More than $33 million was awarded Wednesday by the Ohio Department of Education to 46 school districts and consortiums of districts to improve the language and literacy development of our state’s children.
Recipients included the Mansfield-based Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center (MOESC), which serves students in Richland, Crawford, and Morrow Counties, as well as Mansfield City Schools.
The $1.2 million MOESC grant will assist students in Buckeye Center, Bucyrus, Galion, Plymouth, Shelby, and Highland Schools. Mansfield City Schools will receive $21,849.25.
“Reading is the foundational skill that ultimately allows us to learn more, and through this application process, we were able to see the great work happening in Ohio’s schools,” said Paolo DeMaria, state superintendent of public instruction. “These Striving Readers grants put crucial resources directly into classrooms across the state, and we’re excited to work with awardees to improve outcomes for Ohio’s most vulnerable children.”
Last fall, Ohio was awarded a $35 million Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Approximately 95 percent of the $35 million award is distributed directly to local schools or early childhood providers to improve literacy outcomes for children from birth through grade 12. The three-year grant focuses on serving the greatest numbers of students living in poverty, students with disabilities, English learners and students identified as having reading difficulties.
The Department awarded grants following a competitive peer review process. The Department received 110 individual and consortium applications, representing 208 entities requesting more than 92 million dollars. The federal grant requirements included a prescribed distribution of funding across defined age and grade bands from birth through high school (15 percent to birth to age 5 programs, 40 percent to K through grade 5 programs and 40 percent equitably distributed across middle and high school programs). In addition to the federal requirements, the Department committed to awarding grants across all 16 state support team regions with priority given to high-quality applications serving the highest numbers of disadvantaged students.
The Department encourages those applicants that did not receive awards to continue their commitment to improving literacy outcomes in their communities.
The grant builds on Ohio’s commitment to ensuring all students have the reading skills needed to succeed in education and life. The Department recently worked with Ohio educators and educational leaders to develop Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement, as well as to update and refine Ohio’s English language arts learning standards. In addition, the Third Grade Reading Guarantee aims to ensure all students are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Through this initiative, schools diagnose reading issues, create individualized Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans, and provide intensive reading interventions.
Source: Ohio Department of Education
