MINNEAPOLIS -- The U.S. Department of Education today announced that the state of Minnesota will receive $17.3 million in federal reading grant funds to improve reading achievement using scientifically proven instruction methods. In total, over six years, Minnesota is set to receive $59.1 million in Reading First funds, subject to the state's successful implementation and congressional appropriations.

On behalf of Secretary of Education Rod Paige, Department of Education General Counsel Brian Jones, made the announcement at Jefferson Elementary in Minneapolis. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota Education Commissioner Cheri Yecke joined Jones for the announcement.

The Reading First program is the centerpiece of President Bush's sweeping education reform law, the No Child Left Behind Act. Studies show that when children fail to learn how to read during their early school years, every aspect of school success is affected. Academic achievement can be enhanced through early diagnosis.

"Reading is undeniably critical to success in today's society," Jones said. "The results of the most recent national test show that just one-third of children in fourth, eighth and twelfth grades are proficient readers. This is unacceptable to anyone concerned about the future of our nation.

"President Bush's believes that we can give every child the reading skills they need. That's why his No Child Left Behind Act makes our nation's greatest ever commitment to reading instruction.

"By designing instruction around scientific evidence, Minnesota and other states will help ensure that all children learn to read by the end of the third grade."

Minnesota's Reading First grant of $17.3 million includes all of the state's FY 2002 award and 80 percent of the state's FY 2003 award.

Minnesota's application passed a rigorous review panel that judged the state's plan against 25 review criteria. The grant will support key improvements in classroom reading instruction, including teaching based on research that shows what works, identifying reading difficulties early and providing help, monitoring student progress and continuing high-quality professional development for teachers.

Minnesota will use about $8 million of the grant to make subgrant awards to approximately 20 schools in eligible districts in March 2004. As part of its professional development plan, the state will hold Minnesota Reading Academies for all K-3 general education teachers, K-3 English Language Learner teachers and K-12 special education teachers.

The academies will utilize scientifically based reading research and will be aligned with Minnesota's recently revised grade level reading standards. The state will closely monitor the progress of schools and districts participating in Reading First, and will conduct a longitudinal evaluation of its program.

The Minnesota Department of Education will integrate Reading First with its statewide infrastructure to improve early literacy. The governor, in consultation with the state superintendent of schools, has convened a Reading Leadership Team to ensure a seamless, complementary approach to reading achievement throughout the state.

The president designed Reading First around an extensive knowledge base of the essential skills children must have to learn to read. The program reflects the findings of a congressionally mandated extensive review of scientifically based research on how students learn to read, completed by the National Reading Panel in 2000.

Reading First was passed into law by a bipartisan majority of Congress under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and centers on the following priorities:

• Raising the caliber and quality of classroom instruction.
• Basing instruction on scientifically proven methods.
• Providing professional training for educators in reading instruction.
• Supplying substantial resources to support the unprecedented initiative.

State applications undergo a rigorous review by a panel of reading experts, selected by the U.S. secretary of education, the National Institute for Literacy, the National Research Council and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Successful states will receive funds under a formula.

Paige has announced awards to Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

A list of estimated state grants for FY 2002-04 (under President Bush's budget request) is available at: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about Minnesota's Reading First, contact Matthew Mohs at 651-582-8614.

###

Top

Back to September 2003