INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Education on Tuesday announced the recipients of the 2023-24 Competitive Science of Reading Grant.
Nearly $15 million was awarded to 72 school corporations, serving over 65,000 students in kindergarten through third grade, to support the implementation of evidence-based practices aligned with science of reading, according to a news release from the IDOE.
Local recipients are Manchester Community Schools, 450 students served, $141,518 awarded; and Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, 484 students served, $147,900.
“In Indiana, we have set an aggressive goal: that 95% of third-graders are able to read by 2027,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education. “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. To help achieve this goal, we encourage every community to act with urgency to implement evidence-based practices aligned with science of reading. Congratulations to the recipients of this grant, and thank you for being a part of the solution."
Successful applications incorporated one or more of the following elements in their proposals:
• Placing one full-time literacy instructional coach in each school serving kindergarten through third grade for the purposes of training and supporting teachers and administrators to align instruction to science of reading;
• Providing support to teachers and administrators pursuing professional development in science of reading;
• Increasing instructional time for students in kindergarten through third grade identified as struggling readers; and
• Purchasing core and supplemental curricular materials aligned to science of reading.
The Competitive Science of Reading Grant is one of numerous tactical solutions made possible through Indiana’s $170 million investment – in partnership with the Lilly Endowment – toward literacy and particularly, science of reading. Science of reading is a body of scientifically-based research that integrates instructional practices with efforts focused around phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. In addition to research about reading and reading development, science of reading includes numerous scientific studies about effective reading instruction and intervention, including what to teach and how to teach it.