Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL)

Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL), formerly the Teacher Incentive Fund, is a U.S. Department of Education grant program under ESEA Title II, Part B, Subpart 1. It supports work to design, implement, improve, or expand performance-based compensation systems and broader human capital management systems for educators in high-need schools. The goal is explicit: raise student achievement and close achievement gaps by changing how schools recruit, retain, reward, and support teachers and school leaders. The FY2026 competition has $60 million available across roughly 20 awards, with grants of up to $8.5 million each and a deadline of June 9, 2026. Eligibility is broader than many Education Department competitions: local and state educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, public charter schools, and consortia may apply. Based on the FY2023 cycle precedent, the performance period is three years, which rewards proposals that can move from design into implementation quickly and demonstrate results within a short horizon. TSL is a good fit for applicants with a clear compensation model, a credible evaluation plan, and a real operating partner in high-need schools. The program tends to reward systems that are operationally workable rather than purely theoretical, so strong submissions usually show how incentive structures will be administered, how educator participation will be measured, and how the school or district will use the system to support retention and student outcomes.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.