Federal grant programs / Department of Education

Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (formerly Improving Teacher Quality State Grants) (84.367)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$11 billion
• Grant awards314
• Typical award$19.6 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$2.2 billion
• Size rank51 of 1824
• Type of assistanceFormula grants

Key findings

• Annual funding was roughly flat, $2.1 billion in fiscal 2021 and $2.2 billion in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 51st largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 72% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 52 states and territories.

What the program funds

To provide grants to State Educational Agencies (SEAs), and, through the SEAs, to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in order to increase student academic achievement consistent with challenging State academic standards; improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

NOTE: State Educational Agencies (SEAs) are the only eligible State agencies. The 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Indian Education, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands receive funding.

What the money can and cannot pay for

SEAs and LEAs have flexibility to carry out a wide variety of activities, consistent with their specific needs. The activities listed below are examples of SEA and LEA allowable uses of funds under ESEA sections 2101(c) and 2103(b). For a complete list of allowable activities under the ESEA, please see sections 2101(c) and 2103(b) of the statute (https://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/legislation.html). Generally, SEAs must use at least 95 percent of awards for subgrants to LEAs; LEAs may use the funds to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities to improve teacher and school leader quality, including developing and improving rigorous and fair evaluation and support systems; implement initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining effective teachers, especially in low-income schools that particularly need assistance; promote teacher leadership; recruit qualified individuals from other fields; reduce class size; provide high-quality, personalized professional development; and develop feedback mechanisms to improve school working conditions. States may reserve up to 5 percent of the total SEA award for allowable State activities, which include, among others, reforming certification and licensing systems and programs, helping LEAs design and implement teacher and school leader evaluation and support systems, improving equitable access to effective teachers, and providing technical assistance to LEAs.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Deadlines do not apply

Award range and average, in the agency's words

FY 23: Range: $10,786,692 to $235,477,151 (for State awards); Average $41,487,275. FY 24: Range: $10,836 to 242,563 (for State awards); Average $41,675.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 89% of the money, colleges and universities 11% and tribes 0.1%.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.