SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Education Department announced on Sept. 9 that it will receive nearly $60 million in federal grant funds over the next five years to develop and implement evidence-based literacy interventions and supports to help students achieve key literacy milestones.
The funding will be allocated annually at $11.99 million per year, contingent upon appropriations from Congress and substantial progress of the NMPED toward performance targets outlined in the grant application.
The funds were awarded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant.
"This vital funding will enable us to enhance the literacy efforts we have been implementing across the state, reach more learners and provide the resources necessary to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning,” NMPED Deputy Secretary Candice Castillo said.
The PED, in collaboration with the Early Childhood Education and Care Department and the Department of Higher Education, will use grant funds to improve the preliteracy skills of children under age five and increase the percentage of elementary, middle and high school students who meet the state’s language and literacy proficiency standards.
The department will distribute 95% of grant funds to district and regional education cooperative subgrantees for local infrastructure supports, materials, coaching and other activities to improve literacy outcomes of the most disadvantaged children in the state.
RECs will be eligible to apply for CLSD funding as a subgrantee to allow smaller districts and those in rural areas to participate even if they do not have the capacity to apply for a subgrant on their own. This approach will promote equity in access to educational resources and opportunities by eliminating a capacity barrier for districts who have a large percentage of the state’s disadvantaged children.
The remaining 5% of grant funds will support salary and benefits for three full-time employees to monitor the progress of subgrantees and support the implementation of subgrantees’ literacy plans.
Students reading on grade level by third grade is critical to their future academic success. To advance effective, evidence-based literacy practices, the U.S. Department of Education is awarding more than $149 million in new awards to 23 state educational agencies through the CLSD program.
