Title III

Learn more about the federal money for English-language acquisition, including how much money there is and how it's administered
Business woman with a laptop sitting on top of a large magnifying glass that is centered over a stack of money.
DigitalVision Vectors
English-Language Learners Q&A English Learners Could Gain Support and Clout Under Ed. Secretary's Plan, Expert Says
Kathleen Leos directed the Office of English Language Acquisition in the U.S. Department of Education when George W. Bush was president.
Ileana Najarro, March 17, 2023
6 min read
English Language Learners 032023 1305725500
E+/Getty
English-Language Learners Education Secretary Wants to Change the Way Funding for English Learners Is Managed
Researchers praise the proposal to move management of federal language acquisition funding to the Office of English Language Acquisition.
Ileana Najarro, March 13, 2023
5 min read
Conceptual image of the shadows of people cast across a United States flag
Alxey Pnferov/iStock
English-Language Learners Is Federal Funding for Immigrant Students Falling Short?
Title III's strict eligibility requirements may hamper efforts to support immigrant students, a new report contends.
Ileana Najarro, September 20, 2022
6 min read
Federal For Schools With Child Immigrants, What Resources Are Available?
School districts that absorb large numbers of recently-arrived immigrants can use a key stream of federal funding for support.
Lesli A. Maxwell, July 28, 2014
3 min read
Federal Obama Budget Proposes Modest Bump for English-Learner Programs
Spending on English-language acquisition programs would get a slight increase under President Barack Obama's proposed budget for fiscal 2015.
Lesli A. Maxwell, March 4, 2014
1 min read
Federal English-Language Acquisition Gets Boost in Federal Spending Bill
Title III would receive a 4 percent increase under the spending bill unveiled this week by Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress.
Lesli A. Maxwell, January 15, 2014
1 min read
Federal Sequestration and Aid to ELLs: What Happens to Title III?
Like all discretionary federal programs, Title III aid to states and districts for English-language learners would be cut if Congress and President Obama don't act to avert sequestration.
Lesli A. Maxwell, February 26, 2013
1 min read
Federal House GOP ESEA Bill Would Give Districts Leeway on Spending for English Learners
The draft legislation merges spending for English learners under Title III with spending for all disadvantaged students under Title I.
Lesli A. Maxwell, January 9, 2012
1 min read
School & District Management Study Calls for Better Identification of ELLs for Federal Funding
A long-awaited national study calls for a more comprehensive approach to identifying English-language learners when awarding federal grants.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 10, 2011
2 min read
Education Still Confused about 'Supplement Not Supplant' Under Title III?
Staff of the U.S. Department of Education are scheduled to answer questions about permissible uses of Title III funds at a webinar on Dec. 11 hosted by the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Title III is the section of the No Child Left Behind Act that authorizes funds for English-language acquisition programs. But the money may not be used in place of money from other local, state, or federal sources that would otherwise be spent on programs for ELLs. It's a tricky matter.
Mary Ann Zehr, November 26, 2008
1 min read
Education What the Feds Said About 'Supplement Not Supplant' for Title III
I hope you've had a chance to read my reports on this blog of what officials from the U.S. Department of Education have been saying about the "supplement-not-supplant" provision of Title III, the section of the No Child Left Behind Act that authorizes funds for English-language-acquisition programs. The provision says that money from Title III can't be used in place of money from local, state, or federal sources that would otherwise be spent on ELLs. Andrew Brownstein of Thompson Publishing Group has recently posted a report on the same topic, "Title III Supplanting Provisions Draw Questions." (Hat tip to This Week in Education.) He picks up on one of the issues that I've reported on previously, that a number of states have been using Title III funds to pay for English-language-proficiency tests, and federal officials say that's not allowed. For previously unreported details from a discussion that took place at a session of the LEP Partnership meeting on Oct. 15, such as how Title III funds can be used to pay for an ELL resource teacher, read the points with bullets at the end of Mr. Brownstein's piece.
Mary Ann Zehr, November 24, 2008
1 min read
Federal The Marriage of Title I and Title III
Given that the joining of Title I and Title III under one administrative office of the U.S. Department of Educationhas already taken place, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. has put aside its objections and put out a joint statement with the National Association of State Title I Directors with recommendations for how the union should work. It's a statement about how the two programs should be coordinated from the federal level down to the classroom.
Mary Ann Zehr, October 28, 2008
1 min read
Education What CAN Title III Funds Be Spent On?
At the LEP Partnership meeting last week, several U.S. Department of Education officials spelled out for state education officials what federal Title III funds cannot be spent on. But I came away wondering what the funds CAN be spent on. Title III is the part of the No Child Left Behind Act that authorizes funds for English-language-acquisition programs.
Mary Ann Zehr, October 21, 2008
1 min read
English-Language Learners Some Education Groups Oppose Move of Title III Grant Program
The agenda for the LEP Partnership meeting scheduled for this Wednesday and Thursday lists Zollie Stevenson as the director of student achievement and school accountability programs for both Title I and Title III programs of the No Child Left Behind Act. Title I authorizes funds for disadvantaged students and also includes some provisions for English-language learners, and Title III is the main conduit of funding for English-language-acquisition programs.
Mary Ann Zehr, October 13, 2008
1 min read