The Healey-Driscoll Administration is directing $9.3 million towards improving early literacy in 29 Massachusetts school districts and an educational collaborative, as part of the PRISM II grants from their Partnership for Reading Success - Massachusetts (PRISM) initiative, which targets reading success from preschool through 3rd grade, according to an announcement on the state's official website. The grants are intended to fortify early literacy instruction, providing students with essential reading and writing skills.
At an event in the Easthampton Public Library, a beneficiary of the grant, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler underscored the importance of literacy, with Tutwiler affirming that the administration is consistently striving to enhance literacy education for the young, these PRISM II grants represent yet another tool at the state's disposal in this endeavor, building upon previous endeavors such as the Literacy Launch professional institutes and PRISM I grants. The awarded districts, with funds ranging from $95,100 to as much as $798,000 for the Lowell Public School District, will begin implementing new English language arts materials or start a structured curriculum evaluation and selection process.
The new funds will assist schools in various ways including the establishment of teams to select and implement curricula, targeted professional learning, and expert coaching by PRISM curriculum and instruction coaches, as the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has chosen. Additionally, districts may use the funds to provide stipends or cover the costs of substitute teachers to compensate for educators' time on this initiative.
DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez, in a statement obtained by the Massachusetts government's official website, expressed eagerness for the support that PRISM grants bring to districts expressing that education is crucial for the students' futures, and the commission is dedicated to extending its reach through these grants, professional development, and other resources aiming to impact as many educational institutions and teachers as possible with this support. Emphasizing the need for culturally responsive and evidence-based teaching practices, Easthampton Superintendent Michelle Balch conveyed gratitude for the grant, which will facilitate hands-on support, high-quality materials, and guidance to deliver literacy education that resonates with students' diverse experiences and prepares them for future opportunities.
This comprehensive approach to early literacy also includes Governor Healey's expanded efforts in high dosage early literacy tutoring, which supports kindergarten through third-grade students in developing foundational reading skills, as a part of the holistic educational strategy implemented by the administration to bridge literacy gaps right from the outset of a child's academic journey. In total, 272 schools across the state will benefit from such tutoring in the ongoing school year.
