Pennsylvania schools receive over $10 million in grants to boost literacy

Schools throughout Pennsylvania have been awarded over $10 million in funding to boost literacy and promote structured reading.

Information shared by Governor Josh Shapiro’s office on Monday said the Pennsylvania Department of Education gave grants to 54 schools across 21 counties.

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe said the money will be used to help schools build the systems, instructional capacity and evidence-based resources necessary to meet structured literacy requirements under the law.

Local recipients include:

Apollo-Ridge ($208,669)
Armstrong ($821,794)
Central Valley ($415,405)
Chartiers-Houston ($231,854)
Fort Cherry ($180,975)
Freedom Area ($204,160)
Homer Center ($140,401)
Penns Manor Area ($121,079)

“Research shows us that structured literacy is the most effective way to teach young learners how to read, and schools across the Commonwealth are eager to implement these teaching practices,” said Rowe. “This grant funding will help educators access the evidence-based tools and resources they need to implement this educational programming with fidelity in their classrooms.”

Some of the activities the grants will support are:

Purchasing High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) aligned to Structured Literacy and the Science of Reading.
Acquiring PDE-approved universal reading screening assessments for students in grades K–3.
Supporting educator participation in PDE-approved Structured Literacy professional development.
Developing local implementation plans that align curriculum, assessment, intervention, and professional learning.
Building sustainable literacy systems through coaching, data-based decision-making, and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS-Reading).
Strengthening collaboration among district leaders, principals, literacy coaches, and instructional staff to ensure consistent implementation across schools.

Lawmakers also encouraged educators and families to visit the Structured Literacy landing page to learn more about how to support children and get them reading at state standards.

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