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Competitive Grants for State Assessments

Grant Type
Discretionary grant
Office
ALN
84.368
Contact
Donald Peasley
202-453-7982
Eligibility
State Educational Agencies (SEAs)
Application Deadline
Application Status
Not Applicable

Program Description

The purpose of the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA program is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems used by States for measuring the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students. This program is authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This program replaces a similar program, the Enhanced Assessment Grants (EAG) program authorized by the ESEA as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Types of Projects

Projects that address program objectives by producing significant research methodologies products or tools, regarding assessment systems, or assessments.

An eligible applicant awarded a grant under this program must propose activities that fit one or more of the following categories:

  1. Developing or improving assessments for English learners, including assessments of English language proficiency as required under ESEA section 1111(b)(2)(G) and academic assessments in languages other than English to meet the State's obligations under ESEA section 1111(b)(2)(F).
  2. Developing or improving models to measure and assess student progress or student growth on State assessments under ESEA section 1111(b)(2) and other assessments not required under ESEA section 1111(b)(2).
  3. Developing or improving assessments for children with disabilities, including alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities described in ESEA section 1111(b)(2)(D), and using the principles of universal design for learning.
  4. Allowing for collaboration with institutions of higher education, other research institutions, or other organizations to improve the quality, validity, and reliability of State academic assessments beyond the requirements for such assessments described in ESEA section 1111(b)(2).
  5. Measuring student academic achievement using multiple measures of student academic achievement from multiple sources.
  6. Evaluating student academic achievement through the development of comprehensive academic assessment instruments (such as performance and technology-based academic assessments, computer adaptive assessments, projects, or extended performance task assessments) that emphasize the mastery of standards and aligned competencies in a competency-based education model.

Other Information

Proficiency on State assessments required under Title I, Part A, of the ESEA is the primary indicator in the ESEA of student academic achievement and, hence, the primary measure of State success in meeting the goals of ESEA. In view of the critical importance of these State assessments, section 6361 provides formula grants to all SEAs, and section 6363 authorizes the Secretary to make competitive grant awards to State educational agencies (SEAs) to help them enhance the quality of assessment and accountability systems. Formula Grants for State Assessments, Title I, Part B of the ESEA.

Awarded through a competition in 2024

Lead StateAward Amount
Arkansas Department of Education$3,641,720
Connecticut State Department of Education$1,238,363
Indiana Department of Education$2,986,685
Kansas State Department of Education$2,206,425
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education$3,944,375
Minnesota Department of Education$3,999,688
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education$995,587
Montana Office of Public Instruction$3,999,974
Nebraska Department of Education$2,908,565
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction$3,989,451

Awarded through a competition in 2022

Abstracts for 2022 Competitive Grant Awards

Lead StateAward Amount
Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education$2,145,418
Hawaii Department of Education$2,998,466
Illinois State Board of Education$3,000,000
Kentucky Department of Education$3,000,000
Louisiana Department of Education$2,943,173
Louisiana Department of Education$2,953,137
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education$2,544,344
Montana Office of Public Instruction$2,967,259
Nebraska Department of Education$2,999,858
New York State Education Department$2,999,713
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction$2,988,951*

*a partial award of $1,171,196 was made with FY 22 funds; and a supplemental award of $1,817,755 was subsequently made using FY23 funds.


Awarded through a competition in 2020

Abstracts for 2020 Competitive Grant State Assessment Awards

Lead StateAward Amount
Nebraska Department of Education$2,999,878
Hawaii Department of Education$500,000
Louisiana Department of Education$2,948,166
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education$2,891,504
Texas Education Agency$3,000,000

Awarded through a competition in 2019

Abstracts for 2019 Competitive Grant State Assessment Awards

Lead StateAward Amount
Iowa Department of Education$7,823,519
Mississippi State Department of Education$2,376,010
Minnesota Department of Education$3,998,938

Awards made under the predecessor to the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program, the Enhanced Assessment Grants (EAG)


Awarded through a competition in 2016

Lead StateAward Amount
Maryland State Department of Education$3,843,805
Nebraska Department of Education$3,987,395

Awarded through a competition in 2015

Lead StateAward Amount
Arizona State Department of Education$1,977,086
California Department of Education For the State Board of Education$2,690,672
Kansas State Education Agency$5,816,159
Michigan Education Agency$4,341,835
Minnesota Education Agency$2,961,888

Awarded through a competition in 2013

Lead StateAward Amount
Maryland State Department of Education$4,999,994
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction$6,131,422
Texas Education Agency$3,988,124

2011 Funds (awarded through competitions in 2012)

Lead StateAward Amount
Kansas State Department of Education$1,757,103
Maryland State Department of Education$1,926,577
Oregon Department of Education$6,273,320

2010 Funds (awarded through a competition in 2011)

Lead StateAward Amount
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction$10,486,195

FY 2021 and 2022 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2022

Estimated Available Funds: $29,200,000

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 Estimated Average Size of Awards $2,500,000 Number of Awards: 9-10

FY 2019 and 2020 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2020

Estimated Available Funds: $12,300,000

Estimated Range of Awards: $750,000 to $3,000,000 Estimated Average Size of Awards $2,500,000 Number of Awards: 4-6

FY 2018 and 2019 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2019

Estimated Available Funds: $17,622,000

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $4,000,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards $2,500,000
Number of Awards: 4-8

FY 2016 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2016

Estimated Available Funds: $8,860,000

Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $4,000,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards $2,500,000
Estimated Number of Awards: 3-6

Note: funding under the predecessor to the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program, the Enhanced Assessment Grants (EAG)

FY 2014 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2015

Estimated Available Funds: $8,495,000 to $17,870.000

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $6,000,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards $2,500,000
Estimated Number of Awards: 3-6

Note: The Department is not bound by these estimates.

FY 2012 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2013

Estimated Available Funds: $9,200,000

Estimated Range of Awards: $4,200,000 to 5,000,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards $4,600,000
Estimated Number of Awards: 2

Note: The Department is not bound by these estimates.

FY 2011 Funds Awarded through Competitions in 2012

Available Funds: $9,900,000

EAG English Language Proficiency (ELP) Competition
Size of Award: $6,273,320

Number of New Awards: 1

EAG Accessibility Competition
Range of Awards: $1,757,103 to $1,926,577
Number of New Awards: 2

FY 2010 Funds Awarded through a Competition in 2011

Size of Award $10,486,195

Number of New Awards: 1

FY 2009 Funds

Range of Awards: $930,982 to $1,918,845

Number of New Awards: 7

FY 2008 Funds

Available Funds: $8,732,480

Range of Awards: $789,179 to $1,961,563
Number of New Awards: 6

FY 2007 Funds

Available Funds: $7,563,200

Range of Awards: $1,220,427 to $1,729,088
Number of Awards: 5

FY 2006 Funds

Available Funds: $7,563,200

Range of Awards: $708,537 to $1,890,401
Number of Awards: 6

FY 2005 Funds

Available Funds: $11,680,000

Range of Awards: $1,061,204 to $2,117,809
Number of Awards: 8

FY 2004 Funds

No awards.

FY 2003 Funds

Available Funds: $4,484,000

Range of Awards: $723,009 to $1,058,243
Number of Awards: 5

FY 2002 Funds

Available Funds: $17,000,000

Range of Awards: $1,442,453 to $2,338,169
Number of Awards: 9

Return to Grant Enhanced Assessment Instruments

Eligibility

Who May Apply: (by category) State Education Agencies (SEAs)

Who May Apply: (specifically) A consortium of SEAs also may apply.

An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate one SEA as the fiscal agent.

Federal Register Notices

Current Application

 

Program Specific Resources

  • Monitoring Plans
    • Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs Monitoring Plan for the Enhanced Assessment Grants Program For Grants Funded through a 2013 Competition
      MS WORD (178K)
    • Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs Monitoring Plan for the Enhanced Assessment Grants Program For Grants Funded with FY2011 Funds
      MS WORD (209K)
    • Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs Monitoring Plan for the Enhanced Assessment Grants Program For Grants Funded with FY2010 Funds
      MS WORD (209K)
    • Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs Monitoring Plan for the Enhanced Assessment Grants Program For Grants Funded with FY2009 Funds
      MS WORD (104K)
    • Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs Monitoring Plan for the Enhanced Assessment Grants Program For Grants Funded with FY2008 Funds
      MS WORD (121K)
    • Enhanced Assessment Grant Program Performance Indicators under the Government Performance & Results Act (GPRA)
      • MS WORD (96K) Applies to Cohorts in 2012 and Earlier
      • MS WORD (24K) Applies to Cohort Awarded Through a 2013 Competition

Training Resources for Grant Administration

  • Competitive Grants for State Assessments Program 2022 Competition Pre-Application Webinar February 25, 2022 Slide DeckWebinar Chat Transcript
  • Competitive Grants for State Assessments Program 2020 Competition Pre-Application Webinar May 12, 2020 Recording.
  • Competitive Grants for State Assessments Program 2020 Competition Pre-Application Webinar May 12, 2020 PDF (778KB)
  • Competitive Grants For State Assessments Program 2019 Competition Pre-Application Webinar February 2019 PDF 
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Page Last Reviewed:
October 3, 2024