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 Iowaβs 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.