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• Language Instruction Educational Program Application
  • Language Instruction Educational Program Application Presentation
  • Language Instruction Educational Program Application Webinar Recording​​​​​
    

• BEA Grant Periodic Report Template​
  
• FY22 Bilingual Education Award PowerPoint Presentation​
  
• FY22 Bilingual Education Award Recorded Presentation​​
  
• ​​Guidance regarding Grant Periodic Reporting for Bilingual Education Award (BEA) on IWAS​
  

Fiscal Year 2025 Immigrant Student Education Program Grant Application Overview Webinar

• Webinar​
• FY25 ISEP Overview Webinar Presentation​
  

What is ISEP?

• The Title III Immigrant Student Education Program (ISEP) is a federally funded, supplemental grant for districts experiencing a “significant increase" in the number of eligible immigrant children and youth as compared to the two preceding fiscal years.  This is a formula-based grant.

What is the purpose of the ISEP grant?

• The ISEP grant is designed to assist school districts with a significant increase in the number of immigrant students and to help support their families. This helps the students meet the same challenging grade-level language and academic standards as mainstream students.

• Funds received from the ISEP grant must be used to enable a school district to provide enhanced supplemental instructional opportunities for immigrant children and youth.
• One of the goals of the ISEP grant is to provide more assistance to districts that have seen an increase in immigrant students, but do not qualify for the Title III LIEP grant.

Who are immigrant students?

• An eligible immigrant student for the purpose of this grant, according to federal regulations, is defined as a student:
• Ages 3 through 21;
• Not born in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
• Who has not attended one or more schools in any one or more U.S. states for more than three full academic years. 

How is a district eligible for the ISEP grant?

• Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act specifies that eligibility and funding for the ISEP grant must be based on the total current year enrollment of immigrant students in the district and nonpublic schools within a district's boundaries.  
• School districts that have met all the following conditions are eligible for an ISEP grant: 
1. District submitted an Intent to Apply for the ISEP grant;
2. District has an enrollment of 10 or more immigrant students in the fiscal year in which an Intent to Apply has been submitted;
3. District has reported immigrant student enrollments in the ISBE Student Information System during the fiscal year for which an Intent to Apply has been submitted and approved and for the previous two fiscal years;
4. District has shown a significant increase (either 3 percent or 50 students, whichever is less) over the average immigrant student enrollment for the preceding two fiscal years. 

Once a district is found eligible for the ISEP grant, how does it receive the funds?

• Eligible districts must complete an application in IWAS. A district will receive its funding after an application is fully approved. Reimbursements occur after expenditure reports are submitted.​
  
  

EL - Title III Intent to Apply Application for LIEP/ISEP

​The EL - Title III Intent to Apply Application is available through IWAS. The due date for the application is March 30, 2025. Only districts that plan to apply for fiscal year 2026 federal Title III funding must submit the EL - Title III Intent to Apply Application.

These districts also will be required to submit a Consolidated District Plan and an EL-Title III Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) Application and/or Immigrant Student Education Program (ISEP) Application to complete the application process for FY 2026 funds.

• FY26 ITA Presentation​
  
• FY26 ITA Webinar
• Consortium Presentation​
  
• ​FY26 Consortium Webinar

PURPOSES

1. Developing and implementing new language instruction educational programs and academic content instructional programs for English learners (ELs) and immigrant children and youth.
2. Carrying out highly focused, innovative, locally designed activities to expand or enhan​ce existing language instruction educational programs and academic content instructional programs for ELs and immigrant children and youth.
3. Implementing schoolwide programs within a school for restructuring, reforming, and upgrading all language instruction educational programs and academic content instruction for ELs and immigrant children and youth.
4. Implementing local education agency wide programs for restructuring, reforming, and upgrading all relevant programs, activities, and operations relating to language instruction educational programs and academic content instruction for ELs and immigrant children and youth.
5. Providing effective professional development to classroom teachers; principals; school leaders; administrators; and other school- or community-based organizational personnel, including parent, family, and community engagement activities.

REMINDERS

1. A district that wishes to apply for any Title III funds for which it is eligible in a given fiscal year MUST create, complete, and submit the EL - Title III Intent to Apply Application prior to the due date.
2. Districts must review their EL student enrollment data in the ISBE Student Information System (SIS) and add or correct enrollment data as necessary to accurately reflect their EL student enrollment totals and periods of service.
3. Title III requirements specify that a district that will generate at least $10,000 in LIEP formula funding may apply as a single district. A district that will generate less than $10,000 has the option to form a consortium with other districts to jointly generate at least $10,000 in LIEP funding. The required threshold of $10,000 does not apply to ISEP.
4. Student enrollment information will be extracted from SIS on April 15 to calculate projected allocations for federal Title III LIEP grants. All information should be accurate in SIS. EL enrollment data used for Title III funding allocations will be based on home schools.
5. The EL - Title III Intent to Apply Application will collect information on the program contact person, private school consultations, and private school EL students.
   

Please make sure that your approval groups are properly assigned via IWAS in order to access and transmit your application. Technical assistance on items not covered by the instructions may be obtained from the Multilingual/Language Development Department at multilingual@isbe.net .

Guidelines​

• ​District Consortium Member Agreement​​​​
  
• ​​Nonpublic School Enrollment 2024 data​​
  
• 2024 43-20: Private-Schools Consultation​ Participation Form​
  
• Directory of Educa​tional Entities​​​
  

Public Act 100-0997, enacted on August 20, 2018, made significant changes to the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), including the addition that details new expenditure reporting requirements. Section 125 of GATA requires grantees to submit a new expenditure report if a state or federal grant is executed more than 30 days after the grant effective date. As a reminder, all state or federal grants in the FY 2021 grant cycle executed (i.e., approved by ISBE) more than 30 days after the grant effective date (i.e., start date) will require the grantee to submit an expenditure report that reflects eligible expenditures from the grant start date through and including the date of execution.

Program allocations are final and based on the final FY 2021 appropriation.  This grant is contingent upon and subject to the availability of funds. The state, at its sole discretion, may terminate or suspend the grant, in whole or part, without penalty or further payment being required, if the Illinois General Assembly or the federal funding source fails to make an appropriation sufficient to uphold such obligation or if funds needed are insufficient for any reason (30 ILCS 500/20-60).

Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Requirements:

Applicants must ensure Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) requirements are met before the FY 2021 state or federal grant application is fully executed.  Applicants must complete prequalification registration in the GATA portal and complete a Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment via an Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ).  The GATA portal can be accessed at https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/.

The steps below are necessary to fully execute the FY 2021 grants:

1. Grantee must register and complete the Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ)
2. Complete and submit the Organizational Risk Assessment via IWAS. Results will apply to all FY 2021 grants.
   • ISBE Grant-Specific Assessments will be included in each FY 2021 grant.
   • A combination of the results of the two risk assessments will generate the Programmatic Risk Conditions in each grant.
3. Submit FY 2021 grant applications to ISBE. 
4. The respective ISBE program area will review and approve the application.

To create and submit the application, an IWAS user must obtain and receive access and approval level by the Local Education Agency's superintendent.  For technical assistance, please contact the Multilingual / Language Development Department at multilingual@isbe.net.

• Grant Periodic Reporting and GATA​​​
  

When creating a budget amendment for Title III grants on IWAS, please follow the Title III Amendment Guidelines. Districts may proceed to create a budget amendment on IWAS only after the initial budget has been approved.

If you have questions about Title III budgets or budget amendments, please contact your assigned consultant in the Department of Multilingual Services at (312) 814-3850.​

• ​Title III Amendment Guidelines​​
  

• State and Federal Grant Administration Policy, Fiscal Requirements, and Procedures
• Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) and Other Applicable Grant Regulations​