Columbus, Ohio Federal funds totaling $45.9 million will be used by thirty-three Ohio school districts and schools, including some in Northeast Ohio, to enhance reading education. These districts will do this by developing programs for families to promote literacy at home and by hiring coaches to help teachers improve their reading instruction.
The money is part of a $60 million grant Ohio got from the U.S. Department of Education to support the state’s shift in the way reading is taught in schools.
In 2023, a law enacted by Governor Mike DeWine and the legislature mandates that schools follow a broad set of guidelines known as the science of reading, which places an emphasis on phonics, sounding out words, and vocabulary. The science of reading approach is more effective in teaching children to read, according to the most recent study.
In the past, many schools employed a method called “three cueing,” which teaches kids to identify words by using visual cues, context clues, and syntax (word and sentence structure) instead of just sounding them out.
The science of reading approach was mandated for the first time in all schools last academic year. Professional development subsidized by the state was mandatory for teachers. Ohio, which has a long history of local sovereignty over educational curricula, was the first state to require schools to use materials from a list of approved textbooks.
Last year, Ohio received the federal award funds. A competitive application process was then created by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for local schools and districts to receive the funding; 174 schools and districts applied.
In a statement announcing the grant recipients, DeWine stated that literacy is the cornerstone of all learning. We are providing every Ohio kid with the chance to read with confidence, achieve academic success, and realize their full potential by investing in our teachers and integrating instruction with the Science of Reading.
According to Steve Dackin, director of Ohio DEW, the grants support investments in long-term literacy success.
These funding enable schools to offer top-notch, research-based instruction, guaranteeing that every student has the resources they need to achieve. The learning experiences we offer today pave the way for tomorrow’s chances.
Approximately $9 million of the remaining funds will be distributed as grants to preschool and early childhood education programs for reading teaching by the end of 2025. According to Lacey Snoke, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the state will spend roughly $5 million on initiatives to support award recipients’ technical assistance and professional development.
The following districts and schools in Northeast Ohio were awarded funding:
-Cuyahoga County: Cleveland’s Orchard Park Academy charter school, Euclid City School District.
-Summit County: Edge Learning Charter School in Akron and Barberton City School District.
-Lake County: Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School District, Willoughby-Eastlake City School District
Each of these districts and schools was asked by Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer to explain their plans for the funds. Orchard Park Academy was the only one who did not respond.
District of Euclid City Schools
-$1.2 for Kâ5 grades
The cost of grades 6â8 is $900,000.
The cost of grades 9â12 is $900,000.
According to Becky Mamich, the district’s executive director of curriculum, the district’s overall objective is to have 80% of Euclid students reading at grade level through improving core instruction, lowering the number of students in need of intensive intervention, and guaranteeing that all students have fair access to high-quality literacy instruction.
Mamich outlined the district’s plans for the funds:
– Teacher support and training: The district will give teachers additional training in the science of reading and other techniques, including explicit instruction (a teaching strategy that stresses taking small steps), Orton-Gillingham (a science of reading approach beneficial for dyslexic students), and The Writing Revolution (which teaches expository writing instruction). To provide instructors with immediate, practical assistance, Euclid is growing its staff of instructional coaches.
-Student support: For students who require additional reading support, the district will increase early and targeted reading assistance. Additionally, Euclid will train tutors and other support personnel to employ efficient reading practices and increase the frequency of its assessments of students’ reading progress.
-New employees and collaboration: The district intends to bring on more literacy coaches and collaborate with John Carroll University to hire qualified tutors to work with kindergarten through eighth graders during specific intervention periods.
-Involvement of families and the community: The district is collaborating with John Carroll and the Euclid Public Library to provide tutoring and reading-focused activities for families. Training and assistance will be provided to parents so they may support their children’s reading at home.
Barberton City School District
-$400,000 for Kâ5 education
-$566,194 for grades 6 through 8.
-$530,084 for ninth-grade students
According to Superintendent Jason Ondrus, the district is putting in place a program called Success for All at the elementary level with the goals of enhancing instruction, giving students additional support, and including families.
According to him, the district wants to establish a sustainable paradigm for the development of early literacy and totally change literacy outcomes.
According to Barberton, there is a pressing need to address the literacy skills of adolescents in the middle school where sixth and seventh graders are taught.
According to him, the grant would give educators time and professional development to incorporate literary techniques into all subject areas, including social studies and science.
Targeted support for pupils during designated intervention times will be a primary focus. According to Ondrus, he is employing a tutor and another instructor with specialized training in reading intervention.
According to Ondrus, the district will also establish a unique collection of intervention resources for middle school teachers to utilize.
According to Ondrus, Barberton High School is confronted with a significant obstacle: concerningly high dropout rates and low graduation rates among students with disabilities.
According to Ondrus, the district intends to address this by hiring a second teacher and tutor to provide more writing and reading interventions.
According to him, the goal of these interventions is to enhance graduation rates and lower dropout rates by directly addressing the literacy needs of at-risk children. Additionally, in order to promote a comprehensive approach to literacy development, reading skills will be incorporated into every facet of the high school experience, including extracurricular activities and CTE (career-technical education) courses.
The Edge Academy
$484,222 for Kâ5
According to the school’s superintendent, Faith DeCesare, the EdgeAcademy will use the award to increase staff access to reading materials, offer professional development, and offer intense literacy coaching.
The school intends to develop a program for family engagement.
We believe this grant, which will focus on our literacy for life initiative, will significantly enhance our efforts to foster a more literate and engaged community, empowering individuals with the essential skills for lifelong learning and success, she said.
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District of Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools
$1.2 million for Kâ5 education
$829,144 for sixth and eighth grade
According to the district, the funds will be utilized for the following:
-Literacy coaches: The district intends to employ literacy coaches using a portion of the award to assist teachers in enhancing their reading instruction and provide research-based tactics. District spokesperson Gina Kevern stated, “We’re also supporting leadership coaching for principals and administrators so they can help lead and sustain these literacy improvements in their buildings.”
-Targeted student support: Through evidence-based interventions, funds will give kids who are having difficulty reading more help.
-Building a solid reading foundation is the top goal for grades Kâ5, which includes educating teachers, assisting early readers, and obtaining top-notch reading resources and programs.
-For grades 6-8, the focus shifts to strengthening literacy skills across various subjects like science and social studies, supporting struggling readers, and preparing students for high school. It is anticipated that both grade bands will gain from specialized intervention programs, coaching, and training.
-Professional development: Teachers, as well as principals and other administrators will be trained further on the science of reading, and the most effective strategies for teaching and intervention.
-Family program: The district plans to implement a year-round family engagement program of workshops, resources and events designed to help parents and caregivers confidently support reading at home. Willoughby-Eastlake is partnering with local universities, libraries, community organizations, and the Educational Service Center of the Western Reserve to expand tutoring programs, offer parent education, provide learning materials, and create after-school and mentorship opportunities.
We know learning doesn t stop at the classroom door, said Amanda Steward, the district s elementary curriculum coordinator. These funds will help us partner with families in meaningful ways so they can confidently support their child s reading journey at home.
Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School District
-$499,259 for K-5
-$800,753 for grades 6-8
Fairport Harbor s goal is to raise student reading success to 80% on the Ohio s State Tests, the state assessment. This is a critical need, said Superintendent William Billington. Fifty percent of third graders were proficient in the spring of 2024 and 32% of eighth graders were proficient on that test.
FHEVS data shows a trend of decline in achievement as cohorts of students progress through the grades, he said.
Billington outlined the district s plans with the grant:
-Strengthening its tiered system of support for literacy, ensuring all levels of teaching are based on solid evidence and lead to student growth. This includes support for students with disabilities and those learning English.
-Implementing evidence-based literacy instruction, using clear and direct teaching methods rooted in the science of reading. This approach will teach all students the five key areas of literacy: how sounds connect to letters (phonics,) understanding sounds in words and words into syllables and putting those sounds together (phonemic awareness,) comprehension, vocabulary and teaching students to automatically recognize words and read with expression (fluency), along with writing.
-The district will provide professional development for educators to implement a new curriculum.
-The district will hire additional staff to support literacy for both teachers and students, including a literacy coach for grades 6-12 and several new staff members dedicated to providing reading help to students.
-The district plans to work with its reading curriculum provider on teacher planning, teaching observations and discussions. Fair Harbor also plans to partner with instructional experts to conduct classroom visits focused on teaching and learning.
AI was used in the drafting of this story.
