Competitive Grants for State Assessments

The purpose of the CGSA program is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems used by States for measuring the academic achievement and growth of elementary and secondary school students. The FY 2026 competition includes two absolute priorities, three competitive preference priorities, two invitational priorities, selection criteria, and requirements. The absolute priorities are: 1) Developing Innovative Assessment Item Types and Design Approaches and 2) Meaningful Learning Opportunities. The competitive preference priorities are: 1) Improving Assessment Scoring and Score Reporting, 2) Assessing Student Growth, and 3) Comprehensive Academic Assessment Instruments. The invitational priorities are: 1) Assessment and Data Literacy and 2) Comprehensive Assessment Systems.

Program Details

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education is a federal agency that offers the Competitive Grants for State Assessments grant program to support education programs. This funding opportunity is available nationally and is administered by Office of Elementary and Secondary Education through Grants.gov. Organizations seeking funding for education programs should review the details below and confirm their eligibility before preparing an application.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include government agencies and municipalities. Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply and to review the full program guidelines before submission. Because eligibility rules and funding priorities can change between cycles, applicants should always confirm the current requirements with Office of Elementary and Secondary Education or on Grants.gov before investing time in an application.

Funding and Timeline

Funding available: $0 – $4M. Applications are due by June 16, 2026. Applicants should allow sufficient time to gather required documentation, including organizational information, project descriptions, budgets, and supporting materials as specified in the program guidelines. Submitting a complete application well ahead of the deadline reduces the risk of disqualification on technical or administrative grounds.

Program Focus

This grant supports education programs. This grant is associated with NAICS industry classifications: 611110. Organizations operating in these sectors are encouraged to review eligibility. Funded projects are expected to demonstrate measurable outcomes aligned with the program's stated objectives. Grant recipients may be required to submit progress reports and final evaluations as a condition of the award, and to retain records for audit and compliance purposes.

How to Apply

Eligible organizations can apply through Grants.gov. Create a free organization profile on GrantRegister to see whether this grant matches your organization's NAICS code, entity type, location, and focus area, and to receive a weekly digest of every open grant you qualify for.

GrantRegister maintains a complete, authoritative registry of US federal, state, and foundation grant opportunities — matched automatically to your organization profile and delivered every Monday.

Eligibility

• Funded by ED-OESE

Award details

Award range: $0 – $4M. Applications close on June 16, 2026.

Categories

Education