(WANE) — Over $1.5 million was awarded to northeast Indiana school corporations to assist in the implementation of science of reading practices.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) awarded a total of nearly $15 million to 72 corporations which will serve over 65,000 K-3 students.
The science of reading practices is based on the principle of research and how it relates to reading and writing. It explains how individuals learn to read and write, and how those techniques differ from others.
In northeast Indiana, the following schools received numerous state dollars.
- Fairfield Community Schools: 1,061 K-3 students served, awarded $300,000.
- Huntington County Community School Corporation: 1,481 K-3 students served, awarded $403,668.
- MSD Steuben County: 805 K-3 students served, awarded $259,981.
- Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation: 2,852 K-3 students served, awarded $450,218.
- Tipton Community School Corporation: 400 K-3 students served, awarding $149,768.
According to an IDOE press release, successful applications incorporated one or more of the following elements in their proposals:
- Placing one full-time literacy instructional coach in each school serving kindergarten through third grade for the purposes of training and supporting teachers and administrators to align instruction to science of reading;
- Providing support to teachers and administrators pursuing professional development in science of reading;
- Increasing instructional time for students in kindergarten through third grade identified as struggling readers; and
- Purchasing core and supplemental curricular materials aligned to science of reading.
IDOE also states that the grant is intended to benefit and impact students by:
- Joining the Indiana Literacy Cadre where educators at participating schools can receive free instructional coaching in science of reading.
- Administering IREAD-3 at Grade 2 to gain access to an early On Track indicator to determine if students will master foundational reading skills by the end of grade three.
- Completing IDOE’s science of reading modules, developed in partnership with Marian University, through the Indiana Learning Lab. Eligible teachers can also earn a $1,200 stipend by completing the modules.
- Receiving targeted support through a Literacy Support Plan, specifically designed for Indiana schools falling below 70% IREAD-3 passage.
- Earning incentives for improving IREAD-3 scores through IDOE’s Literacy Achievement Grants (awards to be announced in December).
For the full list of school corporations, click here.
