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Title II funds, formally Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Supporting Effective Instruction), pay for activities that improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders. Districts can use them for professional development that meets the federal definition, recruitment and retention, induction and mentoring, class size reduction and related activities listed in section 2103, as long as the spending supplements rather than supplants other funds. This guide explains the allowable uses, the professional development definition, and how districts can plan Title II spending that changes classroom practice.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Title II, Part A is the main federal formula program for educator development. States pass most of the money to districts through a formula weighted toward poverty, and districts usually apply through their state’s consolidated application.
The program is flexible, but it carries one rule that shapes everything: professional development paid with Title II should meet the ESSA definition, which describes learning that is sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven and classroom-focused, not stand-alone one-day workshops. Districts that design around that definition get more from the same dollars, including for teachers of English Learners and for training on the responsible use of AI.
Key Takeaways
- Title II, Part A funds teacher and leader development, recruitment and retention, and related activities under ESEA section 2103.
- Professional development should meet the definition in ESEA section 8101(42): sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven and classroom-focused.
- Allowable activities include induction and mentoring, coaching, class size reduction and training to serve students with specific needs, including English Learners and students with disabilities.
- Funds must supplement, not supplant, state and local spending.
- Districts can transfer Title II funds to other ESEA programs under section 5103.
- District allocations are based 20 percent on population and 80 percent on poverty among children aged 5 to 17.
What District Leaders Need to Know
- Design to the definition. Federal guidance allows a stand-alone one-day workshop only within a structured, sustained plan; sustained programs with classroom follow-up fit the definition directly.
- Evidence matters. Section 2103 calls for professional development that is evidence-based, to the extent the state, in consultation with districts, determines that such evidence is reasonably available.
- English Learners are an allowable focus. Section 2103 lets districts fund programs that improve teachers’ ability to serve English Learners and students with disabilities.
- Private school teachers share. Equitable services rules apply to Title II professional development.
- Transfers add flexibility. If another program is a better fit, Title II money can move under section 5103, within its rules.
Funding Options at a Glance
| Program | Main professional development use | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Title II, Part A | All teachers and leaders | ESSA definition of professional development; supplement, not supplant |
| Title III, Part A | Teachers of English Learners | Supplemental to services required by law |
| Title IV, Part A | Effective use of technology, well-rounded education | Spending caps on technology infrastructure |
| Title I, Part A | Staff in Title I schools, especially schoolwide programs | Tied to the school’s plan |
For the English Learner side, see what Title III funds can be used for and Title I vs Title III.
District Benchmark
Consider a district that receives $250,000 in Title II, Part A funds. Spent on one-day workshops at $150 per seat, it buys about 1,670 seats with no follow-up. Spent on a sustained model, for example $750 per teacher for a multi-week course with classroom cycles plus $50,000 for two part-time coaches, it reaches about 265 teachers with the kind of learning the federal definition describes.
The figures are illustrative. The point is that Title II rewards depth over attendance counts.
What Can Title II Funds Be Used For?
Definition. Title II, Part A funds are federal formula grants that districts use to improve the effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders and to give low-income and minority students greater access to effective educators.
| Allowable use (ESEA section 2103) | Example |
|---|---|
| Professional development | A multi-week course with classroom practice and coaching |
| Recruitment and retention | Hiring incentives for hard-to-staff roles, career ladders |
| Induction and mentoring | Mentors for first- and second-year teachers |
| Class size reduction | Hiring teachers to reduce class size, to a level backed by evidence |
| Serving students with specific needs | Training to teach English Learners and students with disabilities |
| Leadership development | Principal academies and coaching |
| Using data and technology | Training to use assessment data and technology effectively |
The Federal Definition of Professional Development
ESEA section 8101(42) defines professional development as activities that are an integral part of school and district strategies, and that are sustained (not stand-alone, one-day or short-term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven and classroom-focused.
In practice, Title II programs that fit the definition share four features: they run over weeks or months, teachers apply what they learn with their own students, colleagues review the results together, and the work connects to a district goal.
How to Plan Title II Spending
- Start from needs. Use student and staff data to pick one or two priorities.
- Choose sustained designs that meet the federal definition.
- Consult stakeholders, including teachers, leaders and private school officials, as required.
- Check supplement, not supplant. Do not replace activities already funded locally.
- Plan for evidence. Decide how you will measure changes in practice and outcomes.
- Consider transfers under section 5103 if another program fits better.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Consider a district with growing numbers of English Learners and new AI tools in classrooms that sets one Title II priority: helping content teachers serve English Learners while using technology safely. It could fund an eight-week course with three classroom cycles for 40 teachers and a coach to support them. Because the learning is sustained, collaborative and classroom-focused, it would fit the federal definition, and the district could collect student work to show what changed.
Common Mistakes
- Spending most of the allocation on one-day workshops.
- Using Title II for activities the district already funds, or for professional development that state law requires, a supplanting risk.
- Forgetting equitable services for private school teachers.
- Letting funds lapse instead of transferring them to a program that needs them.
- Measuring success by attendance instead of classroom change.
Recommended Actions
Immediate (this month)
- Review current Title II spending against the federal definition of professional development.
- Check how much remains unobligated for this year.
Medium-Term (this year)
- Fund at least one sustained program tied to a district priority, such as English Learners.
- Build simple measures of classroom change into each funded activity.
Long-Term (strategy)
- Align Title II, III and IV-A plans so professional development reinforces itself.
- Use results to decide what to scale and what to stop.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- What share of our Title II spending meets the federal definition of professional development?
- Which teachers, including those of English Learners, does it reach?
- How do we know whether funded PD changed practice?
- Should any funds be transferred to a program with a clearer need?
FAQ
What is Title II, Part A?
The Supporting Effective Instruction program of the ESEA, a federal formula grant that funds the preparation, development, recruitment and retention of effective teachers and school leaders.
Can Title II funds be used for professional development?
Yes. Professional development is the most common use, and it should meet the ESSA definition: sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven and classroom-focused.
Can Title II funds be used for English Learners?
Yes. Section 2103 allows programs that improve teachers’ ability to teach English Learners. Title III can also fund supplemental PD for teachers of English Learners.
Can Title II funds be transferred?
Yes. Under ESEA section 5103, districts can transfer Title II, Part A funds to certain other ESEA programs.
Can Title II pay for technology training?
Yes, when it helps teachers use data and technology effectively. Title IV, Part A is another source for technology-related professional development.
Related Resources
- Teacher Professional Development Requirements by State
- Professional Development Grants for Teachers
- Professional Development Topics for Teachers
- What Can Title III Funds Be Used For?
- What Can Title I Funds Be Used For?
Conclusion
Title II, Part A is flexible enough to fund almost any serious effort to improve teaching. What makes it effective is design: sustained, classroom-focused learning tied to a district priority. Districts that spend to the federal definition, and measure what changes, get the most from a formula program that more than 16,000 districts received in 2023-24.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II, Part A); Massachusetts DESE, FY2027 Title II, Part A; California Department of Education, Title II, Part A Apportionment Overview 2026-27; ESEA section 2103, 20 U.S.C. 6613; U.S. Department of Education, Title II, Part A Non-Regulatory Guidance, January 2025; U.S. Department of Education, State and District Use of Title II, Part A Funds in 2023-24.
The Workshop That Ends at Three O’Clock
Most teachers can remember a full-day workshop that felt useful and changed nothing by the following week. We ask teachers to adopt new practices for English Learners and new technology while teaching full schedules, and a single day rarely gives them the chance to try, reflect and adjust.
Some districts are using Title II for sustained courses that teachers apply in their own classrooms between sessions. Telo AI’s 15-hour course for a whole staff, AI for Every Teacher, is one example: over eight weeks, four core modules on safe AI use, planning, feedback and workload, a two-module track for each teacher, including one for English Learners, three live sessions, three classroom cycles and a coaching pod, a structure built to match the federal description of professional development.
The difference between a workshop and professional development is usually what happens on the Tuesday after it.
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