Funding opportunities focus on tutoring services and professional development
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Louisiana is working to ensure students are reading on grade level by the end of grade 3. Today, the Louisiana Department of Education released three Requests for Applications to support early literacy work across the state.
"Quality instruction in the earliest grades is essential for our state," said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson. "These three opportunities will allow us to strengthen partnerships with organizations and universities to improve early literacy for all students."
The Requests for Applications include the following:
Real-time Early Access to Literacy Tutoring Service Providers: Louisiana received one of 11 federal grants through the Education Stabilization Fund Rethinking Education Models (ESF-REM). Through this grant, Louisiana is establishing Real-time Early Access to Literacy (REAL), which provides students in pre-K through grade 3 with technology and tutoring to support remote learning. The Department will be partnering with organizations and universities that have the expertise to provide remote, individualized support to early readers.
K-2 Literacy Content Leaders: K-2 Literacy Content Leaders is a professional development initiative designed to build upon the Content Leader initiatives previously launched by the Department. K-2 Literacy Content Leaders are local educators who have the knowledge, skills and concrete resources to provide high-quality, content-rich and curriculum specific professional development to teachers in their school system. Content Leaders will attend a series of trainings that will prepare them to redeliver turnkey sessions to other teachers. The trainings will focus on reading foundations, components of effective literacy instruction and implementation of high-quality curriculum.
Supporting Early Learning & Literacy Guide: This new addition to the Vendor Catalog will provide networks with a list of partners that can deliver professional development to develop educator capacity. Professional development included in the Supporting Early Learning & Literacy Guide will allow educators to identify and meet the needs of early learners in two key categories: Supplemental Screeners and Early Learning Pedagogy. The Department will be partnering with vendors that offer professional development and support specifically geared toward early childhood and early elementary literacy educators. If added to the guide, vendors will contract directly with networks to provide services.
The early literacy programs supported by these Requests for Applications align to the recommendations of the Early Literacy Commission. The Commission's January 2020 report, Supporting Our Youngest Readers: LA Reads, addresses the state of primary grade reading in Louisiana, seeking to evaluate how reading is taught to young children and how such teaching might be improved. The report recommends a significant increase in the types of training and support available to reading teachers and an annual state investment of $15 million to carry out such efforts.
All three opportunities are viewable online, with applications opening November 2. Please contact earlyliteracy@la.gov with questions. To learn more about Louisiana's emphasis on early literacy, view State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley's 100 Day Report.
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