(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined education leaders at a National Children’s Center facility in Ward 8 to celebrate “Read Across DC Day” which was coordinated by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to highlight the importance of early literacy in the District, create excitement around reading, and spotlight citywide investments in literacy.
“We know that putting all students on the pathway to success begins at an early age. And it also starts with a high-quality education and ensuring that every child has access to literacy instruction and early literacy experiences in school,” said Mayor Bowser. “Reading is not only a critical skill, it’s also fun. It is so important that we provide joyful reading experiences for kids – both in school and at home. And that’s what Read Across DC Day is all about.”
During the event, Mayor Bowser and State Superintendent Christina Grant took turns reading the book “Parker Looks Up” to a group of pre-K students. DC schools, child care facilities, families, and residents were also invited to participate in Read Across DC Day by accessing a toolkit on OSSE’s website that includes printable bookmarks, signs, and coloring pages to express excitement around reading.
“The vision for literacy in the District of Columbia is that all learners, starting at birth, will have access to high-quality literacy instruction and early experiences,” said State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant. “Read Across DC Day is a way to celebrate the District’s commitment to that vision, and it serves as a call to action for DC students, educators and residents to read and share why they love reading.”
During the event, the Mayor also highlighted a continuing investment included in her Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal of $2.1 million to support early literacy through the Early Literacy Intervention Initiative. The Early Learning Intervention Initiative supports research-based early literacy interventions to increase reading proficiency in the early grades. The overall goal of the Early Literacy Intervention Grant is to provide resources that will enable a grantee to partner with local education agencies (LEAs) to provide direct, developmentally appropriate, research-based reading programs.
To support literacy efforts in DC Public Schools and public charter schools, OSSE is investing over $3 million in Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as $16 million in grant funds from the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant program to expand access to evidence-based literacy trainings for educators across the District. To date, OSSE has awarded more than $15 million of CLSD grant funding to LEAs and community-based organizations serving more than 12,000 children and students from birth through grade 12.
OSSE is also providing incentives to more than 30% of the District’s pre-K through grade 3 educator workforce to complete important literacy trainings. Currently, 530 educators will have the opportunity to complete Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. Educators who complete the LETRS training will receive a $1,200 stipend. Up to 1000 educators will receive a $1,000 stipend for completion of a Science of Reading course.
OSSE has also committed $16.8 million to fund high-impact tutoring in literacy for approximately 7,600 students, and is currently on track to reach more than 13,000 students across both math and literacy by fall 2024.
Literacy leaders and educators from across the District are invited to attend OSSE’s upcoming Spring 2023 Literacy Convening, Advancing Excellence in Literacy Instruction event that will be held on Wednesday, May 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University. The event will bring together literacy leaders and educators from across the District to engage in professional learning and networking, reflect on literacy instruction, and share best practices.
To learn more about investments in training programs for educators and other learning initiatives, visit osse.dc.gov. To read OSSE’s strategic plan for 2023-2025 to improve literacy instruction citywide, visit HERE.
To learn more about Mayor Bowser’s FY24 Budget, visit budget.dc.gov.