The Department of Education plans to use its $100 billion allocation of Recovery Act funding to improve student achievement through educational reform while saving and creating jobs. It hopes to promote investments in schools and educational programs that can be maintained over the long term, even though Recovery Act money will only be available for two or three years.
The bulk of Education money will be distributed to the states to pass onto local school districts to make program decisions. In making their funding decisions, states must follow the primary mandates of the Recovery Act: make progress towards college and career-enhancing academic standards, establish pre-K to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement in education, improve teacher effectiveness and make quality teaching available for all students and providing intensive support for low-performing schools.
This page includes an overview of Economic Stimulus allocations for the Department of Education and does not represent every dollar that will be spent by that agency as part of the Recovery Act. In particular, we do not report on money that is earmarked primarily for individuals through the agency’s Pell grant program, designed to help students pay for college. In addition, this page does not report on the money ED will spend under its ordinary yearly budget, although some projects may be funded by a combination of stimulus and non-stimulus money. Monster will update this page as information becomes available.
Read about the Department of Education's current funding opportunities.
Funding Breakdown
Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEA): $10 billion
This money will be distributed to local school districts to implement their own educational improvement plans pursuant to the Recovery Act goals stated above. There is also an additional $3 billion to be distributed by the states to LEAs with the lowest performing students, to improve academic standards and performance. Money can be spent on programs such as those to train highly effective teachers to become area instructional leaders, to provide additional in-service training days, to strengthen and expand early childhood education programs, to provide training and dual certification of teachers (ELL, special education) and to implement programs to extend the school day or provide summer school. Money can also be spent on computer systems to track and record student and district progress. Find additional information about Title I grants including allowable uses for funds.
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA): $11.7 billion
The $11.7 billion is for Part B (states) and Part B (preschool) combined, with $500 million allocated for Part C. The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act assures that students with physical or mental disabilities have access to quality, appropriate education. The Recovery Act’s IDEA funding will be distributed by the states to fund programs aimed at improving and expanding special education programs for children from pre-school age and older. Possible programs include those to obtain assistive technological devices for the classroom and to train educators and aides in their use, to provide additional professional development for special education teachers, to implement a system to use data to improve student performance and to hire transition coordinators to assist disabled students in obtaining a job after completing school. Like with Title I grant money, funds can also be spent on training and dual certification of teachers (ELL, special education.) Other information about IDEA grants including allowable uses for funds. Find additional information about IDEA grants including allowable uses for funds.
State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF): $53.6 billion
The majority of SFSF money will be a formula-based distribution to the states. The funds will be used to advance educational reforms, deter planned cuts in educators and services and to renovate and improve educational facilities. As with IDEA and Title I, SFSF dollars can be spent on training and dual certification of teachers (ELL, special education.) SFSF money is also earmarked for the establishment of data systems to track student and school district progress and improvement. The final $5 billion in funds will be awarded via competitive grant. Teachers and other educators and administrators, educational consultants, IT professionals and construction industry workers will all benefit from these funds. Find additional information including how the states may apply for these funds.
Other: $N/A
In addition to the funding categories described above, the Department of Education will provide money to the states for general school improvements and educational technology, vocational programs for the disabled and aid to the homeless student population. Some of the programs that might be funded include teacher training, programs to prepare disabled students to enter the workforce, investment in new educational technology for schools and improvements to school facilities.
Independent Living Grants: $140 million
In addition to overseeing more traditional education programs, the Department of Education will distribute funds that support services to individuals with significant disabilities and older individuals who are blind, “to maximize their leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity, and to promote the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of American society.”
For more information, go to Department of Education Recovery website.