Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund 84.374A

The Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program is a federal discretionary grant administered by the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The program is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and is designed to support systemic improvements in educator effectiveness through performance-based compensation systems and human capital management strategies. This initiative reflects a long-standing federal priority to improve student outcomes by strengthening the educator workforce, particularly in high-need schools where disparities in access to effective teachers and leaders persist. The primary purpose of the program is to assist eligible entities in developing, implementing, improving, or expanding comprehensive performance-based compensation systems or human capital management systems. These systems are intended to reward educators based on measurable improvements in student academic achievement and to support workforce readiness. A portion of the funding may also be used to evaluate the effectiveness, fairness, and reliability of such systems. The program emphasizes closing achievement gaps between high- and low-performing students and increasing equitable access to effective educators in high-need schools. Funding under this program is substantial, with an estimated $60 million available and individual awards ranging from $500,000 to $8.5 million. Projects may span up to 36 months, with the possibility of a 24-month extension based on performance. Funds must be used to support allowable activities such as developing evaluation systems, implementing compensation structures, and providing professional development aligned with educator effectiveness goals. A strict supplement-not-supplant requirement applies, ensuring that federal funds enhance rather than replace existing funding. Additionally, recipients must provide a 50 percent non-federal match, which may be in cash or in-kind contributions. Eligibility is broad but specific to education-focused entities. Eligible applicants include local educational agencies, state educational agencies, the Bureau of Indian Education, and partnerships that combine these entities with nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Partnerships must meet federal group application requirements, including formal agreements outlining roles and responsibilities. Importantly, local educational agencies are limited to receiving this grant no more than twice, whether individually or as part of a consortium. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and completion of multiple federal forms and narrative components. Applicants must provide detailed descriptions of their proposed systems, identify gaps in educator access and effectiveness, and demonstrate stakeholder support. Required components include a project narrative, budget narrative, logic model, and evidence of educator and community commitment. Applications are evaluated based on criteria such as need for the project, quality of design, management plan feasibility, and adequacy of resources, with a maximum score of 100 points. The timeline for this funding opportunity is clearly defined. Applications opened on April 8, 2026, and must be submitted by June 9, 2026. Intergovernmental review deadlines extend to August 30, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to begin registration processes early, as system registrations may take several weeks. The program may issue continuation awards or renewals based on performance data and alignment with program goals, supporting long-term sustainability and scaling of successful initiatives. For additional information, applicants may contact Cynthia Hunter via email at TSL@ed.gov or by phone. The program also provides webinars and technical assistance to support applicants in preparing competitive proposals. Overall, this grant represents a significant federal investment in strengthening educator effectiveness systems and improving student outcomes through evidence-based strategies and performance-driven incentives.The Innovative Approaches to Literacy program is a federal discretionary grant competition administered by the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. The program is identified under Assistance Listing Number 84.215G and is authorized under 20 U.S.C. 6646. The purpose of the program is to support high-quality literacy programs designed to improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies and schools. The funding opportunity focuses particularly on low-income communities and supports literacy development through expanded access to books, stronger school library programming, and evidence-based early language and literacy activities. The Department emphasizes increasing reading proficiency through interventions that support children from infancy through adolescence. The competition was officially posted on April 8, 2026 and updated on April 22, 2026. The program supports a broad range of literacy-focused activities. Allowable activities include developing and enhancing effective school library programs, providing professional development for school librarians, supplying books and updated educational materials to high-need schools, implementing early literacy services including pediatric literacy interventions during well-child visits, and distributing high-quality books to children and adolescents from low-income communities. The notice also highlights innovative approaches such as evidence-based accelerated learning supports, tutoring programs aligned with literacy and mathematics learning acceleration, technology-enabled instructional models, artificial intelligence-supported interventions, and meaningful at-home learning supports for families. The grant specifically encourages projects coordinated with school libraries and literacy-centered educational programming. Eligibility is limited to certain educational and nonprofit entities serving high-poverty populations. Eligible applicants include local educational agencies in which at least 20 percent of students are from families below the poverty line, consortia of eligible LEAs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and eligible national nonprofit organizations serving children and students within the attendance boundaries of eligible LEAs. The notice explains that poverty determinations are based primarily on U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates data. Educational service agencies, county offices of education, and similar entities serving multiple LEAs must aggregate poverty data across all served LEAs to establish eligibility. Nonprofit organizations must demonstrate valid nonprofit status through IRS documentation, state certification, or incorporation records. The program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. The competition uses a restricted indirect cost rate and prohibits grantees from issuing subgrants to other entities for direct project implementation activities. The competition includes two required absolute priorities and two optional competitive preference priorities. Applicants must address both absolute priorities to be considered for funding. Absolute Priority 1 requires projects to coordinate with school libraries for book distribution activities, childhood literacy programming, or both. Absolute Priority 2 supports projects carried out by entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official. Competitive Preference Priority 1 provides additional points for rural applicants serving LEAs with specified National Center for Education Statistics locale codes. Competitive Preference Priority 2 awards additional points for projects supporting meaningful learning opportunities through evidence-based interventions, accelerated learning supports, tutoring programs, and family learning supports. The Department may award up to 15 competitive preference points total across both preference priorities. Applications are evaluated using a 100-point scoring system. The criteria include need for the project, quality of project design, and quality of the management plan. Reviewers assess whether applicants demonstrate documented literacy challenges affecting target populations, provide measurable goals and outcomes, include reliable data collection methods, and propose comprehensive strategies supporting educational development. The management plan review examines staffing, timelines, milestones, and mechanisms for delivering high-quality services. Applicants are also required to describe their plans for collecting and reporting performance data related to literacy growth, reading achievement, and book distribution outcomes. Program performance measures include growth in reading achievement among fourth and eighth grade participants, increased school book-to-student ratios, and the percentage of children receiving free grade-appropriate books. The estimated available funding for the competition is $16,800,000. The Department anticipates making between 25 and 35 awards, with estimated awards ranging from $375,000 to $750,000 and an estimated average award size of $500,000. The project period is 60 months. Applications became available on April 8, 2026. Notices of intent to apply are strongly encouraged by May 8, 2026, although they are not required for eligibility. Final applications are due June 9, 2026, and intergovernmental review deadlines occur on August 7, 2026. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov after registration in both SAM.gov and Grants.gov systems. Required application components include the SF-424 forms, project narrative, budget narrative, abstract, assurances, nonprofit documentation if applicable, and LEA eligibility documentation. Applicants are encouraged to attend a pre-application webinar hosted by the Department. Questions regarding the competition may be directed to Simon Earle at InnovativeApproachestoLiteracy@ed.gov or by phone at (202) 453-7923. The competition appears to be a recurring federal funding opportunity associated with annual discretionary grant cycles.

Align proposal with absolute priorities; demonstrate strong evidence based rationale; clearly show impact on high need schools; provide strong data and evaluation plan; ensure stakeholder support documentation