The Iowa Department of Education recently announced that it was awarded a multi-year competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education totaling over $24 million to advance effective evidence-based literacy practices and interventions across the state. The federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant will support the implementation of Iowa’s State Literacy Plan over the next five years, including district development of local literacy plans aligned to a statewide plan.
As a part of the grant, the Department will support schools in implementing Science of Reading-aligned instruction, including through continued professional learning, school-based literacy leadership teams, high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials, strong community and family partnerships, and high-dose tutoring and targeted interventions informed by student data. The Department will also work closely with institutions of higher education to align accredited teacher preparation programs to the Science of Reading focused on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and text comprehension.
The Comprehensive Literacy State Development program is authorized under Sections 2221-2225 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended. The purpose of the discretionary grants is to create a comprehensive literacy program to advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading and writing, for children from birth through grade 12, with an emphasis on children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including children living in poverty, English learners and children with disabilities. Access the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Literacy State Development webpage for more information.
Back to topSubgrant Application Information
A total of $24 million, which includes $4 million in planning subgrants and the opportunity for an additional $5 million annually in implementation subgrants over four years, 2025 through 2029, is available. The deadline to apply for the planning subgrant portion is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10.
The subgrant application for the planning portion is now open for Iowa school districts and public charter schools to access through the Department’s Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA) system.
IA-CLSD Subgrantee Application
CSLD Subgrant Informational Webinar - Recorded 5-28-25. Describes the components of subgrantee applications for the Iowa Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant. The recording describes the goals of the grant and the expectations for local education agencies who will receive an award from the grant.
IA-CLSD Frequently Asked Questions
Key Dates & Deadlines
| Task | Date/Deadline |
|---|---|
| CSLD Subgrant Informational Webinar | Wednesday, May 28, 9:00 A.M. |
| Deadline for Questions | Tuesday, May 27, 2025 |
| Question Responses Posted | Monday, June 2, 2025 |
Technical Assistance Webinar Register for technical assistance webinar
| Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 10:30 A.M. |
| Planning Grant Application Due | Tuesday June 10, 2025 by 11:59 P.M. |
| Planning Grant Applications being Reviewed by Independent Reviewers | June 17–30, 2025 |
| Notice of Award | Tuesday, July 8, 2025 |
| Public Notice of Awards will be Published on the Iowa Department of Education’s Website | Friday, July 11, 2025 |
Grant Support Providers Application Information
The Iowa Department of Education seeks organizations and individual Literacy experts to serve as grant support providers for IA-CLSD subgrantees. There are two opportunities available:
Applications for both opportunities are being managed by the Iowa Department of Administrative Services through the Iowa Management of Procurement and Contracts System (IMPACS) portal.
Timeline for Grant Support Providers
May 30, 2025 - RFP Available on IMPACS
June 9, 2025 - Pre-Proposal Conference (Technical) Webinar - 2:30 p.m. Register to participate.
June 18, 2025 - RFP Questions/Clarifications Due
July 10, 2025 - Leadership Experts Proposals Due
July 11, 2025 - Literacy Experts and Consultants Proposals Due
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