The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. The overall principle of ARRA is to “to stimulate the economy in the short term and invest in education and other essential public services to ensure the long-term economic health of our nation.” In education, ARRA funds are intended to “improve student achievement through school improvement and reform.”

General information about ARRA is available from the U.S. Department of Education’s Recovery Web site or from http://www.recovery.gov. For more information on how ARRA monies might best serve English language learners, see Recommendations for Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners, compiled by the ELL Working Group.

Specific ARRA grant programs include:

• The Race to the Top fund, a competitive grant program to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform.
• The Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund, a competitive grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, with the purpose of expanding the implementation of, and investment in, promising innovative practices.
• State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF), which require "rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities."
• Statewide Longitudinal Data System grants which allow for states to develop data systems which enhance the ability of States to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, and use education data, including individual student records.
• The Teacher Incentive Fund, which supports efforts to develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools.
• Enhancing Education through Technology grants.