Rhode Island Scores $40 Million Federal Grant to Improve Literacy

WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to support high-quality literacy instruction to build strong readers, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined Governor Dan McKee and Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green in announcing that the Ocean State will receive a new Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant providing a projected $40 million over the next five years.

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) will receive $6.4 million this year in CLSD funding and could net up to $40 million over the next five years, subject to benchmarks and future federal appropriations.

The purpose of the CLSD grant program is to advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading, and writing, for students from birth through grade 12, including multilingual learners and students with disabilities. RIDE will use the funds to help improve reading instruction in K-12 classrooms, not just K-3, and help students who have fallen behind with reading comprehension get back on track.

The funds are made possible through the Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) program, which provides competitive grants to states to help local school districts develop comprehensive literacy plans to guarantee high-quality instruction and evidence-based intervention strategies for all students from birth through grade 12. It allows local school districts to support high-quality professional development for teachers, teacher leaders, principals, and specialized instructional support personnel to improve literacy instruction for struggling readers and writers, including English language learners and students with disabilities.

"Literacy is the foundation of learning and these federal funds will help Rhode Island students develop strong reading skills, putting our students on the pathway to success in the classroom and beyond," said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee who led the effort to make $194 million available in fiscal year 2024 for the LEARN program to fund CLSD grants. "This grant will partner teachers with literacy specialists and evidence-based tools to help more students, especially those in higher grades who aren't as proficient as they should be, strengthen their reading skills. We're not going to let older kids just slip through the cracks. This grant will ensure more middle schoolers and high schoolers get the literacy and comprehension support they need."

"Strong reading skills are the foundation of success in the classroom and beyond," said Whitehouse. "This federal investment will help remake statewide literacy programs to improve outcomes for kids of all ages, including older students who need extra support to catch up."

"Literacy programs are crucial to the learning and development of Rhode Island's students, and this federal funding will help combat learning loss and set the next generation up for success, both inside and outside the classroom," said Rep. Seth Magaziner.

"As a student, reading changed my life. Every Rhode Island child, no matter their grade level, socioeconomic background, or disability, deserves access to building reading comprehension skills that will be valuable for a lifetime," said Congressman Gabe Amo. "I thank my colleagues for their work to secure this $40 million federal grant to help our state further invest in literacy efforts and ensure that no struggling student is left behind."

"Investing in our students is an investment in Rhode Island's future," said Governor Dan McKee. "This grant will help us continue our statewide effort to improve educational outcomes and put our students on a path to lifelong success. We are grateful to our congressional delegation for continuing to deliver for Rhode Island."

"We are thankful that the federal government has recognized and is supporting RIDE's strategic and ambitious plan to accelerate literacy improvements across our state," said Commissioner Infante-Green. "These millions in federal funding, secured with the leadership of our Congressional delegation and Governor, will amplify and grow our science of reading and high-quality instructional materials work, already held up as a model among peer states. These resources will directly benefit our teachers with more professional learning opportunities and benefit our students with continued high-quality instruction with a focus on literacy and reading comprehension. I'm deeply appreciative of the RIDE team who worked to envision this bold plan which will help bolster the impact of the $5 million in state grant funding the agency recently awarded."

RIDE will utilize these federal funds to provide subgrants to local education agencies with a focus on activities that help improve the quality of literacy instruction and achieve stronger student literacy outcomes. In partnership with the Rhode Island colleges and universities, these funds will help equip educators with new tools to implement high-quality literacy instruction and help parents and guardians more effectively identify students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia while providing information on evidence-based interventions.

Earlier this month, RIDE announced $5 million in state funding for instructional coaching in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) for more than twenty schools and districts across the state, with $4 million going towards staffing and the remaining $1 million going towards accompanying professional development.

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