Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants (formerly the Teacher Incentive Fund)

(TSL)
CFDA 84.374 Active Project Grants

Open Opportunities (1)

Live Grants.gov opportunities funded under this program — you can apply now.

Program Funding

Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.

Latest annual funding (estimated)
$173M FY2025
$230M
FY16
$200M
FY17
$200M
FY18
$200M
FY19
$200M
FY20
$197.9M
FY21
$171M
FY22
$171.4M
FY23
$59.4M
FY24*
$173M
FY25*
* estimated

Who has received this funding

Organizations awarded under CFDA 84.374 (USAspending.gov).

Program Objective

To help eligible entities develop, implement, improve, or expand human capital management systems or performance-based compensation systems for teachers, principals, or other school leaders in schools (and especially those in high-need schools) served by the grantees.

NOTE: The program was authorized by P.L. 114-95, the ESEA, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The provisions listed here reflect the requirements in that legislation, and are applicable to awards made with FY 2017 and subsequent year funds.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

  • State governments
  • Local governments

Eligible applicants are local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are LEAs in their State; State educational agencies (SEAs) or other State agencies; the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE); and partnerships of (1) one or more LEAs, State agencies, or the BIE and, (2) and at least one nonprofit or for-profit entity.

An LEA may receive a grant, whether individually or as part of a partnership, only twice.

Beneficiaries

  • 22
  • 23
  • 4
  • 5
  • 52

SEAs, LEAs, the BIE, non-profit and for profit organizations, and students, teachers, principals, and other school leaders in an LEA's high-need schools.

How to Apply

Application Procedure

Applicants must prepare and submit applications in accordance with the notice inviting applications (NIA) published in the Federal Register. By the application deadline, eligible applicants must submit to the U.S. Department of Education a complete application that (1) addresses statutorily required information, absolute and competitive priorities (as applicable), and the selection criteria included in the NIA, and (2) includes all required assurances and signatures. Contact the program office for additional information.

Award Procedure

If an applicant is successful, the Department of Education will notify the applicant's U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and will send the successful applicant a Grant Award Notification (GAN).

Other. The range of approval/disapproval time is approximately 90 to 120 days following the application deadline.

Program details & compliance

Use of Funds

Allowed Uses

Grantees may use funds for a wide variety of activities designed to develop, implement, improve, or expand human capital management systems or performance-based compensation systems, including (1) developing or improving evaluation and support systems that are based in part on demonstrated improvement in student achievement; (2) conducting outreach to gain information on how to construct evaluation and support systems; (3) providing principals or other school leaders with the tools needed to make effective school-level decisions, including budgetary, scheduling, and staffing decisions; (4) implementing, as part of a performance-based compensation system, a differentiated salary structure for teachers or leaders in high need schools or high-need subjects who raise student academic achievement or take on additional leadership responsibilities; (5) improving LEA processes for recruiting, selecting, placing, supporting, and retaining effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders in high-need schools; and (6) instituting career advancement opportunities that reward effective teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools and enable them to expand their leadership results.

Grantees must use these funds to carry out the activities described in their approved project applications.

Required Documentation

2 CFR part 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

Matching Requirements

Each grantee must provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of the grant (in cash or in kind).

Federal grant funds must be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal or State funds that would otherwise be used for authorized program activities.

Reporting & Compliance

Audit Required
Yes

Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts

  • Subpart B — General Provisions
  • Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart E — Cost Principles
  • Subpart F — Audit Requirements

Contacts

Cynthia Hunter
(202) 401-3584
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20202
Data from SAM.gov Federal Assistance Listings. Source published: 2024-11-13. Spec v1.0. Last synced: 2026-06-01 05:55:32.