What's New
On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced the Fiscal Year 2026 competition for the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL). ED and DOL plan to award approximately $60 million to eligible applicants to develop, implement, improve, or expand comprehensive performance-based compensation systems (PBCS) or human capital management systems (HCMS) for teachers, principals, or other school leaders (especially for teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools) who raise student growth and academic achievement and close the achievement gap between high- and low-performing students.
For more information about these awards, visit the Awards tab.
Program Description
The Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL) provides funding for projects that develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools. Performance-based compensation systems must consider gains in student academic achievement as well as classroom evaluations conducted multiple times during each school year among other factors and provide educators with incentives to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles. The purpose of the TSL program is to support the use of performance-based compensation, and other human capital strategies that enhance and sustain performance-based compensation, in order to increase students' access to effective educators in high-need schools, and to expand the array of promising approaches that can help these educators and other personnel succeed.
Types of Projects
The TSL program uses performance-based compensation and related supports for educators to catalyze improvements in a district's human capital management system to drive increased student outcomes. By providing educators with performance-based compensation, including robust career ladder opportunities and a range of related educator supports--such as peer-to-peer coaching and job-embedded professional development--the TSL program aims to improve student outcomes by increasing educators' effectiveness.
The program has funded 160 projects to improve pay structures, reward effective teachers and principals and provide greater professional opportunities to educators in high poverty schools. The projects have served over 2,000 schools in more than 300 urban, suburban, and rural school districts in 36 states and Washington, D.C. Based on the core premise that educators have the greatest impact on student learning across various in-school factors, TSL awards competitive grants to States, districts, or partnerships with for-profit and non-profit organizations.
TSL grantees have used federal funding to develop and fund teacher leadership positions and incentivize teachers to serve in high-need schools. Projects have included: teacher career pathway programs that diversified roles in the teaching force; teacher career pathways that recognize, develop, and reward excellent teachers as they advance through various career stages; incentives for effective teachers who take on instructional leadership roles within their schools; incentives that attract, support, reward, and retain the most effective teachers and administrators at high-need schools; rigorous, ongoing leadership development training for teacher leaders and principals, leadership roles for teachers aimed at school turnaround; and the creation of new salary structures based on effectiveness.
Funding
Included in the chart below is the amount of funding per fiscal year for new awards under both TSL and the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) in recent years.
| Funding Year | Appropriation for New Awards |
| FY 2023 | $60,000,000 |
| FY 2020 | $63,673,531 |
| FY 2019 | $6,100,019 |
| FY 2017 | $95,888,300 |
Legislation
The Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund (TSL) program was established by Sections 2211-2213 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as reauthorized on December 10, 2015, by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The TSL program replaces the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) program previously authorized in P.L. 109-149 — the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006, Title V, Part D. To download and read TSL's Authorizing legislation please visit Part B, Subpart 1 of the ESSA Law.
Applicant Information
FY 2026 TSL Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
FY 2026 TSL Competition Timeline
- TSL Application Publish Date: April 8, 2026
- Intent to Apply: April 22, 2026 (Email Intents to Apply to TSL@ed.gov. Subject: Intent to Apply TSL FY26)
- Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 9, 2026 (11:59:59 PM EDT)
- Estimated Award Announcement: By September 30, 2026
Pre-Application Informational Webinar
On Tuesday, May 5, 2026 the U.S. Department of Education held a pre-application webinar for the FY 2026 TSL competition. The presentation slides and video recording of the event are now available.
FY 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
Consult these Frequently Asked Questions for additional guidance.
If you have further questions, please email TSL@ed.gov.
Electronic Applicant Submission
Applications must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov system.
- Applicants are encouraged to download the TSL Application Instructions document and review it in its entirety. It contains information and instructions that will be helpful to you as you prepare to submit your TSL application.
- The TSL Application Instructions Package should be used as guidance only and applicants should always refer to the TSL NOFO for official application instructions.
- Use the following link to download and review the TSL Application Instructions.
Required Application Forms
The following ED-required forms are included in the electronic application package in Grants.gov. Below is a list of the required forms that must be completed and submitted at the time of application.
- ED Form 424 — Application for Federal Education Assistance (Form and Instructions)
- ED Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures Information — 1894-0017
- gov Lobbying Form and Instructions
- Standard Form LLL — Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
- Required Response to Section 427 of GEPA
- EED Budget Narrative Template (see Application Instructions)
Peer Review Panel Member Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is seeking expert peer reviewers for the Fiscal Year 2026 competition for the Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive program. We invite individuals with backgrounds or expertise in American history, civics education, professional development and/or program evaluation to apply for consideration. If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for the FY 2026 TSL competition, please send an email to TSL@ed.gov SUBJECT: FY26 TSL Peer Review.
Included below is information regarding new TSL and TIF grants made in recent years.
| Fiscal Year (FY) | Number of new awards |
| FY 2023 | 29 |
| FY 2021 | 22 |
| FY 2020 | 13 |
| FY 2019 | 1 |
| FY 2017 | 14 |
| FY 2016 | 13 |
Complete List of FY 2023 Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants
FY 2023 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Region 18 Education Service Center | Supporting Pathways to Achieve Rewards & Knowledge (SPARK) | 3 | $2,523,166 | $8,365,333 | Midland | TX | |
| Center for Strategic Leadership and Organizational Coherence | CSL - KIPP | 3 | $8,309,041 | $24,927,304 | Memphis | TN | |
| Alaska Council of School Administrators | Raising the Bar for Rural Alaskan Educators (RTB AK) | 3 | $2,079,787 | $7,595,962 | Juneau | AK | |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | Opportunity Culture Teacher Leader Pathways (OCTLP) | 3 | $2,424,419 | $7,693,341 | Charlotte | NC | |
| Tulare County Office of Education | Equity, Excellence & Effectiveness (E3) | 3 | $2,605,261 | $8,038,000 | Visalia | CA | |
| Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation | REAP: Rewarding Educator Achievement and Performance | 3 | $8,437,681 | $25,308,161 | Denmark | SC | |
| Maricopa County Education Service Agency | The Learning Acceleration Partnership (LAP) | 3 | $1,851,876 | $11,232,951 | Maricopa | AZ | |
| The Innovation Project (TIP) | Reimagining Teaching Talent (RTT) | 3 | $7,071,792 | $21,525,017 | Raleigh | NC | |
| Wake County Public School System | Project LEADERS (Leveraging Employee Advancement to Develop Excellence and Reach) | 3 | $3,725,144 | $13,545,026 | Cary | NC | |
| LEAD Public School | RISE - Rigorous Instructional Supports for Educators | 3 | $4,052,682 | $12,209,397 | Nashville | TN | |
| Harmony Public Schools | Training Instructional Leadership Teams Forward (TILT Forward) | 3 | $3,347,753 | $14,959,922 | Houston | TX | |
| Perry Township Schools | Accelerating Learning and Literacy (ALL) | 3 | $2,144,051 | $6,432,153 | Indianapolis | IN | |
| Teaching Lab | Project Rise (Refine, Improve, Synergize & Elevate) | 3 | $5,023,318 | $16,996,398 | Washington | DC | |
| United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida | Project ELEVATE (Elevating Learning by Empowering and Valuing Advancement of Teacher and other Educators | 3 | $1,719,080 | $5,183,810 | Orlando | FL | |
| National Institute for Excellence in Teaching | Arizona Prioritizing Recruitment/Retention and Induction to Maximize Equity (AZ PRIME) | 3 | $3,476,544 | $16,414,004 | Scottsdale | AZ | |
| Lindsay Unified School District | Cultivating Opportunities in the Redesign of Equity in Education: CORE Lindsay | 3 | $2,669,858 | $8,039,200 | Lindsay | CA | |
| National Ctr for Hebrew Language Charter School Excellence | Hebrew Public Supporting, Rewarding, and Growing Educators (HP SURGE) | 3 | $1,184,176 | $4,315,855 | New York | NY | |
| Providence Public School System | Providence Leadership Institute: Developing and Sustaining Turnaround Leadership Pipeline and Induction Process | 3 | $2,593,379 | $6,810,978 | Providence | RI | |
| Mastery Charter High School | Mastery Charter Schools (Mastery) | 3 | $3,010,940 | $10,149,620 | Philadelphia | PA | |
| Community Training and Assistance Center, Incorporated | Leadership for Ector's Accelerated Performance (LEAP) | 3 | $3,296,768 | $8,991,700 | Boston | MA | |
| Hyde Leadership Charter School-Brooklyn | Building Leaders Project | 3 | $443,046 | $1,323,138 | Brooklyn | NY | |
| International Academy of Flint | Empowering EDucators | 3 | $372,204 | $1,110,612 | Flint | MI | |
| Cahokia Unit School District 187 | Teacher Leader Incentive Program (TLIP) | 3 | $2,800,000 | $8,400,000 | Cahokia | IL | |
| Winona Independent School District | Pathways and Opportunities for Winona Educators to Get Results for Underserved Populations (POWER-UP) | 3 | $539,411 | $2,940,867 | Winona | TX | |
| Montgomery County Schools | TEAM: Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Acceleration in Montgomery | 3 | $7,014,095 | $21,508,841 | Troy | NC | |
| Natchitoches Parish School District | Systems for Training and Retaining Our Natchitoches Educators for Growth (STRONG) | 3 | $3,096,759 | $14,262,991 | Natchitoches | LA | |
| Cross County School District | Growing and Retaining Educators in Arkansas through TAP (GREAT) | 3 | $610,300 | $2,154,549 | Cherry Valley | AR | |
| Laurens County School District 55 | Laurens Educators Achieving Results to Net Success (LEARNS) | 3 | $3,320,143 | $13,557,621 | Laurens | SC | |
| Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Inc. | The Promoting Educator Effectiveness in Rural Arkansas (PEER 2.0) | 3 | $4,911,936 | $14,836,422 | Little Rock | AR |
FY 2021 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Lansing School District | REAP: Rewarding Educator Achievement & Performance | 3 | $8,496,920 | $2,477,1436 | Lansing | MI | |
| The School Board of Broward County, Florida | Equity for Instructional Performance (EQUIP) | 3 | $5,799,803 | $17,443,215 | Broward County | FL | |
| National Institute for Excellence in Teaching | Texas Improving Management systems for Principals And Classroom Teachers (IMPACT) | 3 | $1,669,930 | $12,327,028 | Nashville | TN | |
| Three Rivers Education Foundation, Inc. | TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement | 3 | $5,554,223 | $16,835,414 | Farmington | NM | |
| Beech Grove City Schools | Accelerating Beech Grove Learning through Equity (ABLE) | 3 | $855,457 | $4,860,580 | Indiana | IN | |
| New Schools for New Orleans, Inc. | NOLA TSL | 3 | $3,412,358 | $14,241,498 | New Orleans | LA | |
| Center for Strategic Leadership & Organizational Coherence | ACHIEVE: Arkansas Consortium Harnessing Innovation, Equity & Verifiable Excellence | 3 | $7,740,442 | $5,124,000 | Nashville | MA | |
| Midlands Community Development Corporation | LIFE2: Leveraging Innovation For Educator Excellence | 3 | $7,109,070 | $21,850,934 | Columbia | SC | |
| Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University | Building Human Capital Management Systems to Support the Next Education Workforce in Mesa Public Schools | 3 | $2,658,275 | $8,206,449 | Phoenix | AZ | |
| MSD of Decatur Township | Empowering Educators to Excel (E3+) | 3 | $6,450,537 | $20,282,526 | Indianapolis | IN | |
| Ypsilanti Community Schools | SEEK: Supporting Educator Excellence & Knowledge, | 3 | $5,186,550 | $15,524,948 | Ypsilanti | MI | |
| Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio | NEtworkED: Creating Communities of Equity and Opportunity in Northeast Ohio | 3 | $3,080,305 | $8,957,809 | Independence | OH | |
| San Antonio Independent School District | The Equity-Centered Educator Pipeline Initiative (ECEPI) | 3 | $3,640,096 | $11,488,089 | San Antonio | TX | |
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools | Building an Equity-Centered Teacher and School Leader Pipeline | 3 | $4,622,318 | $13,492,114 | Winston Salem | NC | |
| Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Inc. | The Promoting Educator Effectiveness in Rural Arkansas (PEER) | 3 | $2,822,964 | $8,731,643 | Little Rock | AR | |
| Board of Education for the City of Chicago | Teachers Lead Chicago (TLC) | 3 | $5,446,428 | $20,933,167 | Chicago | IL | |
| Community Training and Assistance Center, Incorporated | AdvanceSTEM | 3 | $4,239,970 | $14,862,540 | Boston | MA | |
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | STRIVE: Supporting Teachers and Redesigning Incentives using Value-added measures of Effectiveness. | 3 | $6,822,806 | $21,275,756 | Statesville | NC | |
| Pitt County Schools | Recruit, Retain, Reward (R3) Phase II: Cultivating Exponential Leaders and Highly Effective Systems | 3 | $1,872,311 | $5,386,551 | Greenville | NC | |
| Winchester School Board | REACH: Redesigning Educator pathways And Connecting HR systems | 3 | $2,710,279 | $7,799,878 | Winchester | VA | |
| DeSoto Independent School District | LEAD DeSoto (Leadership, Excellence, Achievement, and Development) Project | 3 | $2,573,069 | $7,316,803 | DeSoto | TX | |
| The GoodLife Agency | The Local Education Agencies Partnership (LEAP) | 3 | $2,530,955 | $7,495,955 | Detroit | MI |
FY 2020 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Marlboro County School District | Maximizing, Creating, Strengthening, and Developing | 3 | $1,527,042 | $4,938,611 | Bennettsville | SC | |
| Alaska Council of School Administrators | Increasing Performance and Retention in Alaska's Rural Schools (IPRARS) | 3 | $1,462,805 | $5,853,582 | Juneau | AK | |
| Rowan-Salisbury School System | Accelerate Rowan | 3 | $9,245,326 | $26,529,161 | Salisbury | NC | |
| South Bend Community School Corporation | LEAP | 3 | $7,714,705 | $22,871,470 | South Bend | IN | |
| IDEA Public Schools | Good to Great: Transforming Teaching and Learning at IDEA Public Schools | 3 | $2,905,113 | $9,615,727 | Weslaco | TX | |
| District of Columbia Public Schools | RISE: Rigorous Instruction Supports Equity | 3 | $9,495,697 | $28,300,283 | Washington | DC | |
| LEAD Public Schools | LEADing Onward | 3 | $1,708,000 | $5,124,000 | Nashville | TN | |
| School Board of Miami-Dade County Florida | Miami Leading Educator Advancement and Recognition through Networks of Support (Miami LEARNS) | 3 | $8,243,875 | $26,643,489 | Miami | FL | |
| Providence Public Schools | The Providence Leadership Development Academy (PLDA) & Residency | 3 | $2,636,775 | $10,585,023 | Providence | RI | |
| Toledo Public Schools | Partnerships, Resources, and Opportunities for Urban Districts (PROUD) | 3 | $3,018,767 | $10,549,835 | Toledo | OH | |
| Insight Education Group Inc. | Project IGNITE, Innovation Generated by Networked Improvement Teams of Educators | 3 | $6,696,716 | $20,352,726 | Encino | CA | |
| Gwinnett County Public Schools | Gwinnett County Public Schools Teacher and Leader Support Program | 3 | $1,636,063 | $5,947,476 | Suwanee | GA | |
| Harmony Public Schools | Training Instructional Leadership Teams at Harmony Public Schools (TILT). | 3 | $7,382,647 | $27,772,999 | Houston | TX |
FY 2019 Award
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| National Institute of Effective Teaching - Indiana | The Indiana Statewide Collaborative to Advance Educator Effectiveness and Equity | 3 | $6,100,019 | $26,360,629 | Santa Monica | CA | Abstract |
FY 2017 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Board of Education City of Chicago | Distributed Leadership in Opportunity Schools | 3 | $1,641,225 | $6,326,613 | Chicago | IL | |
| Lansing School District | R.E.A.P Rewarding Educator Achievement and Performance | 3 | $9,226,183 | $28,006,544 | Lansing | MI | |
| Youth Empowerment Services, Inc. | YES Equity Pipeline for Educator Preparation: Comprehensive HCMS- Educator Preparation Program. | 3 | $2,746,623 | $8,386,171 | San Antonio | TX | |
| Hillsborough County Public Schools | Turnaround Leadership Pathways | 3 | $1,278,922 | $4,299,348 | Hillsborough | FL | |
| School District of Osceola County | Producing Results through Osceola's Professional Educator Ladder | 3 | $442,049 | $2,916,745 | Kissimmee | FL | |
| Insight Education Group, Inc. | Empowering Educators to Excel | 3 | $6,803,528 | $22,411,019 | Encino | CA | |
| Lindsay Unified School District | EMPOWER Lindsay | 3 | $9,746,275 | $28,265,116 | Lindsay | CA | |
| Region 18 Education Service Center | Texas TSL Project | 3 | $6,935,345 | $33,671,970 | Midland | TX | |
| Board of Education Prince George's County | Great Teachers, Great Leaders, Great Schools | 3 | $8,603,102 | $24,375,134 | Prince George's | MD | |
| Union County School District | EPIC: Educator Performance Incentives and Career Pathways | 3 | $8,721,272 | $27,321,713 | Monroe | NC | |
| East St. Louis School District #189 | East St. Louis District 189 Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program | 3 | $1,466,006 | $5,827,779 | East St. Louis | MI | |
| Houston Independent School District | Leveraging Effective Academics Districtwide for Equity and Resources for Students | 3 | $8,538,720 | $28,154,758 | Houston | TX | |
| Fort Wayne Community Schools | PEER — Performance + Equity = Excellent Results! | 3 | $9,969,977 | $29,767,346 | Fort Wayne | IN | |
| New York City Department of Education | New York City Department of Education's Build, Retain and Sustain Project | 3 | $11,939,472 | $35,333,817 | Brooklyn | NY |
FY 2016 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Cross County School District | Rural and Ready: A Pathway for Improving Human Capital in Cross County Schools | 5 | $901,320 | $4,032,004 | Cherry Valley | AR | |
| Harmony Public Schools | Harmony Supporting Top Educators Program | 5 | $5,919,205 | $26,720,738 | Houston | TX | |
| Louisiana Department of Education | N/A | 5 | $13,171,134 | $66,758,458 | Baton Rouge | LA | |
| Maricopa County Education Service Agency | Rewarding Excellence in Instruction and Leadership | 5 | $4,488,326 | $59,998,629 | Phoenix | AZ | |
| Mastery Charter High School | Mastery 3.0 Opportunity Culture Human Capital Management System Redesign Project (MOCHCS) | 5 | $2,142,327 | $16,709,533 | Philadelphia | PA | |
| The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (LA) | A Statewide Collaboration for Advancing Principal and Teacher Leadership: Building on Leadership Development in Louisiana (LA BOLD) | 5 | $9,478,249 | $49,359,486 | Santa Monica | CA | |
| New Schools for New Orleans | The NOLA TIF Project | 5 | $3,365,190 | $19,776,514 | New Orleans | LA | |
| Pitt County Schools | R3: Recruiting, Retaining, and Rewarding Educators through Multiple Career Pathways and Performance-Based Compensation | 5 | $886,655 | $16,197,438 | Greenville | NC | |
| Region One Education Service Center | Project RISE | 5 | $5,745,058 | $48,509,137 | Edinburg | TX | |
| San Antonio Independent School District | San Antonio ISD (SAISD) teacher Incentive Fund Project (TIF-SA) | 5 | $2,279,576 | $46,370,483 | San Antonio | TX | |
| School Board of Broward County | Leading Excellence and Achievement in Performance (LEAP) Ahead | 5 | $8,301,631 | $53,808,909 | Ft. Lauderdale | FL | |
| Texas Can Academies | Project READY-2ExCel | 5 | $2,585,687 | $14,030,275 | Dallas | TX | |
| Youth Empowerment Services | Educator Effectiveness Process (EEP) | 5 | $10,306,065 | $54,926,907 | San Antonio | TX |
What's New
On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced the Fiscal Year 2026 competition for the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL). ED and DOL plan to award approximately $60 million to eligible applicants to develop, implement, improve, or expand comprehensive performance-based compensation systems (PBCS) or human capital management systems (HCMS) for teachers, principals, or other school leaders (especially for teachers, principals, or other school leaders in high-need schools) who raise student growth and academic achievement and close the achievement gap between high- and low-performing students.
For more information about these awards, visit the Awards tab.
Program Description
The Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL) provides funding for projects that develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools. Performance-based compensation systems must consider gains in student academic achievement as well as classroom evaluations conducted multiple times during each school year among other factors and provide educators with incentives to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles. The purpose of the TSL program is to support the use of performance-based compensation, and other human capital strategies that enhance and sustain performance-based compensation, in order to increase students' access to effective educators in high-need schools, and to expand the array of promising approaches that can help these educators and other personnel succeed.
Types of Projects
The TSL program uses performance-based compensation and related supports for educators to catalyze improvements in a district's human capital management system to drive increased student outcomes. By providing educators with performance-based compensation, including robust career ladder opportunities and a range of related educator supports--such as peer-to-peer coaching and job-embedded professional development--the TSL program aims to improve student outcomes by increasing educators' effectiveness.
The program has funded 160 projects to improve pay structures, reward effective teachers and principals and provide greater professional opportunities to educators in high poverty schools. The projects have served over 2,000 schools in more than 300 urban, suburban, and rural school districts in 36 states and Washington, D.C. Based on the core premise that educators have the greatest impact on student learning across various in-school factors, TSL awards competitive grants to States, districts, or partnerships with for-profit and non-profit organizations.
TSL grantees have used federal funding to develop and fund teacher leadership positions and incentivize teachers to serve in high-need schools. Projects have included: teacher career pathway programs that diversified roles in the teaching force; teacher career pathways that recognize, develop, and reward excellent teachers as they advance through various career stages; incentives for effective teachers who take on instructional leadership roles within their schools; incentives that attract, support, reward, and retain the most effective teachers and administrators at high-need schools; rigorous, ongoing leadership development training for teacher leaders and principals, leadership roles for teachers aimed at school turnaround; and the creation of new salary structures based on effectiveness.
Funding
Included in the chart below is the amount of funding per fiscal year for new awards under both TSL and the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) in recent years.
| Funding Year | Appropriation for New Awards |
| FY 2023 | $60,000,000 |
| FY 2020 | $63,673,531 |
| FY 2019 | $6,100,019 |
| FY 2017 | $95,888,300 |
Legislation
The Teacher and School Leader Incentive Fund (TSL) program was established by Sections 2211-2213 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as reauthorized on December 10, 2015, by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The TSL program replaces the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) program previously authorized in P.L. 109-149 — the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006, Title V, Part D. To download and read TSL's Authorizing legislation please visit Part B, Subpart 1 of the ESSA Law.
Applicant Information
FY 2026 TSL Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
FY 2026 TSL Competition Timeline
- TSL Application Publish Date: April 8, 2026
- Intent to Apply: April 22, 2026 (Email Intents to Apply to TSL@ed.gov. Subject: Intent to Apply TSL FY26)
- Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 9, 2026 (11:59:59 PM EDT)
- Estimated Award Announcement: By September 30, 2026
Pre-Application Informational Webinar
On Tuesday, May 5, 2026 the U.S. Department of Education held a pre-application webinar for the FY 2026 TSL competition. The presentation slides and video recording of the event are now available.
FY 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
Consult these Frequently Asked Questions for additional guidance.
If you have further questions, please email TSL@ed.gov.
Electronic Applicant Submission
Applications must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov system.
- Applicants are encouraged to download the TSL Application Instructions document and review it in its entirety. It contains information and instructions that will be helpful to you as you prepare to submit your TSL application.
- The TSL Application Instructions Package should be used as guidance only and applicants should always refer to the TSL NOFO for official application instructions.
- Use the following link to download and review the TSL Application Instructions.
Required Application Forms
The following ED-required forms are included in the electronic application package in Grants.gov. Below is a list of the required forms that must be completed and submitted at the time of application.
- ED Form 424 — Application for Federal Education Assistance (Form and Instructions)
- ED Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures Information — 1894-0017
- gov Lobbying Form and Instructions
- Standard Form LLL — Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
- Required Response to Section 427 of GEPA
- EED Budget Narrative Template (see Application Instructions)
Peer Review Panel Member Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is seeking expert peer reviewers for the Fiscal Year 2026 competition for the Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive program. We invite individuals with backgrounds or expertise in American history, civics education, professional development and/or program evaluation to apply for consideration. If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for the FY 2026 TSL competition, please send an email to TSL@ed.gov SUBJECT: FY26 TSL Peer Review.
Included below is information regarding new TSL and TIF grants made in recent years.
| Fiscal Year (FY) | Number of new awards |
| FY 2023 | 29 |
| FY 2021 | 22 |
| FY 2020 | 13 |
| FY 2019 | 1 |
| FY 2017 | 14 |
| FY 2016 | 13 |
Complete List of FY 2023 Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants
FY 2023 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Region 18 Education Service Center | Supporting Pathways to Achieve Rewards & Knowledge (SPARK) | 3 | $2,523,166 | $8,365,333 | Midland | TX | |
| Center for Strategic Leadership and Organizational Coherence | CSL - KIPP | 3 | $8,309,041 | $24,927,304 | Memphis | TN | |
| Alaska Council of School Administrators | Raising the Bar for Rural Alaskan Educators (RTB AK) | 3 | $2,079,787 | $7,595,962 | Juneau | AK | |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | Opportunity Culture Teacher Leader Pathways (OCTLP) | 3 | $2,424,419 | $7,693,341 | Charlotte | NC | |
| Tulare County Office of Education | Equity, Excellence & Effectiveness (E3) | 3 | $2,605,261 | $8,038,000 | Visalia | CA | |
| Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation | REAP: Rewarding Educator Achievement and Performance | 3 | $8,437,681 | $25,308,161 | Denmark | SC | |
| Maricopa County Education Service Agency | The Learning Acceleration Partnership (LAP) | 3 | $1,851,876 | $11,232,951 | Maricopa | AZ | |
| The Innovation Project (TIP) | Reimagining Teaching Talent (RTT) | 3 | $7,071,792 | $21,525,017 | Raleigh | NC | |
| Wake County Public School System | Project LEADERS (Leveraging Employee Advancement to Develop Excellence and Reach) | 3 | $3,725,144 | $13,545,026 | Cary | NC | |
| LEAD Public School | RISE - Rigorous Instructional Supports for Educators | 3 | $4,052,682 | $12,209,397 | Nashville | TN | |
| Harmony Public Schools | Training Instructional Leadership Teams Forward (TILT Forward) | 3 | $3,347,753 | $14,959,922 | Houston | TX | |
| Perry Township Schools | Accelerating Learning and Literacy (ALL) | 3 | $2,144,051 | $6,432,153 | Indianapolis | IN | |
| Teaching Lab | Project Rise (Refine, Improve, Synergize & Elevate) | 3 | $5,023,318 | $16,996,398 | Washington | DC | |
| United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida | Project ELEVATE (Elevating Learning by Empowering and Valuing Advancement of Teacher and other Educators | 3 | $1,719,080 | $5,183,810 | Orlando | FL | |
| National Institute for Excellence in Teaching | Arizona Prioritizing Recruitment/Retention and Induction to Maximize Equity (AZ PRIME) | 3 | $3,476,544 | $16,414,004 | Scottsdale | AZ | |
| Lindsay Unified School District | Cultivating Opportunities in the Redesign of Equity in Education: CORE Lindsay | 3 | $2,669,858 | $8,039,200 | Lindsay | CA | |
| National Ctr for Hebrew Language Charter School Excellence | Hebrew Public Supporting, Rewarding, and Growing Educators (HP SURGE) | 3 | $1,184,176 | $4,315,855 | New York | NY | |
| Providence Public School System | Providence Leadership Institute: Developing and Sustaining Turnaround Leadership Pipeline and Induction Process | 3 | $2,593,379 | $6,810,978 | Providence | RI | |
| Mastery Charter High School | Mastery Charter Schools (Mastery) | 3 | $3,010,940 | $10,149,620 | Philadelphia | PA | |
| Community Training and Assistance Center, Incorporated | Leadership for Ector's Accelerated Performance (LEAP) | 3 | $3,296,768 | $8,991,700 | Boston | MA | |
| Hyde Leadership Charter School-Brooklyn | Building Leaders Project | 3 | $443,046 | $1,323,138 | Brooklyn | NY | |
| International Academy of Flint | Empowering EDucators | 3 | $372,204 | $1,110,612 | Flint | MI | |
| Cahokia Unit School District 187 | Teacher Leader Incentive Program (TLIP) | 3 | $2,800,000 | $8,400,000 | Cahokia | IL | |
| Winona Independent School District | Pathways and Opportunities for Winona Educators to Get Results for Underserved Populations (POWER-UP) | 3 | $539,411 | $2,940,867 | Winona | TX | |
| Montgomery County Schools | TEAM: Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Acceleration in Montgomery | 3 | $7,014,095 | $21,508,841 | Troy | NC | |
| Natchitoches Parish School District | Systems for Training and Retaining Our Natchitoches Educators for Growth (STRONG) | 3 | $3,096,759 | $14,262,991 | Natchitoches | LA | |
| Cross County School District | Growing and Retaining Educators in Arkansas through TAP (GREAT) | 3 | $610,300 | $2,154,549 | Cherry Valley | AR | |
| Laurens County School District 55 | Laurens Educators Achieving Results to Net Success (LEARNS) | 3 | $3,320,143 | $13,557,621 | Laurens | SC | |
| Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Inc. | The Promoting Educator Effectiveness in Rural Arkansas (PEER 2.0) | 3 | $4,911,936 | $14,836,422 | Little Rock | AR |
FY 2021 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Lansing School District | REAP: Rewarding Educator Achievement & Performance | 3 | $8,496,920 | $2,477,1436 | Lansing | MI | |
| The School Board of Broward County, Florida | Equity for Instructional Performance (EQUIP) | 3 | $5,799,803 | $17,443,215 | Broward County | FL | |
| National Institute for Excellence in Teaching | Texas Improving Management systems for Principals And Classroom Teachers (IMPACT) | 3 | $1,669,930 | $12,327,028 | Nashville | TN | |
| Three Rivers Education Foundation, Inc. | TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement | 3 | $5,554,223 | $16,835,414 | Farmington | NM | |
| Beech Grove City Schools | Accelerating Beech Grove Learning through Equity (ABLE) | 3 | $855,457 | $4,860,580 | Indiana | IN | |
| New Schools for New Orleans, Inc. | NOLA TSL | 3 | $3,412,358 | $14,241,498 | New Orleans | LA | |
| Center for Strategic Leadership & Organizational Coherence | ACHIEVE: Arkansas Consortium Harnessing Innovation, Equity & Verifiable Excellence | 3 | $7,740,442 | $5,124,000 | Nashville | MA | |
| Midlands Community Development Corporation | LIFE2: Leveraging Innovation For Educator Excellence | 3 | $7,109,070 | $21,850,934 | Columbia | SC | |
| Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University | Building Human Capital Management Systems to Support the Next Education Workforce in Mesa Public Schools | 3 | $2,658,275 | $8,206,449 | Phoenix | AZ | |
| MSD of Decatur Township | Empowering Educators to Excel (E3+) | 3 | $6,450,537 | $20,282,526 | Indianapolis | IN | |
| Ypsilanti Community Schools | SEEK: Supporting Educator Excellence & Knowledge, | 3 | $5,186,550 | $15,524,948 | Ypsilanti | MI | |
| Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio | NEtworkED: Creating Communities of Equity and Opportunity in Northeast Ohio | 3 | $3,080,305 | $8,957,809 | Independence | OH | |
| San Antonio Independent School District | The Equity-Centered Educator Pipeline Initiative (ECEPI) | 3 | $3,640,096 | $11,488,089 | San Antonio | TX | |
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools | Building an Equity-Centered Teacher and School Leader Pipeline | 3 | $4,622,318 | $13,492,114 | Winston Salem | NC | |
| Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Inc. | The Promoting Educator Effectiveness in Rural Arkansas (PEER) | 3 | $2,822,964 | $8,731,643 | Little Rock | AR | |
| Board of Education for the City of Chicago | Teachers Lead Chicago (TLC) | 3 | $5,446,428 | $20,933,167 | Chicago | IL | |
| Community Training and Assistance Center, Incorporated | AdvanceSTEM | 3 | $4,239,970 | $14,862,540 | Boston | MA | |
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | STRIVE: Supporting Teachers and Redesigning Incentives using Value-added measures of Effectiveness. | 3 | $6,822,806 | $21,275,756 | Statesville | NC | |
| Pitt County Schools | Recruit, Retain, Reward (R3) Phase II: Cultivating Exponential Leaders and Highly Effective Systems | 3 | $1,872,311 | $5,386,551 | Greenville | NC | |
| Winchester School Board | REACH: Redesigning Educator pathways And Connecting HR systems | 3 | $2,710,279 | $7,799,878 | Winchester | VA | |
| DeSoto Independent School District | LEAD DeSoto (Leadership, Excellence, Achievement, and Development) Project | 3 | $2,573,069 | $7,316,803 | DeSoto | TX | |
| The GoodLife Agency | The Local Education Agencies Partnership (LEAP) | 3 | $2,530,955 | $7,495,955 | Detroit | MI |
FY 2020 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Marlboro County School District | Maximizing, Creating, Strengthening, and Developing | 3 | $1,527,042 | $4,938,611 | Bennettsville | SC | |
| Alaska Council of School Administrators | Increasing Performance and Retention in Alaska's Rural Schools (IPRARS) | 3 | $1,462,805 | $5,853,582 | Juneau | AK | |
| Rowan-Salisbury School System | Accelerate Rowan | 3 | $9,245,326 | $26,529,161 | Salisbury | NC | |
| South Bend Community School Corporation | LEAP | 3 | $7,714,705 | $22,871,470 | South Bend | IN | |
| IDEA Public Schools | Good to Great: Transforming Teaching and Learning at IDEA Public Schools | 3 | $2,905,113 | $9,615,727 | Weslaco | TX | |
| District of Columbia Public Schools | RISE: Rigorous Instruction Supports Equity | 3 | $9,495,697 | $28,300,283 | Washington | DC | |
| LEAD Public Schools | LEADing Onward | 3 | $1,708,000 | $5,124,000 | Nashville | TN | |
| School Board of Miami-Dade County Florida | Miami Leading Educator Advancement and Recognition through Networks of Support (Miami LEARNS) | 3 | $8,243,875 | $26,643,489 | Miami | FL | |
| Providence Public Schools | The Providence Leadership Development Academy (PLDA) & Residency | 3 | $2,636,775 | $10,585,023 | Providence | RI | |
| Toledo Public Schools | Partnerships, Resources, and Opportunities for Urban Districts (PROUD) | 3 | $3,018,767 | $10,549,835 | Toledo | OH | |
| Insight Education Group Inc. | Project IGNITE, Innovation Generated by Networked Improvement Teams of Educators | 3 | $6,696,716 | $20,352,726 | Encino | CA | |
| Gwinnett County Public Schools | Gwinnett County Public Schools Teacher and Leader Support Program | 3 | $1,636,063 | $5,947,476 | Suwanee | GA | |
| Harmony Public Schools | Training Instructional Leadership Teams at Harmony Public Schools (TILT). | 3 | $7,382,647 | $27,772,999 | Houston | TX |
FY 2019 Award
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| National Institute of Effective Teaching - Indiana | The Indiana Statewide Collaborative to Advance Educator Effectiveness and Equity | 3 | $6,100,019 | $26,360,629 | Santa Monica | CA | Abstract |
FY 2017 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Board of Education City of Chicago | Distributed Leadership in Opportunity Schools | 3 | $1,641,225 | $6,326,613 | Chicago | IL | |
| Lansing School District | R.E.A.P Rewarding Educator Achievement and Performance | 3 | $9,226,183 | $28,006,544 | Lansing | MI | |
| Youth Empowerment Services, Inc. | YES Equity Pipeline for Educator Preparation: Comprehensive HCMS- Educator Preparation Program. | 3 | $2,746,623 | $8,386,171 | San Antonio | TX | |
| Hillsborough County Public Schools | Turnaround Leadership Pathways | 3 | $1,278,922 | $4,299,348 | Hillsborough | FL | |
| School District of Osceola County | Producing Results through Osceola's Professional Educator Ladder | 3 | $442,049 | $2,916,745 | Kissimmee | FL | |
| Insight Education Group, Inc. | Empowering Educators to Excel | 3 | $6,803,528 | $22,411,019 | Encino | CA | |
| Lindsay Unified School District | EMPOWER Lindsay | 3 | $9,746,275 | $28,265,116 | Lindsay | CA | |
| Region 18 Education Service Center | Texas TSL Project | 3 | $6,935,345 | $33,671,970 | Midland | TX | |
| Board of Education Prince George's County | Great Teachers, Great Leaders, Great Schools | 3 | $8,603,102 | $24,375,134 | Prince George's | MD | |
| Union County School District | EPIC: Educator Performance Incentives and Career Pathways | 3 | $8,721,272 | $27,321,713 | Monroe | NC | |
| East St. Louis School District #189 | East St. Louis District 189 Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program | 3 | $1,466,006 | $5,827,779 | East St. Louis | MI | |
| Houston Independent School District | Leveraging Effective Academics Districtwide for Equity and Resources for Students | 3 | $8,538,720 | $28,154,758 | Houston | TX | |
| Fort Wayne Community Schools | PEER — Performance + Equity = Excellent Results! | 3 | $9,969,977 | $29,767,346 | Fort Wayne | IN | |
| New York City Department of Education | New York City Department of Education's Build, Retain and Sustain Project | 3 | $11,939,472 | $35,333,817 | Brooklyn | NY |
FY 2016 Awards
| Grantee | Project Title | Duration (Years) | Year 1 Funds | Total Expected Funding | City | State | Files |
| Cross County School District | Rural and Ready: A Pathway for Improving Human Capital in Cross County Schools | 5 | $901,320 | $4,032,004 | Cherry Valley | AR | |
| Harmony Public Schools | Harmony Supporting Top Educators Program | 5 | $5,919,205 | $26,720,738 | Houston | TX | |
| Louisiana Department of Education | N/A | 5 | $13,171,134 | $66,758,458 | Baton Rouge | LA | |
| Maricopa County Education Service Agency | Rewarding Excellence in Instruction and Leadership | 5 | $4,488,326 | $59,998,629 | Phoenix | AZ | |
| Mastery Charter High School | Mastery 3.0 Opportunity Culture Human Capital Management System Redesign Project (MOCHCS) | 5 | $2,142,327 | $16,709,533 | Philadelphia | PA | |
| The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (LA) | A Statewide Collaboration for Advancing Principal and Teacher Leadership: Building on Leadership Development in Louisiana (LA BOLD) | 5 | $9,478,249 | $49,359,486 | Santa Monica | CA | |
| New Schools for New Orleans | The NOLA TIF Project | 5 | $3,365,190 | $19,776,514 | New Orleans | LA | |
| Pitt County Schools | R3: Recruiting, Retaining, and Rewarding Educators through Multiple Career Pathways and Performance-Based Compensation | 5 | $886,655 | $16,197,438 | Greenville | NC | |
| Region One Education Service Center | Project RISE | 5 | $5,745,058 | $48,509,137 | Edinburg | TX | |
| San Antonio Independent School District | San Antonio ISD (SAISD) teacher Incentive Fund Project (TIF-SA) | 5 | $2,279,576 | $46,370,483 | San Antonio | TX | |
| School Board of Broward County | Leading Excellence and Achievement in Performance (LEAP) Ahead | 5 | $8,301,631 | $53,808,909 | Ft. Lauderdale | FL | |
| Texas Can Academies | Project READY-2ExCel | 5 | $2,585,687 | $14,030,275 | Dallas | TX | |
| Youth Empowerment Services | Educator Effectiveness Process (EEP) | 5 | $10,306,065 | $54,926,907 | San Antonio | TX |