The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) was one of 11 states to receive a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) program. The $18 million grant will be distributed over five years, allowing the state to advance literacy skills for children from birth through Grade 12.

“Literacy serves as the foundation of learning,” Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said. “Extensive research suggests that reading by Grade 3 is critical to a child’s success in school and life beyond. Improving literacy is central to our aim of improving lives through education.”

The Missouri CLSD program was designed to complement DESE’s commitment to literacy for students under the agency’s Show-Me Success plan. The goal of the project is to support educators’ working knowledge of evidence-based literacy strategies to effectively teach reading and writing to all students. This includes providing professional development to pre-service teachers in institutions of higher education, early childhood education teachers and K-12 educators to enable them to provide effective instruction. This grant will additionally support districts with developing evidenced-based literacy plans to implement in their local schools and provide support for families. 

To learn more about the U.S. Department of Education’s CLSD program, visit here.