$60 million awarded to improve reading education in Ohio

(WKBN) — The State of Ohio has been awarded a $60 million grant to improve reading education in schools.

The Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education is part of Governor Mike DeWine’s ReadOhio initiative, which aims to raise literacy achievement statewide.

Elementary, middle and high schools – as well as district preschools and early childhood education programs across Ohio – will soon be able to apply to become a comprehensive literacy implementation site .

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) plans to open applications in early 2025. Subgrants will be awarded in four age groups, including birth to kindergarten, kindergarten to grade 5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. A portion of the funding will also be used for technical assistance and implementation support.

Applicants may opt to form a partnership with others to collaborate and share resources in the same region.

“As all of our schools in Ohio become fully aligned with the Science of Reading, it is critical that our teachers have the right training and resources to properly teach their students how to read using this groundbreaking method,” DeWine said in a news release. “This funding will further advance our efforts to make Ohio a model state, both in terms of how we support teachers with the training and tools they need to raise literacy achievement, and how we provide our students with the skills they need to be successful throughout life.”

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Ohio students scored above the national public school average in both fourth-grade and eighth-grade mathematics and not significantly different than the national average in reading. Similar to national results, Ohio’s 2022 NAEP student performance declined compared to 2019.

The Comprehensive Literacy State Development program awards competitive grants to states to advance literacy skills for children from birth through grade 12, with an emphasis on children living in poverty, English language learners, and children with disabilities.

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