The Indian Education Program of ESEA, as amended, (Title VII, Part A), is designed to address the unique cultural, language, and educationally related academic needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students, including preschool children. The programs funded are to meet the unique cultural, language, and educational needs of Indian students and ensure that all students meet the challenging State academic standard. The program is the Department's principal vehicle for addressing the particular needs of Indian children.

Types of Projects

Grant funds supplement the regular school program by meeting the culturally related academic needs of Indian children. Projects help Indian children sharpen their academic skills, assist students in becoming proficient in the core content areas, and provide students an opportunity to participate in enrichment programs that would otherwise be unavailable. Funds support such activities as culturally-responsive after-school programs, Native language classes, early childhood education, tutoring, and dropout prevention.

Additional Information

The Indian Education Formula Grant program provides grants to support local educational agencies in their efforts to reform elementary and secondary school programs that serve Indian students. Annually each applicant develops and submits to the Department a comprehensive plan for meeting the needs of Indian children. Applicants must develop this plan in collaboration with a local committee comprised primarily of parents and family members of Indian children and must include student performance goals, a description of professional development activities that the applicant will carry out, and an explanation of how it will assess students’ progress toward meeting its goals and will provide the results of this assessment to the parent committee, Indian community and tribes whose children are served by the LEA.