 2024 and 2025 

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, $940,000,000, which shall become available 

on July 1, 2025, and shall remain available through September 30, 2026,1 except that 8 percent 

of such amount shall be available on October 1, 2024, and shall remain available through 

September 30, 2026, to carry out activities under section 3111(c)(1)(C):

2 Provided, That up to 

$4,000,000 of amounts provided under this heading may be reserved for activities under section 

3202, including for the National Clearinghouse established under that section, and to provide 

technical assistance to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and other 

appropriate organizations and individuals, consistent with the purposes described in section

3102.

NOTES 

A full-year 2024 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, 2024 and Other Extensions 

Act (Division A of Public Law 118-15, as amended). The amounts included for 2024 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, 

2025, and shall remain available through 

September 30, 2026,

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 8 percent of such amount 

shall be available on October 1, 2024, and 

shall remain available through September 

30, 2026 to carry out activities under 

section 3111(c)(1)(C): 

This language overrides the statutory

reservation of 6.5 percent and provides for 

8 percent of the funds for English Language 

Acquisition to be used for national activities 

(National Professional Development grants 

and National Clearinghouse for English 

Language Acquisition) and for the funds to be 

available for two years. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2023 2024 2025 

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation $890,000 $890,000 $940,000

Discretionary Total, discretionary appropriation 890,000 890,000 940,000 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2024 $890,000

2025 $940,000

Net change +50,000

Increases: 2024 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 academic standards, while 

also assisting States and Local educational agencies 

(LEAs) that have experienced rapid growth in their EL 

populations. $890,000 +$50,000

Net change +50,000
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2024

Authorized footnote

2024

Annualized CRfootnote

2025

Authorizedfootnote

2025

Request

English language acquisition

Language Acquisi tion: State grants (ESEA-III-A) 0 $890,000 To be determined1 $940,000

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2021. Reauthorization for FY 2025 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

20161 $773,400 $737,400 $712,021 $737,400

20172 800,400 737,400 712,021 737,400

20183 735,998 737,400 737,400 737,400

20194 737,400 737,400 737,400 737,400

20205 737,400 980,000 737,400 787,400

20216 0 797,400 787,400 797,400

20227 917,400 1,000,000 917,400 831,400

20238 1,075,000 1,000,000 954,041 890,000

20249 1,195,000 0 897,000 890,000

2025 940,000

1 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.

2 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.

3 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). 4 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). 5 The Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). 6 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 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260). 7 The House allowance reflects floor action; the Senate Allowance reflects the Chair’s mark; and the Appropriation 

reflects Division of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103). 8 The House allowance reflects the regular annual FY 2023 appropriation, which was introduced on the floor; the 

Senate allowance reflects the Chair’s mark; and the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 

(P.L. 117-328). 9 The House allowance reflects Subcommittee action and the Senate allowance reflects Committee action on the 

regular annual 2024 appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the annualized continuing resolution level.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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English language acquisition 

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2025 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2024 Annualized CR 2025 Request Change

$890,000 $940,000 +$50,000

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-reported data, or a combination of 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 recent 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.

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2021. Reauthorization for FY 2025 is expected through appropriations 

action.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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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 

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 evidence-based, 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 support and 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.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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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 

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: 

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2020 $787,400

2021 797,400

2022 831,400

2023 890,000

2024 Annualized CR 890,000

FY 2025 BUDGET REQUEST 

For fiscal year 2025, the Administration requests $940 million for ELA, $50 million more than a 

fiscal year 2024 annualized CR based on the fiscal year 2023 appropriation. The request is in 

line with the Secretary’s “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” initiative, which includes providing 

pathways for all students to have the opportunity to be multilingual, beginning with the duty to 

ensure ELs achieve English proficiency and meet challenging State academic standards. 

The request includes appropriations language that would raise the set-aside for NPD from 6.5 to 

8 percent. The request reflects the Administration’s commitment to 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. The increased request for ELA, and 

the Department’s requests to elevate, and provide additional capacity to, the newly proposed

and reorganized Office of Multilingual and English Learners (currently the Office of English 

Language Acquisition) together deliver an agenda to serve EL students in an asset-based 

approach that will close achievement and opportunity gaps. 

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 that significant achievement gaps remain 

between ELs and their peers. For example, in 2022, only 14 percent of ELs scored proficient or 

better in fourth grade math, compared to 40 percent of non-ELs. In eighth grade mathematics, 

just 4 percent of ELs scored proficient or better, compared to 29 percent of non-ELs. NAEP data 

show similar gaps in fourth and eighth grade reading. Despite the continued achievement gaps 

between ELs and their peers, the overall drop in scores from 2019 were either less or the same 

for ELs compared to all non-ELs. For example, while scale scores for non-ELs in eight-grade 

math dropped 8 points, scores for ELs only dropped 2 points. 

1 https://ncela.ed.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/OELABiennialReportSYs2018-20c-508.pdf
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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 

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

eighth grade math and reading. 

These gaps in achievement are due to a number of factors related to inequities in educational 

opportunity. Research also indicates that misperceptions by educators about EL readiness for 

rigorous academic content further impedes ELs from attaining achievement at the same level of 

their non-EL peers.1 Addressing EL opportunity and achievement gaps over the past decade 

may have become particularly challenging in school districts with little experience in and fewer 

resources to serve growing school-aged EL populations. ACS data from 2021 show that 

California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas enroll 58 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 2020 to 2021,2 the EL population increased by 18 percent in 

Delaware, 13 percent in Tennessee, 9 percent in New Jersey, and 8 percent in Maine. In 

contrast, during that same timeframe, the EL population stayed relatively stable or slightly 

increased in California, Florida, and New York. 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.

States and school districts also have been hampered in meeting the needs of ELs due to

appropriations for English Language Acquisition State Grants that have declined in real terms 

(when accounting for inflation) over the past decade. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has 

compounded the challenges ELs face in 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.3 Some researchers 

estimated ELs were part of a group of students that missed the most instructional time in 2020 

and 2021.4 Making up for the lost time will require intensive tutoring and other accelerated 

learning strategies that are tailored for ELs, and the 2025 request for ELA State Grants 

recognizes the urgent need for significantly greater supports for EL students, their teachers, and 

their schools.

Additionally, while research has strengthened our understanding of both effective pedagogical 

practices for language acquisition and the educational benefits of multilingualism. Embracing

students’ native and home languages is a strength they bring to their school communities, and 

technical assistance from the Department has focused on assisting LEAs with implementing 

evidence-based instructional practices for language development. Taking an asset-based 

1 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. 2 ACS data for 2020 and 2021 are estimates from a 5-year period, meaning that the 2020 data include information 

from 2016-2010 and the 2021 data include information from 2017-2021. 3 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. 4 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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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 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. 

In 2023, the Administration launched “Being Bilingual is a Superpower,” an initiative to promote 

multilingual education and bolster high quality language programs and a diverse multilingual 

educator workforce. The new initiative recognizes that acquiring new languages through school 

or later in life can benefit all learners both educationally as well as wider access to job 

opportunities. 

Native American and Alaska Native Children in Schools (NAM) 

The $5 million set aside for NAM Grants would support an estimated 15 continuation awards in 

fiscal year 2025 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 Department held a 

competition for new awards for NAM grants in 2023. These grantees will also be the first cohort 

to benefit from the Department’s new Native American Resource Center which was also 

competed in 2023 and will support the revitalization and reclamation of Native American 

languages in schools by improving capacity to teach Native languages. 

National Activities

The Request would support an estimated 106 continuation awards for grants made in fiscal year 

2021, 2022 and an upcoming 2024 competition. The Department regulated NPD in 2023 and 

will finalize in 2024, adding new priorities, requirements, and definitions for new competitions in 

fiscal year 2023 and beyond with the intent to increase the number of bilingual and multilingual 

teachers supporting English language learners, which will target closing the multilingual teacher 

shortage gap to ensure ELs are instructed by well-prepared and fully certified bilingual teachers. 

The future of improved multilingual learning requires a shift in recruiting and supporting a new 

generation of high-quality, bilingual certified teachers. NPD’s regulation will allow grantees to 

support Grow-Your-Own models for paraprofessionals and students who have earned seals of 

biliteracy. 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 2025, 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 and Yvonne 

Freeman and David Freeman, “Connecting Students to Culturally Relevant Texts”. Personalizing Literacy. Retrieved 

from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/819/personalizing_literacy-culturallyrelevantreadings.pdf. 
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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands) 

Output Measures 2023 2024 2025

State formula grants

 English language acquisition State grants $822,989 $822,989 $855,476

 Number of States 56 56 56

 Range of Awards $113-161,156 $113-160,024 $119-166,338

NAM Grants

Grant award funds (new) $1,908 0 0

 Grant award funds (continuations) $3,051 $5,000 $5,000

Peer review $41 0 0

Total $5,000 $5,000 $5,000

Number of new awards 6 0 0

 Number of continuation awards 9 15 15

National Activities

NPD grant funds (new) 0 $8,400 0

 NPD grant funds (continuation) $55,561 $47,061 $72,824

Peer review 0 $100 0

 Clearinghouse $2,000 $2,000 $2,000

National Activiti es Total $57,561 $57,561 $74,824

Number of NPD grant awards (new) 0 12 0

 Number of NPD grant awards 

(continuations) 94 94 106

Evaluation1 $4,450 $4,450 $4,700

 

1 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 2023 but may do so in fiscal years 2024 or 

2025. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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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). 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). 

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

2020 34 Not Available

2021 35 6

2022 Baseline 31

2023 Baseline —

2024 — —

2025 — —

Additional information: Of the 44 States for which reliable data were available, 13 States 

reported lower performance or no change in the percentage of ELs making progress as 

compared to 2021. Data for 2020 were not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 

subsequent waiver of Statewide assessments in the 2019-2020 school year. As a result, data 

for 2021 are not based on the usual methodology for reporting this measure, as the 

performance measure is intended to compare outcomes between consecutive years. Data for 

2021 compares the 2020-2021 school year to the 2018-2019 school year. Normal reporting 

resumed for 2022, examining the change from 2020-2021 school year to the 2021-2022 school 

year. Given the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ELP assessment 

administration and reporting, 2020-2021 data may be incomplete and should be interpreted with 

caution. Fiscal year 2023 performance data is expected to be available in Summer 2024 and will 

be included in the fiscal year 2026 Congressional Justification. The Department plans to revisit 

performance targets once 2022-2023 school year data are available so that two consecutive 

years of comparable data can inform appropriate targets. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Measure: The number of States increasing the percentage of ELs attaining proficiency on the 

annual ELP assessment in LEAs that receive Title III funds. 

Year Target Actual

2020 37 Not Available

2021 38 7

2022 — 29

2023 — —

2024 — —

2025 — —

Additional information: Of the 48 States for which reliable date were available, 19 States 

reported lower performance or no change as compared to 2021. Data for 2020 were not 

available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent waiver of Statewide assessments in 

the 2019-2020 school year. As a result, data for 2021 are not based on the usual methodology 

for reporting this measure, as the performance measure is intended to compare outcomes 

between consecutive years. Data for 2021 compares school year 2020-2021 to school year 

2018-2019. Normal reporting resumed for 2022, examining the change from 2020-2021 school 

year to the 2021-2022 school year. Given the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on 

ELP assessment administration and reporting, 2020-2021 data may be incomplete and should 

be interpreted with caution. Fiscal year 2023 performance data is expected to be available in 

Summer 2024 and will be included in the fiscal year 2026 Congressional Justification. The 

Department plans to revisit performance targets once 2022-2023 school year data are available 

so that two consecutive years of comparable data can inform appropriate targets. 

Measure: 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.

Year Target Actual

2022 Baseline 28

2023 Baseline —

2024 — —

2025 — —

Additional information: 2022 is the first year the Department is reporting this performance 

measure. Of the 50 States (including the District of Columbia) for which reliable data were 

available, 22 States reported lower performance (i.e., a higher percentage) or no change in the

percentage of ELs who have not attained ELP within 5 years of initial classification as compared 

to 2021. Fiscal year 2023 performance data is expected to be available in Summer 2024 and 

will be included in the fiscal year 2026 Congressional Justification. The Department plans to 

establish performance targets once 2022-2023 school year data are available later in 2024 so 

that two consecutive years of comparable data can inform appropriate targets. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Measure: The number of States increasing the percentage of ELs who, having exited English 

LIEPs in LEAs that receive Title I funds, score proficient or above on State reading/language 

arts assessments in the fourth year after exiting. 

Year Target Actual

2021 Baseline 22

2022 Baseline 15

2023 — —

2024 — —

2025 — —

Additional information: Of the 45 States for which reliable data were available, 30 States 

reported lower performance or no change in the percentage of former ELs scoring proficient on 

reading/language arts assessments in their fourth year after exiting as compared to 2021. 2021 

was the first year the Department reported this performance measure. Data for 2020 were not 

available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent waiver of Statewide assessments in 

the 2019-2020 school year. As a result, data for 2021 are not based on the usual methodology 

for reporting this measure, as the performance measure is intended to compare outcomes 

between consecutive years. Data for 2021 compares school year 2020-2021 to school year 

2018-2019. Normal reporting resumed for 2022, examining the change from 2020-2021 school 

year to the 2021-2022 school year. Given the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on 

ELP assessment administration and reporting, 2020-2021 data may be incomplete and should 

be interpreted with caution. Fiscal year 2023 performance data is expected to be available in 

Summer 2024 and will be included in the fiscal year 2026 Congressional Justification. The 

Department plans to establish performance targets once 2022-2023 school year data are 

available so that two consecutive years of comparable data can inform appropriate targets. 

NPD Grant Program: 

The Department established the following measures for NPD Grants for the 2021 and 2022

cohorts. 

2021 and 2022 NPD Cohorts: 

Measure: The percentage of project-specific annual goals the program met.

Year Target 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2022 Cohort Actual

2021 100% 90%

2022 100 78 100% 78%

2023 90 90 90 —

2024 90 — 90 —

2025 95 — 90 —

Additional information: 2023 data for the 2022 cohort will be available in Spring of 2024. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Measure: The number of pre-service program participants enrolled. 

Year Target 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2022 Cohort Actual

2021 157 149 —

2022 577 621 544 469

2023 722 — 866 —

2024 820 — 871 —

2025 820 — 855 —

Additional information: 2023 data will be available in Spring 2024. 

Measure: The unduplicated number of in-service program participants served annually. 

Year Target 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2022 Cohort Actual

2021 971 989

2022 3138 3147 1806 1395

2023 3624 — 3177 —

2024 3879 — 3119 —

2025 3323 — 2783 —

Additional information: 2023 data will be available in Spring 2024. 

Measure: Under measures 2 and 3, the number of participants who are making progress 

toward becoming fully State certified, licensed or endorsed in EL instruction and the number of 

participants who have become fully State certified, licensed or endorsed in EL instruction by the 

end of the 5-year project period. 

Year Target 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2022 Cohort Actual

2021 664 707 —

2022 1561 1947 1114 991

2023 1674 — 2037 —

2024 1708 — 1943 —

2025 1851 — 1868 —

Additional information: 2023 data will be available in Spring 2024. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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NAM Program: 

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

Measure: The number and percentage of EL students served by the NAM program who score 

proficient or above on the State reading assessment.

Year Target 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2023 Cohort Actual

2021 6 11 N/A N/A

2022 7 3 N/A N/A

2023 10 — Baseline —

2024 14 — — —

2025 29 — — —

Additional information: Actuals reported are the number of EL students who score proficient 

of above on the State reading assessment. 2023 data will be available in Spring 2024. 

Measure: The number and percentage of ELs served by the project who have attained 

proficiency in English a measured by the State-approved English language proficiency

assessment. 

Year Target 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2023 Cohort Actual

2021 8 2 N/A N/A

2022 9 4 N/A N/A

2023 11 — Baseline —

2024 14 — — —

2025 17 — — —

Additional information: Actuals reported are the number of ELs who have attained proficiency 

in English. 2023 data will be available in Spring 2024.

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 2021 Cohort Actual Target 2023 Cohort Actual

2021 24% 21% N/A N/A

2022 23 42 N/A N/A

2023 46 — Baseline —

2024 30 — — —

2025 33 — — —

Additional information: 2023 data will be available Spring 2024.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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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. Additionally, the newly proposed and 

reorganized Office of Multilingual and English Learners (currently the Office of English 

Language Acquisition) will be administering State grants under Title III, Part A of the ESEA to 

serve ELs and immigrant children and youth. Title III, Part A State grants were previously 

administered by OESE.