TRENTON – Today, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced it has been awarded $50 million over a five-year period from the U.S. Department of Education’s Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant awards to support student literacy initiatives.
In August, Governor Murphy signed legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Senate Education Committee Chair Vin Gopal, and Senator Shirley Turner strengthening literacy education for New Jersey Students. This new federal funding will help supplement state dollars going toward New Jersey’s literacy and academic acceleration initiatives.
“This investment by the U.S. Department of Education in foundational literacy initiatives will help to ensure every child in New Jersey has an effective, quality education from day one that pushes them to achieve their academic and economic potential,” said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex/Hudson). “This funding will bolster the efforts of my bills that established the Working Group on Student Literacy to develop evidence-based literacy strategies and screenings and will empower the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery to ensure that every New Jersey school is equipped with the necessary resources for student growth and achievement. The best investment we can make is in our children, and I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their commitment to enhancing student success.”
“These federal dollars will provide a significant boost to the impact our literacy intervention programs will have on New Jersey students,” said Senator Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth). “Securing our children’s success later in life begins in the classroom, and I am thrilled to see that this goal is being pursued at both the state and federal levels.”
“Improving student literacy rates has been a priority for New Jersey and many other states across the country, and it is encouraging to see the U.S. Department of Education responding to our needs by providing critical funding support,” said Senator Shirley Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon). “This money will accelerate our mission to ensure more students are reading at grade level and will help us rectify disparities in student performance.”
The first bill, S-2644, sponsored by Senator Ruiz and Senator Gopal, established the Working Group on Student Literacy in the Department of Education. This group will work with NJDOE to implement evidence-based literacy strategies, screenings, and interventions for students and will create a professional development program in literacy education for teachers. The bill requires school districts to conduct at least two literacy screenings annually for students in grades K-3 and notify parents or guardians of the results within 30 days of availability.
The second bill, S-2647, sponsored by Senator Ruiz and Senator Turner, established the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery (LEAR) in the NJDOE. The office is responsible for enhancing NJDOE’s ability to make data-driven decisions, coordinate resources, and research best practices for literacy, learning equity, and learning acceleration.