Seventy-two school districts in Indiana, including six local districts, have been awarded the Competitive Science of Reading Grant. The districts will share a total of $15 million to focus on the science of reading principles in grades K-3. The grant amounts were based on K-3 enrollments and the winning districts include Duneland, Griffith, Hanover Community, Lake Central, Hobart, and Munster.

The schools plan to use evidence-based practices aligned with the science of reading, which is a state-endorsed phonics-based curriculum. Successful applicants will be deploying a full-time literacy instructional coach in each school, supporting teachers and administrators pursuing professional development training, increasing instructional time for struggling readers, and purchasing core and supplemental curricular materials aligned to science of reading.

The Competitive Science of Reading Grant is part of Indiana’s $170 million investment towards literacy and the science of reading in partnership with the Lilly Endowment. This initiative aims to improve literacy rates after the 2021 third-grade state assessment showed that one in five students were unable to read. State Secretary of Education Katie Jenner stressed the importance of learning to read by third grade and announced a goal for Indiana to have 95% of third graders reading proficiently by 2027.