Department of Education

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

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

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

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

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

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

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

Significant Items in FY 2023 Appropriations Reports ................................................................... 7

Activity: 

English language acquisition ..................................................................................................... 8

State Tables* 

*State tables reflecting actual fiscal year 2022 allocations and fiscal years 2023 and 2024 

estimates are posted on the Department’s webpage at: 

https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriations Language

For carrying out part A of title III of the ESEA, [$890,000,000] $1,195,000,000, which shall 

become available on July 1, [2023] 2024, and shall remain available through September 30, 

[2024] 2025,1 except that [6.5] 8 percent of such amount shall be available on October 1, [2022] 

2023, and shall remain available through September 30, [2024] 2025, to carry out activities 

under section 3111(c)(1)(C)[.]:2 Provided, That up to $4,000,000 of amounts provided under this 

heading may be reserved for activities under Section 3202, including for the National 

Clearinghouse established under that section, 3 and to provide technical assistance to State 

educational agencies, local educational agencies, and other appropriate organizations and 

individuals, consistent with the purposes described in the section 3102.4

(Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2023.)

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.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

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

[2023] 2024, and shall remain available 

through September 30, [2024] 2025,

This language provides for a portion of the 

funds for English Language Acquisition to be 

available on a forward-funded basis. The 

forward-funded portion includes the amount 

of funds that are distributed to the States 

under the State grants formula and the 

Native American discretionary grants.

2...except that [6.5] 8 percent of such amount 

shall be available on October 1, [2022] 2023, 

and shall remain available through 

September 30, [2024] 2025, to carry out 

activities under section 3111(c)(1)(C)[.]: 

This language overrides the statutory 

reservation of 6.5 percent and provides for 8 

percent of the funds for English Language 

Acquisition to be used for national activities 

(National Professional Development grants 

and National Clearinghouse for English 

Language Acquisition) and for the funds to 

be available for 2 years. 

3 Provided, That up to $4,000,000 of amounts 

provided under this heading may be reserved 

for activities under section 3202, including for 

the National Clearinghouse established 

under that section, 

This language overrides the $2,000,000 cap 

on the amount of funds reserved for the 

National Clearinghouse for English Language 

Acquisition and increases it to $4,000,000. 

4 ....and to provide technical assistance to 

State educational agencies, local educational 

agencies, and other appropriate 

organizations and individuals, consistent with 

the purposes described in Section 3102.

This language expands the scope of the 

National Clearinghouse to include technical 

assistance and capacity building to support 

SEAs and LEAs. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2022 2023 2024

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation

$831,400 $890,000

 

$1,195,000

Discretionary Total, discretionary appropriation 831,400 890,000 $1,195,000
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2023 $890,000

2024 1,195,000

Net change +305,000

Increases: 2023 base

Change

from base

 Program: 

Increase in Federal support for State and local 

efforts to help the significant number of English 

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

language proficiency (ELP) and meet challenging, 

State-determined college- and career-ready 

academic standards, while also assisting States and 

Local educational agencies (LEAs) that have 

experienced rapid growth in their EL populations. $890,000 +$305,000

Net change +305,000
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2023

Authorized footnote

2023

Appropriationfootnote

2024

Authorizedfootnote

2024

Request

English language acquisition

Language Acquisition: State grants (ESEA-III-A) 0 $890,000 To be determined1 $1,195,000

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2021. Reauthorization for FY 2024 is expected through appropriations action.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Footnote Appropriation Footnote

20151 $732,400 N/A $723,400 $737,400

20162 773,400 $737,400 712,021 737,400

20173 800,400 737,400 712,021 737,400

20184 735,998 737,400 737,400 737,400

20195 737,400 737,400 737,400 737,400

20206 737,400 980,000 737,400 787,400

20217 0 797,400 787,400 797,400

20228 917,400 1,000,000 917,400 831,400

20239 1,075,000 1,000,000 954,041 890,000

2024 1,195,000

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

allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only

2 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.

3 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. 4 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). 5 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). 6 The Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). 7 The level for the House allowance reflects subcommittee action. The level for the Senate Allowance reflects the 

Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260). 8 The House allowance reflects floor action; the Senate Allowance reflects the Chair’s mark; and the Appropriation 

reflects Division of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103). 9 The House allowance reflects the regular annual FY 2023 appropriation, which was introduced on the floor; the 

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

(P.L. 117-328).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Significant Items in FY 2023 Appropriations Reports

Item description

House: The Committee requests information on how the Department assists SEAs and 

LEAs to ensure Title I and Title III funds support complementary activities for 

maximizing impact on EL student outcomes. 

Response: The Department’s Title I and III program offices coordinated to address technical 

assistance needs of and compliance questions from the field and through a 

consolidated monitoring approach. For example, Title III program staff address 

issues of parental notification and outreach requirements that were moved from 

Title III to Title I, provide guidance and oversight to the field to ensure that Title III 

funds do not supplant Title I or other federal, State, or local funds, and coordinate 

technical assistance responses with Title I staff to answer questions related to 

the assessment of English learners (ELs). 

Additionally, the Department engages with the field through technical assistance 

hubs that research and disseminate practices to support better EL outcomes, 

which can inform program implementation in States and school districts receiving 

Title I and III dollars. For example, the Comprehensive Centers Network houses 

resources on educating multilingual learners and hosts a Multilingual Learners 

Working Group for regional centers to increase awareness of issues impacting 

Multilingual learners and increase their capacity to identify policies and practices 

to improve outcomes for this student population. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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English language acquisition 

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2024 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

2023 Appropriation 2024 Request Change

$890,000 $1,195,000 +$305,000

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

Acquisition (NCELA). 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

are immigrants.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LEAs receiving subgrants must provide effective language instruction educational programs

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

1 The GEPA extension expired September 30, 2021. Reauthorization for FY 2024 is expected through 

appropriations action.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mentoring, and career counseling.

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

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

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

annually assess the English proficiency of the ELs they serve.

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

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

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

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

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

helping ELs achieve content and language proficiency.

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

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

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

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

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

American languages while also increasing the English language proficiency of participating 

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

Outlying Areas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

appropriated through September 30 of the following fiscal year.

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

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2019 $737,400

2020 787,400

2021 797,400

2022 831,400

2023 890,000

FY 2024 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2024, the Administration requests $1.2 billion for ELA, $305 million more than the

fiscal year 2023 appropriation and in line with the Secretary’s Raise the Bar: Lead the World 

initiative which includes providing pathways for all students to have the opportunity to be 

multilingual, beginning with the duty to ensure ELs achieve English proficiency and meet 

challenging State academic standards. The request includes appropriations language that 

would raise the set-aside for NPD and NCELA from 6.5 to 8 percent and expands NCELA’s 

duties to provide technical assistance and capacity building to support SEAs and LEAs in 

implementing evidenced-based practices that improve outcomes for English learners. The 

request reflects the Administration’s commitment to significantly expanding Federal support for 

State and local efforts to help the growing number of ELs in U.S. schools attain ELP and meet 

challenging, State academic standards, while also assisting States and LEAs that have 

experienced rapid growth in their EL populations. ELA’s appropriations over the last decade 

have not kept up with the rate of the growing EL population. The increased request for ELA, with 

the proposed expansion to NCELA, and the Department’s requests to elevate, and provide 

additional capacity to, the newly proposed Office of Multilingual and English Learners (currently

the Office of English Language Acquisition) together deliver an agenda to serve EL students in 

an asset-based approach that will close achievement and opportunity gaps. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

misperceptions by educators about EL readiness for rigorous academic content further impedes 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

eight grade math and reading. 

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

particularly challenging in school districts with little experience in and fewer resources to serve 

growing school-aged EL populations. ACS data from 2021 show that California, Florida, Illinois, 

New York, and Texas enroll 58 percent of the Nation’s ELs (excluding Puerto Rico), but the 

growth rate in the EL student population in other States has exceeded that of these five. For 

example, from 2020 to 2021,1 the EL population increased by 18 percent in Delaware, 

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

that same timeframe, the EL population stayed relatively stable or slightly increased in 

California, Florida, and New York. Since the States with the greatest recent growth in the EL 

population are not the traditional immigrant gateway States, they often lack the infrastructure 

and service capacity compared to States with a longer history of high EL and immigrant student 

enrollment.

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

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

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

compounded the challenges ELs face toward making progress toward language attainment. ELs

were more likely to be disconnected from high-speed broadband while also facing additional 

language barriers without in-person connections with their teachers.2 Some researchers 

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

and 2021.3 Making up for the lost time will require intensive tutoring and accelerated learning 

strategies that are tailored for ELs, and the 2024 request for ELA State Grants recognizes the 

urgent need for significantly greater supports for EL students, their teachers, and their schools.

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

effective pedagogical practices for language acquisition and the educational benefits of 

multilingualism, Federal policy has been slow to reflect the shift in the field to embracing 

students’ native and home languages as a strength they bring to their school communities. The 

increased investment proposed for fiscal year 2024, including additional funding for technical 

assistance and a new NPD competition to address the multilingual teacher pipeline, would 

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

meeting the needs of English learners in the context of encouraging multilingualism as a 

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

Department would focus on assisting LEAs with implementing evidenced-based instructional 

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

from 2016-2010 and the 2021 data include information from 2017-2021. 2 United States Government Accountability Office (Nov. 2020), “Distance Learning: Challenges Providing Services to 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Native American and Alaska Native Children in Schools (NAM) 

The $5 million set aside for NAM Grants would support and estimated 16 continuation awards in 

fiscal year 2024 for grants to schools operated predominantly for Native American and Alaska 

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

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

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

grants received their final awards in 2022. The Department plans to hold a competition for new 

awards for NAM grants in 2023. These grantees will ideally also be the first cohort to benefit 

from the Department’s new Native American Resource Center which will also be competed in 

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

schools by improving capacity to teach Native languages. 

National Activities

The Request would support an estimated 58 new NPD awards in a new fiscal year 2024

competition and 94 continuation awards for grants made in fiscal years 2021 and 2022. The 

Department plans to regulate NPD in 2023 to extend the program to address the multilingual 

teacher shortage in addition to the development of those currently in the field. The future of 

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

high-quality, bilingual certified teachers. NPD’s regulation will allow grantees to support GrowYour-Own models for paraprofessionals and students who have earned seals of biliteracy. In 

addition, the Department would use up to $4 million to grow NCELA’s duties, which the 

Department has the option to recompete this year, to ensure States and LEAs have the 

evidenced-based tools to support the new generation of multilingual educators to meet the 

needs of the country’s growing EL population. 

Evaluation

In fiscal year 2024, the Department would use up to 0.5 percent of the request for Title III, 

Part A funds to support new and ongoing evaluation activities. 

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

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

Retrieved from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/819/personalizing_literacy-culturallyrelevantreadings.pdf 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands) 

Output Measures 2022 2023 2024

State formula grants

 English language acquisition State grants $771,685 $822,989 $1,087,958

 Number of States 56 56 56

 Range of Awards $106-156,688 $112-163,135 $152-215,726

NAM Grants

Grant award funds (new) 0 $2,100 0

 Grant award funds (continuations) $5,000 2,859 $5,945

Peer review 0 41 0

Total 5,000 5,000 5,945

Number of new awards 0 7 0

 Number of continuation awards 16 9 16

National Activities

NPD grant funds (new) $22,640 0 $35,000

 NPD grant funds (continuation) 29,156 $55,561 55,892

Peer review 198 0 230

 Clearinghouse 2,000 2,000 4,000

National Activities Total 53,994 57,561 95,122

Number of NPD grant awards (new) 44 0 58

 Number of NPD grant awards 

(continuations) 50 94 94

Evaluation $721 $4,450 $5,975

NOTE 

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

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

not pool funds from English Language Acquisition grants in fiscal year 2022 but may do so in fiscal years 2023 or 

2024. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

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

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

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

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

resources and efforts invested by those served by this program. 

State Grant Program

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

annually through the ESEA Consolidated State Performance Reports (CSPRs). In 2018, the 

Department revised the performance measures for this program in response to the changes 

made to the ESEA by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). 

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

by the English Language Acquisition State Grants program.

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

ELP in LEAs that receive Title III funds. 

Year Target Actual

2019 33 11

2020 34 Not Available

2021 35 6

2022

2023

2024

Additional information: Data for 2020 were not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 

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

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

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

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

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

year. Of the 41 States for which reliable data were available, 35 States reported lower 

performance in the percentage of ELs making progress as compared to 2019. Given the 

continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ELP assessment administration and reporting 

in 2021, the Department plans to revisit performance targets for 2023 and beyond once data for 

the 2021-2022 school year are available later in 2023.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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

annual ELP assessment in LEAs that receive Title III funds.

Year Target Actual

2019 36 19

2020 37 Not Available

2021 38 7

2022

2023

2024

Additional information: Data for 2020 were not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 

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

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

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

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

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

the 47 States for which reliable data were available, 40 States reported lower performance as 

compared to 2019. Given the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ELP 

assessment administration and reporting in 2021, the Department plans to revisit performance 

targets for 2023 and beyond once data for the 2021-2022 school year are available later in 

2023.

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

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

arts assessments in the fourth year after exiting.

Year Target Actual

2021 Baseline year 22

2022

2023

2024

Additional information: 2021 is the first year the Department is reporting this GPRA measure. 

Data for 2020 were not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent waiver of 

Statewide assessments in the 2019-2020 school year. As a result, data for 2021 are not based 

on the usual methodology for reporting this measure, as the performance measure is intended 

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

2021 to school year 2018-2019. Normal reporting will resume for 2022, examining the change 

from 2020-2021 school year to the 2021-2022 school year. Of the 40 States for which reliable 

data were available, 18 States reported lower performance in the percentage of former ELs 

scoring proficient on reading/language arts assessments in their fourth year after exiting as 

compared to 2019. The Department plans to establish performance targets for 2023 and beyond 

once 2021-2022 school year data is available later in the 2023.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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The Department also established one additional performance measure for which two years of 

comparable data are not yet available:

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

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

NPD Grant Program

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

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

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

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

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

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

reporting. 

2016 NPD Cohort

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

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 92%

2019 95%

2020 95 67

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due data reporting and quality concerns. 

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

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 108%

2019 95%

2020 95 113

Additional information: Performance targets and the denominators for actuals were based on 

the original grant proposal, and actual participation in the program has been higher than 

anticipated. In the 2018 and 2020 reporting years, a few grantees far exceeded their targets, 

thereby skewing the average for the cohort. The Department is not reporting performance data 

for the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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

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

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 57%

2019 60% N/A

2020 60 86

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

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

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

preparing them to serve EL students.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 80%

2019 85%

2020 85 77

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns.

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

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

serve ELs or improve their abilities to serve ELs effectively.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 53%

2019 60%

2020 60 62

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns.

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

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

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

community engagement.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 71%

2019 75%

2020 75 89

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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2017 NPD Cohort

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

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 15%

2019 25%

2020 35 92

2021 45 89

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. 

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

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 43%

2019 45%

2020 50 146

2021 50 140

Additional information: Performance targets and the denominators for actuals were based on 

the original grant proposal, and actual participation in the program has been higher than 

anticipated. In the 2020 and 2021 reporting years, a few grantees far exceeded their targets, 

thereby skewing the average for the cohort. The Department is not reporting performance data 

for this measure for the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. 

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

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

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 17%

2019 20%

2020 25 149

2021 30 114

Additional information: Performance targets and the denominators for actuals were based on 

the original grant proposal, and actual participation in the program has been higher than 

anticipated. In the 2020 and 2021 reporting years, a few grantees far exceeded their targets, 

thereby skewing the average for the cohort. The Department is not reporting performance data 

for this measure for the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

19

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

preparing them to serve EL students. 

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 27%

2019 35%

2020 40

2021 45

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure 

due to data reporting and quality concerns. 

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

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

serve ELs or improve their abilities to serve ELs effectively. 

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline year 32%

2019 35%

2020 40

2021 45

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure 

due to data reporting and quality concerns. 

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

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

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

community engagement. 

Year Target 2017 Cohort Actual

2018 Baseline 29%

2019 30%

2020 35

2021 40

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure 

due to data reporting and quality concerns. 

NAM Program

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

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

issues. 
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20

Measure: The percentage of EL students served by the NAM program who score proficient or 

above on the State reading assessment.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual 2018 Cohort Actual

2018 40% 32% 12%

2019 40

2020 40 139 43

2021 40 23 29

2022 40

Additional information: Five out of 10 grantees in the 2016 cohort reported data for this 

measure in 2020, and one grantee far exceeded its target. Due to data reporting and quality 

concerns, the Department is not reporting performance data for the 2016 or 2018 cohort for the 

2019 reporting year. Trend data for this measure should be interpreted with caution; NAM 

grantees are often working with different groups of students each year. Data for 2022 are not 

yet available.

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

progress in English as measured by the State ELP assessment.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 73% 58%

2019 73

2020 73 96

2021 73

Additional information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. The Department 

discontinued this measure for the 2018 and future cohorts.

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

proficiency in English as measured by the State ELP assessment.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual 2018 Cohort Actual

2018 25% 30% 11%

2019 25

2020 25 63 88

2021 25 106 29

2022 25

Additional information: Seven out of 10 grantees in the 2016 cohort reported data for this 

measure in 2021, and one grantee far exceeded its target. The Department is not reporting 

performance data for this measure for the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality 

concerns.
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Measure: The percentage of students served by the program who are enrolled in Native 

American language instruction programs.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 45% 42%

2019 45

2020 45 123

2021 45

Additional Information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. The Department 

discontinued this measure for the 2018 and future cohorts.

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

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

portfolios, and pre- and post-tests.

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual 2018 Cohort Actual

2018 55% 27% 77%

2019 75

2020 80 19 53

2021 80 66 72

2022 80

Additional Information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. 

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

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

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

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 20% 19%

2019 20 143

2020 20 19

2021 20 24

2022 20

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

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

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

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

preschool children ages three and four enrolled in the program. 

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 90% 89%

2019 90 N/A

2020 90 102

2021 90

Additional Information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. In 2020, three of the 

grantees reporting data for this measure exceeded their targets. 

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

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

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 95% 94%

2019 95 N/A

2020 95 135

2021 95

Additional Information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. In 2020, one grantee was 

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

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

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

coordination contacts between elementary schools and early learning programs to improve 

coordination and transition of children from preschool to kindergarten. 

Year Target 2016 Cohort Actual

2018 95% 91%

2019 95 N/A

2020 95 115

2021 95

Additional Information: The Department is not reporting performance data for this measure for 

the 2019 reporting year due to data reporting and quality concerns. In 2020, one grantee 

reporting data for this measure far exceeded its target. 

Other Performance-Related Information

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

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

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

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

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

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