Department of Education

A. EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language.......................................................................................................... A-1

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

Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers................................................................................ A-3

Summary of Changes ............................................................................................................... A-4

Authorizing Legislation.............................................................................................................. A-5

Appropriations History............................................................................................................... A-6

Significant Items in FY 2021 Appropriations Reports ............................................................... A-7

Summary of Request ................................................................................................................ A-9

Activities:.................................................................................................................................A-11

Grants to local educational agencies.................................................................................. A-11

Title I equity grants ............................................................................................................. A-20

Comprehensive literacy development grants ..................................................................... A-27

Innovative approaches to literacy....................................................................................... A-32

State agency programs: ..................................................................................................... A-36

Migrant................................................................................................................................ A-36

Neglected and delinquent................................................................................................... A-43

Special programs for migrant students............................................................................... A-50

State Tables*

State tables reflecting final 2020 allocations and 2021 and 2022 estimates are posted on the 

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

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Appropriations Language

For carrying out title I and subpart 2 of part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965 (referred to in this Act as "ESEA") and section 418A of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (referred to in this Act as "HEA"), [$17,226,790,000]$17,246,790,000, of 

which $6,306,490,000 shall become available on July 1, [2021]2022, and shall remain available 

through September 30, [2022]2023, and of which $10,841,177,000 shall become available on 

October 1, [2021]2022, and shall remain available through September 30, [2022]2023, for 

academic year [2021-2022]2022-2023:1 Provided, That $6,459,401,000 shall be for basic grants 

under section 1124 of the ESEA:2 Provided further, That up to $5,000,000 of these funds shall 

be available to the Secretary of Education (referred to in this title as "Secretary") on October 1, 

[2020]2021, to obtain annually updated local educational agency-level census poverty data from 

the Bureau of the Census:3 Provided further, That $1,362,301,000 shall be for concentration 

grants under section 1124A of the ESEA:4 Provided further, That $4,357,550,000 shall be for 

targeted grants under section 1125 of the ESEA:5 Provided further, That $4,357,550,000 shall 

be for education finance incentive grants under section 1125A of the ESEA:6 Provided further,

That $220,000,000 shall be for carrying out subpart 2 of part B of title II: 7 Provided further, That 

[$46,123,000]$66,123,000 shall be for carrying out section 418A of the HEA.8 (Department of 

Education Appropriations Act, 2021.)

NOTE

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.
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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1 ...of which 6,306,490,000 shall become 

available on July 1, [2021]2022, and shall 

remain available through September 30, 

[2022]2023, and of which $10,841,177,000 

shall become available on October 1, 

[2021]2022, and shall remain available 

through September 30, [2022]2023, for 

academic year [2021-2022]2022-2023:

This language provides for funds to be 

appropriated on a forward-funded basis for 

the Title I Basic Grants, Concentration 

Grants, Targeted Grants, Education Finance 

Incentive Grants, State Agency Migrant and 

Neglected and Delinquent, and 

Comprehensive Literacy Development 

Grants. The language also provides that a 

portion of the funds is available in an 

advance appropriation that becomes 

available for obligation on October 1 of the 

following fiscal year.

2...Provided, That $6,459,401,000 shall be 

for basic grants under section 1124 of the 

ESEA:...

This language establishes a specific funding 

level for Title I Basic Grants.

3 ...Provided further, That up to $5,000,000 

of these funds shall be available to the 

Secretary of Education (referred to in this title 

as ‘‘Secretary’’) on October 1, 2021, to obtain 

annually updated local educational agencylevel census poverty data from the Bureau of 

the Census:...

This language makes available, on a currentfunded basis, $5 million from Basic Grant 

funds to support continued work by the 

Census Bureau to update LEA-level poverty 

data.

4 ...Provided further, That $1,362,301,000 

shall be for concentration grants under 

section 1124A of the ESEA:...

This language establishes a specific funding 

level for Title I Concentration Grants.

5 ...Provided further, That 4,357,550,000 

shall be for targeted grants under section 

1125 of the ESEA:...

This language establishes a specific funding 

level for Title I Targeted Grants.

6 ...Provided further, 4,357,550,000 shall be 

for education finance incentive grants under 

section 1125A of the ESEA:...

This language establishes a specific funding 

level for Title I Education Finance Incentive 

Grants.

7 ...Provided further, That $220,000,000 shall 

be for carrying out subpart 2 of part B of title 

II:...

This language provides funding for 

Comprehensive literacy development grants 

and Innovative approaches to literacy.

8 ...Provided further, That [$46,123,000] 

$66,123,000 shall be for carrying out section 

418A of the HEA.

This language provides funding for Special 

Programs for Migrant Students.
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Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2020 2021 2022

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation .......................................... $16,996,790 $17,226,790 $37,246,790

Total, discretionary appropriation....... 16,996,790 17,226,790 37,246,790

Advance:

Advance for succeeding fiscal year........ -10,841,177 -10,841,177 -10,841,177

Advance from prior year......................... 10,841,177 10,841,177 10,841,177

Total, budget authority ....................... 16,996,790 17,226,790 37,246,790
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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2021 ................................................................................................... $17,226,790

2022 .................................................................................................. 37,246,790

Net change ................................................................. +20,020,000

Increases: 2021 base

Change

from base

Program:

Funding for new Title I Equity Grants program to address 

long-standing disparities between under-resourced school 

districts and their wealthier counterparts by providing 

meaningful incentives to examine and address inequalities 

in school funding systems, ensuring that teachers at Title I 

schools are paid competitively, increasing preparation for, 

access to, and success in rigorous coursework, and 

expanding access to high-quality preschool for 

underserved children and families. 0 $20,000,000

Increase funding for Special Programs for Migrant 

Students to support of the President’s goal to advance 

equity in education and significantly expand programs that 

have demonstrated success in helping migrant youth. $46,123 +20,000

Net change +20,020,000
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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity 2021

Authorized footnote

2021

Estimate

2022

Authorized

footnote

2022

Request

Grants to local educational agencies (ESEA-1-A):

LEA grants formulas: $16,182,345 $16,182,3451

LEA grants formulas Basic grants (Section 1124) (2) $6,459,401To be determined 2 $6,459,401

LEA grants formulas Concentration grants (Section 1124A) (2) 1,362,301 To be determined2 1,362,301

LEA grants formulas Targeted grants (Section 1125) (2) 4,357,550 To be determined2 4,357,550

LEA grants formulas Education finance incentive grants (Section 1125A) (2) 4,357,550 To be determined2 4,357,550

Title I equity grants (Proposed legislation) 0 0 To be determined 20,000,000

Comprehensive literacy development grants (ESEA-IIB-2, Section 2222)

(3)

192,000

To be determined1,3

192,000

Innovative approaches to literacy (ESEA-II-B-2, 

Section 2226)

(3)

28,000

To be determined1,3

28,000

State agency programs:

Migrant (ESEA I-C) 374,751 375,626 To be determined1 375,626

Neglected and delinquent (ESEA I-D) 47,614 48,239 To be determined1 48,239

Special Programs for Migrant Students (HEA IV-A-5) 04 46,123To be determined 4 66,123

Total definite authorization $16,604,710 $16,604,710

Total appropriation $17,226,790 $17,246,790

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2021. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for fiscal year 2022. 2 Of the total funds appropriated for Grants to LEAs, an amount equal to the fiscal year 2001 appropriation of $7,397,690 thousand is to be distributed through the 

Basic Grants formula. An amount equal to the fiscal year 2001 appropriation of $1,365,031 thousand is to be distributed through the Concentration Grants formula. 

Amounts appropriated in excess of the fiscal year 2001 appropriation are to be divided equally and distributed through the Targeted Grants and Educational 

Finance Incentive Grants formulas. In recent years, Congress specified the amounts to be distributed through each formula in the annual appropriations acts. 3 For Part B of Title II, a total of $489,168 thousand is authorized for fiscal year 2020. Of the total amount appropriated for Title II, Part B, 38.9 percent is 

authorized for Subpart 2 programs.

4 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2015. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for fiscal year 2022.

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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Footnote AppropriationFootnote

2013 $15,558,649 $15,208,1511 $15,840,1031 $14,921,636

(2013 Advance for 2014) (11,681,898) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177 )

2014 15,683,649 N/A2 15,875,2313 15,552,693

(2014 Advance for 2015) (11,681,898) (10,841,177) (10,841,177 )

2015 15,377,965 N/A2 15,566,2264 15,536,107

(2015 Advance for 2016) (11,681,898) (10,841,177) (10,841,177)

2016 16,592,546 14,869,6415 15,455,8025 16,016,790

(2016 Advance for 2017) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177)

2017 16,043,790 15,986,7906 16,066,7906,7 16,143,7906,7

(2017 Advance for 2018) (10,841,177) (11,041,177) (10,841,177) (10,767,555)

2018 16,347,558 15,953,7907 16,169,1987 16,107,7817

(2018 Advance for 2019) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177)

2019 $15,926,790 $16,443,7908 $16,568,7908 $16,543,7908

(2019 Advance for 2020) (11,681,898) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177)

2020 16,376,790 17,563,802 16,543,7909 $16,996,790

(2020 Advance for 2021) (11,681,898) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177)

2021 0 17,258,290 17,121,79010 17,226,790

(2021 Advance for 2022) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177) (10,841,177)

2021 17,246,790

(2021 Advance for 2022) (10,841,177)

1 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. 2 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action. 3 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only. 4 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only.

5 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.

6 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. 7 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).

8 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). 9 The Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriation Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94).

10 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).
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Significant Items in FY 2021 Appropriations Reports

Grants to LEAs

House: The Committee encourages the Department to provide technical assistance and 

support to State and local educational agencies in implementing evidence-based 

strategies for improving schools identified for comprehensive and targeted 

support and improvement under Title I. In particular, the Committee notes the 

importance of principals and other school leaders in bringing about 

improvements in student achievement and other outcomes. Research shows 

there are virtually no documented instances of low-performing schools being 

turned around without intervention by a powerful leader. Demonstrated effects of 

successful leadership are considerably greater in schools that are in more 

difficult circumstances. Additionally, research has found that school leadership is 

second only to classroom instruction as an influence on student learning, and 97 

percent of teachers say that the principal is responsible for determining if a 

school can attract and retain great teachers. Therefore, the Committee 

encourages the Department to provide technical assistance to States and school 

districts on strengthening school leadership as a mechanism for improving 

results in low-performing schools, particularly those identified for comprehensive 

and targeted support and improvement within the State’s accountability system. 

The Committee directs the Department to respond to this request in the fiscal 

year 2022 Congressional Budget Justification.

Response: The Administration shares the Committee’s view on the importance of effective 

leadership in school performance, particularly when it comes to developing and 

implementing successful school turnaround plans. The fiscal year 2022 request 

would make critical investments in strengthening school leadership, including $30 

million in new discretionary funding for the School Leader Recruitment and 

Support program and $200 million ($2 billion over 10 years) in mandatory funding 

under the American Families Plan for a new Expanding Opportunities for 

Teacher Leadership and Development program. The Department will consider 

giving priority under both programs to projects that recruit and prepare school 

leaders to work in schools identified for improvement under the ESEA.

Innovative Approaches to Literacy

House: The Committee directs the Department to prioritize in the fiscal year 2021 

competition underserved communities in urban school districts in which students 

from low-income families make up at least 50 percent of enrollment.

Senate: The Committee continues to direct the Department to reserve no less than 50 

percent of funds under this program for grants to develop and enhance effective 

school library programs, which may include providing professional development 

to school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools. 

School library programs increase access to a wide range of print and electronic 

resources and provide learning opportunities for all students, particularly those 

who are less likely to have access to such materials at home.
EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

Significant Items in FY 2021 Appropriations Reports—continued

A-8

Further, the Committee continues to direct the Department to ensure that grants 

are distributed among eligible entities that will serve geographically diverse 

areas, including rural areas.

Explanatory

Statement: The agreement continues to direct the Department to reserve no less than 50 

percent of funds under this program for grants to develop and enhance effective 

school library programs, which may include providing professional development 

to school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools. 

Further, the agreement directs the Department to ensure that grants are 

distributed among eligible entities that will serve geographically diverse areas, 

including rural areas and underserved communities in urban school districts in 

which students from low-income families make up at least 50 percent of 

enrollment.

Response: The Department is working to incorporate each of the report language directives 

from Congress into the fiscal year 2021 IAL competition, in part through Notice of 

Proposed Priorities and Requirement published in the Federal Register on April 

6, 2021 (see https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-04-06/pdf/2021-

07027.pdf). The deadline for interested parties to submit comments was May 6, 

2021, and the Department will take commenters’ feedback into consideration 

when deciding on final priorities.
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Summary of Request

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2022 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET

(in thousands of dollars)

Cat

Code

2020

Appropriation

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

2022 Request Compared to

2021 Appropriation

Amount Percent

Education for the Disadvantaged

1. Title I programs

(a) Grants to local educational agencies (ESEA I-A):

i. Basic grants (section 1124)

Annual appropriation D 5,468,625 5,695,625 5,695,625 0 0.00%

Advance for succeeding fiscal year D 990,776 763,776 763,776 0 0.00%

ii. Concentration grants (section 1124A)

Advance for succeeding fiscal year D 1,362,301 1,362,301 1,362,301 0 0.00%

iii. Targeted grants (section 1125) D 0 0 0 0 ---

Advance for succeeding fiscal year D 4,244,050 4,357,550 4,357,550 0 0.00%

iv. Education finance incentive grants (section 1125A) D 0 0 0 0 ---

Advance for succeeding fiscal year D 4,244,050 4,357,550 4,357,550 0 0.00%

Subtotal, Grants to LEAs D 16,309,802 16,536,802 16,536,802 0 0.00%

(b)

Subtotal, Title I programs D 16,309,802 16,536,802 36,536,802 20,000,000 120.94%

Annual appropriation D 5,468,625 5,695,625 5,695,625 0 0.00%

Advance for succeeding fiscal year D 10,841,177 10,841,177 10,841,177 0 0.00%

2. Comprehensive literacy development grants (ESEA II-B-2, section 2222) D 192,000 192,000 192,000 0 0.00%

3. Innovative approaches to literacy (ESEA II-B-2, section 2226) D 27,000 28,000 28,000 0 0.00%

4. State agency programs:

(a) Migrant (ESEA I-C) D 374,751 375,626 375,626 0 0.00%

(b) Neglected and delinquent (ESEA I-D) D 47,614 48,239 48,239 0 0.00%

Subtotal, State agency programs 422,365 423,865 423,865 0 0.00%

5. Special programs for migrant students (HEA IV-A-5) D 45,623 46,123 66,123 20,000 43.36%

Total, Appropriation D 16,996,790 17,226,790 37,246,790 20,020,000 116.21%

Total, Budget authority D 16,996,790 17,226,790 37,246,790 20,020,000 116.21%

Current 6,155,613 6,385,613 26,405,613 20,020,000 313.52%

Prior year's advance 10,841,177 10,841,177 10,841,177 0 0.00%

NOTES: D = discretionary program; M = mandatory program

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

Title I equity grants (proposed legislation) D 0 0 20,000,000 20,000,000 ---

Click here for accessible version
EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

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Summary of Request

The programs in the Education for the Disadvantaged account provide the foundation for school 

improvement efforts needed to ensure that all children receive a high-quality education. Most of 

the programs in this account are authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

(ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The Administration is 

requesting a total of $17.2 billion in fiscal year 2022 for the programs in this account.

The $16.5 billion request for Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) would support 

States and LEAs in providing extra academic help to students in high-poverty schools. Funds 

can be used flexibly for locally determined programs and interventions across a broad range of 

areas, including through schoolwide programs that allow Federal and other funds to be 

consolidated and leveraged for comprehensive school reforms.

The proposed $20 billion Title I Equity Grants program would build on the existing Title I 

program by directly addressing longstanding inequities in our education system, including State 

and local funding systems that favor wealthier districts over districts with concentrated poverty;

competitive pay for teachers; preparation for, access to, and success in rigorous coursework; 

and expanded high-quality preschool opportunities.

The $192 million request for Comprehensive Literacy Development Grants would support 

competitive grants to SEAs to provide targeted, evidence-based literacy intervention in highneed schools. Grantees must subgrant funds to LEAs to support literacy interventions for 

children from birth through kindergarten entry and for students from kindergarten through 

grade 12.

The $28 million request for Innovative Approaches to Literacy would fund competitive grants to 

LEAs, consortia of LEAs, the Bureau of Indian Education, or national nonprofit organizations, to 

promote literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income 

communities. Grantees would develop and implement school library programs and provide 

high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and up-to-date reading material to children and 

adolescents in low-income communities.

The request would also provide $375.6 million for the State agency Migrant program and 

$48.2 million for the State agency Neglected and Delinquent program. These programs serve 

students, who, by definition, are not educated by a single school district. The Migrant program 

serves students who move across school districts, and the Neglected and Delinquent program 

serves students who are educated in institutional settings or correctional facilities and will likely 

transition to local school systems.

Finally, the request includes $66.1 million for Special Programs for Migrant Students, an 

increase of $20 million, or 43 percent, over the fiscal year 2021 appropriation, in support of the 

President’s goal to advance equity in education. The increase complements requests for other 

programs authorized under the Higher Education Act that provide student supports to 

underserved students so they can succeed in and graduate from college, and would support a 

significant expansion of programs that have demonstrated success in helping migrant youth 

who are particularly at risk for low educational, employment, and earnings outcomes. 
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Activities:

Grants to local educational agencies

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget authority:

Activity and period of fund availability

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

Change from

2021 to 2022

Basic grants $6,459,401 $6,459,401 0

Concentration grants 1,362,301 1,362,301 0

Targeted grants 4,357,550 4,357,550 0

Education finance incentive grants 4,357,550 4,357,550 0

Total 16,536,802 16,536,802 0

Annual appropriation 5,695,625 5,695,625 0

Advance for succeeding fiscal year 10,841,177 10,841,177 0

_________________

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2021; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2022.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) provides supplemental education funding, 

especially in communities of concentrated poverty, for local programs that provide extra 

academic support to help students in high-poverty schools meet challenging State academic 

standards. The program serves an estimated 25 million students in nearly 90 percent of school 

districts and nearly 60 percent of all public schools.

Title I schools help students reach challenging State academic standards through one of two 

models: a targeted assistance model that supplements the regular education program for 

individual students most in need of special assistance, or a schoolwide model that allows 

schools to use Title I fundsin combination with other Federal, State, and local fundsto 

improve the overall instructional program for all students in a school. Schools serving 

attendance areas in which at least 40 percent of students are from low-income backgrounds, or 

schools in which such students account for at least 40 percent of enrollment, are eligible to 

operate schoolwide programs. States also may grant waivers to operate these programs to 

schools not meeting eligibility requirements.

The reauthorized ESEA encourages the use of Title I funds to strengthen the academic program 

of participating schools, including by establishing preschool programs for eligible children under 

6 years of age and dual or concurrent enrollment programs for eligible secondary school 

students that provide access to college-level coursework through partnerships with institutions 

of higher education. Schools also must provide ongoing professional development for staff 
EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

Grants to local educational agencies

A-12

working with underserved students and carry out activities designed to increase parent and 

caregiver engagement.

Title I Grants to LEAs provide the foundation for the ESEA’s accountability and improvement

system for all public schools, which emphasizes State and local responsibilities in the areas of

challenging academic standards and aligned assessments, measuring annual student progress, 

reporting on performance, and supporting continuous school improvement.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department waived for all States for the 2019-2020 school 

year certain assessment, accountability, school identification, and report card requirements 

described in the following paragraphs. The Department has also invited States to request

waivers of certain accountability and school identification requirements for school year 2020-

2021 and has approved or expects to approve waiver requests for the majority of States.

Standards and Assessments

Under Title I, each State is required to have a system of challenging academic standards and 

aligned assessments that ensures students are prepared for college and careers, and LEAs 

must integrate these standards into local instruction. The State must adopt challenging content 

standards that describe what all students should know and be able to do in at least reading, 

language arts, mathematics, and science, as well as achievement standards that describe at 

least three levels of performance with respect to the State’s content standards. The 

reauthorized ESEA requires that each State demonstrate alignment of its standards with 

entrance requirements for credit-bearing coursework in the State’s system of higher education 

as well as relevant State career and technical education standards. The State must also adopt 

standards for English language proficiency and may adopt alternate achievement standards for 

students with the most significant cognitive disabilities; both must be aligned with the State’s 

challenging academic content standards.

States are also required to administer academic assessments that measure and provide 

understandable and timely information about the achievement of all students against State 

standards. States must administer reading and mathematics assessments annually to all 

students in grades 3-8 and once in high school, and must administer annual science 

assessments for at least 1 grade in each of 3 grade spans (3-5, 6-9, and 10-12). These 

assessments must be valid and reliable, include measures that assess higher-order thinking 

skills and understanding of challenging content (which may include measures of student 

academic growth and which may be partially delivered in the form of portfolios, projects, or 

extended performance tasks), and enable achievement results to be disaggregated by major 

racial and ethnic groups, gender, and poverty, disability, English proficiency, and migratory

status. States may permit LEAs to use State-approved nationally recognized high school 

assessments in lieu of the State’s high school assessments. States must also annually assess 

the English language proficiency of English learners and may administer alternate assessments 

based on alternate achievement standards to students with the most significant cognitive 

disabilities, provided that the number of students taking these alternate assessments does not 

exceed 1 percent of all assessed students in the State.
EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

Grants to local educational agencies

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The Department provides dedicated State formula grant support for the development and 

implementation of required State assessments (see State Assessments in the School 

Improvement Programs account).

Accountability and School Improvement

Under Title I, State standards and assessments are used to hold LEAs and schools accountable 

for performance through State-determined accountability and improvement systems. These 

systems must include interim targets and long-term goals for, at a minimum, student proficiency 

on State assessments and high school graduation rates, for all students and disaggregated by 

each student subgroup, as well as progress in attaining English language proficiency for English 

learners. In addition, State systems must include indicators of: (1) academic achievement 

based on State assessments; (2) for high schools, 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rates and, 

at the State’s discretion, extended-year graduation rates; (3) for elementary and middle schools, 

another academic indicator (which may be a measure of student growth); (4) progress in 

achieving English language proficiency; and (5) at least one indicator, of the State’s choosing, of 

school quality or student success. States must use these indicators to meaningfully differentiate 

school performance annually, with the first four indicators afforded substantial weight 

individually and much greater weight in the aggregate than indicators of school quality or 

student success.

States and LEAs receiving Title I funds must disseminate annual report cards that provide 

information on the performance of the State and its LEAs and schools. These report cards must 

be concise, presented in an understandable and uniform format, and accessible to the public, 

and must address minimum content requirements including, among other things: a description 

of the State’s accountability system; information on performance with respect to the interim 

targets, long-term goals, and indicators discussed above; professional qualifications of teachers; 

per-pupil expenditures, including actual personnel and nonpersonnel expenditures of Federal, 

State, and local funds; and, where available, rates at which high school graduates enroll in 

postsecondary education programs in the year following graduation. Report cards may also 

include any additional information that the State or LEA determines will best provide parents, 

students, and the public with information on school progress. States must prepare a report card 

for the State as a whole, and LEAs must prepare report cards for the LEA as a whole (which 

must include comparisons of achievement on State assessments between the LEA and State) 

and for each school (which must include achievement comparisons between the school and the 

LEA and State).

The State’s indicators are also used to identify, at least once every 3 years, a statewide 

category of schools for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI schools), which must 

include at least the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I schools and all high schools with 4-

year graduation rates below 67 percent. LEAs, in partnership with stakeholders, must develop 

and implement plans for these schools that, among other things, include evidence-based 

interventions stemming from a needs assessment. The State must also notify LEAs annually of 

any schools with consistently underperforming student subgroups or with subgroups performing 

as poorly as schools in the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I schools. These schools then 

must develop and implement targeted support and improvement plans to improve outcomes for 

those particular subgroups of students using evidence-based interventions. Schools with 
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subgroups performing as poorly as schools in at least the lowest-performing 5 percent and that 

have not improved after receiving targeted support and improvement for a State-determined 

number of years must be identified by the State for comprehensive support and improvement.1

Under section 1003(a) of the ESEA, States must reserve funds to make subgrants on a formula 

or competitive basis to LEAs to support schools identified for comprehensive support and 

improvement or implementing targeted support and improvement plans. States must generally

reserve for this purpose 7 percent of combined Title I, Part A allocations to LEAs, except that, 

beginning in fiscal year 2018 (the second fiscal year for which the school improvement 

reservation was in effect), the amount a State reserves may not result in a decrease in the 

amount of Title I funds each of its LEAs receives compared to the previous fiscal year.

Allocations

Title I, Part A funds are allocated through four separate formulas. All four formulas are based 

on the number of children from low-income backgrounds in each LEA, and each formula also 

includes such factors as the LEA’s poverty rate and State per-pupil expenditures for education. 

Other children counted for allocation purposes (“formula children”) include children in families 

above the poverty line receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (the main FederalState income maintenance program), children in foster homes, and children in local institutions 

for neglected and delinquent (N&D) children. Eligible LEAs receive funding under one or more 

of the formulas, but the final outcome of the Federal-State allocation process is a single Title I, 

Part A award to each qualifying LEA.

Three formulas are based primarily on the number of formula children in each LEA, weighted by 

State per-pupil expenditures for education. Basic Grants are awarded to school districts with at 

least 10 formula children who make up more than 2 percent of their school-age population 

(defined as children ages 5 to 17) and, thus, spread funds thinly across nearly all LEAs. 

Concentration Grants provide additional funds to LEAs in which the number of formula children 

exceeds 6,500 or 15 percent of the total school-age population. The Targeted Grants formula 

weights child counts to make higher payments to school districts with high numbers or 

percentages of formula students. To be eligible for Targeted Grants, an LEA must have at least 

10 formula children counted for Basic Grant purposes, and the count of formula children must 

equal at least 5 percent of the school age population.

In addition, the statute includes a separately authorized and funded Education Finance 

Incentive Grants (EFIG) formula. This formula uses State-level “equity” and “effort” factors to 

make allocations to States that are intended to encourage States to spend more on education 

and to improve the equity of State funding systems. Once State allocations are determined, 

sub-allocations to the LEA level are based on a modified version of the Targeted Grants 

formula.

1 Consistent with the ESSA’s transition provisions, the Department permitted States to delay, until the 2018-2019 

school year, the identification of schools for comprehensive support and improvement and additional schools for 

targeted support and improvement because the schools have student subgroups performing as poorly as schools in 

the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I schools.
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In determining allocations under each of the four formulas, the statute requires the use of 

annually updated Census Bureau estimates of the number of children from low-income 

backgrounds in each LEA. There is roughly a 2-year lag between the income year used for LEA 

poverty estimates and the fiscal year in which those estimates are used to make Title I 

allocations. For example, the fiscal year 2020 allocations were based on LEA poverty estimates 

for 2018. The Department transfers approximately $5 million from the annual Title I 

appropriation to the Census Bureau to finance the preparation of these LEA poverty estimates.

LEAs also use poverty data—generally the number of students eligible for free- or reduced-price 

lunch—to make within-district allocations to schools. LEAs with more than 1,000 students must 

serve, in rank order by poverty rate, all schools with a poverty rate above 75 percent, including 

middle and high schools, before serving other schools. Under the reauthorized ESEA, an LEA 

may lower the service threshold for high schools from 75 to 50 percent if it chooses.

Of the total appropriation for Title I Grants to LEAs, 0.7 percent is reserved for the Department 

of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education and 0.4 percent for the Outlying Areas (American 

Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands). The amount reserved for 

the Outlying Areas includes $1 million for the Republic of Palau. In addition, States are 

permitted to reserve up to 1 percent, or $400,000, whichever is greater, to cover State costs of 

administering Title I programs, except that such amounts may not exceed the level that is 

provided if the total appropriation for Parts A, C, and D of Title I of the ESEA equals $14 billion, 

a threshold that has been exceeded each year beginning with fiscal year 2008. Under 

Subpart 2 of Part D of Title I, a State must also reserve funds from its Title I, Part A allocation to 

make subgrants, on a formula or competitive basis, to eligible LEAs with high numbers or 

percentages of children and youth in correctional facilities for children and youth not operated by 

the State, including public or private institutions and community day programs or schools that 

serve delinquent children and youth. Finally, a State may also reserve up to 3 percent of its 

allocation to make grants to LEAs to carry out direct student services, including participation in 

courses not otherwise available at the student’s school and in advanced courses and exams, 

personalized learning approaches, credit recovery programs, and transportation to enable 

students to attend higher-performing public schools, including charter schools. In making such 

grants, States must give priority to LEAs with the highest percentage of schools identified for 

comprehensive or targeted support and improvement, and LEAs must use grant funds to pay for 

services for students in such schools prior to serving other struggling students.

Title I Grants to LEAs is a forward-funded program that includes advance appropriations. A 

portion of funds becomes available for obligation on July 1 of the fiscal year in which they are 

appropriated and remains available for Federal obligation for 15 months. The remaining funds 

become available on October 1 of the following fiscal year and remain available for Federal 

obligation for 12 months, expiring at the same time as the forward-funded portion.
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Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years, in thousands of dollars, were:

Fiscal Year

Basic

Grants

Concentration 

Grants

Targeted

Grants

Education 

Finance

Incentive

Grants Total

2017................. $6,459,401 $1,362,301 $3,819,050 $3,819,050 $15,459,802

2018................. 6,459,401 1,362,301 3,969,050 3,969,050 15,759,802

2019................. 6,459,401 1,362,301 4,019,050 4,019,050 15,859,802

2020................. 6,459,401 1,362,301 4,244,050 4,244,050 16,309,802

2021................. 6,459,401 1,362,301 4,357,550 4,357,550 16,536,802

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $16.5 billion for Title I Part A Grants to LEAs, the same as the 

fiscal year 2021 enacted level, supplemented by the proposed Title I Equity Grants Program, 

which would provide an additional $20 billion in formula grants to LEAs as part of the 

President’s commitment to dramatically increase funding for Title I schools. 

Title I Part A funds may be used flexibly for locally determined programs and interventions 

across a broad range of areas, including through schoolwide programs that allow Federal and 

other funds to be consolidated and leveraged for comprehensive school reforms. Title I Equity 

Grants will build on these investments by directly addressing longstanding inequities in our 

education system, including State and local funding systems that favor wealthier districts over 

districts with concentrated poverty; competitive pay for teachers; preparation for, access to, and 

success in rigorous coursework; and expanded high quality preschool opportunities.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands, except whole dollar per-child amounts)

Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

Allocations by LEA Poverty Rate:

0-15%

0-15% # of LEAs 6,089 6,525 6,500

0-15% Dollars 3,219,278 3,927,758 3,908,331

0-15% % of Total $ 20.09 24.18 24.06

0-15% # of Formula Eligible Children 2,193,253 2,434,033 2,433,883

0-15% 0-15% $ Per Formula Child $1,468 $1,614 $1,606

15-25%

15-25% # of LEAs 4,301 4,171 4,168

15-25% Dollars 3,362,054 6,678,387 6,680,911

15-25% % of Total $ 39.71 41.11 41.12

15-25% # of Formula Eligible Children 3,784,271 3,543,784 3,543,762

15-25% 15-25% $ Per Formula Child $1,681 $1,885 $1,885
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Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

>25% 

>25% # of LEAs 2,364 1,986 1,986

>25% Dollars 6,440,739 5,639,639 5,658,158

>25% % of Total $ 40.20 34.71 34.83

>25% # of Formula Eligible Children 3,466,324 2,789,519 2,789,519

>25% >25% $ Per Formula Child $1,858 $2,022 $2,028

LEA Allocation Subtotal 16,022,071 16,245,784 16,247,400

BIA/Outlying Areas 179,353 181,850 181,850

N&D Program (Part D, Subpart 2) 103,387 104,168 102,552

Census Updates 5,000 5,000 5,000

Grants to LEAs Total 16,309,802 16,536,802 16,536,802

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

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

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data. Achievement of program 

results is based on the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years, and those 

requested in fiscal year 2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by 

those served by this program. 

These performance measures rely on data submitted annually through the ESEA Consolidated 

State Performance Reports, which include State and local performance information primarily as 

specified through the annual “report card” requirements described in Section 1111(h) of the 

ESEA. Fiscal year 2017 serves as the baseline for the measures, which examine gaps in 

achievement and graduation rates for educationally disadvantaged students. Data for these 

measures for 2020 are unavailable because the Department waived for all States the 

requirements in ESEA section 1112(b)(2) to administer State assessments in school year 2019-

2020.

The Department will be reviewing GPRA program performance goals, objectives, and measures 

for Title I Grants to LEAs for possible revision in future years to ensure alignment with 

Administration policy.

Measure: The percentage of States that decrease the difference between the percentage of 

economically disadvantaged students in grades 3-8 scoring at or above proficient on State 
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reading assessments and the percentage of non-economically disadvantaged students in 

grades 3-8 scoring at or above proficient on State reading assessments.

Year Target Actual

2017 48.0%

2018 52.0% 58.8

2019 56.0 65.3

2020 60.0

2021 64.0

2022 68.0

Additional information: Data for 2019 are reported for 49 of 52 States (including the District of 

Columbia and Puerto Rico); no data are available for Maryland, New Mexico, and Vermont. 

Thirty-two States reported decreasing the gap in achievement on reading assessments in 2019.

Gap closures for these States averaged 1.35 percentage points and ranged from 0.06 to 16.69 

points. 

Measure: The percentage of States that decrease the difference between the percentage of 

economically disadvantaged students in grades 3-8 scoring at or above proficient on State 

mathematics assessments and the percentage of non-economically disadvantaged students in 

grades 3-8 scoring at or above proficient on State mathematics assessments.

Year Target Actual

2017 46.0%

2018 50.0% 37.3

2019 54.0 60.4

2020 58.0

2021 62.0

2022 66.0

Additional information: Data for 2019 are reported for 48 of 52 States; no data are available 

for Maryland, New Mexico, Vermont, and Virginia. Twenty-nine States reported decreasing the 

gap in achievement on math assessments in 2019. Gap closures for these States averaged 

1.23 percentage points and ranged from 0.01 to 15.30 points. 

Measure: The percentage of States that decrease the difference between the percentage of 

economically disadvantaged students in grades 3-9 scoring at or above proficient of States 
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science assessments and the percentage of non-economically disadvantaged students in 

grades 3-9 scoring at or above proficient on State science assessments.

Year Target Actual

2017 44.7%

2018 48.7% 45.0

2019 52.7 55.8

2020 56.7

2021 60.7

2022 64.7

Additional information: Data for 2019 are reported for 43 States; no data are available for 

Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode 

Island, Tennessee, and Vermont. Twenty-four States reported decreasing the gap in 

achievement on science assessments in 2018. Gap closures for these States averaged 1.04 

percentage points and ranged from 0.06 to 2.94 points. 

Measure: The percentage of States that decrease the difference between the graduation rate 

of economically disadvantaged students and the graduation rate of non-economically 

disadvantaged students.

Year Target Actual

2017 50.0%

2018 54.0% 56.3

2019 58.0 58.8

2020 62.0

2021 66.0

2022 70.0

Additional information: Data for 2019 are reported for 51 States; no data are available for 

Utah. Thirty States reported decreasing the graduation rate gap in 2018. Gap closures for 

these States averaged 1.67 percentage points and ranged from 0.04 to 8.90 points. 

The Department has also established for this program the following two measures, which focus 

on performance of recently identified CSI schools. Data for these measures are currently 

unavailable and may be reported in future budget justifications.

Measure: The percentage of States that increase the percentage of students in CSI schools 

scoring at or above the proficient level on State reading assessments.

Measure: The percentage of States that increase the percentage of students in CSI schools 

scoring at or above the proficient level on State mathematics assessments.

.
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Title I equity grants

(Proposed legislation)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: Proposed legislation

Budget Authority:

2021 

Appropriation

2022 

Request

Change from 

2021 to 2022

0 $20,000,000 +$20,000,000

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The proposed Title I Equity Grants program would provide additional Title I formula grant 

funding to States and Title I-eligible school districts to help address long-standing funding 

disparities between under-resourced school districts and their wealthier counterparts by 

(1) providing meaningful incentives to examine and address inequalities in school funding 

systems, (2) ensuring that teachers at Title I schools are paid competitively, (3) increasing 

preparation for, access to, and success in rigorous coursework, and (4) expanding access to 

high-quality preschool for underserved children and families.

Funds would be allocated by formula to Title I-eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) 

through a new formula that builds on the existing, foundational Title I Grants to Local 

Educational Agencies program, targets most funds to LEAs with the greatest concentrations of 

poverty, and provides new incentives for more equitable State and local education funding 

systems.

States would be required to submit plans describing how they will carry out key activities related 

to:

More equitable school finance systems

• collect and make publicly available detailed data on the allocation of State and local 

education funding to school districts and schools, using a consistent definition of perpupil expenditures; and

• set goals, interim targets, and timelines for improving the equity and adequacy of their 

school finance systems and close gaps in funding between high- and low-poverty school 

districts and schools.

Competitive compensation for teachers

• collect and report uniform, comprehensive data on how teacher compensation, including 

benefits, compares to other professionals with similar education, skills, and experience;
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• ensure that LEAs close identified compensation gaps for teachers in Title I schools over 

a number of years, including by setting goals and targets for closing these gaps and 

monitoring and reporting on progress toward those goals; and

• use a portion of program funds in Title I schools to support competitive compensation 

compared to similarly qualified professionals.

Access to rigorous coursework

• report on current access to and success in rigorous and advanced coursework, 

disaggregated by school poverty level and student subgroups;

• develop plans, in collaboration with their LEAs, for closing gaps in student preparation, 

access, and success, including advanced content and courses across K-12, access to 

foundational middle school content, skills, gateway courses, and the provision of 

supports necessary to succeed; and

• use a portion of funds to expand access to and success in these courses, and provide 

the supports needed to succeed, including qualified educators.

Access to Preschool

• collect and report data on access to preschool;

• set goals for increasing access to and enrollment in high-quality programs that focus on 

first meeting the needs of underserved communities;

• report on progress toward those access and enrollment goals; and

• provide resources districts may use to expand access to preschool.

The Title I Equity Grants proposal also includes a reservation of $50 million for voluntary State 

School Funding Equity Commissions. These commissions would (1) identify funding and 

educational opportunity gaps based on measures of equity and adequacy; (2) through extensive 

community engagement, develop detailed action plans for addressing existing gaps that include 

goals, interim targets, and timelines for closing identified gaps; and (3) report on progress 

toward these goals and targets.

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

The fiscal year 2022 request includes $20 billion for a new Title I Equity Grants program as part 

of President Biden’s commitment to dramatically increase funding for Title I schools. The new 

funds would help close the estimated $23 billion annual funding gap between majority white and 

majority non-white school districts, as well as gaps in the allocation of State and local education 

funds to districts serving high concentrations of students from low-income backgrounds and 

districts enrolling a majority of students from wealthier families. 

As called for by the President, this historic new investment would build on the existing 

$16.5 billion in Title I funding by directly addressing longstanding inequities in our education 

system, including State and local funding systems that favor wealthier districts over districts with 

concentrated poverty; competitive pay for teachers; preparation for, access to, and success in 

rigorous coursework; and expanded high-quality preschool opportunities.
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The Administration is developing, for later transmittal to Congress, appropriations language 

supporting the implementation of the proposals described below.

More Equitable State Education Finance Systems

Nearly all Federal funding for elementary and secondary education is supplemental funding, 

intended to help States and school districts provide high quality educational opportunities and 

additional supports to students based on identified needs that are closely associated with 

students from low-income families in high-poverty schools, students with disabilities, and 

English learners. The underlying principle of such supplemental funding, as reflected in the 

supplement, not supplant and comparability requirements in section 1118 of Title I, Part A of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is that it is provided in addition to an equitable and 

adequate base of State and local education funding.

Unfortunately, in many States, school districts, and schools, Federal education funding instead 

compensates for, rather than supplements an inequitable and inadequate base of State and 

local funds. Nationwide, a 2018 report from The Education Trust found that “the highest poverty 

districts receive about $1,000, or 7 percent, less per pupil in State and local funding than the 

lowest poverty districts.” The funding gap is even starker for students of color, with districts 

enrolling the most students of color receiving roughly $1,800 less per student than school 

districts serving the fewest students of color.1

These data are all the more alarming because of the growing evidence that increased per-pupil 

funding wisely spent leads to improved student outcomes, as do the kinds of changes that extra 

resources can provide, such as more competitive teacher compensation, early childhood 

programs, smaller class sizes, and additional student supports.2 The impact of education 

funding is called out in a report from the Education Law Center at Rutgers University, The Real 

Shame of the Nation: The Causes and Consequences of Interstate Inequity in Public School 

Investments, which examined the ability of States to achieve a common student achievement 

outcome and assessed the costs associated with such outcomes. The report found that most 

States fall below the funding levels necessary for their children living in the highest poverty 

communities to achieve national average outcomes, while also noting that in many States 

funding is inadequate for all but the lowest-poverty districts. These findings led the report’s 

authors to conclude that “extreme interstate variations in funding and student achievement 

outcomes require a new and enhanced Federal role aimed at reducing interstate inequality in 

order to advance the national interest in improved outcomes across States.”3

A second study from the Education Law Center at Rutgers University, Is School Funding Fair? A 

National Report Card, documents some of the key areas for consideration in reviewing State 

and local school finance systems, including directing funding based on student need as 

measured primarily by family income; providing progressively more funds to districts with 

1 https://edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FundingGapReport_2018_FINAL.pdf. 2 See https://www.shankerinstitute.org/resource/does-money-matter-second-edition, 

https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w20847/w20847.pdf, and 

https://edlawcenter.org/assets/files/pdfs/publications/Is_School_Funding_Fair_7th_Editi.pdf. 3 https://www.shankerinstitute.org/sites/default/files/The%20Real%20Shame%20of%20the%20Nation.pdf. 
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greater concentrations of poverty; and ensuring a sufficient overall level of education funding. 

The study highlights significant disparities among States in the area of overall funding, reports a 

decline in the number of States with progressive funding systems from 22 in 2008 to just 11 in 

2015 (meaning that the majority of State systems do not provide additional support to highpoverty districts), and describes wide gaps in State fiscal effort when it comes to funding 

elementary and secondary education.1

The Administration’s Title I Equity Grants proposal would require each State to collect and make 

publicly available detailed data on the allocation of State and local education funding to school

districts and schools. Reporting would include the use of a consistent definition of per-pupil 

expenditures (to be established through rulemaking) to support identification and mitigation of 

disparities in funding for high-poverty districts and schools. States would set goals, interim 

targets, and timelines for closing identified gaps and would need to demonstrate progress in 

improving the equity and adequacy of their funding systems to be eligible for future increases in 

funding under this program.

In addition, the proposal encourages all States to undertake a comprehensive review of their 

school finance systems through a $50 million reservation for voluntary State School Funding 

Equity Commissions. These commissions would (1) identify funding and educational 

opportunity gaps based on measures of equity and adequacy; (2) through extensive community 

engagement, develop detailed action plans for addressing existing gaps that include goals, 

interim targets, and timelines for closing identified gaps; and (3) report on progress toward these 

goals and targets.

Competitive Compensation for Teachers

Our schools face significant teacher shortages, in part because of the widespread failure to pay 

competitive compensation that provides teachers the with the salaries they need to thrive in 

their critical roles as educators. A recent IES study found that 18 percent of all public school 

teachers have a second job outside the school system during the school year. Teachers earn 

less than their peer group of college-educated workers, discouraging future educators from 

entering the profession. In 2017, public school teachers earned 18.7 percent less in their weekly 

wage than their peer group of college educated workers, up from 1.8 percent in 1994. Including 

benefits, teachers earned 10.2 percent less than their peers. According to an analysis by the 

Center for American Progress, in many states, teachers with 10 years of experience who head a 

household of four may qualify for federally funded benefit programs designed for families in 

need of financial assistance.2

The inability to provide competitive compensation also undermines teacher retention. In their 

analysis of California’s teacher shortage, Linda Darling Hammond and co-authors note that 

“teachers are more likely quit when they work in districts with lower wages and when their 

salaries are low relative to alternative wage opportunities, especially in high-demand fields like 

1 https://edlawcenter.org/assets/files/pdfs/publications/Is_School_Funding_Fair_7th_Editi.pdf. 2 Ulrich Boser and Chelsea Straus, “Mid- and Late-Career Teachers Struggle with Paltry Incomes” (Washington: 

Center for American Progress, 2014), available at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k12/reports/2014/07/23/94168/mid-and-late-career-teachers-struggle-with-paltry-incomes/. 
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math and science.”1 The stakes are even higher for students of color and students from lowincome backgrounds, who too often encounter out-of-field, inexperienced, and ineffective 

teachers in their classrooms in part as a result of low teacher pay, and with a direct impact on 

educational opportunities and outcomes for these students.

The Department will leverage and expand existing teacher-related reporting requirements to 

enable States to collect and report uniform, comprehensive data on how teacher compensation, 

including benefits, compares to other professionals with similar education, skills, and 

experience. States then would develop plans for ensuring that LEAs close identified 

compensation gaps for teachers in Title I schools over a number of years, consistent with 

collective bargaining rights, set goals and targets for closing these gaps, and monitor and report 

on progress toward those goals. The Administration’s proposal also would require States and 

school districts to use a portion of Equity Grant funds in Title I schools to support competitive 

compensation compared to similarly qualified professionals.

Meaningful Access to Rigorous Coursework

One of the ways that inequitable State and local funding systems, teacher shortages, and low 

pay for teachers harms students of color and students from low-income background is through 

lack of access to, and preparation for, the advanced coursework that opens the door to success 

in postsecondary education and in-demand, high-paying careers. Recent analyses of data on 

access to rigorous coursework, based on data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil 

Rights Data Collection (CRDC), leaves no doubt that high schools enrolling either high 

proportions of students of color or high proportions students from low-income backgrounds are 

significantly less likely to offer advanced mathematics and science courses than high schools 

with high proportions of white students or low concentrations of students from low-income 

families. More specifically, just over half of schools with high proportions of students of color 

offer calculus, compared to three-quarters of schools enrolling low proportions of students of 

color. The calculus gap is even wider for high-poverty schools (45 percent) compared to lowpoverty schools (87 percent).2

CRDC data also highlight the importance of preparation for rigorous mathematics coursework in 

the grades before high school. A 2018 U.S. Department of Education report, A Leak in the 

STEM Pipeline: Taking Algebra Early, found that just 12 percent of 8th grade Black students and 

13 percent of 8th grade Hispanic students took Algebra I, compared to 24 percent of white 8thgraders taking this critical “gatekeeper” course that paves the way for success in more 

advanced mathematics and science courses.3

As the title of the Department’s study suggests, lack of access to and preparation for success in 

mathematics and science coursework ultimately has an impact on the outcomes achieved by 

Black and Latino students in high-paying, in-demand science, technology, engineering, and 

mathematics (STEM) fields. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress 

1 https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/addressing-californias-emerging-teacher-shortage. 2 Inequitable Opportunity Learn: Access to Advanced Mathematics and Science Courses, Learning Policy Institute, 

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/crdc-course-access-report. 3 https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/st em/algebra/index.html#data-story-title.
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consistently show lower proficiency rates for Black and Hispanic students, and that Black and 

Hispanic college students are more likely to leave STEM fields than other students.1 

States would be required to report on current access to and success in rigorous and advanced 

coursework, disaggregated by school poverty level and student subgroups; identify barriers to 

more equitable access and success (including ensuring that both foundational and advanced 

courses are taught by teachers certified in the subjects they are teaching); and develop plans, in 

collaboration with their LEAs, for closing gaps in student preparation, access, and success, 

including access to advanced content and courses across K-12, foundational middle school 

content, skills, and gateway courses, and the provision of supports necessary to succeed. 

States would also describe how they would support LEAs in leveraging Title I Equity Grant 

funds to implement these plans, and LEAs would be required to use a portion of these funds to 

expand access to and success in these courses, and provide the supports needed to succeed, 

including qualified educators.

Access to High-Quality Preschool

President Biden’s American Families Plan would invest $200 billion to provide access to 

preschool for all three- and four-year-old children. Research shows that that children who attend 

preschool are more likely to take honors classes, less likely to repeat a grade, and more likely to 

graduate from high school and go to college. This evidence makes universal access to highquality preschool a core principle of the President’s education equity agenda, especially 

because race, income, and zip code can predict whether children have the opportunity to 

participate in a high-quality preschool program. The President’s proposal in the American 

Families Plan would first prioritize underserved areas and enable communities and families to 

choose the settings that work best for them—including school-based child care, Head Start, and 

other community-based providers. Title I Equity Grants would complement this investment in 

universal preschool by requiring States to collect and report data on access to preschool, set 

goals for increasing access to and enrollment in high-quality programs that focus on 

underserved communities first, report on progress toward those access and enrollment goals, 

and provide additional resources districts may use to expand access to high-quality preschool. 

Allocation Formula

Currently authorized Title I allocation formulas succeed in delivering a significant share of Title I 

appropriations to the highest poverty school districts.2 Nevertheless, the formulas also yield 

per-pupil allocations that vary widely from State to State and district to district (both across and 

within States), even across school districts with similar shares of students from low-income 

backgrounds. The Administration recommends that the Title I Equity Grants program allocate 

funds through an even more targeted formula that advances equity to the greatest extent 

possible. This new program builds on—and leaves in place—the existing, foundational Title I 

1 https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/news/2019/08/28/473876/advancing-racial-equity-careertechnical-education-enrollment/. 2 Over the past quarter century Title I has consistently delivered about 50 percent of appropriated funds to the 

highest-poverty quartile of local educational agencies.
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Grants to Local Educational Agencies program, including the current formulas for existing funds. 

All States and districts would receive dramatically more funds under this proposal. 

A new allocation formula would leverage the proposed Title I Equity Grants on behalf of 

students from low-income backgrounds and students of color in districts and schools with the 

greatest concentrations of poverty. In addition to directing a greater share of Federal funds to 

the highest poverty districts, the new formula would create new incentives for more equitable 

State and local education funding systems.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2022

Amount for grants to States $19,710,000

Average grant size 379,038

School funding equity commissions 50,000

Amount for Bureau of Indian Education 140,000

Amount for Outlying Areas 80,000

National activities (including evaluation) 20,000

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

The Department will establish goals and performance indicators to assess the impact of State

and local activities supported through this program, based in part on the targets and goals

established in State plans. The Department also may develop opportunity to learn and student 

outcome measures related to the program, such as student academic achievement, graduation 

rates, and college enrollment and persistence.
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Comprehensive literacy development grants

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title II, Part B, Subpart 2, Section 2222)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

Change from

2021 to 2022

$192,000 $192,000 0

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2021; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2022.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grants program provides competitive 

grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) that then award subgrants to eligible entities to 

support efforts to improve literacy instruction in high-need schools or early childhood 

education programs.

In awarding CLSD Grants, the Department gives priority to SEAs that will use grant funds for 

evidence-based activities. Each SEA that receives a grant must use at least 95 percent of its 

award to make competitive subgrants to one or more local educational agencies (LEAs) or, for 

the purposes of providing early literacy services, to one or more early childhood education 

programs. LEAs or early childhood education programs that receive subgrants from SEAs under 

this program must serve a high percentage of underserved children, such as children from lowincome backgrounds, children with disabilities, or English learners, and must represent diverse 

geographical areas. Early childhood education programs that receive subgrants must have a 

demonstrated record of providing comprehensive literacy instruction for children aged birth 

through 5. SEAs must ensure that at least 15 percent of funds are used to serve children from 

birth through age 5, 40 percent to serve students in kindergarten through grade 5, and 

40 percent to serve students in grades 6 through 12. In addition, funds must be distributed 

equitably among grades within the kindergarten through grade 5 and grades 6 through 

12 bands.

An SEA may reserve up to 5 percent of grant funds for activities related to implementing its 

comprehensive literacy plan and administering subgrants, including providing technical 

assistance to subgrantees to design and implement their literacy programs, coordinating with 

institutions of higher education to enhance pre-service courses for students preparing to teach 

in early childhood education programs or elementary and secondary schools, reviewing and 

updating State literacy licensure or certification standards, sharing information on promising 

literacy instructional practices, training literacy coaches, and evaluating grant-funded activities. 

Eligible entities receiving subgrants must use program funds for services and activities that have 

the characteristics of effective, evidence-based comprehensive literacy instruction, as defined 
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by the statute. Allowable activities include professional development and training for early 

childhood educators and related school staff, coordinating activities designed to increase family 

engagement in children’s literacy development, and other research-based methods of improving 

classroom instruction and practice.

Of the amount appropriated for CLSD grants in a given fiscal year, the Department must 

reserve: (1) one-half of 1 percent for the Department of the Interior to carry out comprehensive 

literacy programs in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education and 2) onehalf of 1 percent for the Outlying Areas. The Department may reserve up to 5 percent for 

national activities, which includes a national evaluation, technical assistance and training, data 

collection, and reporting.

CLSD 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.

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

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2017 ........................................................................$190,000

2018 ..........................................................................190,000

2019 ..........................................................................190,000

2020 ..........................................................................192,000

2021 ..........................................................................192,000

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2022, the Administration requests $192 million for CLSD, the same as the fiscal 

year 2021 enacted level. At the requested level, the Department would award continuation

grants to 24 current CLSD grantees and provide technical assistance.

Research and assessment data provide strong justification for a continued Federal investment 

in a large-scale reading program based on scientific reading research. For example, in 2019,

the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported lower percentages of 4thand 8th-grade students reading at the proficient level compared to 2017. Overall, 35 percent of 

4th-grade students and 34 percent of 8th-grade students were proficient in reading in 2019. In 

particular, 8th-grade reading scores decreased by one percent from 2017 to 2019 for students 

from low-income backgrounds (as defined by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch) and 

students with disabilities. The results also show continued, wide gaps in reading performance 

between students from low-income backgrounds and students from higher-income 

backgrounds: 51 percent of 4th-grade students from higher-income backgrounds scored 

Proficient or Advanced in 2019, compared to 21 percent of 4th-grade students from low-income 

backgrounds and 46 percent of 8th-grade students from higher-income backgrounds scored 

Proficient or Advanced, compared to 21 percent of 8th-grade students from low-income 

backgrounds.
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Research also shows that students who fail to read well by 4th-grade have a greater likelihood 

of dropping out of school, leading to a lifetime of diminished earnings. Further, the differences in

demonstrating the reading skills, including pre-literacy skills, and knowledge of children from 

low-income background as compared to demonstrating the skills and knowledge of children 

from higher-income backgrounds are significant. For example, the size of the working 

vocabulary of 4-year-old children from low-income backgrounds is approximately one-third that 

of children from middle-income backgrounds (Hart & Risley, 2003). Research also shows that 

these early differences in children’s skills persist over time. The NCES “Early Childhood 

Longitudinal Study,” which followed the academic progress of children from kindergarten 

through 5th grade, found, for example, that differences in children’s reading skills and 

knowledge that are usually seen in later grades appear to be present as children begin school 

unless supports and interventions are provided.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

Funding for new awards $37,140 0 0

Number of new awards 11 0 0

Funding for continuation awards $147,817 $187,856 $189,006

Number of continuation awards 13 24 24

Peer review of new award applications $88 0 0

Amount for Bureau of Indian Education $950 $960 $960

Amount for Outlying Areas $950 $960 $960

National activities (including evaluation) $3,055 $2,224 $1,074

NOTES: 

The Department carried over fiscal year 2019 funds into fiscal year 2020 and intends to use fiscal year 2021 funds in 

fiscal year 2022. 

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

CLSD, and to pool such funds for use in evaluating any ESEA program. While the Department did not reserve funds 

from the CLSD program for this purpose in fiscal year 2020, it may do so in fiscal year 2021 or 2022.
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PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

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

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data. Achievement of program 

results is based on the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years, and those 

requested in fiscal year 2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by 

those served by this program. The Department will be reviewing GPRA program performance 

goals, objectives, and measures for CLSG for possible revision in future years to ensure 

alignment with Administration policy.

Objective: To advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading, and writing, for 

students from birth through grade 12, including English learners and students with disabilities.

Measure: The percentage of participating 4-year-old children who achieve significant gains in 

oral language skills.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual 2019 Cohort Actual

2018 52% 51%

2019 52

2020 52

2021

2022

Additional information: The Department defines “significant gains” as a positive change in 

assessment score for which the effect size was at least 0.20 standard deviations. This approach 

allows the Department to report standard performance data across States with varying 

assessments. Four-year-old children who are eligible for testing are children in early childhood 

education classrooms participating in a CLSD subgrant program. The Department waived 

assessment requirements for the 2019-2020 school year due to widespread closures related to 

the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the Department does not expect to report actual data for 

these measures for 2020. Data for 2019 will be available in fall 2021 and data for 2021 will be 

available in 2022.

Measure: The percentage of participating 5th-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency 

on State English language arts assessments.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual 2019 Cohort Actual

2018 Set a baseline

2019 43% 42%

2020 43

2021

2022
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Additional information: Data reflect cumulative results across States for all students who 

participated in the CLSD program, completed pre- and post-assessments, and met or exceeded 

proficiency levels on the State English language arts assessments. The Department waived 

assessment requirements for the 2019-2020 school year due to widespread closures related to 

the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the Department does not expect to report actual data for 

these measures for 2020. Data for 2021 will be available in 2022.

Measure: The percentage of participating 8th-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency 

on State English language arts assessments.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual 2019 Cohort Actual

2018 Set a baseline 41%

2019 42%

2020 42

2021

2022

Additional information: Data reflect cumulative results across States for all students who 

participated in the CLSD program, completed pre- and post-assessments and met or exceeded 

proficiency levels on the State English language arts assessments. The Department waived 

assessment requirements for the 2019-2020 school year due to widespread closures related to 

the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the Department does not expect to report actual data for 

these measures for 2020. Data for 2019 will be available in fall 2021 and data for 2021 will be 

available in 2022.

Measure: The percentage of participating high school students who meet or exceed proficiency 

on State English language arts assessments.

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual 2019 Cohort Actual

2018 Set a baseline 38%

2019 39%

2020 39

2021

2022

Additional information: Data reflect cumulative results across States for all students who 

participated in the CLSD program, completed pre- and post-assessments, and met or exceeded 

proficiency levels on the State English language arts assessments. The Department waived 

assessment requirements for the 2019-2020 school year due to widespread closures related to 

the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the Department does not expect to report actual data for 

these measures for 2020. Data for 2019 will be available in fall 2021 and data for 2021 will be

available in 2022.
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Innovative approaches to literacy

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title II, Part B, Subpart 2, Section 2226)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

Change from

2021 to 2022

$28,000 $28,000 0

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2021; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2022.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program supports a wide range of projects that 

develop the literacy skills of children and adolescents in communities of concentrated poverty. 

The program may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to local educational 

agencies (LEAs) in which at least 20 percent of the students are from low-income backgrounds, 

the Bureau of Indian Education, or eligible national non-profit organizations. Awards typically are 

for 3 years, and grantees may use IAL funds to (1) develop or enhance existing school library 

programs by providing professional learning opportunities to school librarians or updating library 

materials in high-need schools; (2) support early literacy services, including conducting outreach 

to parents of young children to ensure that families have access to developmentally appropriate 

materials and are encouraged to read aloud to their young children; and (3) distribute highquality books to children and adolescents to increase students’ reading motivation, 

performance, and frequency.

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

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2017 .................................................................................$27,000

2018 ...................................................................................27,000

2019 ...................................................................................27,000

2020 ...................................................................................27,000

2021 ...................................................................................28,000

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $28 million, the same as the fiscal year 2021 appropriation, for IAL. 

Funds would support continuation grants for the fiscal year 2021 cohort.

Many schools and districts across the Nation do not have school libraries that deliver highquality literacy programming to children and their families, especially those that serve students 

from low-income backgrounds. Additionally, many schools do not have qualified library media 
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specialists or sufficient library facilities. Where facilities do exist, they may lack adequate books 

and other materials and resources. In many communities, underserved students, and 

particularly students from low-income backgrounds, have limited access to developmentally 

appropriate reading material in their homes. In light of these challenges, IAL grants support 

research-based activities and book distribution efforts that are designed to increase student 

achievement and motivation in reading. For example, one previous grantee distributed over 

150,000 books to children through community book fairs, summer story hours at local libraries, 

and end-of-school events. The grantee organized events where volunteers work with parents to 

model how to read with a child, and also provided incentives to children to read with their 

families for specific lengths of time. Another grantee partnered with a resource center and a 

local library to provide developmentally appropriate books for young children, encouraged 

parents to read with their children, and provided a health and wellness presentation in a lowincome community.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

Funding for new awards 0 $25,284 0

Number of new awards 0 40 0

Peer review 0 $270 0

Funding for continuation awards $27,000 $2,446 $28,000

Number of continuation awards 44 4 40

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

including IAL, and to pool such funds for use in evaluating any ESEA program. While the Department did not reserve 

funds from the IAL program for this purpose in fiscal year 2020, it may do so in fiscal years 2021 and 2022.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

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

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data. Achievement of program 

results is based on the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years, and those 

requested in fiscal year 2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by 

those served by this program. The Department will be reviewing GPRA program performance 

goals, objectives, and measures for IAL for possible revision in future years to ensure alignment 

with Administration policy.

The Department established the following performance measures for grantees under 

this program. Note that grantees were required to report only on measures applicable to the 

populations served, and, therefore, not all grantees reported on each performance measure. 
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Measure: The percentage of 4-year-old children participating in the project who achieve 

significant gains in oral language skills.

Year Target Actual

2017 70% 83%

2018 70 70

2019 70 30

2020 50 67

2021 50

2022 50

Additional information: Data reported for fiscal year 2019 included data from some 

2018 grantees reporting for the first time; since then, the Department has worked with each 

grantee to improve the quality and timely submission of data. Many 2018 grantees structured 

their projects to focus primarily on increasing access to books and materials, resulting in a shift 

in focus away from academic achievement in the first year. Despite setbacks in the 2019-2020 

school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, grantees performed well on this measure in 2020.

Measure: The percentage of fourth graders participating in the project who demonstrated 

individual student growth (i.e., an improvement in their achievement) over the past year on State 

reading or language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.

Year Target Actual

2018 70% 54%

2019 70 20

2020 30 31

2021 30

2022 30

Additional information: This measure was introduced with the 2016 cohort of IAL grantees; 

the first year for which grantees reported performance data was fiscal year 2018. Data reported 

for fiscal year 2019 included data from some 2018 grantees reporting for the first time; since 

then, the Department has worked with each grantee to improve the quality and timely 

submission of data. Many 2018 grantees structured their projects to focus primarily on 

increasing access to books and materials, resulting in a shift in focus away from academic 

achievement in the first year. 
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Measure: The percentage of eighth graders participating in the project who demonstrated 

individual student growth (i.e., an improvement in their achievement) over the past year on State 

reading or language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.

Year Target Actual

2018 70% 58%

2019 70 29

2020 30 29

2021 32

2022 32

Additional information: This measure was introduced with the 2016 cohort of IAL grantees; 

the first year for which grantees reported performance data was fiscal year 2018. Data reported 

for fiscal year 2019 includes data from some 2018 grantees reporting for the first time; since 

then, the Department has worked with each grantee to improve the quality and timely 

submission of data. Many 2018 grantees structured their projects to focus primarily on 

increasing access to books and materials, resulting in a shift in focus away from academic 

achievement in the first year.

Measure: The percentage of participating children who receive at least one free, grade- and 

language-appropriate book of their own.

Year Target Actual

2018 100% 99%

2019 100 98

2020 98 100

2021 99

2022 99
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State agency programs:

Migrant

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title I, Part C)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority: 

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

Change from 

2021 to 2022 

$375,626 $375,626 0

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2021; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2022.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Migrant Education program (MEP) provides financial assistance to State educational 

agencies (SEAs) to establish and improve programs of education for children of migratory 

farmworkers and fishers. The goal of the MEP is to enable migratory children: (1) to meet the 

same academic standards as other children; and (2) to graduate from high school or a high 

school equivalency program with an education that prepares them for responsible citizenship, 

further learning, and productive employment. To help achieve this objective, program services 

help migratory children overcome the educational disruption that results from repeated moves. 

The program statute encourages activities to promote coordination of needed services across 

States and encourages greater access for migratory children to services available under Title I 

Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and other programs authorized under the 

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), so that MEP funds can be used for services 

not already available from those programs to meet the unique needs of migratory students. 

Eligible children are children of migratory agricultural workers or migratory fishers, or who are 

migratory agricultural workers or fishers themselves, and who have made a "qualifying move" 

within the last 3 years. A move is considered to be a qualifying move if it is a change of 

residence due to economic necessity and (1) involves crossing school district boundaries; 

(2) resulted in temporary or seasonal work in agriculture or fishing; and (3) was made in the 

preceding 36 months. Migratory children who made a qualifying move in the previous year and 

children who have dropped out of school receive priority for services under the program. 

Funds are allocated through a statutory formula based on each State’s per-pupil expenditure for 

education, its average count of eligible migratory students aged 3 through 21 residing within the 

State in the preceding 3 years, and its count of students who received services in summer or 

intersession programs provided by the State during the previous year. A hold-harmless 

provision that assured States at least 90 percent of their prior year allocations was phased out 

in fiscal year 2020. 

The Department may reserve up to $10 million from the annual MEP appropriation for contracts 

and grants to improve inter- and intra-State migrant coordination activities, including academic 

credit accrual and exchange programs for migratory students. The Department is required to 
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consult with States receiving allocations of $1 million or less about whether they can increase 

the cost-effectiveness of their programs by entering into inter-state consortium arrangements; in 

fiscal year 2019, 13 States received allocations under $1 million, but none had entered into 

consortia with other States under this provision. The Department may reserve up to $3 million a 

year from coordination funds for incentive grants of not more than $250,000 to such consortia. 

Funds not reserved for consortia are used for formula grants.

Other coordination funds are used primarily for the Migrant Student Information Exchange 

System (MSIX), which supports the electronic transfer of migratory student records as required 

by statute. MSIX enables States to exchange migrant student data records efficiently and 

expeditiously and helps to provide an accurate, unduplicated count of the number of migratory 

students on both a statewide and national basis.

This is a forward-funded program. Funds become available for obligation from July 1 of the 

fiscal year in which they are appropriated and remain available through September 30 of the 

following year.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were: 

Fiscal year (dollars in thousands)

2017............................................................ 374,751

2018............................................................ 374,751

2019............................................................ 374,751

2020............................................................ 374,751

2021............................................................ 375,626

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2022, the Administration requests $375.6 million for the Title I Migrant Education 

Program (MEP), the same level as the fiscal year 2021 appropriation. The request would 

support the President’s goal to advance equity in education through activities to identify highly 

mobile migratory children, provide them comprehensive services that address their specific 

needs, and promote coordination of the Federal resources available to serve this population. 

Migratory children represent an especially underserved and hard-to-serve group due to multiple 

risk factors. In particular, the high mobility of these children across school districts and State 

boundaries (sometimes within the school term or year) often means that no single school district 

or State has ongoing responsibility for the education of these children, thus creating a need for 

Federal support to assist in the coordination of services to meet their educational needs. This 

high mobility creates additional challenges for both students and the school systems serving 

them, such as the need for additional supports to help students to overcome the effects of 

disruptions in their education, and helping high school students accrue credits towards 

graduation. Additionally, States continue to deal with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 

pandemic, such as school closures and social distancing, which have exacerbated these 

obstacles.
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Moreover, the characteristics of the migratory population create a need for educational services 

that go beyond services traditionally supported with State and local education budgets. In 

addition to being highly mobile, migratory children tend to live in poverty, have limited English 

proficiency, and belong to families that are likely to experience food and job insecurity as well as 

poor health and housing conditions. Of the children eligible to receive program services during 

school year 2018-2019, one-third (34.2 percent) moved within the past 12 months. In addition, 

nearly 43.4 percent of children were English learners and 8.1 percent of children were eligible to 

receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Migratory children may also help their families perform agricultural work, and a large number of 

migratory youth travel without a parent or guardian to obtain migratory work in the fields and in 

processing plants. In 2018-19, 8.8 percent of the migratory children were out-of-school youth, or 

school-aged youth who do not attend school. 

During school year 2018-19, 303,739 children, were identified as eligible under the program. 

States and local entities provided services to 215,787 migratory children, 93,729 of whom 

received services during the summer or intersession periods. Of the 13,510 children aged birth 

through 2 years old, 3,674 received services; of the 33,000 children aged 3 through 5 years old, 

19,956 received services; of the 230,283 children in kindergarten through grade 12, 177,654 

received services; and of the 26,818 out-of-school youth, 14,425 received services. Services 

included supplemental instruction in reading, math, and other academic areas, and high school 

credit accrual. Program funds were also used to provide educationally related services such as 

counseling, health and nutrition services, advocacy and referrals for migratory students with 

disabilities, and (especially in the summer) transportation. The Department expects to support a 

similar level of services using fiscal year 2022 funds. 

The Department would continue to reserve approximately $10 million in fiscal year 2022 for 

migratory coordination and national activities, including $3 million for consortium incentive 

grants. The remainder of the funds would be used for contract activities related to inter- and 

intra-State coordination, e.g., the RESULTS Interstate Website and Coordination Activities 

contract, and the Migrant Student Information Exchange System (MSIX), for maintenance and 

operation of the system as well as for technical assistance to States as they continue to 

implement their systems for collecting and exchanging data on migratory students. 
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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

Number of eligible children aged 

birth through 21

303,739 303,739 303,739

SEA program:

SEA program Amount for State grants $364,751 $365,626 $365,626

SEA program Range of State awards 0-$114,641 0-$115,952 0-$115,952

Coordination activities:

coordination activities Consortium incentive grants $3,000 $3,000 $3,000

coordination activities Migrant student information 

exchange and related 

coordination activities $7,000 $7,000 $7,000

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 2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested 

by those served by this program. The Department will be reviewing GPRA program 

performance goals, objectives, and measures for the Migrant program for possible revision in 

future years to ensure alignment with Administration policy.

The Department started collecting data for new grade promotion/graduation and Algebra I 

measures for school year 2016-17, when changes in the MSIX took effect that enabled the 

Department to collect these data. The Department is working with States to ensure that they 

collect and report data for these two measures. Once all participating States report the data 

and the Department has determined that data are accurate and complete it will start reporting 

data and establishing targets for these measures.

Goal: To assist all migratory students in meeting challenging academic standards and 

achieving graduation from high school (or a high school equivalency credential program) 

with an education that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and 

productive employment.
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Objective: Along with other Federal programs and State and local reform efforts, the Migrant 

Education Program will contribute to improved school performance of migratory children.

Measure: The percentage of migratory students in grades 3-8 who scored at the proficient 

level or above on State reading/language arts assessments.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2017 31.4% 28.3%

2018 33.4 26.0

2019 33.4 26.9

2020 33.4

2021 30.0

2022 31.0

Measure: The percentage of migratory students in grades 3-8 who scored at the proficient 

level or above on State mathematics assessments.

Year Target Percentage Actual Percentage

2017 30.5% 28.5%

2018 32.5 25.4

2019 32.5 25.7

2020 32.5

2021 30.0

2022 31.0

Additional information: The source of the data is EDFacts, the Department’s system for States 

to submit kindergarten through grade 12 data. States began using more rigorous assessments 

in recent years, which may help explain current low achievement levels. Data for 2019 is based 

on 45 out of 46 participating States. The Department waived assessment requirements for 

2019-20 due to widespread closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the 

Department does not expect to report actual data for these measures for 2020. Data for 2021 

will be available in 2022.

Efficiency Measures

The Department established an efficiency measure associated with the transfer of migratory 

student records through the MSIX system that tracks how many States are collecting the three 

types of data elements collected in MSIX for migratory children and youth: basic student 

information, student assessment data, and credit accrual information for secondary school 

students.
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Measure: The number of States collecting all the types of data elements collected in MSIX.

Year Target Actual

2016 35 44

2017 43 44

2018 46 46

2019 46 46

2020 46

2021 46

2022 46

Additional information: By September 2018, all 46 participating states were certified to submit 

all three phases of MSIX data, including basic student information, student assessment data, 

and credit accrual information. Although the target has been achieved, the Department 

continues to work with States to ensure the completeness and quality of the data entered into 

the system. The Department is also exploring development of a new efficiency measure for the 

program.

Other performance information

In August 2019, the Department released the Study of the Implementation of the ESEA Title I, 

Part C Migrant Education Program report.1 The study examined how State MEP grantees and 

local/regional subgrantees implemented the program’s four central components—identification 

and recruitment, records transfer, service delivery, and coordination and collaboration—to help 

reduce barriers to school success for the children of migratory agricultural workers and 

migratory fishers. The study included surveys of State MEP grantees and local/regional MEP 

subgrantees, as well as interviews with a sample of State, regional, and local MEP grantees. 

Highlights from the report include:

• States play a significant role in recruiter training, monitoring, and quality control, but 

many rely on their local/regional MEP subgrantees and outside contractors to manage 

the identification and recruitment process, including hiring, deploying, and supervising 

MEP recruiters. 

• MEP coordinators used both academic performance and academic risk factors to 

determine migratory children’s Priority for Services status.

• More than two-thirds of State MEP directors and local/regional MEP coordinators 

reported that MSIX moderately or substantially improved timely notification when 

migratory children moved across States. The majority of local/regional MEP coordinators 

reported that MSIX moderately or substantially improved other practices intended to 

mitigate educational disruptions for migratory children, such as the facilitation of course 

credit accrual (62 percent), appropriateness of course placements (63 percent), 

appropriateness of grade placements (63 percent), timeliness of school enrollment 

(59 percent), and reduction in unnecessary immunizations (53 percent). About half of the 

1 https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#migrant
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State MEP directors also agreed that MSIX had moderately or substantially improved 

these other practices.

• Most State MEP directors considered multiple data sources and factors in determining 

what services to provide or fund for migratory children, including results from the needs 

assessments of migratory children (100 percent of State MEP directors), the amount of 

MEP funding available (98 percent), migratory student outcome data (98 percent), and 

availability of services from other programs.

• More than a third of State MEP grantees directly provided supplemental instructional 

services and other academic supports to migratory children, including college and career 

supports and subject-area instruction. At the local level, 93 percent of local/regional MEP 

subgrantees directly provided supplemental instructional services and academic 

supports to migratory children, the most common of which included reading and 

language arts instruction, mathematics instruction, and academic guidance and 

advocacy.

• Local/regional MEP coordinators also reported providing instructional services and other 

academic supports to out-of-school youth, the most common of which were academic 

guidance and advocacy, reading and language arts instruction, career exploration and 

guidance, and mathematics instruction.

• State MEP grantees and local/regional MEP subgrantees also provided an array of 

support services to address the social, emotional, and health issues that migratory 

children regularly experience that can impact their ability to attend and succeed at 

school. More than a third of State MEP grantees provided direct support services to 

migratory children, including leadership development and language support. Ninety-two

percent of local/regional coordinators reported providing direct support services to 

migratory children, including distribution of school supplies, language supports (e.g., 

translation or interpretation services), and individual student advocacy services.

• Most State MEP directors and local/regional MEP coordinators participated in outreach 

activities to engage with other agencies and organizations in supporting the needs of 

migratory children. However, half or fewer State MEP grantees and local/regional MEP 

subgrantees had formal agreements articulating their commitments to collaborate with 

other agencies and organizations to address the needs of migratory children. 

The findings offer a clearer picture of the services States and local/regional subgrantees provide 

to migratory children and youth and will be used to guide the Department’s future technical 

assistance efforts.
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Neglected and delinquent

(Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title I, Part D, Subpart 1)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority: 

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

Change from 

2021 to 2022 

$48,239 $48,239 0

1 The GEPA extension applies through September 30, 2021; reauthorizing legislation is sought for fiscal year 2022.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Title I Neglected and Delinquent (N and D) program provides financial assistance to State 

educational agencies (SEAs) for provision of education services to neglected and delinquent 

children and youth who are in State-run institutions, attending community day programs, and in 

correctional facilities. Funds are allocated to States through a formula based on a count of 

children and youth in State-operated institutions and per-pupil education expenditures for the 

State. Each State’s N and D count is based on the number of children and youth enrolled for at 

least 20 hours of instruction a week in State institutions or community day programs for 

neglected or delinquent children and youth, or at least 15 hours of instruction in adult 

correctional institutions. State institutions serving children with an average length of stay of at 

least 30 days are eligible to receive funds. Adult correctional institutions must give priority for 

services to youth who are likely to be released within a 2-year period.

Like other Title I programs, the N and D program requires institutions receiving funds to gear 

their services to the same college- and career-ready State academic standards that all children 

are expected to meet under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Similar to 

the school-wide program option under the Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies program, 

all juvenile facilities may operate institution-wide education programs in which they use N and D 

program funds in combination with other available Federal and State funds. This option allows 

juvenile institutions to serve a larger proportion of their eligible population and to align their 

programs more closely with other education services in order to meet participants’ educational 

and occupational training needs. States are required to reserve between 15 and 30 percent of 

their allocations for projects to help N and D participants make the transition from State 

institutions to locally operated programs or to support the successful entry of youth offenders 

into postsecondary and career and technical education programs.

The ESEA also authorizes, under Subpart 2 of Part D of Title I, a separate companion program 

that provides funding for local educational agencies (LEAs). SEAs use funds reserved from their 

allocations under Title I, Part A to make subgrants to eligible LEAs with high numbers or 

percentages of children and youth in locally operated correctional facilities for children and 
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youth, including public or private institutions and community day programs or schools that serve 

children and youth. SEAs have the option of awarding subgrants to eligible LEAs by formula or 

through a discretionary grant process.

The Department may reserve up to 2.5 percent of the appropriation for national activities, 

including technical assistance to help build the capacity of State agency programs.

This is a forward-funded program. Funds become available for obligation from July 1 of the 

fiscal year in which they are appropriated and remain available through September 30 of the 

following year.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2017............................................................ $47,614

2018.............................................................. 47,614

2019.............................................................. 47,614

2020.............................................................. 47,614

2021.............................................................. 48,239

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $48.2 million for the Neglected and Delinquent (N and D) program, 

the same as the fiscal year 2021 level, to help young people served by N and D grantees to 

reenter our communities, schools, and postsecondary education institutions and thereby support 

their future success, strengthen communities, and reduce re-incarceration rates. High-quality 

education in correctional institutions can help equip these students with the skills needed to 

successfully reenter their communities and either continue their education or join the workforce.1

Correctional facilities face unique challenges to educating children and youth in their care. The 

length of stay in correctional facilities and participation in educational programs by eligible 

children and youth varies widely, ranging from a few months to several years in State adult 

correctional facilities and days to months in juvenile detention facilities. This means N and D 

grantees must develop a variety of strategies to help ensure the continuity of the education of 

the students they serve and a successful transition into their communities and schools. In 

addition, approximately 34 percent (21,661) of the youth served by the program in 2018-19 were 

students with disabilities. These large numbers of students with disabilities pose additional 

challenges for institutions because such students typically require additional, specialized 

support and attention to be successful in school and beyond. 

1 Lois M. Davis et al., “How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go from Here? The Results of a

Comprehensive Evaluation” (2014); Lois M. Davis et al., “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education: A 

Meta-Analysis of Programs That Provide Education to Incarcerated Adults” (2013).
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Consequently, both the quantity and quality of educational programs in correctional facilities 

varies widely. The Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for school year 2013-141

gathered data on educational conditions in justice facility programs for youth in confinement 

from approximately 630 institutions. Respondents reported offering 26 hours per week of 

educational programming on average, but 15 percent of respondents offered less than 20 hours 

per week during the school year, and 21 percent of respondents required having fewer than 180 

days of instruction in a regular school year, which is what most States require of public schools. 

In addition, institutions reported that teachers who work in justice facility educational programs 

are more likely to be absent than teachers in public schools, and that justice facilities are less 

likely to offer essential math and science courses than public high schools.

The Department provides technical assistance and other support to States in addressing these 

concerns through the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or 

Delinquent Children and Youth (NDTAC). NDTAC also collects and disseminates information on 

tools and effective practices that can be used to support N and D youth; in 2016 it released a 

toolkit to help justice-involved youth make a successful transition back to traditional school 

settings.2 For 2022, the Department would reserve approximately $1.2 million for NDTAC.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

Number of participating institutions 680 680 680

Estimated number of students 

served 63,596 63,596 63,596

Average Federal contribution per 

child (whole dollars) $730 $740 $740

Range of awards to States 0-$2,809 0-$3,284 0-$3,284

Average State award $893 $904 $904

Technical assistance $1,190 $1,206 $1,206

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 

1 https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/2013-14-juvenile-justice.pdf

2 https://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/juvenile-justice-transition/transition-toolkit-3.pdf
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the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years, and those requested in fiscal 

year 2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by 

this program. The Department will be reviewing GPRA program performance goals, objectives, 

and measures for the Neglected and Delinquent program for possible revision in future years to 

ensure alignment with Administration policy.

Goal: To ensure that neglected and delinquent children and youth will have the 

opportunity to meet the challenging State standards needed to further their education 

and become productive members of society.

Objective: Neglected or delinquent students will improve academic and vocational skills needed 

to further their education.

Measure: The percentage of students supported through the N and D program who obtain a 

secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent.

Year Target Actual

2017 18.8% 12.5%

2018 19.8 13.7

2019 20.8 13.5

2020 21.8

2021 22.8

2022 23.8

Additional information: The source of the data is EDFacts, the Department’s system for 

States to submit kindergarten through grade 12 data. Data for 2019 is based on 50 out of 

51 participating States. Many States have reported that they are unable to collect data on 

students after they leave institutions and return to their communities. Data from 2020 will be 

available in late fall of 2021.

Measure: The percentage of students supported through the N and D program earning high 

school course credits.

Year Target Actual

2017 61.6% 56.0%

2018 62.6 52.1

2019 63.6 53.6

2020 64.6

2021 65.6

2022 66.6

Additional information: The source of the data is EDFacts, the Department’s system for 

States to submit kindergarten through grade 12 data. This measure includes high school course 

credits earned while in the N and D program as well as those earned up to 90 days after exiting 

the program. The measure includes students between the ages of 13 and 21 in neglected, 

juvenile detention, and juvenile correctional institutions, and not students in adult correctional 

institutions. Data for 2019 is based on 49 out of 51 participating States. Many States have 
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reported that they are unable to collect data on students after they leave institutions and return 

to their communities. Data from 2020 will be available in late fall of 2021.

Measure: The percentage of long-term students supported through the N and D program who 

improve reading skills as measured through State-approved assessments.

Year Target Actual

2017 76.4% 59.6%

2018 77.4 64.5

2019 78.4 62.8

2020 79.4

2021 80.4

2022 81.4

Measure: The percentage of long-term students supported through the N and D program who 

improve mathematics skills as measured through State-approved assessments.

Year Target Actual

2017 77.9% 61.1%

2018 78.9 67.0

2019 79.9 63.1

2020 80.9

2021 81.9

2022 82.9

Additional information: The source of the data is EDFacts, the Department’s system for States 

to submit kindergarten through grade 12 data. Student counts are based on the number of longterm students (those enrolled in a participating program or facility for 90 or more consecutive 

calendar days) who complete pre- and post-testing in reading and mathematics. These are not 

the same as the State assessments required under ESEA Title I and do not necessarily reflect 

State proficiency levels. A number of factors may have contributed to the variability in 

performance for these measures, including the quality of the data reported by facilities, 

changeover in staff overseeing data reporting, and changes in reporting systems. In addition, a 

major goal of the program is to move students out of institutions and back into communities; 

consequently, while the program may be serving significantly fewer students, these students 

often face greater academic challenges. Data for 2019 is based on 50 out of 51 participating 

States. Many States have reported that they are unable to collect data on students after they 

leave institutions and return to their communities. Data from 2020 will be available in late fall of 

2021.
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Efficiency measures

Measure: The cost per high school diploma or equivalent.

Year Target Actual

2017 $4,298 $6,692

2018 4,255 6,554

2019 4,211 7,070

2020 4,170

2021 4,128

2022 4,087

Additional information: This measure attempts to determine program cost efficiency by 

tracking the ratio of the number of participating students achieving a high school diploma or its 

equivalent to the cost of the program. Data from 2020 will be available in late fall of 2021.

Other performance information

In March 2019 the Department released Promoting Education and Transition Success for 

Neglected and Delinquent Youth: An Evaluation of the Title I, Part D Program,1 which included 

surveys and case studies of State grantees and local subgrantees to examine the types of 

services and strategies that N and D funds support, how State and local agencies assist 

students in transitioning back to schools, how State correctional facilities implement institutionwide N and D projects, and how grantees assess the educational outcomes of participating 

students. Highlights from the report include:

• Program funds represented less than 10 percent of education budgets for State agencies 

responsible for providing education services to neglected and delinquent children and youth 

who are in State-run institutions, attending community day programs, and in correctional 

facilities. On average, State facilities received $82,000 in program funds.

• SEA coordinators reported a greater focus on reviewing subgrantee applications, supporting 

Federal data collection, and conducting program compliance monitoring than on assisting 

with program planning and implementation.

• At the time of the data collection, few State agency coordinators reported that their facility 

implemented an institution-wide N and D project.

• State facilities spent the majority of their funds on personnel expenses; however, many 

State agency coordinators (54 percent) reported shortages of qualified instructional and 

1 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies 

Service, Promoting Education and Transition Success for Neglected and Delinquent Youth: An Evaluation of the 

Title I, Part D Program, Washington, DC, 2019. Available at 

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html.
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support staff, and about one-third of State agency coordinators reported that it was a major 

or moderate challenge to hire staff within their credentialed content area.

• Nearly all State agency coordinators reported that their facilities provided career and 

technical education; the most common career pathways available included construction and 

architecture, consumer and culinary services, and computer and information sciences.

• Most facilities evaluated students to determine if they had a disability and needed special 

education and related services; 91 percent of State agency coordinators and 77 percent of 

local agency coordinators responded that their facilities provided such services.

• Almost all State agency coordinators (94 percent) reported that their facilities assessed 

students’ education outcomes. Outcomes were most often assessed via information 

assessments and standardized formation and summative assessments. 

• Transition plans were generally created while in placement, and youths tended to be 

substantially involved in transition planning activities. However, substantial involvement of 

parents and other family members in transitional planning was not as prevalent.

• Once youth exited placement, more than half of State facilities provided some form of 

aftercare services (such as support for continued secondary or postsecondary education, 

and counseling), although the duration was usually less than 2 months after exiting the 

facility. However, State coordinators generally reported that it was very difficult to track 

academic outcomes for students after exiting, and 58 percent reported that facilities were 

unable to track outcomes for any youth after they exited placement.

• For State facilities that were able to track post-placement outcomes, the most tracked 

outcomes were high school equivalency credentials, followed by employment and other 

labor market outcomes and high school graduation rates.

These and other findings suggest a number of areas where the Department can undertake 

technical assistance efforts, both directly and through its technical assistance arm, the National 

Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth.
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Special programs for migrant students

(Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart 5, Section 418A)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority: 

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

Change from 

2021 to 2022 

$46,123 $66,123 +$20,000

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2015. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for fiscal year 2022.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Special Programs for Migrant Students provide 5-year grants to institutions of higher education 

(IHEs) and private nonprofit organizations to support educational programs designed for 

students who are engaged in, or whose families are engaged in, migrant and other seasonal 

farmwork. 

Projects funded under the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) recruit migrant students 

aged 16 and over and provide academic and support services (including counseling, health 

services, stipends, and placement) to help those students obtain a high school equivalency 

certificate and subsequently to gain employment or admission to a postsecondary institution or 

training program. 

Projects funded by the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) provide tutoring, academic 

assistance, and counseling services, as well as stipends, tuition, and room and board, to firstyear undergraduate migrant students and assist those students in obtaining student financial aid 

for their remaining undergraduate years. 

HEP projects, located in college or university settings, operate residential and commuter 

programs of instructional services for out-of-school migrant youth; some HEP projects employ a 

commuter model in which students attend GED classes after work. Most CAMP projects use an 

on-campus residential design and provide a high level of support services in order to assist 

participants, virtually all of whom have had no prior contact with a college campus, to adjust to 

life at an institution of higher education. In making awards under both programs, the Department 

is required to consider applicants' prior experience in operating HEP and CAMP projects. 

The Department may reserve up to one half of 1 percent of the funds appropriated for outreach, 

technical assistance, and professional development activities. If the total amount appropriated is 

below $40 million, the remaining funds are to be distributed between the two programs in the 

same proportion as the amounts available for each program the previous year. If the 

appropriation is over $40 million, 45 percent of the remaining funds must be used for HEP and 

45 percent for CAMP, and the remainder may be used for either program, based on the number, 

quality, and promise of applications received.
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Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were as follows: 

Fiscal Years (dollars in thousands)

2017.............................................................. 44,623

2018.............................................................. 44,623

2019.............................................................. 44,623

2020.............................................................. 45,623

2021.............................................................. 46,123

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2022, the Administration requests $66.1 million for Special Programs for Migrant 

Students, an increase of $20 million, or 43 percent, over the fiscal year 2021 appropriation, in 

support of the President’s goal to advance equity in education. The increase complements 

requests for other programs authorized under the Higher Education Act that provide student 

supports to underserved students so they can succeed in and graduate from college.

The request would support a significant expansion of programs that have demonstrated success 

in helping migrant youth who are particularly at risk for low educational, employment, and 

earnings outcomes. HEP and CAMP programs focus on finding and assisting migrant youth who 

have not been able to complete high school or go on to postsecondary education due to limited 

or inconsistent educational opportunity. Projects emphasize services to out-of-school-youth and 

other eligible individuals by conducting extensive outreach in locations where these youth live 

and work (e.g., farms, production facilities, and labor camps) and providing services at locations 

and times that meet the needs of an out-of-school, working population. Program performance 

data show that the programs’ academic and support services are successful at helping 

participants attain their high school equivalency credentials or complete their first academic year 

in a postsecondary program. Program outcomes compare favorably with outcomes for the 

general population. For example, approximately 96 percent of CAMP participants who 

completed their first academic year in a postsecondary program continued their postsecondary 

education. In contrast, NCES data show that the retention rate of first-time degree/certificateseeking undergraduates at 4-year institutions was 81 percent from 2017 to 2018, and 

62 percent at 2-year institutions during the same period.1

Data from a 2018 US Department of Labor research report (Findings from the National 

Agricultural Workers Survey 2015-16: A Demographic and Employment Profile of United States 

Farmworkers) show that a significant proportion of farmworkers tend to be young, poorly 

educated, unlikely to be proficient in English, and poor. In 2015-16, individuals aged 14-19 

constituted seven percent of farmworkers; average educational attainment was 8th grade; only 

29 percent of respondents said they could speak English well; and one-third of farmworkers had 

family incomes below the poverty level. However, a sizable group of survey respondents 

1 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). The Condition of Education 

2020 (NCES 2020-144), Undergraduate and Retention Rates.

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_ctr.asp
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expressed interest in pursuing further education or training and 35 percent of farmworkers 

surveyed reported having taken at least one adult education class. Among the most common 

courses respondents attended were English language instruction, job training, and high school 

equivalency classes; however, their limited education and income affects their ability to pursue 

postsecondary education or obtain skilled work that pays higher wages. 

HEP and CAMP provide participants with assistance that can enable them to improve their 

earnings potential dramatically. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Occupational 

Outlook Handbook,”2 the median annual wage for agricultural workers in 2020 was $28,900, 

and these types of workers are often paid based on how much they do instead of how many 

hours they work. By comparison, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 

2018 the median earnings for full-time, full-year wage and salary workers aged 25-34 were 

$34,900 for a person with a high school diploma or equivalent; $40,000 for a person with an 

associate’s degree; and $54,700 for a person with a bachelor’s degree.3 Furthermore, the 

“Occupational Outlook Handbook” indicates that periods of unemployment between jobs can 

cause stress for migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and agricultural work can be dangerous 

due to risk of exposure to pesticides or working with farm machinery that can cause serious 

injuries. Agricultural workers frequently leave the occupation due to the intense physical nature 

of the work, but, because of the barriers to attain a quality education, they are likely to need 

support to pursue educational opportunities that would allow them and their families to obtain 

other jobs. 

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

Outreach, technical assistance, and 

professional development $209 $231 $331

HEP:

HEP Number of students served 4,054 4,054 5,766

HEP Funding for new awards $6,935 $6,640 $11,367

HEP Number of new awards 15 14 23-30

HEP Peer review of new award applications $40 $47 $328

HEP Average new award $462 $474 $475

HEP Funding for continuation awards $15,418 $16,067 $21,201

2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Agricultural Workers, 

on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/farming-fishing-and-forestry/agricultural-workers.htm (visited May 6, 2021).

3 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). The Condition of Education 

2020 (NCES 2020-144), Annual Earnings. https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=77
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Output Measures 2020 2021 2022

HEP Number of continuation awards 36 35 46

HEP Average continuation award $429 $459 $461

HEP Average Federal contribution per student 

(whole dollars) $5,514 $5,601 $5,648

CAMP:

CAMP Number of students served 2,246 2,246 3,195

CAMP Funding for new awards $6,894 $7,086 $13,724

CAMP Number of new awards 16 15 30-37

CAMP Peer review of new award applications $40 $47 $328

CAMP Average new award $431 $473 $450

CAMP Funding for continuation awards $16,087 $16,005 $18,844

CAMP Number of continuation awards 40 38 43

CAMP Average continuation award $402 $421 $438

CAMP Average Federal contribution per student 

(whole dollars) $10,232 $10,281 $10,194

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 Federal resources provided for the program as well as the resources 

and efforts invested by those served by the program. 

Goal: To assist migrant and seasonal farmworker students in obtaining the equivalent of 

a high school diploma, and, subsequently, in beginning postsecondary education, 

entering military service, or obtaining employment.
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Objective: An increasing percentage of HEP participants will receive their high school 

equivalency credential.

Measure: The percentage of HEP participants receiving a high school equivalency credential.

Year Target Actual

2017 69.0% 67.5%

2018 69.0 64.9

2019 69.0 66.6

2020 69.0

2021 69.0

2022 69.0

Additional information: The source of data is grantee performance reports. Targets have 

remained the same over the past several years because changes to State academic standards 

for elementary and secondary education have led to more challenging high school equivalency 

assessments that have resulted in fluctuations in student performance. Data collected for fiscal 

year 2020 will be available in the summer of 2021.

Objective: An increasing percentage of HEP recipients of a high school equivalency credential 

will enter postsecondary education programs, upgraded employment, or the military.

Measure: The percentage of HEP high school equivalency credential recipients who enter 

postsecondary educational programs, upgraded employment, or the military.

Year Target Actual

2017 80.0% 85.6%

2018 80.0 82.1

2019 80.0 83.9

2020 80.0

2021 80.0

2022

Additional information: The source of data is grantee performance reports. Data for this 

measure are based on actual placement after receipt of a high school equivalency credential. 

Upgraded employment means a move to a job that provides more hours (and, as a result, 

increased pay); a job with increased benefits; a move to a supervisory position; a move to a new 

job with predefined career ladder, regardless of wage change (for example, becoming a 

management trainee or entering a formal apprenticeship); or a move to a job with higher hourly 

wages or a higher salary. Participants who were unemployed prior to participation in a HEP 

program and who obtain a job after participation and attainment of a high school equivalency 

credential are also included in this measure. Data for 2020 will be available in the summer of 

2021.
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Goal: Assist migrant and seasonal farmworker students in successfully completing their 

first academic year of college and in continuing their postsecondary education.

Objective: All CAMP students will complete their first academic year at a postsecondary 

institution in good standing.

Measure: The percentage of CAMP participants completing the first year of their postsecondary 

program.

Year Target Actual

2017 86.0% 88.2%

2018 86.0 83.5

2019 86.0 87.9

2020 86.0

2021 86.0

2022 86.0

Additional information: The source of data is grantee performance reports. Data for projects 

completing their first year of implementation are not included in the data for any given year 

because projects receive their initial funding in the fall, after the school year may have already 

started. Thus, the measure reflects the percentage of participants completing the first year of 

their postsecondary program between the second and fifth years of the project. Data collected 

for fiscal year 2020 will be available in the summer of 2021. 

Objective: A majority of CAMP students who successfully complete their first academic year of 

college will continue in postsecondary education.

Measure: The percentage of CAMP participants who, after completing the first academic year 

of college, continue their postsecondary education.

Year Target Actual

2017 85.0% 96.6%

2018 88.0 96.2

2019 90.0 96.4

2020 92.0

2021 92.0

2022 92.0

Additional information: The source of data is grantee performance reports. Data for this 

measure are based on actual placement after completion of the first year of college. Data for 

2020 will be available in the summer of 2021.
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Efficiency measures

The Department established a cost-per-participant outcome measure to assess program 

efficiency for HEP and CAMP. For HEP, the measure is the cost per participant earning a GED 

credential and, for CAMP, it is the cost per participant who completes his or her first year of 

postsecondary education and then continues that postsecondary education.

HEP Efficiency Measures

Measure: Cost per participant earning a high school equivalency credential, commuter 

programs.

Year

Target Cost Per Commuter 

Participant

Actual Cost Per Commuter 

Participant

2017 $9,931 $9,009

2018 10,030 9,408

2019 10,131 8,594

2020 10,232

2021 10,334

2022 10,438

Measure: Cost per participant earning a high school equivalency credential, residential 

programs.

Year

Target Cost Per Residential 

Participant

Actual Cost Per Residential 

Participant

2017 $19,338 $14,036

2018 19,531 13,164

2019 19,727 15,197

2020 19,924

2021 20,123

2022 20,324

Measure: Cost per participant earning a high school equivalency credential, programs with both 

commuting and resident students.

Year

Target Cost Per Participant

in Combined Programs

Actual Cost Per Participant

in Combined Programs

2017 $15,653 $13,932

2018 15,810 13,650

2019 15,968 16,378

2020 16,127

2021 16,289

2022 16,451
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Additional information: The Department established different costs for programs serving 

participants who commute, programs serving participants who reside at the institution of higher 

education where the program is based, and programs with both types of participants. Targets 

are based on actual costs in 2011 (the baseline year), multiplied by an estimated rate of inflation 

for college-associated costs and then decreased by an expected improvement in efficiency 

annually of 1 percent. Actual costs for HEP programs have fluctuated since 2015, in part, due to 

substantial increases in costs for high school equivalency testing, along with decreases in the 

number of HEP participants receiving a high school equivalency credential resulting from an 

increase in rigor in such testing. Data for 2020 will be available in the summer of 2021.

CAMP Efficiency Measures

Measure: Cost per participant completing the first year of postsecondary education and 

continuing postsecondary education, commuter programs.

Year

Target Cost Per Commuter 

Participant

Actual Cost Per Commuter 

Participant

2017 $14,958 $12,009

2018 15,197 11,393

2019 15,440 10,061

2020 15,688

2021 15,939

2022 16,194

Measure: Cost per participant completing the first year of postsecondary education and 

continuing postsecondary education, residential programs.

Year

Target Cost Per Residential 

Participant

Actual Cost Per Residential 

Participant

2017 $23,972 $14,823

2018 24,356 13,105

2019 24,745 13,429

2020 25,141

2021 25,543

2022 25,952
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Measure: Cost per participant completing the first year of postsecondary education and 

continuing postsecondary education, programs with both commuting and resident students.

Year

Target Cost Per Participant

for Combined Programs

Actual Cost Per Participant

for Combined Programs

2017 $18,229 $13,765

2018 18,521 12,939

2019 18,817 11,551

2020 19,118

2021 19,424

2022 19,735

Additional information: The Department established different costs for programs serving 

participants who commute, programs serving participants who reside at the institution of higher 

education where the program is based, and programs with both types of participants. Targets 

are based on actual costs in 2011 (the baseline year), multiplied by an estimated rate of inflation 

for college-associated costs and then decreased by an expected improvement in efficiency 

annually of 1 percent. Data for 2020 will be available in the summer of 2021.ate tables