CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina will receive $20.7 million for the first year of a multi-year Reading First grant to help schools and districts improve children's reading achievement through scientifically proven methods of instruction. Over six years, the state will receive approximately $153.9 million in support, subject to the state's successful implementation and congressional appropriations.

Karen Johnson, assistant secretary of legislation and congressional affairs at the U.S. Department of Education, made the announcement at the Charlotte-Mecklenberg County Public Library. She was joined by Sen. Elizabeth Dole and other local officials. Prior to the announcement, Johnson and Dole read to children at the library and passed out free copies of "If You Take a Mouse to School," written by Laura Numeroff and published by HarperCollins Children's Books/Laura Geringer Books. The books were distributed courtesy of First Book, a national, nonprofit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books.

North Carolina's application passed a rigorous review panel that judged the plan against 25 main review criteria. The grant will support key improvements in classroom reading instruction, including teaching based on what research shows works, early identification and help for reading difficulties, monitoring student progress and continuous, high-quality professional development for teachers. States will create a statewide infrastructure to steer reform and help school districts that will receive funding under a state-run competition for district subgrants.

"Reading is a key ingredient for academic success. The earlier children learn to read, the better equipped they are to do well in school," Johnson said. "The basic elements of Reading First are clear: diagnose and address reading difficulties early; base instruction on what works; give teachers the training they need; constantly assess progress; and develop a state infrastructure to see it through.

"By designing instruction around scientific evidence, including the five essential components of proven reading instruction," Johnson added, "children in North Carolina and other states will have the teaching and tools they need to read well by the end of the third grade."

North Carolina plans to hold a competition for eligible school districts to compete for subgrants this spring, with the state planning to support some 75 schools in those districts. As part of its professional development plan, the state will hold a series of 10 workshops for all K-3 teachers and special education teachers. These professional development sessions will provide intensive training on classroom reading instruction based on scientific research, so that teachers learn to tailor instruction around sound, research-based information.

One of President Bush's first actions after taking office was to make improving children's reading achievement a centerpiece of his education reform agenda. Studies show that when children fail to learn to read early in school, every aspect of school success is affected.

Academic achievement can be enhanced through early diagnosis and help for reading difficulties. 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; and

• Supplying substantial resources to support the unprecedented initiative.

State applications undergo a rigorous review by a panel of reading experts, selected by the 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, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

A list of estimated state grants for FY 2002, FY 2003 and under President Bush's budget request for FY2004 is available at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget04/04StateTables

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about North Carolina's plans for Reading First, contact Mike Frye at (919) 807-3828.

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