Office of English Language Acquisition

Welcome to the Office Of English Language Acquisition

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) provides national leadership to help ensure that English learners and immigrant students attain English proficiency and achieve academic success. In addition to preserving heritage languages and cultures, OELA is committed to prompting opportunities for biliteracy or multiliteracy skills for all students. OELA accomplishes this in the following ways:

• Providing national leadership by informing policy decisions
• Administering discretionary grant programs to prepare professionals for teaching and supporting English learners
• Investing in research and evaluation studies that have practical applications for preparing English Learners to meet college and career learning standards
• Disseminating information about educational research, practices, and policies for English Learners through our National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)

News and Announcements

On February 22, 2023, Secretary Cardona notified Congress of his intention to move the administrative functions of State-administered grants under Title III, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) to the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). Read more about it here: https://blog.ed.gov/2023/12/_administration-of-essa-title-iii-state-administered-grants-returns-to-oela/

Department of Education’s Newcomer Toolkit designed to help schools support immigrants, refugees, and their families with a successful integration process. This toolkit will provide information, resources and examples of effective practices that educators can use to support newcomers in our schools and communities.

New Download the entire Newcomer Tool Kit (PDF, 8 MB)

Beatriz Ceja-Williams

We are thrilled to announce Beatriz Ceja-Williams as the new Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) at the U.S. Department of Education. She has served at the Department of Education for over 20 years in various capacities. Most recently, Ceja-Williams was the Senior Director for Institutional Service (IS) in the Office of Postsecondary Education at the Department where she was responsible for the Divisions that administer the discretionary and formula grant programs to Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, Predominately Black Serving Institutions, and other minority serving institution programs. Prior to that she was the Division Director for Hispanic Serving Institutions. Please join us in welcoming her to OELA. Beatriz Ceja-Williams shared a video on her journey. Click here to watch: U.S. Department of Education on LinkedIn: #hispanicheritagemonth | 16 comments

Resources for ELs

Find information and resources for English learners as well as useful information on state education agencies, state assessment directors, grant policies, grant guidance and other reference information on and assistance with administering and managing Title III projects, Title VII continuation projects, and other Department of Education grants.

Programs and Initiatives
 

Office of English Learners (OEL)

The OEL has lead responsibility for English learner (EL) activities and English Language Acquisition State Grants – Title III, Part A programs and activities that will strengthen and enhance the work of the office and others in supporting and addressing services to EL students. The office will accomplish this mission by overseeing and drawing together critical office and Department requirements under Title III, Part A of the ESEA including strategic planning, Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) requirements and Performance Indicators for Title III under the Planning and Performance Management Database (PPMD), the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA), and other appropriate resources. The office will work to link resources and information, promote, and enhance the involvement of families in the educational process, and support and undertake special initiatives to coordinate, strengthen and unify services to ELs across the office, the Department, with SEAs, LEAs and other EL service providers.

 

Office of Multilingual Initiatives (OMI)

The Office of Multilingual Initiatives is responsible for the administration of all the agency multilingual initiatives, the National Professional Development Program, special initiatives to support multilingualism, and the Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program. OMI will also be responsible for its own GPRA requirements and Performance Indicators.

Funding Updates

US Department of Education Grants Forecast This document lists programs and competitions which the Department expects to invite applications for new awards and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs.

Federal Register This directory contains documents published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Education.

Frequently Asked Questions

ED Grants
The Department of Education provides a non-technical summary addressing questions on the discretionary grants process and the laws and regulations that govern it.

Evaluation and Guidance:

National Professional Development program performance guidance

Native American and Alaska Native Children in Schools program performance guidance

Asian American Pacific Islander Data Disaggregation Initiative program

Contact Us

Learn how to contact the team at OELA.