SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 48 grantees will receive $71 million in continued funding from the federal Reading First grant. For the list of grantees, please visit Funding Results: Reading First.

"The ability to read is the gateway to learning," said O'Connell. "As we continue to challenge students in California to learn at high levels, it is vital they develop reading skills early in life to meet the challenge."

The federal Reading First program's goal is to ensure all children in the United States learn to read well by the end of third grade. California's state plan, approved by the State Board of Education, engages this goal by providing subgrants to local education agencies to fully implement the state-adopted reading program in kindergarten through grade three, and to provide intensive professional development to teachers. Special education teachers in grades kindergarten through grade twelve are also invited to participate in the professional development.

Reading First program funding comes from the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Five years ago, $143 million in Reading First grants was initially made available. Since then $136 million has already been disbursed to four cohorts consisting of 123 school districts throughout California. Today's announcement supplies another $71 million dollars to 48 grantees or school districts in two cohorts. A cohort is a group of school districts with similar qualities specifically identified by the California Department of Education to track its progress. Eligible applicants included local education agencies serving kindergarten through grade three that had a certain number of students who are from high-poverty backgrounds and are low achieving in reading.

Each cohort was started in a specific year. For example, Cohort One is now in the fifth year of funding. Cohorts Two and Four were funded earlier this summer. Today, Cohorts One and Three were funded. For more information on the Reading First grant, please visit Funding Profile (ID 936): Reading First.