Funding for Instructional Coaches

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 zeroed it out and FY2025 funds were delayed in summer 2025, but Congress preserved Title II-A at level funding (about $2.19 billion) for FY2026 and required the Department to send formula funds to states on July 1, 2026, which it did. The fight has resumed for FY2027: the House Appropriations Committee’s FY2027 bill (June 2026) eliminates Title II-A entirely. Federal programs are operating under a temporary continuing resolution through December 11, 2026 while Congress negotiates a final bill. Districts that rely on Title II-A for coaching should plan for a possible gap in 2027–28 and 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.

Title IV-A was level-funded at about $1.385 billion for FY2026, and the House’s FY2027 bill keeps it at that level — making it one of the more stable federal sources for technology-focused coaching right now.

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: Federal guidance | Status: Active | Deadline: N/A

On July 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague letter on using federal grant funds to improve education outcomes with artificial intelligence. The letter confirms that existing federal formula and discretionary grant funds can support responsible AI use, including training educators to use AI tools effectively and responsibly, as long as the spending meets each program’s own requirements.

This guidance doesn’t create new money, but it gives districts clear federal backing for using Title I, Title II-A, and Title IV-A dollars on AI-focused technology coaching. The Department has also made AI a priority in its competitive grant programs (see below). When budgeting coaching under any federal program, cite this letter alongside Illinois’ AI guidance.

Type: Federal (competitive) | Status: Active (annual competitions) | Deadline: Varies (typically spring)

The U.S. Department of Education’s Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program funds evidence-based educator professional development. The FY2026 competition offered about $90 million for 25–30 awards of $1–6 million each, and gave competitive preference to projects that provide professional development for educators on integrating AI — a direct fit for technology coaching. The Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program is another competitive option for developing and scaling evidence-based practices.

These are large, multi-year grants with demanding application and evaluation requirements. They are best suited to a consortium of districts, a regional office of education, or a university partnership rather than a single small district. Watch Grants.gov for the next competitions.

Type: Federal | Status: Active | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)

Funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can pay for professional development for staff who serve students with disabilities, including coaching on assistive technology and accessible digital instruction.

Districts may also reserve up to 15% of their Part B allocation for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS), which can fund professional development for teachers supporting students who need extra academic or behavioral help but are not currently identified for special education — including, where appropriate, instruction in the use of adaptive and instructional software. A coach whose role includes accessibility and assistive technology is a strong fit for this funding.

Type: Federal (through ISBE) | Status: Active | Deadline: Ongoing (annual)

Perkins V — the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act — provides funds to districts with CTE programs, and those funds can be used for professional development for CTE teachers, including integrating technology and digital tools into CTE instruction. ISBE distributes Perkins funds in Illinois, and spending must align with the district’s Perkins local application and needs assessment. For high schools, Perkins can cover the share of a coach’s time spent supporting CTE staff. Funding for career and technical education is growing: Illinois’ FY2027 budget includes increased support for CTE, and federal FY2027 spending proposals include an increase for the Perkins V state grant.

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 Elizabeth Radunz, Lead Instructional Technology Coach, at eradunz@ltcillinois.org.

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. The FY2027 state budget, signed June 16, 2026, includes the full $350 million annual increase, bringing EBF to about $9.3 billion, though many districts remain well below their adequacy targets. 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 (eligible districts only) | Deadline: Allocated annually by ISBE

ISBE’s Teacher Vacancy Grant gives flexible funding to districts with high numbers of unfilled teaching positions. Allowable uses include recruitment and retention incentives, mentoring and induction programs, and instructional coaching to help keep current teachers in the classroom. ISBE allocated $15 million for FY2027 and announced awards on September 1, 2026. If your district receives this grant, coaching that supports new and struggling teachers is a strong fit.

Type: State (competitive) | Status: Active | Deadline: See ISBE

ISBE offers competitive Computer Science Equity Grant funding to expand computer science learning in K-12 schools, including teacher professional development and classroom materials and equipment for computer science instruction. School districts, charter schools, ROEs, ISCs, and higher education institutions have been eligible, with priority for students underrepresented in computer science and schools that lack accessible computer science coursework. Check ISBE’s funding opportunities page for the current application and deadline.

Type: State legislation and guidance | Status: Guidance released July 2026

SB 1920 (Public Act 104-0399) required ISBE to develop statewide AI guidance for K-12 districts and educators. ISBE released its Artificial Intelligence Guidance on July 9, 2026. Among its core principles: AI is “a means to inform teaching and learning rather than an end in itself,” and it should support, not replace, educator expertise and professional judgment. ISBE plans to release additional resources and no-cost professional learning on AI during the 2026–27 school year.

A separate law, SB 2909, takes effect January 1, 2027 and limits how AI can be used in teacher evaluations — another area where districts will need to update their practices.

Neither law provides funding, but together they create a clear need for the kind of support technology coaches provide: helping teachers put the state’s guidance into practice in their own classrooms. When writing grant applications for any of the funding sources on this page, cite SB 1920 and ISBE’s guidance as evidence of a state-recognized need for technology coaching capacity.

Type: Private (Verizon/Digital Promise) | Status: Active | Deadline: Varies (contact Digital Promise about eligibility)

Verizon Innovative Learning Schools is the strongest existing program that directly subsidizes technology coaching positions. Managed by Digital Promise, the program provides Title I schools (at least 65% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) with free laptops or tablets, four-year data plans for every student and teacher, extensive professional development, and a subsidy toward a full-time technology coach. In April 2026, VIL added a 13th cohort of 33 schools — including three Chicago Public Schools elementary schools — bringing the program to 693 schools in 126 districts nationwide. 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 eight grantees announced September 2026, with the next request for proposals expected this fall; grants of $50,000–$250,000 are open to school districts as well as researchers, nonprofits, and developers) 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: Learning & Leadership: June 15–September 15 each year; Student Success: see the NEA Foundation website

The NEA Foundation offers two grant programs relevant to coaching:

• Learning & Leadership Grants (apply here): Up to $5,000 for individuals or 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, and applicants cannot already hold an active NEA Foundation grant. These smaller grants are best suited for piloting coaching initiatives or supplementing larger funding sources.

Type: Local/private | Status: Varies | Deadline: Varies

Many Illinois districts have a local education foundation, and community foundations, local businesses, and civic groups often fund classroom innovation projects. These sources rarely cover a full coaching position, but they work well for piloting a coaching program — for example, funding a semester of coaching days — to build the local evidence needed to sustain it with district or federal funds. Pairing a local grant with the LTC’s cost-sharing model is an affordable way to start small.