Indiana Department of Education awards $15M in literacy grants
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The Indiana Department of Education has awarded nearly $15 million to 72 school corporations as a part of its Competitive Science of Reading Grant.
The grant was awarded to schools seeking to adopt or advance a Science of Reading approach to literacy instruction, which focuses on teaching phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Funding for the grant was provided through the state’s biennial budget.
Successful applications proposed investments in hiring a full-time literacy coach in each school serving kindergarten through third graders, providing support for professional development, increasing instructional time for struggling readers, and purchasing curricular materials related to the science of reading.
The 72 school corporations awarded grant funds serve a combined 65,000 students in grades kindergarten through third grade, which are years often identified by educators as a key time for students’ development of literacy skills.
The grant awards come as a part of a $170 million investment, in partnership with the Lilly Endowment, to support literacy development. Indiana has set a goal that 95% of third graders be able to read by 2027.
“This is not only urgent for individual students because of the longitudinal impact of being able to read by the end of third grade, but can also have a long-term impact on Indiana’s economy and throughout our society,” Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a news release. “To help achieve this goal, we encourage every community to act with urgency to implement evidence-based practices aligned with science of reading.
A full list of Science of Reading grant recipients can be found by clicking here.