ESU awarded "Reading First" grant

ESU will receive funding through the federal "Reading First" grant aimed at getting every child to read well by the end of third grade.

The grant will provide statewide professional development in reading instruction through a partnership between ESU and the University of Kansas. First-year funding for the two universities is nearly $1 million with an estimated program potential of at least $2.5 million over three years.

Through Emporia State's Jones Institute for Educational Excellence, ESU will develop materials to train instructors who will, in turn, provide scientifically-based reading instruction to schools in Kansas.

The materials are designed to help schools achieve 100 percent of their children reading at or above grade level by the end of the third grade.

"I'm really excited that we have this challenge to provide professional development to teachers across the state of Kansas," said Dr. Larry Clark, Interim Executive Director of the JIEE. "When it comes to how this grant will serve our children, I've always held to the saying, 'If you want to lead, you have to read.'"

Reading First is one of the cornerstones of the nation's No Child Left Behind Act. The six-year federal grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Kansas Department of Education.

The instruction will reach 400 Kindergarten and first grade teachers the first year. In the second year, 400 Kindergarten and first grade teachers as well as 400 second- and third-grade teachers will receive the reading instruction. In the third year of the grant, 800 more teachers will receive training.

Overall, the state of Kansas will receive more than $6.4 million for the first year of the multi-year Reading First grant to help schools and districts improve children's reading achievement using scientifically proven methods of instruction.

Reading First, a $900 million federally funded state grant program, supports the belief that a host of student academic deficiencies can be addressed - and preempted - with aggressive, focused and early reading instruction.

According to the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 37 percent of students nationally are below a basic level in reading. For students of families in poverty, the results are even worse, with 60 percent of children scoring below the basic level.

Personnel at Emporia State University involved with Reading First are:

Dr. Larry Clark, Project Director
Dr. Connie Briggs, Project Coordinator/Consultant
Pauline Weston, Assistant Project Coordinator
Dr. Gerry Coffman, Consultant

For more information about Reading First, contact the Jones Institute at (620) 341-5372.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>