Funding Sources for Schools
Our expert support and resources can help your school or district identify funding resources that be used to implement many of the products in the Vector Solutions suite of online training, safety, compliance, and professional growth solutions for K-12 schools. Schools and districts around the country have successfully used different types of federal formula and competitive funding, combined with state and local funding, to bring these solutions to their staff and students.
Formula Funds - Formula grant programs are noncompetitive awards based on a predetermined formula to determine how much each school receives. For example, Title I funds are distributed based on formulas that utilize low-income Census data. As another example, IDEA funds are allocated based on formulas that account for the number of students with disabilities a district serves. These programs are sometimes referred to as state-administered programs, allocated amounts, or block grants.
Competitive Funds - Competitive grants, or discretionary grants, are restricted by criteria that applicants must meet and are, by nature, only awarded to a select group of states or districts. A competitive grant is a request for funding for fixed or known periods of time, for specific projects.
The information below provides a brief overview of several federal funding programs, information on the use of these funds, and details about how the Vector Solutions products align with each program to help administrators in evaluating the opportunities for funding the programs for their staff and students.
Explore these formula funds aligned with our K-12 solutions.
Title I, Part A provides financial assistance to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet state academic standards. Schools in which children from low-income families make up at least 40 percent of enrollment are eligible for school-wide programs that serve all children in the school. Otherwise, Title I funds must be focused on children who are failing, or at risk of failing, to meet state academic standards.
Title I funds help to level the playing field for children from low-income communities. Funds are used to support a variety of instructional and non-instructional costs (behavior supports, attendance programs, community/parent engagement) if these costs are shown to help improve student achievement.
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IDEA offers individualized supports to help students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures services to children with disabilities, including early intervention, special education, and targeted supports.
Funds must be spent to support the needs of children with disabilities, as outlined in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that attempt to identify the specific supports and services necessary for each identified child. Funds can be used for a wide variety of purposes to support learners with disabilities.
The additional ARP funds could be used for mental health services or to support academics to increase evidence-based interventions. These funds can be used to address learning disruptions and professional development - ensuring staff has the training to shift quickly to remote learning in the future and to continue hybrid and remote learning right now. The funding could also be used to address critical shortages of special education personnel, both teachers and specialized instructional support personnel. IDEA funds are very flexible in how they can be used.
Vector Training equips all staff with evidence-based training to help students with special needs thrive in the classroom.
Many special education programs require instructional staff and bus aides to have training in emergency procedures, school and bus safety, certain medical procedures and confidentiality requirements. Vector Training offers a full range of courses in these areas.
Vector LiveSafe Tip Reporting & Safety Communications System
Vector Evaluations+ and PD Tracking
The Improving Teacher Quality Program aims to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality-namely by increasing the number of highly-qualified teachers and principals. The program also aims to increase the effectiveness of teachers and principals by holding districts and schools accountable for growth in student achievement.
Local-level activities include but are not limited to (1) recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and principals, (2) increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms, and (3) providing professional development for teachers and principals. These activities must be based on a local needs assessment and, among other things, be aligned with state academic content standards, student academic achievement standards and state assessments.
The purpose of the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Program is to improve student's academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, local educational agencies, schools and local communities to: (1) provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; (2) improve school conditions for student learning; and (3) improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy for all students.
ESSA consolidated many former competitive and formula programs including Safe and Drug Free Schools. These funds are allocated to states, with quite a bit of flexibility.
Activities to support safe and healthy students may include, but are not limited to:
Activities to improve the use of educational technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students may include, but are not limited to:
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Perkins funding is the keystone of many states' CTE programs. Federal funds are made available to develop more fully the academic, career, and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary students who elect to enroll in CTE programs. In accordance with the statute, states must allocate at least 85 percent of the funds to eligible recipients, which include local education agencies (LEAs), two- and four-year colleges and universities that offer sub baccalaureate CTE programs, area CTE centers, and postsecondary education institutions controlled by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).
Vocational Education grants are intended to develop and enrich the academic, career, and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary students in CTE programs. States apply to receive funds, contingent upon submitting an approved five-year state CTE plan. States then pass the majority of Perkins funds along to districts and colleges that operate vocational and technical education programs.
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In 2020 and 2021 Congress passed three stimulus bills that provided nearly $190.5 billion to the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Education Relief (ESSER) Fund. States receive funds based on the same proportion that each state receives under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title-IA. States must distribute at least 90% of funds to local education agencies (LEAs) based on their proportional share of ESEA Title I-A funds.
School districts have significant flexibility in how they choose to use the ESSER funds and will be able to use them where they are needed most. These additional ESSER dollars provide an opportunity due to this national emergency. The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) enables States and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation's students.
The following information includes some acceptable uses for these funds. The items in bold are those that represent close matches to the Vector Solutions products.
Of the total amount allocated to an LEA from the State's ARP ESSER award, the LEA must reserve at least 20 percent of funds to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions and ensure that those interventions respond to students' social, emotional, and academic needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups (each major racial and ethnic group, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care).
Remaining LEA funds may be used for a wide range of activities to address needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, including any activity authorized by the ESEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), or Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins CTE). Specifically, ARP ESSER funds may be used to develop strategies and implement public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on reopening and operating schools to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff
Explore these competitive grant funds aligned with our K-12 solutions.
BJA's STOP School Violence Grant Program is designed to improve school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence.
The STOP School Violence Act describes the following categories for school safety projects:
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Educate staff on essential safety topics.
Vector Training - Student Course Library
Equip students with the safety knowledge they need.
Vector LiveSafe Tip Reporting & Safety Communications System
The purpose of the COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the recipient's jurisdiction through evidence-based school safety programs. Funding is available under the following purpose areas:
Vector Training - Staff Course Library
Educate staff on essential safety topics.
Vector Training - Student Course Library
Equip students with the safety knowledge they need.
Vector LiveSafe Tip Reporting & Safety Communications System
The Personnel Preparation program helps meet state-identified needs for adequate numbers of fully certified personnel to serve children with disabilities by supporting competitive awards to:
This program supports training activities in a few high priority areas, including:
The following information includes all acceptable uses for these funds to provide a complete picture, while the items in bold are those that represent close matches to Vector Solutions products.
The purpose of the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program to identify, support, and rigorously evaluate Evidence-Based and innovative strategies and activities to improve and modernize Career and Technical Education (CTE) and ensure workforce skills taught in CTE programs funded under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V or the Act) align with labor market needs.
Funds under this grant can be used for a variety of activities, including designing and implementing courses or Programs of Study aligned to labor market needs in new or emerging fields, working with industry to upgrade equipment, technology, and related curriculum used in CTE programs, improving the transition of students, and creating or expanding recruitment, retention, or professional development activities for CTE teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals.
The following information includes all acceptable uses for these funds to provide a complete picture, while the items in bold are those that represent close matches to Vector Solutions products.
Funding can include:
Special Education Course Library - delivers evidence-based, Special Education-related training on ADHD, Autism, Behavior, IEP's, Transition, Special Education Law, and more.
Vector Evaluations+ and PD Tracking
The purpose of the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) is to improve student achievement; improve the quality of prospective and new teachers by improving the preparation of prospective teachers and enhancing professional development activities for new teachers; hold teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) accountable for preparing teachers who meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including minorities and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force.
The program supports eligible partnerships that must include a high-need local educational agency (LEA), a high-need school served by the LEA, or a high-need early childhood education (ECE) program; a partner institution; a school, department, or program of education within such partner institution; and a school or department of arts and sciences within such partner institution. Partnerships must implement either (a) teacher preparation programs at the pre-baccalaureate or "fifth-year" level that include specific reforms in IHEs' existing teacher preparation programs; or (b) teacher residency programs for individuals who are recent graduates with strong academic backgrounds or are mid-career professionals from outside the field of education.
The following information includes all acceptable uses for these funds to provide a complete picture, while the items in bold are those that represent close matches to Vector Solutions Products.
Funding for:
The SEED grant program provides funding to increase the number of highly effective educators by supporting the implementation of evidence-based preparation, development, or enhancement opportunities for educators.
Supporting Effective Teachers.
Projects that will implement activities that are supported by:
Supporting Effective Principals or Other School Leaders.
Projects that will implement activities:
Note: The following information includes all acceptable uses for these funds to provide a complete picture, while the items in bold are those that represent close matches to Vector Solutions products.
Professional Development activities that-
(a) Are an integral part of school and LEA strategies for providing educators (including teachers, principals, other School Leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, and, as applicable, early childhood educators) with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable students to succeed in a well-rounded education and to meet the challenging State academic standards; and
(b) Are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused, and may include activities that-
(1) Improve and increase teachers'-
(i) Knowledge of the academic subjects the teachers teach;
(ii) Understanding of how students learn; and
(iii) Ability to analyze student work and achievement from multiple sources, including how to adjust instructional strategies, assessments, and materials based on such analysis;
(2) Are an integral part of broad schoolwide and districtwide educational improvement plans;
(3) Allow personalized plans for each educator to address the educator's specific needs identified in observation or other feedback;
(4) Improve classroom management skills;
(5) Support the recruitment, hiring, and training of effective teachers, including teachers who became certified through State and local alternative routes to certification;
(6) Advance teacher understanding of-
(i) Effective instructional strategies that are Evidence-Based; and
(ii) Strategies for improving student academic achievement or substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching skills of teachers;
(7) Are aligned with, and directly related to, academic goals of the school or LEA;
(8) Are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, other School Leaders, parents, representatives of Indian Tribes (as applicable), and administrators of schools to be served under the ESEA;
(9) Are designed to give teachers of English learners, and other teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and appropriate language and academic support services to those children, including the appropriate use of curricula and assessments;
(10) To the extent appropriate, provide training for teachers, principals, and other School Leaders in the use of technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy), so that technology and technology applications are effectively used in the classroom to improve teaching and learning in the curricula and academic subjects in which the teachers teach;
(11) As a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to improve the quality of professional development;
(12) Are designed to give teachers of children with disabilities or children with developmental delays, and other teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and academic support services, to those children, including positive behavioral interventions and supports, multi-tier system of supports, and use of accommodations;
(13) Include instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice;
(14) Include instruction in ways that teachers, principals, other School Leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and school administrators may work more effectively with parents and families;
(15) Involve the forming of partnerships with IHEs, including, as applicable, Tribal Colleges and Universities, to establish school-based teacher, principal, and other School Leader training programs that provide prospective teachers, novice teachers, principals, and other School Leaders with an opportunity to work under the guidance of experienced teachers, principals, other School Leaders, and faculty of such institutions;
(16) Create programs to enable paraprofessionals (assisting teachers employed by an LEA receiving assistance under part A of title I of the ESEA) to obtain the education necessary for those paraprofessionals to become certified and licensed teachers;
(17) Provide follow-up training to teachers who have participated in activities described in paragraph (b) of this definition that are designed to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the teachers are implemented in the classroom; and
(18) Where practicable, provide jointly for school staff and other early childhood education program providers, to address the transition to elementary school, including issues related to school readiness.
