$74 Million In Early Reading Grant Funds Released

Thirty local education agencies and organizations will share more than $74 million in grants released by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to improve the language and pre-reading skills of young children.

Designed to transform existing early education programs into preschool centers of educational excellence that provide high-quality, early education to young children, especially those from low-income families.

The Early Reading First Grant Program has five aims:

* Provide professional development for teachers, based on scientific research, to enhance children’s language, cognitive and early reading skills.

* Provide preschool-age children with cognitive learning opportunities and high-quality language and literature-rich environments.

* Integrate materials, activities and instruction that are grounded in scientifically based reading research to support the development of young children’s vocabulary, their ability to hear sounds that make up words, and their understanding of how print and books work and their alphabetic knowledge.

* Use screenings and assessments to determine the skills children are learning in order to prevent reading failure.

* Improve all aspects of an instructional program, including materials, activities, tools and assessments.

The grants are listed as follows by state, recipient and 3-year funding:
Arizona, Phoenix, Southwest Human Development Project Director: Ginger Ward (602) 266-5976, $1,830,550

Arizona, San Luis, Gadsden Elementary School District Project Director: Olivia Zepeda (928) 627-2910, $3,563,888

California, Elk Grove, Elk Grove Unified School District Project Director: Nancy Herota (916) 686-7712, $1,878,130

California, Merced, Merced City School District Project Director: Tina Johns (209) 385-6619, $2,437,019

California, Nuevo, Nuview Union School District Project Director: Jan Stockton-Miller (909) 928-3392, $2,115,330

California, Pittsburg, Pittsburg Preschool & Community Council Project Director: Dana True (925) 439-2061, $1,921,531

California, Thermal, Coachella Valley Unified School District Project Director: Jim Greene (760) 399-5137, $2,433,985

Florida, Fort Lauderdale , Nova Southeastern University Project Director: Dr. Marilyn Segal (954) 292-6925, $1,074,846

Illinois, Chicago, Jane Addams Hull House Association Project Director: Ms. Naomi Samuels (312) 922-2183, $2,402,196

Illinois, Elgin, U-46 Schools Project Director: Patricia Chamberlain (847) 888-5000, $1,279,644

Illinois, Springfield, Springfield School District 186 Project Director: Nancy Moore (217) 525-3163, $1,281,305

Iowa, Bettendorf, Mississippi Bend AEA Project Director: Dr. Jan Yoder (563) 344-6315, $1,873,490

Massachusetts, Lawrence, Little Spout Child Enrichment Centers Project Director: Maghon McGinley-Crowe (978) 682-6135, $1,522,170

Massachusetts, Springfield, Springfield Public Schools Project Director: Susan Catron (413) 787-7177, $1,661,715

Michigan, Kalamazoo, School District of the City of Kalamazoo Project Director: Dr. Sandra Howe (616) 337-0095, $2,373,345

Minnesota, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Public Schools Project Director: Mary Dooley Burnes (651) 793-5423, $2,735,235

Mississippi, McComb, McComb School District Project Director: Pat Cooper (601) 684-4661, $3,105,680

North Carolina, Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Project Director: Ellen Edmonds (704) 343-6249, $4,358,750

North Carolina, Kenansville, Duplin County Schools Project Director: Linda Smith (910) 296-6604, $4,099,035

North Carolina, Raleigh, Wake County Public School System Project Director: Alice K Burrows (919) 856-7774, $3,250,675

Oklahoma, Moore, University of Oklahoma CCE, Center for Early Childhood Professional Development Project Director: Ruth Ann Ball (405) 799-6383, $3,722,080

Pennsylvania, Lancaster, School District of Lancaster Project Director: Peg Schooling (717) 291-6202, $2,979,271

Rhode Island, Newport, Newport Public Schools Project Director: Christine Arouth (401) 845-8579, $2,356,760

South Carolina, Lake City, Florence School District 03 Project Director: Ms. Lynda Hawkins (843) 394-8652, $3,194,611

Texas, Fort Worth, Child Care Associates Project Director: Ms. Gloria Serrano (817) 838-8422, $2,768,520

Texas, Round Rock, Round Rock Independent School District Project Director: Dr. Cathy Davis (512) 464-5054, $1,195,605

Texas, San Antonio , Intercultural Development Research Association Project Director: Dr. Bradley Scott (210) 444-1710, $2,572,419

Utah, Bluff, Utah Navajo Development Council Project Director: Nellie Tohtsonie (435) 672-2381, $2,256,130

Washington, Burien, Puget Sound Educational Service District Project Director: Wendy Roedell (206) 439-6906, $2,673,095

Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools Project Director: Sandra Ivers (414) 475-8094, $3,967,064