Early literacy grants, designed to help accelerate the implementation of Delaware’s Early Literacy programs, were awarded in March. Milford School District, one of 25 districts and charter schools to receive the funding, will receive $383,470. Awards ranged from Gateway Charter School’s $15,505 to Christina School District’s $740,026.
“Delaware is focused on one clear goal; ensuring every child reads on grade level by the end of third grade,” Governor Matt Meyer said. “By aligning leadership, professional learning, staffing models and data systems around that goal, Delaware is building a durable statewide literacy system that gives every child the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader.”
The funding for the early literacy grants comes from a $1.9 million State Implementation Fund grant from Accelerate and $6.1 million in competitive Bridge to Practice grants. Rather than launching new initiatives, Delaware is putting state, federal and philanthropic investments behind one statewide literacy strategy focused on strong teaching, strong school leadership and evidence-based reading instruction every day.
“We know what it takes to help children learn to read and Delaware is putting those supports in place in classrooms across the state,” Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. “It starts with excellent instruction every day, supported by high-quality materials, well-trained educators, and strong school leadership. These investments help accelerate the work already underway so more students are reading on grade level by the end of third grade, and we will measure our progress every step of the way so families and educators can see the results.”
The Early Literacy Plan is at the center of the Department of Education’s 2025-2028 Strategic Plan and focuses on supporting teachers, strengthening school leadership and ensuring students receive strong reading instruction. This work focuses on implementation in classrooms and will be tracked through clear statewide measures of reading progress so families and educators can see the results.
