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U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced Des Moines Public Schools will receive a $4.3 million Early Reading First grant. The grant, which was announced during Secretary Spellings' visit to George Washington Carver Community School in Des Moines, Iowa, will help more than 400 pre-schoolers learn the critical foundations of reading. During her visit, Secretary Spellings also held a roundtable discussion with parents and educators about Early Reading First and its counterpart, Reading First.

"Early Reading First and Reading First have helped to crack the code and prove what strategies are most effective in helping kids learn to read well," said Secretary Spellings. "These programs are lifelines for many of our nation's most vulnerable children and families, and one thing we know for certain is that these students do not need less time and fewer proven strategies. Congress must restore the full $1 billion appropriation for Reading First, so that more children can benefit from programs like those in the Des Moines schools."

Based on more than two decades of research into what works in reading instruction, these programs are already getting great results for students in Iowa and nationwide. Early Reading First is currently assisting more than 300 students in five early learning centers in Des Moines, and over 700 students in Iowa as a whole. Reading First served 3,000 K-3 students in Des Moines during the 2005-2006 school year and 22,127 students statewide in 100 schools in 49 districts. In those Iowa schools that have participated since 2006, reading proficiency has increased by an average of 25 percentage points.

Early Reading First supports the development of early childhood centers of excellence that ensure low-income children have the early language, cognitive, and pre-reading skills that prepare them for continued school success. Reading First funds professional development, scientifically based instructional programs, materials, and strategies, valid and reliable screening, diagnostic and ongoing classroom assessments, and statewide accountability and leadership structures. Reading First is designed to help needy students in grades K-3, while Early Reading First helps preschool age children. Under No Child Left Behind, State educational agencies have received over $6 billion in Reading First grants. President Bush's proposed budget for FY 2009 includes $1 billion for Reading First. Earlier this year, Congress indicated their refusal to provide additional funding for this important program in their 2009 funding bill.

For more information about Reading First, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html

For a fact sheet on Reading First, please visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/reading/readingfirst.html

For more information about Early Reading First, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/index.html.

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