Educator Effectiveness Funds 2021−26 FAQs

Funding Calculations and Apportionment of Funds

1. Who is eligible to receive Educator Effectiveness funds?

   School districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools.

2. How will the Educator Effectiveness funding be calculated?

   Allocation of funds is based on an equal amount per full-time equivalent (FTE) certificated staff which shall not exceed the certificated count, and FTE classified staff for each local educational agency (LEA) and state special school. Calculations will be made using certificated data submitted through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System and classified data submitted through the California Basic Educational Data System as of October 2020. The calculated funding rate is $2,415.80 ($2,415.7984955) per certificated and classified staff as defined in California Education Code (EC) Section 41480(a)(1). Allocations for eligible LEAs and state special schools are available on the Educator Effectiveness Funding Results web page available at Funding Results: Educator Effectiveness, FY 2021-22.

3. When can local educational agencies (LEAs) expect to receive the Educator Effectiveness funds?

   The California Department of Education (CDE) plans to release the first apportionment of funds, reflecting 80 percent of the allocation for each LEA and state special school in mid to late fall 2021, remaining funds will be released in spring 2022.

4. Where can I find more information on the Educator Effectiveness funds?

   Language governing the allocation and use of the Educator Effectiveness funds can be found in California Education Code Section 41480 , added by Section 22 of Assembly Bill 130 (Chapter 44, Statutes of 2021) as amended by Section 9 of AB 167 (Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021). AB 181, Chapter 52, Section 18 (Statutes of 2021, EC 41480) includes updates to the Educator Effectiveness Funds regarding changes timeline requirements and allowable uses. Additional programmatic information is available on the Educator Effectiveness (2021–26) web page, and fiscal information is available at Educator Effectiveness - Categorical Programs.

5. What is the Standardized Account Code Structure (SACS) code for Educator Effectiveness?

   SACS Resource Code 6266: Educator Effectiveness

Use of Funds and Expenditure Reporting

1. Are there conditions placed on local educational agencies receiving the Educator Effectiveness funds?

   As a condition of receiving Educator Effectiveness funds, a school district, county office of education, charter school, or state special school is required to:

   • On or before March 31, 2023, develop and adopt a plan delineating how the Educator Effectiveness funds will be spent including the professional development of teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and classified staff. The plan must be explained in a public meeting of the governing board of the school district or county board of education, or governing body of the charter school, before its adoption in a subsequent public meeting.
   • As a condition of apportionment, submit an annual data report and an annual expenditure report detailing information to the CDE, including, but not limited to, specific purchases made and the number of teachers, administrators, paraprofessional educators or classified staff that received professional development on or before September 30 of each year. In addition, AB 181 added as a condition of apportionment, a final data and expenditure report is also required to be submitted to the CDE on or before September 30, 2026 (Statutes of 2022).
   • AB 181, Statues of 2022 states LEAs shall ensure that none of their LEA employees are charged a fee for services allowable under section EC 41480 including, but not limited to, beginning teacher induction program costs, during the grant period pursuant to this section.
     • Since this was added after the original statute that created the EEF (AB 130, Section 22 [Chapter 44, Statutes of 2021]), employees cannot be charged for induction from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2026.

2. Does a recipient of funds have to submit its local plan for the Educator Effectiveness Fund to the California Department of Education (CDE)?

   No. The local plan for the Educator Effectiveness funds needs to be heard in a public meeting of the governing board of the school district, the county board of education, or governing body of the charter school, before its adoption in a subsequent public meeting. This must take place on or before March 31, 2023.

3. Is a template available for the plan LEAs are required to develop and adopt delineating how the Educator Effectiveness funds will be spent?

   No, each LEA should develop its own plan. The CDE is not intending to provide a template for the plan.

4. How long do I have to spend the funds?

   Funds may be expended during the 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 and 2025–26 fiscal years. An annual data and expenditure report will be due each year on or before September 30. A final data and expenditure report will be due on or before September 30, 2026. Any funds not expended by June 30, 2026, must be returned to the CDE.

5. What are the allowable uses of the Educator Effectiveness funds?

   Educator Effectiveness funds may be used to support the professional learning for teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals who work with pupils, and classified staff that interact with pupils.
   
   Funds can be expended for any of the following purposes:

   1. Coaching and mentoring of staff serving in an instructional setting and beginning teacher or administrator induction, including, but not limited to, coaching and mentoring solutions that address a local need for teachers that can serve all pupil populations with a focus on retaining teachers, and offering structured feedback and coaching systems organized around social-emotional learning, including, but not limited to, promoting teacher self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision making skills, improving teacher attitudes and beliefs about one’s self and others, and supporting learning communities for educators to engage in a meaningful classroom teaching experience.
   2. Programs that lead to effective, standards-aligned instruction and improve instruction in literacy across all subject areas, including English language arts, history-social science, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
      1. Assembly Bill 181 (2022) added the preschool learning foundations to the list of subject areas. Additionally, AB 181 added language that allowed the Educator Effectiveness funds to be utilized for coursework that would allow existing staff to become credentialed, fully credentialed for their assignment, or meet the requirements of subdivision (g) of Section 48000.
   3. Practices and strategies that reengage pupils and lead to accelerated learning.
   4. Strategies to implement social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, suicide prevention, access to mental health services, and other approaches that improve pupil well-being.
   5. Practices to create a positive school climate, including, but not limited to, restorative justice, training around implicit bias, providing positive behavioral supports, multitiered systems of support, transforming a schoolsite’s culture to one that values diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and preventing discrimination, harassment, bullying, and intimidation based on actual or perceived characteristics, including disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, language, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
   6. Strategies to improve inclusive practices, including, but not limited to, universal design for learning, best practices for early identification, and development of individualized education programs for individuals with exceptional needs.
   7. Instruction and education to support implementing effective language acquisition programs for English learners, which may include integrated language development within and across content areas, and building and strengthening capacity to increase bilingual and biliterate proficiency.
   8. New professional learning networks for educators not already engaged in an education-related professional learning network to support the requirements of subdivision (c).
   9. Instruction, education, and strategies to incorporate ethnic studies curricula adopted pursuant to Section 51226.7 into pupil instruction for grades seven through twelve, inclusive.
   10. Instruction, education, and strategies for certificated and classified educators in early childhood education, or childhood development.
   11. Strategies to improve beginning teacher retention and support through teacher induction programs, including mentor training, stipends for mentor teachers, beginning teacher induction program costs following initial preparation, the examination or assessment fee for one administration of the reading instruction competence assessment or a teaching performance assessment, training mentors to support candidates in completing a performance assessment or reading instruction competence assessment, or contracting with commission-approved preliminary teacher preparation programs to provide mentoring support for the completion of required assessments.

6. Can funds be spent on paraprofessionals and/or classified staff?

   Yes. A school district, county office of education, charter school, or state special school shall expend funds to provide professional learning for teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals who work with pupils, and classified staff that interact with pupils.

7. Where can I find information on the annual and final data and expenditure reports?

   The CDE has developed templates indicating the data elements required in the annual data reports and in the annual expenditure reports. The CDE is requiring annual reporting as a response to requests for detailed information in the legislative report, to justify future funding opportunities, and to confirm funding is being appropriately used and tracked at the local level.
   
   The annual reports are due on or before September 30 of each year. Moreover, as a condition of receiving funds, LEAs shall on or before September 30, 2026, report detailed final data and expenditure information to the CDE, including, but not limited to, specific purchases made and the number of teachers, administrators, paraprofessional educators, or classified staff that received professional development. A link to all of these templates can be found on the CDE Educator Effectiveness web page. Submission of the required reports will be through an online application.

8. Should a teacher be counted more than once if that teacher received training in more than one core area?

   Yes. A teacher should be included in the count for each area in which training was received.

9. Can funds be used to pay for a substitute so staff may attend professional development under California Education Code (EC) Section 41480?

   Yes. Educator Effectiveness funds may be used to pay for substitutes if reasonably necessary to implement the professional development set forth in EC Section 41480 (1)-(11).

10. Can funds be used to pay for travel and food costs for professional development under California EC Section 41480?

    Yes. Educator Effectiveness funds may be used to pay for travel and food costs if reasonably necessary to implement the professional development set forth in EC Section 41480 (1)-(11).

11. Can funds be used to provide additional compensation to attendees participating in professional development training as set forth in California EC Section 41480 (1)-(11)?

    Yes, if the training occurs outside of the attendee’s normal working/paid hours. However, if training is during the attendee’s normal work hours, Educator Effectiveness funds may not be used for additional compensation. Educator Effectiveness funds may not be used as bonuses or extra pay for attending professional development under EC Section 41480.

12. Can funds be used to hire new staff for the purpose of achieving diversity in the workplace?

    No. Educator Effectiveness funds shall be used to provide professional learning to "teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals who work with pupils, and classified staff that interact with pupils...." See California Education Code Section 41480 (b). However, once hired Educator Effectiveness funds can be used to provide professional learning to the new staff.

13. Can funds be used to pay for credentialing, coursework, and costs associated with receiving additional authorizations (bilingual/supplemental)?

    Yes. California Education Code Section 41480 allows for funds to be spent on professional learning that leads to effective, standards-aligned instruction. Educator Effectiveness funds can support coursework which would allow existing staff to become credentialed or fully credentialed for their assignment.

    Assembly Bill 181 (2022) includes new allowable uses related to teacher induction. Specifically, it now allows strategies to improve beginning teacher retention and support through teacher induction programs, including mentor training, stipends for mentor teachers, beginning teacher induction program costs following initial preparation, the examination or assessment fee for one administration of the reading instruction competence assessment or a teaching performance assessment, training mentors to support candidates in completing a performance assessment or reading instruction competence assessment, or contracting with commission-approved preliminary teacher preparation programs to provide mentoring support for the completion of required assessments.

14. Is there a supplement/supplant rule? Can the funds be used to supplant existing allowable professional learnings or does it need to be supplemental?

    EC 41480 does contain a supplement versus supplant requirement. The Educator Effectiveness Funds shall supplement and not supplant funding already provided by grant recipients for similar purposes.

Annual Audit

1. Will these funds be subject to a state audit?

   Yes. The Educator Effectiveness funds are subject to the annual audits required by California Education Code Section 41020. Please view the Audit Guide on California Department of Education Audit Guidelines-Requirements web page.