ESEA TITLE II, PART B, SUBPART 2, SECTION 2226: Innovative Approaches to Literacy

Funding

$27M, awarded competitively

Eligibility

LEA (in which 20 percent or more of the students are from families with an income below the poverty line), a consortium of such LEAs, Bureau of Indian Education, or an eligible national nonprofit organization.

Sample Use of Funds

Activities could include:

• Promoting literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities, including developing and enhancing effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools;
• Promoting literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities, including early literacy services, including pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits, medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children starting in infancy.

This grant has an extensive list of uses of funds. View the complete ESSA Federal Funding Guide below for the full list.

Key Provision: Eligibility

The program may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to one or more LEAs in which at least 20 percent of the students are from low-income families; the Bureau of Indian Education; or eligible national non-profit organizations to promote programs that develop literacy skills in low-income communities.

For more information, contact Tom Zembar at 202.822.7109 or [email protected]

Next Steps

You have a right to know if your state or district applied for the funds and influence how they are spent. Most grants have already been disbursed to your state and district, but others may require an application.

Once you find a grant, make sure it’s appropriate for your intended use. Then, contact your local NEA Affiliate to organize an effort to hold your district and state accountable for how the money is used.