Governor Lamont and Education Commissioner Russell-Tucker Announce Connecticut Receives $10 Million Grant Award To Strengthen Early Literacy Supports

This Five-Year Grant Will Expand Evidence-Aligned Reading Intervention for Students in Kindergarten Through Grade 3

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker today announced that the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) has been awarded a five-year, $10 million competitive grant to expand targeted reading intervention, with integrated positive behavioral supports, for kindergarten through grade 3 students experiencing significant reading difficulties.

The Education Innovation and Research grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, will support a statewide initiative led by the CSDE's Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success in continued partnership with the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education, HILL for Literacy, Fordham University, and Connecticut school districts.

The initiative will expand access to small-group reading intervention across a statewide network of 75 elementary schools, along with instructional materials, professional learning, ongoing coaching, and tools to monitor student progress and guide instruction. It will also examine the impact of incorporating evidence-aligned positive behavioral interventions and supports into reading instruction to increase student engagement and maximize instructional time.

"Strong reading skills are critical to a student's success in school and throughout their lives," Governor Lamont said. "This investment will provide additional support to young students who are struggling to read and give our educators more tools to meet their needs. We want every child in Connecticut to have the opportunity to become a strong reader and develop a lifelong love of learning."

Since 2021, Connecticut has advanced a comprehensive literacy strategy grounded in the Right to Read legislation, investing more than $24 million in K-3 literacy assessments and instructional materials for schools and $15 million in professional learning for educators and leaders statewide, including the Science of Reading Masterclass. More recently, the state invested $2 million in a new literacy coaching program to provide job-embedded support in identified schools. The new grant complements these efforts by expanding the state's literacy coaching work and providing intensive, small-group reading intervention for K-3 students who need additional support.

"We are pleased to have secured this competitive grant, which builds upon the significant investments Connecticut has made to strengthen literacy instruction and support our educators," Commissioner Russell-Tucker said. "This funding will allow us to reach more students and educators with the targeted supports and resources needed to advance early literacy. As this work grows over the next five years, these efforts will position us to continue improving literacy instruction and outcomes for students across our state."

"We are excited to continue our partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education's Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success to strengthen reading outcomes for students in Connecticut," Michael Coyne and Brandi Simonsen, professors at UConn's Neag School of Education, said. "This grant will help schools enhance targeted reading interventions and integrated positive behavioral supports. It builds on more than a decade of collaboration among CSDE, UConn, districts, schools, and partners through the Connecticut Literacy Model, while also aligning with Connecticut's Multi-Tiered System of Support framework."

"This critical $10 million grant will help more Connecticut children develop a lifelong love of reading," U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said. "Reading is not only an academic skill, but helps kids develop empathy, build strong relationships, and expand their imaginations. As literacy rates and reading for pleasure decline across the nation, I am proud to see Governor Lamont and Commissioner Russell-Tucker commit to developing strong readers with this transformative program."

"Hundreds of thousands of kids in Connecticut rely on federal support from the Department of Education to help them succeed in the classroom, and this announcement is a significant investment in their futures," Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) said. "As we face an administration intent on dismantling public education in Washington, the Connecticut delegation will continue to work together to defend students and teachers from these attacks, and secure new investments in our schools. I am thrilled to join my colleagues and Governor Lamont to announce this $10 million grant we secured to support educators with the tools they need to improve reading skills and student success."

"This $10 million federal investment will make a drastic difference in the lives of young people, ensuring that they have the science-backed tools needed to read proficiently," Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said. "Our local schools and teachers are strengthened by federal resources and collaboration. That is why I have been a proud champion for the Education Innovation and Research program, protecting funding in my role as the top Democrat of the House Appropriations Committee, and I will continue to fight for the resources and research necessary for our students to succeed."

"Literacy is essential for success in life," Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) said. "I am pleased to have helped secure funds which will build on the critical steps our state is taking to foster a love of reading, create lifelong learners, and address achievement gaps."

Over the five-year grant period, the CSDE and its partners will begin this work as a pilot with a limited number of schools in the first year, with additional schools phased in over the course of the grant.