Instructional Technology Coach Funding
Building sustainable coaching programs
Despite strong and growing evidence of their effectiveness, funding for coaching programs remains a challenge for many districts — particularly as pandemic-era ESSER funds have expired and competing priorities strain budgets.
The LTC is committed to helping all Illinois K-12 districts navigate the instructional coaching startup process. Our resources and personalized guidance can help you along the path to establishing a financially sustainable program.
Many of the funding sources outlined below are not explicitly targeted at supporting technology coaching programs. Instead, these funds often promote equity and the adoption of evidence-based professional development strategies. Under these rationales, districts can apply for these grants with the reasonable assumption that technology coaching will be viewed as an allowable expense.
What’s changed since 2022? The funding landscape has shifted significantly. ESSER funds have expired, the federal Office of Educational Technology has been eliminated, and the Digital Equity Act has been terminated. However, all core ESSA Title programs remain funded, Illinois has enacted new AI education legislation (SB 1920) that creates demand for technology coaching, and new private-sector grants — particularly around AI — have emerged. This guide reflects those changes.
Federal Funding Sources
Type: Federal | Status: Active | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I, Part A provides approximately $18.4 billion annually to support schools serving high numbers of low-income students. Title I funds can support instructional technology coaching in two key ways.
First, schools operating schoolwide programs (those with 40% or higher poverty rates, or with an approved waiver) can use Title I funds for comprehensive instructional improvement strategies, including coaching programs, when those strategies are documented in the school’s improvement plan.
Second, the Title I Section 1003 set-aside (7% reserved for school improvement) can directly fund coaching positions at schools identified for Comprehensive or Targeted support. Several states have used this mechanism to fund full-time instructional coaches at identified schools.
A January 2023 guidance letter from the U.S. Department of Education explicitly referenced “hiring coaches who can help teachers make the best use of digital tools” as an allowable use of Title I funds.
Depending on a district’s size, location, and other utilizations of federal education funds, grants under several ESSA titles may also be combined or braided together to establish or maintain a coaching program.
Type: Federal | Status: Active (⚠️ at risk — see note) | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)
Title II, Part A — Supporting Effective Instruction — is the primary federal funding source for instructional coaching, providing approximately $2.2 billion annually. Updated non-regulatory guidance released January 14, 2025 details allowable uses including instructional coaching, professional development, and training teachers to effectively integrate technology into curricula and instruction, including blended learning implementation.
Title II-A funds can be used for:
- Hiring, training, and compensating instructional coaches — including technology-focused coaches
- Supporting efforts to train teachers, principals, or other school leaders to effectively integrate technology into curricula and instruction
- Training to assist teachers in implementing blended learning projects (as defined in Section 4102(1))
- Developing or improving evaluation systems that incorporate coaching feedback
⚠️ Important: Title II-A faces ongoing elimination risk at the federal level. The FY2026 budget proposal initially zeroed it out entirely, and distribution of FY2025 funds was delayed during summer 2025 before congressional pressure forced their release. Congress ultimately preserved Title II-A at level funding in the FY2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Districts should continue to advocate for this program through organizations like Powered by Title II.
Type: Federal | Status: Active | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)
Title IV, Part A — the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program — provides approximately $1.38 billion annually across three content areas: Well-Rounded Education, Safe and Healthy Students, and Effective Use of Technology (EUT).
Districts receiving $30,000 or more in SSAE funds must allocate resources across all three content areas. The EUT component can fund technology professional development and coaching, with the restriction that no more than 15% of EUT funds may be spent on technology infrastructure (devices, equipment, software). This means the majority of EUT dollars are available for professional development activities like coaching.
Depending on a district’s size, location, and other utilizations of federal education funds, grants under several ESSA titles may also be combined together to establish or maintain a coaching program.
Type: Federal | Status: Active | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)
Title V, Part B — the Rural Education Achievement Program — provides approximately $220 million in supplemental funds for rural LEAs that either serve high numbers of low-income students or are small in overall student population.
REAP provides important flexibilities that allow eligible rural districts to use these funds for activities authorized under Titles I-A, II-A, III, and IV-A. This means technology coaching is an allowable use for qualifying rural districts, making REAP a valuable supplemental source that can be combined with other ESSA title funds to support a coaching program.
Type: Cooperative model | Status: Active | Deadline: N/A
Current federal regulations allow two or more school districts to share fund-based services between their schools. In this arrangement, one district acts as the fiscal agent while all districts in the plan pool funds collectively. This type of arrangement can fund a shared technology coaching program between several districts, particularly those who don’t have enough funds — either on hand or through federal grants — to facilitate a coaching program on their own.
The LTC Instructional Technology Coaching Program operates on a cost-sharing model, allowing multiple districts in a single geographic area to benefit from embedded instructional coaching at a fraction of the startup cost. Districts can contract for 10 to 160 days per year, with the LTC handling all hiring, training, and employment logistics. Virtual coaching options are also available. Learn more about our program here or contact Nicole Zumpano, Director of Instructional Tech Coaching, at nmzumpano@ltcillinois.org.
Illinois State Funding Sources
Type: State | Status: Active (rebranded) | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)
IL-EMPOWER has been rebranded as “School and District Improvement” (SDI) but continues operating under the same fundamental structure. The program is designed to help school personnel implement effective school improvement practices that prepare students for postsecondary success, using ISBE’s Continuous School Improvement Model built on the Illinois Quality Framework and Supporting Rubric.
Schools identified for Comprehensive or Targeted support work with ISBE-approved Learning Partners. Schools designated for Comprehensive support are required to contract with a Learning Partner. More than 140 schools that were first designated as Targeted or Comprehensive on the 2022 report card improved their designation on the 2023 report card.
The LTC is an active IL-EMPOWER/SDI Learning Partner through our fiscal agent, ROE 9 (Champaign-Ford Counties), and SDI funds can be used on coaching. If your school has been identified for improvement, contact us about how the LTC’s coaching program can support your improvement plan.
More Information: ISBE – School and District Improvement
Type: State | Status: Active | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)
Illinois’ Evidence-Based Funding formula distributes state funds to districts based on adequacy targets. Governor Pritzker proposed a $350 million increase for FY2026, though the statewide adequacy gap remains significant. EBF formula funds flow to districts and can support professional development including instructional coaching when aligned with district and school improvement plans. Districts should work with their business office to identify how EBF dollars can be directed toward coaching as part of their evidence-based improvement strategies.
Type: State | Status: Active (subject to annual appropriation) | Deadline: Varies
ISBE has awarded $3 million in Computer Science Equity Grants across 72 grants (ranging from approximately $10,000 to $61,000 each) to expand CS learning opportunities, including teacher training and classroom equipment. Eligible applicants include K-12 districts, ROEs, ISCs, and institutions of higher education. Funding was appropriated for FY2024 and FY2025, with FY2026 subject to General Assembly action. Districts building CS coaching programs should monitor ISBE for future funding cycles.
Type: State legislation | Status: Signed into law (2025)
SB 1920 requires ISBE to develop statewide AI guidance for K-12 districts and educators by July 1, 2026. The guidance must explain AI and describe classroom use “to inform teaching and learning practices while preserving the human relationships essential to effective teaching and learning.”
While SB 1920 doesn’t directly provide funding, it creates a clear mandate for the kind of support technology coaches provide. Districts that build coaching capacity now will be better positioned to implement whatever guidance ISBE produces. When writing grant applications for any of the funding sources on this page, reference SB 1920 as evidence of a state-recognized need for technology coaching capacity.
Private and Foundation Grants
Type: Private (Verizon/Digital Promise) | Status: Active | Deadline: Varies (applications through Digital Promise)
Verizon Innovative Learning Schools is the strongest existing program that directly subsidizes technology coaching positions. Managed by Digital Promise, the program provides Title I middle and high schools with free mobile devices, multi-year data plans, extensive professional development, and a subsidy toward a full-time technology coach. VIL added 34 new Title I schools for 2025–26 and has invested over $1 billion, reaching 8.5 million students. This program is particularly well-suited for Illinois Title I schools looking to establish a coaching program with significant external support.
Type: Private/Nonprofit | Status: Active | Deadline: Varies
Digital Promise has launched a $26 million K-12 AI Infrastructure Program (first RFP released February 2026) and maintains its free Instructional Coaching Playbook — an excellent resource for districts designing their coaching programs. Digital Promise also runs the iCoachTEAM project, a multi-year U.S. Department of Education grant designing one-to-one coaching for middle school math through meaningful technology use. Their funding guide for coaching programs is a valuable companion to this page.
Type: Private (foundation) | Status: Active | Deadlines: February 1, late April/May 1, September 15
The NEA Foundation offers two grant programs relevant to coaching:
- Learning & Leadership Grants (apply here): $1,500 for individuals or $5,000 for groups to support professional development, including activities aligned with instructional coaching
- Student Success Grants (apply here): Up to $5,000 for classroom projects that can include technology integration supported by coaching
Current NEA membership is required. These smaller grants are best suited for piloting coaching initiatives or supplementing larger funding sources.
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