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U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced the first-ever Early Reading First grants -- 30 grants totaling more than $72 million -- to support local efforts to improve the language and pre-reading skills of young children.

Early Reading First is President Bush's initiative to transform existing early education programs into centers of excellence that provide high-quality, early education to young children, especially those from low-income families. It builds upon the president's vast Good Start, Grow Smart initiative to improve early learning.

School districts, other public, nonprofit and private organizations -- including faith-based organizations -- and collaborations of the same entities competed for the grants. The grants announced today are going to organizations in 22 states. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for up to three years, the projects incorporate strategies, curricula, materials and professional development for teachers to prepare young children to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive and early reading skills that can avert reading difficulties and ensure continued school success.

"Children who are most at risk for school failure need and benefit the most from high-quality early learning experiences," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, "Tragically, they are the least likely to have access to programs providing these experiences. The good news is: we know what works. We have a knowledge base from scientific research that lays out the skills young children need before they enter kindergarten."

To achieve the president's goals, the Early Reading First Grant Program has five aims:

-- Professional development for teachers, based on scientific research, to enhance children's language, cognitive and early reading skills;

-- High-quality language and literature-rich reading activities drawn from scientifically based reading research, to help children obtain the fundamental knowledge and skills they must have;

-- Age-appropriate cognitive learning for preschoolers that covers oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness and alphabetic knowledge;

-- Screenings and assessments to determine the skills children are learning in order to prevent reading failure; and,

-- Improving and integrating all aspects of an instructional program -- including materials, activities, tools and assessments.

In addition to these new grants, the president and Mrs. Bush have vigorously pursued an early childhood education agenda, Good Start, Grow Smart, that is unprecedented and multi-faceted. Among the accomplishments to date:

-- A White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development;

-- Four regional Early Childhood Educator Academies and grants to improve the skills of early childhood educators;

-- Research on early childhood that will accumulate scientifically based research on effective preschool programs to help educators make better curricula choices;

-- Good Start, Grow Start Early Childhood Award Program that will draw attention to highly effective preschool programs, ultimately promoting strong content as well as effective use of funds;

-- Formation of an internal ED and HHS Task Force on Early Childhood Cognitive Development; and,

-- Publication of numerous resources for parents and educators, including the Healthy Start, Grow Smart series; Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child Care and Family Providers; Seven Super Things Parents and Caregivers Can Do; A Child Becomes a Reader (Birth to Preschool); A Child Becomes a Reader (K-3), Helping Your Child Become a Reader; Helping Your Preschool Child; and Guide for Parents, How Do I Know a Good Early Reading Program When I See One?

Publications may be downloaded or ordered through: http://www.ed.gov/about/pubs.jsp.

Early Reading First is authorized under Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. For more information about Early Reading First, go to: www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/earlyreading/.

A list of grant recipients follows.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: An audio clip of U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige discussing this announcement is posted at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPA/news/broadcasthome.html.

GRANT RECIPIENTS
State
City
Applicant Name 3-Year Funding

ALABAMA

Montgomery
Alabama Department of Children's Affairs $824,872
Project Director: Millie Dorman
(334) 223-0502

Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham $ 2,508,061
Project Director: Kathleen Martin
(205) 975-5369

ARIZONA

Rio Rico
Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District #35 $ 782,330
Project Director: Kristine Cleary Fontes
(520) 375-7458

CALIFORNIA

Red Bluff
Tehama County Department of Education $ 1,956,629
Project Director: Paula Brown-Almond
(530) 528-7343

COLORADO

Cortez
Pinon Project $ 1,039,079
Project Director: Virginia Howey
(970) 564-1195

Denver
The Clayton Foundation $ 3,134,317
Project Director: Meera Mani
(303) 355-4411

FLORIDA

Fort Myers
United Way of Lee County, Inc. Success by 6 $ 1,633,807
Project Director: Greg Gardner
(941) 433-2000

ILLINOIS

Chicago
Ounce of Prevention Fund $ 1,621,924
Project Director: Brenda Eiland-Williford
(312) 922-3863

KANSAS

Topeka
Topeka Public Schools, USD 501 $ 2,143,566
Project Director: James L. Glass
(785) 575-6155

MAINE

Belfast
Waldo County Preschool & Family Services $ 2,026,323
Project Director: Ruth H. Southworth
(207) 338-2200

MARYLAND

Baltimore
Baltimore City Head Start Program $ 1,394,100
Project Director: Carlethea Johnson
(410) 396-7414

Rockville
Montgomery County Public Schools $ 3,619,131
Project Director: Pamela Prue
(301) 230-0691

Largo
Prince George's Child Resource Center $ 1,669,338
Project Director: Margaret Watkins
(301) 772-8420

MICHIGAN

Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Community College $ 2,509,424
Project Director: Rebecca Brinks
(616) 234-4084

MISSOURI

Kansas City Children's TLC-Therapeutic Learning Center $ 2,651,911
Project Director: Laura McCrary
(816) 756-0780

NEW MEXICO

Prewitt
Baca Community School $ 912,098
Project Director: Jacque Mangahm
(505) 876-2769

Albuquerque Regents of the University of New Mexico $ 2,354,711
Project Director: Carol Westby
(505) 277-8715

NEW YORK

Bronx
Bronx Community School District 7 $ 3,158,488
Project Director: John Piazza
(718) 742-6524

Bronx
Bronx Community School District 9 $ 3,117,538
Project Director: Melvin R. Thompson
(718) 681-6656

New York
New York University $ 1,275,003
Project Director: Ms. Sheila Smith
(212) 998-5014

OKLAHOMA

Norman
University of Oklahoma $ 4,078,132
Project Director: Susan J. Kimmel
(405) 799-6383

OREGON

Wilsonville Oregon Child Development Coalition $ 2,362,745
Project Director: Juanita Santana
(503) 570-1110

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia
School District of Philadelphia $ 4,483,364
Project Director: Donna Piekarski
(215) 299-7502

PUERTO RICO

San Juan
Puerto Rico Department of Education $ 3,267,456
Project Director: Eileen L. Reyes
(787) 759-8910

SOUTH CAROLINA

Marion
Marion School District 1 $ 4,257,946
Project Director: Cleo Richardson
(843) 423-1811

TEXAS

San Marcos
Community Action, Inc of Hays, Caldwell & Blanco Counties $ 4,353,282
Project Director: Corina Jaimes
(512) 392-1161

El Paso
Region 19 Education Service Center $ 3,000,000
Project Director: Blanca Enriquez
(915) 790-4610

WASHINGTON

Seattle
City of Seattle $ 2,979,414
Project Director: Billie Young
(206) 386-1143

WEST VIRGINIA

Webster Springs
Webster County Board of Education $ 1,368,615
Project Director: Madonna Blyler
(304) 847-5638

WYOMING

Cowley
Big Horn School District #1 $ 1,573,750
Project Director: Matt Davidson
(307) 548-2238

TOTAL: $72,057,354

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