A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Department of Education Resources

As part of his America Reads Challenge, President Clinton is proposing to invest $2.75 billion over 5 years. The funds will help local reading partnerships to hire reading specialists to train and mobilize one million tutors. The tutors will provide assistance after school, on weekends, and during the summers to children who need extra help to read well and independently. The proposed total includes $300 million for locally based projects to inform parents of how they can help their young children become successful readers by the end of 3rd grade.

The President also is seeking significant increases for programs that strengthen reading skills during the school day, including a $347 million increase for Title I to improve the regular instructional program in low-income schools (Contact your State Department of Education or the U.S. Department of Education at 202-260-0826 for more information), a $92 million increase for Bilingual and Immigrant Education to help children who speak English as a second language, a $6 million increase in Even Start family literacy programs, and a $164 million increase in Special Education State Grants that would help children with disabilities (Contact your State Department of Education or the U.S. Department of Education at 202-205-5507). College students participating in work-study programs or community service will be available in much larger numbers to tutor in reading in 1997-1998 (contact your local college).

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