Funding Results
Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students
Note: Recipients and funding amounts are subject to budget and administrative adjustments.
Proposed funding results for fiscal year 2026-27.
Program Questions: Language Policy and Leadership Office, email: GEMS@cde.ca.gov, phone: 916-319-0845
Fiscal Questions: Division Support Office, Multilingual Support Division, email: GEMS@cde.ca.gov
| County Name | Local Educational Agency | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tehama | Tehama County Office of Education | $251,933.38 |
| Sacramento | Sacramento County Office of Education | $295,205.49 |
| Contra Costa | Contra Costa County Office of Education | $273,939.05 |
| Tulare | Tulare County Office of Education | $276,706.41 |
| Kern | Kern County Office of Education | $277,583.55 |
| Los Angeles | Lost Angeles County Office of Education | $301,856.23 |
| Riverside | Riverside County Office of Education | $322,775.89 |
Notification of Award
Fiscal year (FY) 2026–27 Preliminary Notification of Intent to Award for the Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students (GEMS) Grant Funding.
The GEMS funding was established by the 2025–26 Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, Assembly Bill 121 (Chapter 52, Statutes of 2025) Section 50, and appropriates $2 million from the General Fund, annually beginning in the 2026–27 fiscal year. The law requires that the California Department of Education (CDE) shall develop a process to select, in consultation with and subject to the approval by the Executive Director of the State Board of Education, no fewer than five and no more than seven county offices of education (COEs) to serve as GEMS agencies, in a manner to ensure statewide coverage. The law requires the process to select GEMS agencies shall, at a minimum, specify that a COE applying must demonstrate all of the following:
- Appropriate expertise of the California English Learner Roadmap State Board of Education Policy: Educational Programs and Services for English Learners (EL Roadmap Policy);
- Ability to build the capacity of COEs within a defined region to provide effective assistance and support to school districts and charter schools around high-quality, comprehensive English language development (ELD) instruction;
- Demonstrated capacity to provide technical assistance and resources to school districts and charter schools that support the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective English learner (EL) instructional programs;
- Capacity and willingness to provide necessary assistance and support to other COEs;
- Ability to coordinate and calibrate assistance and support provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) within a defined region and with other GEMS agencies, Literacy Lead Agencies, and the CDE;
- Willingness and ability to establish outcome measures and high-leverage strategies, monitor progress, and be held accountable for improved performance across multiple measures within a defined region; and
- Priority consideration to serve as a GEMS agency shall be given to a COE with experience providing technical assistance to local educational agencies on state and federal requirements related to EL students pursuant to Provision 2 of Item 6100-125-0890 of the Budget Act of 2024.
The law requires that the selected GEMS agencies have all of the following responsibilities:
- Assist in building the capacity of COEs within the GEMS agency’s defined region to provide technical assistance to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective EL instructional programs;
- Coordinate and calibrate assistance and support provided to LEAs within its defined region and with other GEMS agencies, geographic lead agencies, special education resource leads, literacy leads in the Statewide Literacy Network, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, and the CDE. This shall include coordinating and calibrating assistance provided to school districts and charter schools receiving technical assistance pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 52071 and subdivision (a) of Section 47607.3, based on performance on the state and local indicators included in the California School Dashboard pursuant to Section 52064.5 of EL and long-term English learner (LTEL) students as defined in Section 52052;
- Coordinate and collaborate with other GEMS agencies to provide support around high-quality ELD instruction across regions;
- Identify existing resources, professional development activities, and other efforts currently available within its designated region to assist local educational agencies in building effective English language acquisition programs and share information about these existing resources;
- Work to incorporate the EL Roadmap Policy meaningfully within the Statewide System of Support;
- Upon request by the CDE, develop new resources and activities that are designed to build capacity within local educational agencies to support the outcomes of EL students, including LTELs;
- Participate in the Statewide Literacy Network activities to convene literacy leads to support statewide implementation of evidence-based practices aligned to the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework adopted by the State Board of Education, the English Learner Roadmap, the Literacy Roadmap, and the use of data to support effective instruction; and
- Other duties as specified by the CDE.
The law requires the CDE to assist the GEMS agencies in fulfilling the responsibilities described above.
The following COEs were identified for preliminary approval to be named as GEMS Agencies by the CDE and the Executive Director of the State Board of Education, through a competitive application process:
- Tehama COE
- Sacramento COE
- Contra Costa COE
- Tulare COE
- Kern COE
- Los Angeles COE
- Riverside COE
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