What does the Office of English Language Acquisition do?

Updates published annually

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Education responsible for providing national leadership to help ensure that English learners and immigrant students attain English proficiency and achieve academic success. The agency administers grant programs, conducts research, and provides resources and technical assistance to support high-quality education for English learners. It was established in 1974.

In FY 2024,

$913M

was spent by the Office of English Language Acquisition

In FY 2024,

0.3%

of Dept. of Education spending was by the Office of English Language Acquisition

How much does the Office of English Language Acquisition spend?

The Office of English Language Acquisition spent a net total of $913.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.3% of the $268.4 billion spent by the Department of Education, which itself was 4% of all federal spending. The OELA ranked 7th among ED subdivisions in net spending.

Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Office of English Language Acquisition ranked 7th among Department of Education divisions in net spending in 2024.

ED net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Office of English Language Acquisition’s federal spending has increased from $721 million in 2002 to $913.1 million in 2024.

The Office of English Language Acquisition’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2002.

Yearly federal net spending by OELA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2002–2024

Since 2002, the Office of English Language Acquisition's spending has increased 26.6%, while overall spending has increased 92.4%.

As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. OELA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 2002, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, OELA accounted for 0.013% of overall federal spending.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Office of English Language Acquisition’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2002.

Net spending by OELA as a share of federal spending, FYs 2002–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, the Office of English Language Acquisition transferred 93.6% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all net OELA spending.

How did the Office of English Language Acquisition spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to OELA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Office of English Language Acquisition?

Some 19 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Office of English Language Acquisition as of September 2024. This is 5% less people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Office of English Language Acquisition has decreased 5% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for OELA, September 2010–2024

The Office of English Language Acquisition accounts for 0.00082% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.00095%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Office of English Language Acquisition's share of the workforce (0.00082%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.013%).

Who leads the Office of English Language Acquisition?

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) is led by a director. This individual is appointed by the President of the United States and does not require Senate confirmation. The OELA director reports to the Secretary of Education. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement